Ford Focus ZX5

pocahontas

From the 2001 New York Auto Show, here's a direct link to Edmunds.com's article of the 2002 Ford Focus ZX5. Please return here to post your comments.



What do you think? ;-)

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cjaccetta

I think the car looks nice. I'm interested in five-door hatchbacks and it appears as though Hyundai won't be offering its Elantra GT until late fall. The Focus ZX5 may be an option. Any word on estimated prices? When does it go on sale?

I should note that I saw the exact car pictured above when I went to the NY auto show. Now, I'm not trying to disparage Ford (I own a Mustang) but the build quality of the ZX5 was just awful. The tailgate was visibly misaligned (check out the monster gap in the photo) and the tail lamps were slightly askew. Ford chose to display the car in that condition? I could forgive them if it was a one-off or concept car but the Focus has been in production for over two years. They've had time to work out the bugs.

Given the number of problems owners have posted in the ZX3 boards I am wary of purchasing the ZX5. But I may take a chance if the price was right. It seems like buying a Focus is a hit-or-miss proposition depending on what day a particular vehicle was built. I'd rather go to Atlantic City to gamble, not a Ford dealer.

vadp

You're absolutely right about those MONSTER gaps and misalignment.
You're also right about the tail lamps and hit-or-miss proposition.
Nice observation.
It seems that Ford's QC couldn't care less about those common to the ZX3 defects even in the SHOW !!! cars.

vadp

It's coming to the market this fall as a '02 model.
Don't know the exact release date.
BTW, I hear that the Elantra GT's first allocation is scheduled to arrive at the dealer lots in mid-late June.

mpgman

More like winter from what I am hearing. Supply will be tight so it could be later than that. Pro-5s should be arriving next month. KBB says Matrix will be a summer intro but I doubt it. I'd wait in the ZX5 until the new 2.3L 4 is available. Sounds like the 2.0 is an underpowered gas guzzler.

vadp

Looks like Ford will continue to hold on the new engine until the next Focus redesign.
Fall of '03 as '04 model?
And the Matrix probably won't be out until the next year. (lots of confusing info regarding the release dates of the Matrix/Vibe duo.

cjaccetta

Glad someone else saw that huge panel gap. Vadp, your profile states you are a focus owner. How has your car been behaving?

I'd like to buy a 5-door H/B because my wife and I have bikes, skis, etc., that we take with us when we travel. I'm going to give the ZX5 a look, but the construction quality gives me pause. Honestly, the Kia Rio I saw at the auto show looked like it was bolted together tighter than the Ford!

By the way, the Mercury Marauder on display at the NYIAS also had visible build flaws (but it IS a concept car). But the Forty-Nine and the Bullitt Mustang were awesome.

Anyway, I'm not trying to bash Ford. I love my old beat-up Mustang. I'm also going to follow the progress of the ZX5 and try to test drive one as soon as I can.

sross

For some reason the ZX5 really appeals to my heart, but everything I've read about build quality, recalls, etc. makes my head think I'd be a fool to buy one. Maybe I'm just trying to relive my 20s, when I drove a 5-door VW Golf. Since then I've had a Honda Accord (totally dependable, solid, kind of boring), which I traded in for a used Audi A4 (fun to drive, but haunted--unusually bad luck in dents, repairs).

The appealing things about the Focus are its handling, fresh styling, practical use of space, AdvanceTrac, and upcoming availability of the 6-disc CD changer. But if I trade in the A4, will I end up resenting the Focus's noise, depreciation, and reliability?

vadp

I bought my car a year ago through CarOrder.com - one of the on-line middle men that were subsidizing every deal, hoping to get big in no time (paid $850 under Invoice, yes Invoice)
It was delivered on a flatbed truck. Upon the close inspection I found many body fitting defects but decided to keep the car. The deal was too good to pass over.
This is what I found:
The gaps in the tail gate area - huge.
The driver side door - slightly misaligned and closing with a metallic kind of a cling.
The driver side rear quarter window - placed too close to the door, almost touching the door frame.
The gap between the front fender and the passenger door is extremely large (even for an american car).
The molding at the base of the windscreen peeling off.

These are the flaws I found during my brief 2-min. inspection upon delivery.
During the next several months it developed other numerous and mostly very annoying problems like constantly squeaking (very loud, a school bus like noise) rear brakes, malfunctioning fuel gauge, very notchy (1st and 3rd gear) shifting 5-speed tranny, weird noises coming from the tranny at idle (my neighbors thought I drive a diesel), sticky accelerator tip-in when cold.

