Ford Focus ZX5

little9

One year ago I really wanted a Focus but after a year's worth of reading postings on various Focus forums, I decided that Ford quality sucks! Reliability is a real issue for me. There are too many new hatchbacks being offered by other makers to put up with all the problems I've read about. Price? Warranty? Standard features? Compare the Focus with the lowly Hyundai Elantra GT. Use Edmunds invoice pricing and see how much price difference there is between the Focus and the Elantra GT. Warranty wise Hyundai has it all over the Focus. Features? A base Elantra GT with AT, ABS/Trac Cntrl is $2800 less than a comparably equipped ZX5 with leather seating and sunroof (this of course does not include side air bags which are not even available in the Focus). Compare postings re: Focus (any model) and Elantra (sedan or GT) and count the number of recalls, the number of problems reported on vehicles with less than l0,000 miles. I really liked the look of the Focus. The dash is really spiffy and I found the seating to my liking but with all the problems reported by Focus owners, I don't want to be sitting looking at my dash while waiting for a tow to the nearest Ford dealer.

fdthird

well, I guess you lose then

seminole_kev

While I'm not a statistician, I think that since the Focus sells in much, much bigger numbers than the Elantra does, you'd have more compliants for the Focus than the Elantra. Even if the Elantra was, in fact, more problematic.

Congratulations on the Elantra GT. Good car.

By the way, I can tell you really researched the Focus since you said -"this of course does not include side air bags which are not even available in the Focus". Side airbags are available across the Focus line.

bpi

The price difference is more like $1,200-1,300. There'a $1,500 rebate on the Focus. The GT has $0. OTOH, traction control is not available on the Focus, but stability control is.

seminole_kev

traction control comes with the stability control in the AdvanceTrac package for the Focus.

bpi

I stand corrected.

seminole_kev

I didn't mean to sound rude. Hope I did not come across that way.

lkrk10

Being a current owner of a ZX3 and looking to upgrade to a ZX5. Has anybody but an after market air filter in their Focus to improve gas mileage? I placed one in my Protege and it improved it greatly. I am currently waiting on ordering one for my Focus, until I am sure they use the same air filter on the ZX5.

Over 23,000 and still going strong and only one problem, MAP sensor went out. Free fix thanks to warranty.

little9

Owner loyalty or denial...there's nothing like it. Sorta like Cardinal football fans who believe each season might well be "The One". Who knows, perhaps, this might well be the year Ford finally gets it right.

seminole_kev

OK....funny no posts in the Elantra GT board, but a few in here....interesting.

By the way, I like the Elantra GT. It didn't suit my needs as well as the Focus ZX5 or Protege 5 did, but that doesn't detract from the fact it's a good car. But disparage away at the Focus if it makes you feel better.

mroland

Why would you say all of those not so nice things to a board that specializes for the car. I love my Focus. It is still better looking than the Pro5 and more repsonsive in handling. Both are subjective. Most people who have a Zx5 experiance minimal problems, less than and average of 1 per car. The average for new cars is 1.6 so I'd expect a little something to go wrong. All those parts put together, and something will give.

If you want something that will not break, buy a Toyota, and make it silver so you fit in like all the rest. If you want people to "see" you on the road, and say what a neat car you have, and have a ball driving it, pick a Focus.

mroland

I have a K&N replacement air filter in my ZX5. It really helps the engine to get going a bit more. I don't think the mileage improved. People at Myfordfocus.com seem to reall like the ICEMAN cool air induction system if you want to shell out for it. I don't think it affects fuel economy, and most who have it seem very satisfied with the performance...

lngtonge18

He posts similar condescending comments about the ptcruiser in that forum. Has there been a troll sighting?

mroland

Looks like little9 has been up to it at the Honda Civic Si board as well. It seems all cars are overpriced except the Hyundai, and even their dealers are acting like a Honda facility. Thre is just no pleasing some people....

