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Comments
We bought a 2001 Focus for our son for several reasons:
1 - We didn't want him taking a 12 year old Taurus wagon 250 miles each way to college.
2 - We have a solid relationship with a very good Ford Dealer (this is our 3rd new car in a bit over a year).
3 - The price was very good and the car was a value.
4 - The car has some style - not at all like my '68 Falcon that I got at about the same time in my life.
5 - He goes to college in Ithaca, NY and just down the hill from school is a Ford dealer. He could coast there if he had too!
6 - Its got the room to transport him and his "stuff" back and forth to college (or 4 buddies)
7 - Its got the safety features (front wheel drive, abs, the Zetec engine) to handle the hills and the winters of Ithaca NY.
No, its not a Toyota and I know they make some great cars, but this was just the right vehicle for us. I really think that some times its smarter to shop for dealers and not cars. If you find a good dealer he can make the buying and owning process a pleasure. When you establish a relationship with a dealer, you keep buying the car in his product line that fits your needs.
Just because this is right for us doesn't mean its right for you. Every one has different desires and opinions. That's why they make cars in lots of colors!
FDIII
If it's what I think it is...I've got the same thing... it supposed to fill in the open space between the sun visors and cut down on the glare. Most cars have some kind of shading (often blue) to accomplish this. I guess they saved some money doing it this way. Once in a while the sunlight sneaks through, but most of the time I don't notice it. In fact, I think the car looks better without that blue streak across the top. It's just something I had to get used to and I'm ok with it now.
One car I used to have was a Plymouth Horizon. On that car, the blue shading went too low, cutting forward vision. It was hard to see traffic lights. So I think having too much shading is worse than not enough.
Hope I've been talking about the same thing you were describing... I'm gonna be a bit embarrassed if we're talking about two different things.
Charlie
BTW - I have been away from the board for a long time. Luckily, at 48,000 miles (and a few recalls!) my ZX3 is running great, although I will need tires in a few thousand miles.....
As for the Focus itself, I like the handling and hatchback design, better than Civic. But Focus' engine is disappointing compared to the Civic's. Considering it is some 300cc larger, it feels lethargic and the gear ratios are so tall, that there is no pickup in 4th or 5th. The Civic engines (all varieties) seem peppier and more refined. A Focus with the 1.7L Civic engine and transmission would be a great match.
I have no argument with anyone about resale values of Hondas vs. Fords. But there are alot of factors when buying a car, and resale is only one to consider.
I plan on keeping my ZX3 indefinitely so resale never was a big concern for me. I wanted a hatchback and the only one I could find that fit me right was the Focus, period. Unless I wanted to pay alot more for a station wagon type vehicle in a more expensive brand. And that was out of the question, too. I just couldn't fit right in a Civic, and if you're going to spend years behind the wheel, resale doesn't matter if you're uncomfortable. I didn't buy my car, planning to sell it right away. The depreciation hit alone would make me consider a good used vehicle first. Besides, my experiences in negotiating trades with dealers were not too good... they wouldn't give near what I felt the car was worth. So either I drove it longer til resale didn't matter as much or kept it in the family... that is if it was in good enough shape.
As far as the performance is concerned, all I needed was a car with enough pep to keep up with traffic (it does that for me) and to ride good. The ZX3 does that to my satisfaction. I guess everyone has expectations, and for the bottom end of the Ford line, the Focus with the Zetec does more than I expected. And I'm driving the automatic too. I've had my car for over a year with close to 15,000 miles on it. Mileage avg. 25/31. Reliability varies from car to car... but I took the risk when I bought a first year model. So far, I have been happy with my ZX3 experience. And I keep in mind that it's still a complex machine with alot of parts, any prone to failure. And I have an excellent dealer and service dept., so I don't sweat the small stuff. Hopefully down the road there won't be any big stuff.
Charlie
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/03/25/automotive/CARFEAT25.htm
I have to agree that it is more important to find a god dealer than that special car!! I have heard horror stories about some Honda dealers and Toyota dealers. Yes they make some of the best cars today, but their customer service sucks!! I know Ford isn't something to write about, but from the people I know that have bought cars from Honda Dealers or Toyota dealers, to those of Ford dealers, I hear worse things from the imports!!