Regarding the gaps. I was trying to talk to some of the ZX3 owners about the flaw. All of them were looking at me like I'm an idiot when I tried to explain to them that even the Kia Rio (yes, I used that example too) and the Huynday Accent have very tightly assembled bodies in comparison and very uniform body gaps all around. "No, no, it can't be that the Koreans learned how to build quality cars." I guess this kind of ignorance on behalf of the buyers is what allows Ford to get away with its super sloppy build quality.

seminole_kev

I will say as a 2000 ZTS owner (the sedan version made in michigan) that I am very happy with my Focus. The recall's where the only pain, and they weren't really that bad to deal with. Just got them done in conjuction with regular servicing. VADP, I know you've been here for a while and spare no chance to disparage the focus, and you are probably justified if you have had those problems with your ZX3. On a side note, I wonder what is different between the Hermesillo plant and the Wayne plants in manufacturing? And for some reason, I have a pretty good ford dealership (Fred Jones - Part of the auto collection in Oklahoma City). Build quality is good on my car. Maybe I'm the odd man out, but I am very happy. I'm not dedicated to any brand, so I did shop around between VW, Honda, Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai and the Focus was the best balance of handling, performance, room and of course, price. Not personally attacking you VADP, just letting them know that there are some happy focus owners out there. By the way, have you been over to the Focaljet website. They've got a good forum over there.

vadp

Are you accusing me in something?

The only reason I decided to take a chance and buy a Ford product was the chearful reviews from about everybody, starting with the auto mags and ending with the actual owners.
I closely follow the Focus related boards and was able to make a very interesting observation.
A lot of the owners were exctatic shortly after the purchase. No doubt, the design is sound. The Focus quickly became an industry benchmark for roominess and handling abilities in its price range.
A year later a lot of the owners are still in love with the car. The surprising part is how they report their experiences now. Usually it looks something like this:
"My car is leaking water. The front suspension is making strange sounds when I go over the bumps. The fuel gauge was replaced twice and still have problems registering full after a fillup. But I still love my car and enjoy every minute of driving it." Or " After five visits to the dealer with the recalls, faulty fuel pump, broken clutch spring, rear wheel bearing that went bad after 5000 miles and the auto tranny that died at the 10000 miles I still like the car. Everything was fixed under warranty and the dealer was kind enough to provide a loaner. Other than that, my car is still perfect. I never regret the decision to go with the Focus. This car rocks."
Don't you think that there is something wrong with the picture?

seminole_kev

..have had more than teething pains with their foci. However, a lot of these complaints are not far off of other vehicle models out their. My observation was, 1) My own experience with my focus (a 2000 model, the recalls aside) has been very good, and I am very happy. 2) as a lurker to these boards for a long time, you seem to go out of your way to make a point of lambasting the focus.

I'm not saying that all foci are fantastic, obviously they're not. I do think that your own experience is abnormal from the average. Also, most of the actual unhappy foci owners suffer from poor to terrible dealers that unfortunatly, in my opinion, Ford has too many of. However, I have a great dealer, and a great car. So while you are at one end of the spectrum, I, apparently, am at the other. I was mearly myself heard so that other's who are interested in the focus might not think that your opinion is the only one out there about the Focus since you post negatively in about every forum that might concern the focus. Edmund's long term ZX3 hasn't been doing too bad has it? I do remember something about a door trim peace scraping someone though. I also wonder if there is a big deference between Euro built foci and N.A. built ones. I realize that it's hard to infer someones attitude in a posted message, but I wasn't (and am not) angry at you if that's the way it came across.

Kevin

vadp

<<<you seem to go out of your way to make a point of lambasting the focus.>>>
and
<<<you post negatively in about every forum that might concern the focus.>>>

If you see it that way, so be it.
As you just said every voice should be heard. And it's not my fault that the negative tone is becoming a predominant one. The market forces will sort the things out. The info is out there and readily available. (thank you, Edmunds!)
I just wish that it were available when I was shopping for the car.

seminole_kev

1) Looking around at this and other boards outside of Edmunds, I still do not feel that your opinion is the majority. If I am wrong than I'm sorry.

2) As far as knowing what problems may (or may not) exist with a car. That is the problem of buying a first year model car. I typically do not by a first year model of a car, regardless of make. However, I did violate this rule with this car, and am happy.

3) I have no problem with you voicing your opinion. Even if I do feel it's a bit overboard in your hatred of the focus.