little9

The Ford Focus is a good car. I had occasion to rent one for 2 days. Had the thing up to 80 MPH without realizing it. The seating is superb. Handling is terrific. The ZX5 is extremely versatile for passenger or cargo loads. The styling beats the daylights out of the Vibe/Matrix or the P5. About 20 yrs ago Lee Iaccoca had an ad on TV in which he said about competitor minivans "We showed them how to do it and they still couldn't get it right". I feel the same about other hatchbacks when it comes to fulfilling the purpose(s) of hatchbacks. Pound for pound, the Focus beats the competition. The Cruiser PT is underpowered (I have asked several PT owners and they have all said the same). Honda dealers don't deal...and the cars have been de-contented and prices raised. Compare standard features of a Civic from five yrs ago with those offered on a Civic now. Finally, all dealers work to maximize their profits...it's a business. Some dealers realize their profits from volumn sales (Dave Sinclair Ford in the St. Louis area) while others simply try to get their profits from phony baloney stuff like "documentation fees", "pre-delivery inspection fees", "market value adjustment" and other such nonsense. Just 2 days ago, I read a dealer sticker and noted that he was charging the destination fee twice and at the same time charging $290 for fabric protection on leather seating (of course this "prpotection" had a 3 yr/ 36000 mile warranty). I am very grateful that there are resources like Edmunds and KBB but I am more than grateful that there are boards like this one. I am able to read the real life experiences of others and feel that I profit from them. Yes, I have read all about the various recalls concerning the Focus and many of the complaints from Focus owners (especially about Ford dealers) but I have also read Honda owner complaints about their cars and how they were treated at Honda dealers. NO CAR IS PERFECT, NO MAKE/MODEL IS WITHOUT FAULTS. I bought a Toyota (high reliability) and two weeks after purchase the transmission went out. Some reliability! I later bought a base model Plymouth Voyager. I still have that car after nearly l50,000 miles. I've replaced shocks, struts, brakes, and one battery. My sister bought a Chrysler Town & Country and after 36,000 miles, parts of the engine literally fell off. I believe that much of car ownership is "luck of the draw" and that applies to Focus, Hyundai, or any other vehicle. It is by reading boards like this one that I can (I think) improve my odds when it comes to car buying and living with the car. I do have one final question of you Focus owners/lovers (Seminole Key and Mroland especially): why are you looking at the PT Cruise, Elantra, and Honda boards? I haven't bought anything yet but apparently you have. Are you still checking these boards to make certain you haven't made a mistake in buying a Focus? Me? I'm still looking. Thanks and I genuinely hope that you enjoy your Foci.

seminole_kev

maybe becuase we like cars. Is that hard to understand? If you read car magazines, do you skip over the pages that don't involve your car? I also like other cars in addition to the Focus. What I don't like is the "Well brand X is nothing but crap...and they stink and their owners stink" kind of posts.

I do understand that no car is perfect. And some cars can be a better fit for some people than others. I'm not loyal to any brand of car so it makes it easy for me to cross shop against many models. You don't see me preaching that everyone should buy a Focus do you?

revka

Good notes! Can I make one small suggestion? If you have a long message, you may want to break it up into smaller paragraphs. The stats have shown that people will be more likely to read the entire post, and not skip over parts, if it's easy on the eyes. Okay?

And now back to the subject of the Ford Focus ZX5. Talk later. ;-)

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards

mroland

I am a car fanatic. Even though I had to settle on one car, that doesn't mean that certain others don't attract me. Out of that group, the PT Cruiser I think is my fav. It is slow, but it is so comfortable and good looking. The driving position and interior accomodations are second to none. However, it didn't have the driving dynamics I was looking for. If could take the interior materials of the cruiser, and put them into the Focus - I'd have it made. I realize the Focus has had a few problems. I am will to live with that chance beacuse the car thrills me in so many ways. Every time I look at it, I am so glad that I didn't get some boring silver Japanese sedan. And every time I find a hard corner - well It just makes the blood pump in my veins. And then, I can still carry 3 other people out to dinner in perfect comfort. How could I resist.

The Cruiser equipped how I wanted, or the Pro5/Impreza Outback wer both a bit out of my budget.

zizi

changed my se sport for a zx-5 what a wondderfoul
car the handling is top notch

snaptab

Good article in Fri. 4/12/02 edition of USA Today.
Mr. Healey does seem to give Consumer Reports more credibility than it deserves. Maybe he should trust his own judgement. Check it out.

clayman1000

I was surprised to not see any recalls for the ZX5. Can this be true?

What about the engine fires? If any?