Performance: hum mm, Drove the Civic, lets see how can I put this? While their engines have the potential to go fast by spending money on after market parts, I found the engine to be smooth, but not peppy. I drove the ex, with the works, and some how the Focus Zetec delivered more pop for the buck!! I drove the Civic on the Highway, drove it like a sports car, and while I did see some refinement from the last model, I want wowed! DOnt get me wrong the Civic is a good car, but is I was to compare engine performance I have talked with many people who agree that the Focus drives and handles better. Now realiblity is another thing all together!
I am the owner of a 2000 ZX3 in Twilight Blue. I absolutely love the car! It is so fun to drive. I AM disappointed with the gas mileage, however, as many others have posted. Hopefully, that will improve with time.
Thanks.
Wanted to get an Insight, but too small. I love my ZX3. I really didn't want a Civic, although resale is good... how are repair bills? I owned an Infiniti and the repair bills were wicked. Plus I have no desire to drive a Civic. The Focus ZX3 manual transmission makes me want to hop in and scoot down the road. So I decided to get a car that was somewhat common and hopefully the Focus will be cheap to repair, relatively speaking. Plus I have a 7 yr/75k warranty. And I paid less than 13k for a new one (extended warranty was extra), so my payments are low.
appearance, anyone have any comments to share? vadp, how has your ride been treating you lately? the new rear shoes,do not squeak. i still
have a couple of minor issues to resolve. its getting there.
the sales success of the focus has paved the way for the introduction
to the u.s. of these new niche market vehicles? or do you think it was going to happen anyway? i should also include the pt cruiser as well.
both the zx3 + pt cruiser are different looking from the mainstream .
so is the pontiac aztec, whatever that is.
What else. The fuel gage sending unit was replaced, the door adjusted, all the recalls done, throttle body replaced (the throttle plate was sticking when cold), the windshield molding replaced.
The dealer couldn't do anything about the tranny - it still making diesel like noises and shifting very notchy.
The engine bog is still present.
Needless to say that I'm disappointed. No more of first year production cars for me. And no more Fords too. No matter how many awards they received.
They sold like hotcakes long before the ZX3.
I agree the Mini is cool looking but way out of my price range, especially the beating the car takes here in the city. Looks too delicate.
I'm very interested in the five door (ZX5) because of the awful passenger front seat in the ZX3. Seems more practical. Would be nice if it came with the 180 HI engine.
Apart the larger variety of engines available and interior spec variations dependent upon model, I did notice that the 5-door model felt more cramped up front. The front doors have, of course, to be shorter, in order to squeeze the rear doors into the same car length. As a result I found that the thick B-pillar was noticeably in my way when looking over my shoulder. I guess, this is a characteristic of all 3-door vs 5-door cars of the same model. The only positive benefit is the marginal extra room for rear occupants. I would suggest that if you're going to carry >1 passenger on a regular basis, I'd go for the sedan or wagon.
There are some interesting quirks in the European models such as the separate fascia-mounted clock, the even-more-multi-functional-headlight/foglight switch and of course the rear amber turn-signals and separate bumper-mounted reverse light & foglight.
Perhaps they'll bring over the diesel-engine version and up our mpg ?
treva
I was backing out of my narrow carport this morning, and the passenger side mirror scraped against the post of the carport. (My previous car didn't have a passenger side mirror.) Most side mirrors would bend if that happened. Instead, mine fell off, dangling from a wire.
I was not driving fast. It was not a strong impact, just a bare touch. Those plastic mirror housings seem very flimsy, not connected very sturdily to the car, and don't bend. So, the slightest touch breaks them off!
While I was driving it started banging on the car. I got off the freeway, and pushed it back into place. On the freeway it fell off again, dangling, banging more against the car. All the banging left a lot of black marks (from the black plastic mirror) on the white car.
I thought it might be covered by the warranty. It seemed defective, to fall off so easily. I brought the car to the Ford dealer service dept. in the afternoon. The service guy said that's not covered by the warranty. He said he has had to replace a lot of those, although the Focus was new in the States last year. He said the whole mirror houseing would need to be replaced, and would cost me around $275. (and mine is not powered.) That wouldn't cover the damage of the black marks on the body, which I have to bring it to a body shop for.