It's probably time to get this subject back on track. Anyone heard of any potential pricing on the ZX5 yet? I would expect it to be less than the wagon. Also would expect it to be less then the Protege sportwagon and more than the Hyundai Elantra GT hatch. Which is a very interesting car too. I hope it gets here sooner then the December that some people are reporting.

seminole_kev

..since the ZX5 is still not built here in North America, was the ZX5 show car just one built in, and imported from, Europe? Or did they one off (or two) build for the show? The latter seems unlikely. So I'd assume this is one from the Plant in Germany? Any guesses? Just curious.

pocahontas

I'm glad you're both getting the opportunity to share your points of view on your current Ford Focus experience/problems (good points on both sides, btw). But since this subject is about the upcoming Ford Focus ZX5, let's please continue that subject in a more appropriate discussion. Okay?

To start, here's Ford Focus Problems (Hatchbacks) and Ford Focus ZX3 Owners-Care & Maintenance. Thanks!

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seminole_kev

kinda thought I had

pocahontas

Guess I took too long composing my last message.... had to step away for a moment. Anyway, thanks for bringing this discussion back on topic. ;-)

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seminole_kev

I didn't mean to get this one off topic. I'm very interested in the ZX5 as a second car. That or a Protege 5-door, or the Elantra GT. I'm just glad to see 5-door hatches coming back to the states. I would have bought the ZX5 originally, but they didn't bring it over from Europe when they did the others. Too bad. I needed 4 doors more than I needed a hatch. Also interested to see when Honda will bring it's 5-door out. I hear the 3-door's on it's way soon.

vadp

It (ZX5) should be way less than the Protege5.
I don't understand Mazda's pricing strategy. It's placing the Protege hatch dangerously close to the Subaru Impreza TS and Outback Sport.
So far the Impreza looks like the hottest deal out there, if you like and need those features (like the 165 hp boxer engine and AWD - both are standard)

seminole_kev

I really don't need the AWD, but if the price get's close I'd probably take the scooby over the protege. I'm curious as to who Mazda feels the Protege is competing with. Do they see it as a cheaper alternative to the station wagons out there? What do they think of it in relationship to the ZX5 or Elantra GT. At the price break it's looking like it will end up at, I really think that Mazda should strap on a few more ponies. Maybe something in the 150hp range like the MP3.

vadp

My guess would be that it's coming from Hermosillo.
As far as I know the plants start building the preproduction test units several months before Job 1. I think the show car is one of those.

seminole_kev

I should have know that. duh. Anyone have interior size specs of the ZX5? I went to Ford's UK site but I just found exterior specs. I didn't check out any of the other European sites as the best I could have done is dust of some really old, rusty German or butchered the Spanish language! ;-)

vadp

The Protege5 should be replaced with a completely new model based on the next gen Focus platform. Fall '03 as '04 model?
It will have new engines from the new Duratec family already being installed in the new Mondeo. I hear speculations that the Focus will get the new engine before its redisign. I think it's not gonna happen.
It's just so strange that the Protege 5 is priced the way it's, since it's an old design and will be on the market for no longer that two full years.

vadp

The ZX3 and ZX5 body shells are completely identical.
Therefore the interior/exterior dimensions are exactly the same.

seminole_kev

I think either at Blue oval news (who I try to avoid, since most of their news seems to be out of date, or just plain wrong) or over on Focaljet. I think the rumors where saying 2003 for the duratec, which seems like a good engine. But, like you, I bet they wait for the new model. Wish they'd bring the Mondeo over with the engine! Of course the rumor with that is they will as a replacement for the Mecury sable. Some how I doubt that. Maybe I just need to stop being so skeptical!

seminole_kev

I was under the impression (or yet another rumor) that the rear seat was different (size and/or placement), thus slightly effecting the interior size. Maybe it was just the addition of the headrests. But I could have sworn I read that somewhere.

vadp

Hmm.. Even if it's true and the seat is positioned differently, it still won't affect the overall interior volume.

seminole_kev

Back seat room and cargo area. Adding some room to one while taking from another. Anyhoo..that may have been a miss-statement from someone, or I screwed something up. It wouldn't make since for them to do that from an economic stand point, so they'd probably just use the back seat from the ZX3. I need to try to find where I might have heard that from.

Oh, my one deep, dark fear is that they will make the automatic standard and leave out the tach like on the wagon( except the street edition). I'm sure they won't do that, but who knows. I still don't know why they do that with the wagon.
"Hey you want a stick, well your going to pay just the same price as an automatic. Oh, and you won't get a tach." I don't always understand the thinking of auto manufacturers.

cjaccetta

Hey, this topic is heating up! I guess we all feel some sort of affection for the Blue Oval despite our differing experiences with its products. But hey, that's what makes us car geeks great - we can talk about this stuff all day long and never get bored!