Here is a snippet from the Car and Driver review:

The complete ZX5 package includes six-spoke, 16-inch aluminum wheels; P205/50HR-16 tires; fog lamps; a six-disc, in-dash CD changer; a remote keyless entry system; power windows and door locks; air conditioning; a fat steering wheel that tilts and telescopes; Ford's SecuriLock passive anti-theft system; and electronic speed control—for the ordinary sum of $16,135 in Sangria Red with medium graphite low-back bucket seats.

Read more at:

http://www.caranddriver.com/

seminole_kev

...yet ;-)

clayman1000

I was surprised to not see any recalls for the ZX5. Can this be true?

What about the engine fires? If any?

Here is a snippet from the Car and Driver review:

The complete ZX5 package includes six-spoke, 16-inch aluminum wheels; P205/50HR-16 tires; fog lamps; a six-disc, in-dash CD changer; a remote keyless entry system; power windows and door locks; air conditioning; a fat steering wheel that tilts and telescopes; Ford's SecuriLock passive anti-theft system; and electronic speed control—for the ordinary sum of $16,135 in Sangria Red with medium graphite low-back bucket seats.

Read more at:

http://www.caranddriver.com/

mroland

Ford Focus has been Car and Driver 10 best cars for the last three years.

vocus

You all know the PT is coming out in turbo form next year, right? Just wanted to let you know.

seminole_kev

what's the gas mileage of that thing going to be when it comes out?

mroland

Was spotted Saturday night. Got close enough to see the interior is the Medium Grpahite.

moondawg

just a question....I've seen some older focus' with rear headrests.Was this an option on some models?I can't seem to find any now....I even called Ford,and they didn't have them,now.I've seen them in some photos....but alas.Anyone know how to get them?

norwaydoug

Moondog,

The rear headrests came on MY2001 cars with side air bags. Ford decontented the Focus and removed the rear headrests as an option.

Oh...you could buy a SVT and get rear head rests...I think it come with 3!

NorwayDoug

mroland

Mine is 2002 and has side airbags, and no rear headrests..

focus090

I am a regular to the edmunds website, but this was the first time i actually checked out the town hall thing....glad i did, and glad to find other focus fans as myself. i had a 2000 focus sedan SE for 2 years, loved it, had not one problem with it, of course i had like 5 recalls, but those were taken care of in one day visits - not overnite crap. but other than that, i loved that damn car....so the logical thing to do was to get another. i liked the zx3, but think that the black molding on the side of the car, and at the bottoms of it look hideous, and its hard to get in and out of the back seat, so when i saw the zx5 i was VERY interested.

so here i am, now driving a zx5, and I LOVE IT. i've had it for about a month now, and just like the last focus, it handles great, its a nice stiff ride, solid car, overall great package. Things like sport bucket seats, and fog lamps, and the 6 disc in dash cd player, and the 16 inch wheels (1" bigger than my last car), are all thing si didn't have on my last one....whcih rose the price of this one to an msrp of $17,170 as opposed to $15,500 and somthing. Which is fine by me, you get a lot for that money.

I live about 15 minutes from the wayne assembly plant here in michigan, where they build the focus sedans, and you guys should see it, they havea lot that'll hold like 700+ foci, and in the morning the damn thing is full, and by the afternoon, its empty. around the detroit area, i don;'t think that you can go 2 miles without seeing some form of focus, which is cool as hell.

There aren't too many zx5's around, so when i'm cruising around, i get a few looks, and its cool - its nice to havea version of this car that not everyone has seen like the focus sedan. one thing that probably bugs me the most, and this is about the only thing....is the TICKTOCK, TICKTOCK, TICKTOCK that the blinkers make.....[non-permissible content removed] is that annoying sometimes. my old one was a soft ticking....which i enjoyed. lol.

I haven't had any problems with this one, i've done all city driving with it, so i have gotten less than stellar mileage, but that'll change once i get to more open road.....hehheh. the zetec engine is great, truly a better engine than the sohc in certain focus sedans.....

once in a while my starter takes a moment to catch, but i'll have it checked out soon enough, thats it, just wanted to share my love of the zx5....later.

focus090

i had a k&n filtercharger in my 2000 focus, and it worked well, i could tell it gave it more pickup an such, and a bit better gas mileage....it just helps the engine get more air....no humungous, enormous improvement, but for a measly 35 bucks its worth it. the 2002 foci number for it are the same as the past ones.....#33-2819. i have to clean my old one, and then put it in my new zx5. oh, by the way, i have actually gotten comments that some people like the looks of the zx5 better than the focus sedan i had last.....way cool.

revka

and congrats on your new Ford Focus ZX5! Thanks for your detailed notes.... We look forward to hearing more about your ownership experience. Happy motoring!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Station Wagons Boards

moondawg

thank you both for your imputs..........

mroland

Its good to see someone else with great things to say about this car, rather than dwelling on if it has rear headrests or not. There is so much more than is interesting and great about the ZX5. 6 months and I am enormously satisfied....
check out myfordfocus.com which is more of a full service Focus site.

Marc

focus090

hey, ford announced that they will be making and svt zx5 for 2003!!!! 170 horse, all the good stuff, but now in the 5 door! whooo-hooo.

focus090

http://www.focaljet.com/

to see the zx5 svt info

revka

Hi Folks- I started up a new discussion for the new 2003 Ford (5- door) SVT Focus. Feel free to join us over there. Use your copy/paste so you don't have to re-write your message/s. Thanks for your participation.

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

fgaydos

How do you like the ZX5?
As for waiting for the SVT, just think of the money saved on premimun gas and higher Insurance rates.
Debating on buying a 5 now as the rates are so low. 2.9% for 72 monthes or 0% for 48.

seminole_kev

the ZX5's been great. Good, fun ride while still being practicle. Been real happy thus far.

fgaydos

That's good to hear. Continued good luck.

mroland

The car is great fun to drive, solid and quiet on the highway, and reliable. I have 9K on mine with only a minor transmission and steering problem, neither of which affected driveability or left me stranded... and NO RECALLS.
The prices are great now on them. I got 4.8% over 5 years way back in November. You will do better now, but they have raised the MSRP on the ZX5 about $700 during the year...

focus090

have had my silver zx5 since may, still love it, no real problems....nothing that makes me turn against my favorite car on the road. my 6 disc cd changer jammeb about a month into the lease, got a whole new unit, this one, now contains a mini fan inside to prevent overheating, and in rare incidents the car wouldn't start on the first try, as if the starter wouldn't catch. but i consider these to be no real problems. only had to give them the car for two days. in my mind, you can't go wrong with the focus.....

dingleball

Got my ZX5 2 weeks ago and no build quality problems so far... Fun car to drive - a lot like my in-laws' C180 Sport (Euro model). One question - does anyone know what the redline is on the Zetec? No red on the tach and can't find it in print or on the net anywhere... The damn shift light comes on at 5K.

vocus

I think the redline is something like 6500rpm. Check out Car and Driver to see if they have a test of a Zetec equipped Focus. They always print the redline in their tech specs section.

mroland

The redline is 6750 rpm. According to peak torque and hp figures I have seen, the car is giving it its all until about 6000 rpm. its all noise after that.
I had the same starting issue with mine, and it has worked itself out at almost 10K by now. I read something in my classbook last night when talking about ignition systems that the car has to learn to talk to itself in some way, so this could be normal for a new car...I can't remember the specifics on it now...

dingleball

Thanks vocus...

Finally found it listed in a 10/1999 C/D review of the ZTS. Had looked there before, just not that far back. mroland is right - 6750.

Anybody have any experience with aftermarket products like the SuperChip, headers, etc. and the performance increases? I had a '96 Sunfire with the Quad4 and it was much faster than this ZX5, although that is the ONLY thing that was better... Torque came in much lower in the RPM range with the Quad4.

mroland

Mine is basically stock. There are plenty of custom parts to choose from. I would get advice from my buddies at myfordfocus.com, many of whom have done lots to their Foci.

Kirstie_H

A newspaper journalist is looking to speak with Ford Focus owners by Monday, September 16 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts on your vehicle with a national audience, please contact me at jfallon@edmunds.com with your name, daytime contact information, line of work and city/state of residence.
Regards,
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

focus090

well, when we had taken our zx5 into the dealer for the cd changer replacement, and to get the starter checked - they of course didnt know why in the hell it would do that....not start right off the bat once every maybe 20 starts...I dont know about that