One of you guys made a good point in an earlier post about the build quality of Korean cars. Not to go off topic, but all the Hyundais and some of the Kias (notably the Rio) I've seen recently have had very good build quality realtive to their prices. From what I've seen of the new Elantra GLS/GT, it's very solid and Ford will have a tough time matching the quality and warranty offered by Hyundai. I think the days of sub-standard Korean cars are over.

Anyway, I think the ZX5 will be a decent choice for those of us looking for an affordable 5-door. I'm certainly going to test drive it. The example I saw at the auto show may have been a one-off or a PPM (I hope). In the meanwhile I'll try to dig up any info I can about it and post it here.

CJA

seminole_kev

They really turned things around quality wise. They really bring a good mix of quality and value to the equation. Hopefully with the Sante Fe and XG 300 (or is it GX 300?) offerings, it will help Hyundai's image, which would help shore up resale value. Probably the only real complaint against Hyundai. Although as a Ford owner, I don't have much room to complain!

biker16

The ZX5 in new york was made in europe. The SVT hood was bent by some idiot at the NY show, Can you imagine what these people do to those cars?

biker16

Tenative spec list May 2001

Std Equipment
2.0 16v Zetec engine HP=130@5300 RPM Torque=135@4500
RPM
Multi-port fuel injection
5spd man trans
3.82 final drive ratio
Front disc rear drum power brakes
13.2-gallon fuel tank
Front and rear stabilizer bars
Power rack and pinion steering
Independent front suspension with McPherson strut
Rear Control Blade Independent SLA suspension
P205/50R16 all season tires
Body color front and rear bumpers
Fog Lamps
Tinted glass
Dual power mirrors
Body side molding
Rear wiper washer
Air Conditioning
Driver and front passenger air bags
Front armrest with center storage
AM/FM stereo 6-disc in dash CD player
Rear defroster
Front and Rear floor mats
Power locks
Front bucket seats with drivers side lumbar support and manual height adjuster
Split/Fold-Down rear seat with split flip-up rear seat cushion
Cruise control
Tilt/Telescoping steering wheel
Leather wrapped steering wheel
Tachometer
Dual visor mirrors
Power windows

AVAILABLE OPTIONS
ABS with Advance Trac
Side air bags
Anti-Lock brakes
Power moon roof
Leather seats

COLORS
Egg yolk yellow cc
Liquid grey cc metallic
Infra-red cc
Grabber green cc metallic
Sangria red cc metallic
Malibu blue cc metallic
Twilight blue metallic
CD silver cc metallic
Pitch black cc
Cloud 9 white cc

seminole_kev

I didn't see the Duratec 2.3L listed as an option? ;-)

biker16

occupant1

sounds good...wish those tailights were down where they belong, I mean, the street racers won't be able to see them that high! I'd have to get the car lowered so they could see my lights..LOL...!!!

I have driven Focuses, I like the basic ZX3 except I would make two changes, swap those hideous double-five spokes for the LX's steel wheels and hubcaps, and swap that CD player for the LX's cassette deck. I do own CD's, but you just can't get some of my favorites on CD, local bands I like, older music, and what's the point of going to Salvation Army or Goodwill if I can't buy a half a dozen tapes for five bucks?!!

fdthird

3 solutions...

1 - Get a CD writer for your computer

2 - Get a wireless device that broadcasts your tape on an FM frequency that you will then be able to pick up on your radio

or

3 - Pull the radio and put in one from an LX (see EBAY)

FDIII

compensate

The ZX5, in my opinion, is not a hatchback - it is a wagon! To me, a true hatchback has a sharply sloped rear window/hatch. Notice in the picture of the ZX5 that the rear window does have a slight slope, but the non-window part of the "hatch" is vertical.

Not trying to offend Focus lovers, but one of the few true 5-door hatchbacks offered is the 2001 Elantra GT. Even the new Protege5 is more of a wagon in form.

Just my observation...

rsparrow

For one thing, it's the same exact body as the ZX3, just with two extra doors, and nobody calls the ZX3 a wagon.... Now the Protege 5, on the other hand, I have a hard time trying to picture as a 'hatchback.' Perhaps without the roof rack... :-)

compensate

rsparrow, I agree that the ZX3 is a hatchback, because it has only 3 doors. However, the one picture I've seen of the ZX5 seems to look more like a wagon to me. I think the picture I saw was at an auto show, so it may not have been the same as the real production version.

mpgman

Perhaps they are all WAGbacks?

fdthird

Hey...who cares!! If you like it you buy it..if not you don't!

seminole_kev

2002 Pricing is now on Edmunds - New car section. Includes the ZX5 with options.

pocahontas

Hi seminole_kev- Thanks for spreading the word!

To everyone- You'll also find a direct link to Edmunds's 2002 Focus ZX5 information/pricing in the Additional Resources on the left side of this page. Hope this is helpful. ;-)

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lngtonge18

Curiously, does anyone know why the ZX5 would be over $1000 more than a ZX3 equipped the same way? They both have power everything, keyless, cruise, and 6-CD in-dash changer. Two extra doors and power windows couldn't possibly cost a grand more to make! The ZX5 is even more expensive than the ZTS. Anyone care to shed light on this? I find it odd that Ford would try to charge so much more for the ZX5. A mistake if you ask me.

mroland

Hey now,
The lease runs out on my Saturn in Spetember. I have to thank Ford for bringing out the ZX5 in just the right time, with all the right stuff. Even if the ZX5 is $1000 more than a ZX3, it still undercuts its two main competitors by about $2000, the Protege5 and the Golf. I have driven both and neither is as comfortable, fun to drive, or quiet as the Focus. I can't wait to place my order.

Who would have thought that Ford would have brought us the best small car, that is more reasonable and fun than a VW? Is this the same company that sent us the escort 10 years ago?

I am soo glad they are making it in the 5-door finally. Enough gushing for now, but this is a great car at a great price.

Marc

mpgman

I recently bought the new Hyundai Elantra GT 5 door hatch and love it. For $16K, the equipment list is staggering: full power, leather, ABS, traction control, moonroof, fog lights, alloys, Michelins, 4-wheel discs, trip computer, side air bags, excellent center arm rest and console, backlit purple VDO dash lighting, variable intermittent wipers and intermittent rear, AM/FM/CD 6 speaker stereo, theater lighting, etc. Plus the excellent warranty. I was waiting for the ZX5 too, but was disturbed by all of the recalls surrounding new Ford products. Getting 33-35 on the highway and 26-28 in town with the automatic and the coldest A/C unit I've ever experienced on all the time. Go for a test drive before you buy the Ford. You might have a decision to make.

compensate

I agree with what mpgman said above. I bought a 2001 Elantra GT and am not disappointed. It is at least worth a test drive. If you don't need ABS/traction control, moonroof, or automatic, the MSRP on the 2001 GT drops to around $14,500 (including destination charge). Everything else mpgman listed above is STANDARD equipment.

Check out Hyundai!

csandste

to pick either the ZX5 or an Elantra GT when I was forced (my 87 Nova died) to make a quick purchase. Compared the ZX3 to the Elantra GLS (no 5 speed GT's in St. Louis) and went with the Elantra although it was a close call. Both cars extremely roomy, but the customer responses to the Elantra on this and other threads indicated that it might be more reliable. Although the Focus had more aggressive handling, the Elantra is extremely comfortable and sophisticated. I certainly would at least look at the Elantra GT before getting a ZX5.

It had some slight hail damage and I've been driving a loaner last generation Sentra this week while the body shop makes some adjustments. No doubt Nissan under Renault's leadership will be coming out with some really great cars in the near future (witness the new Altima), but I'm struck by how crude that 98 Sentra is compared to both the Elantra and the Focus. Build quality seems OK considering it's had 40,000 miles of rental car abuse. However it's cramped in most dimensions compared to the others.

I'm really concerned that Japanese cars (at least available in this country) are getting more and more conservative. This one was really not much better than my 1987 Nova.

profive

Hi I just ordered a ZX5 here in Toronto, Canada with side air bags, leather seats, and sunroof.

The dealer offered me $500 off MSRP, or X-plan pricing if the ZX5 is eligable for x-plan. Does anyone know the website that I can apply to be a member and get x-plan.

Also, has anyone in Canada been able to get X-plan pricing for a ZX5 in Canada? Thanks! and looking forward to my ZX5!

mroland

I was at a local ford dealer, and they still don't have pricing for the 2002 Foci. How does Edmunds have this info but not the dealer? How was the gentleman in Toronto able to order one of these, ie a ZX5? Are there any Ford insiders reading this so I could put my order in? I know what I want Ford, the antiquated dealer system is making it difficult for me to order it.