Anyone else had problems with those mirrors? Any recalls? Class action suits? Such defective mirror housings should be covered by the warranty.
What a pain! Less than a week after I got the car!
Sure nice to have kind people like you writing to the forum, ready to insult your fellow writers! Just what we need!
I think I mentioned this is the first car I've had with passenger side mirror, so I'm not used to using it. I was looking through the main rear view mirror.
And, as I said, I think the side mirrors on the Foci are very poorly designed, to come off so easily. Cheap plastic, not connected very firmly to the car, doesn't bend (unlike most car side mirrors).
Second... we've all done stupid things (I've knocked several mirrors off cars and vans that I've owned)that cost us money but I have never tried to blame a car company for my stupidity.
Third.... what made you think that driving around with the mirror banging on the side of your car would not do damage??? Come on now.
Forth.... You never had a passenger side mirror before. Well, if you had bought a Mustang Convertible and driven through the car wash with the top down because you'd never had a convertible before, would you expect Ford to cover the damage???
Ever heard of personal responsibility??? I know that this is a concept that is alien to many in America today but we all do have choices. Sometimes we make the right ones sometimes the wrong.
Sorry if I offended you but asking Ford to pay for repairs to your car when you hit a post with a part of your car that is supposed to be used to avoid hitting things and then telling us all how badly designed the mirrors on Ford Focus are and how Ford should pay for a new mirror and body repairs offends me.
I'm tired of paying the price for people who do dumb things and then blame someone else. YOU didn't use the mirror for its designed purpose, YOU hit the support post, YOU ripped the mirror off the car and YOU will have to pay to have it fixed or drive around with it hanging off your car.
Sorry if that offends you but that's the way I see it. This is not Ford's problem or fault. It's YOURS!!!
Yes it is upsetting to have your brand new car get damaged but the guys are just poking fun. While we'd all hate to be in your position - $275 and black marks on the white body - you'd have to admit loosing your passenger side mirror while backing out of a car port does seem silly. Think of it being a costly lesson - unless you can find a replacement cheaper - that teaches you to be more mindful of all four corners of your car when driving.
I came close to a similar mirror removal - I usually don't park in a garage and I would have been just as upset with my car getting damaged like that. There are two ways to look at the situation and the not so chivalrous comments - either smile and accept the mistake and good natured ribbing or get pissed off and defensive. If you're able to laugh it off, you won't go away mad and will feel a lot better or at least won't be dwelling on the situation.
I too, could have taken something posted in response to me poorly, but I know the intention wasn't to make me feel bad - just too teach/advise me.
And guys - don't forget that what we intend to say may come off the wrong way. This is an informative and helpful chat group. While we may not understand why someone has a problem with their ZX3 or experienced it ourselves, we one day might be in their shoes and want the same respect, courtesy and support! :-)
The side mirrors are indeed one of the weak points of the Focus. Up until I actually took the test drive, it wasn't at the top of the list of cars I considered, because of cheap things like the mirrors. I had previously owned a vehicle with folding side mirrors, and on more than one occasion, the mirrors were hit by someone else in a parking lot. The folding feature saved me some repair bills.
Also re: the manually adjusted side mirrors.. the adjustments are indeed cheap. One of the first things to happen with mine was when I reached over to the passenger side adjuster, and it came off in my hand. Not exactly leaving me with the impression of quality parts or assembly. At least I was able to reassemble it, and now I'm more careful if I have to make an adjustment.
So maybe because I noticed the mirrors and all the plastic on them when I was looking around for a car, that I knew to watch for posts and other obstructions when driving. After all, the mirrors are still part of the car. A scrape down the side would have been worse than a broken mirror. And I think the cost of the replacement mentioned by the first poster was kind of high... way out of line. Another dealer or garage should do better. But I still sympathize because I wouldn't have wanted to damage mine just after delivery, either!
Charlie
Also looking foward to see Kia rio 5dr hatch, looks similar to zx5 in shape....
thanks
Price for mirrors as stated on the Ford replacement booklet. $95 dollars, and that price is for power, so manual is cheaper 40 bucks cheaper. Where they get you is in labor!! Price to install was $105 dollars, what a rip off. The price you got stated is way off, better check other dealers or confirm the actual price.
Love the car, no major complaints, it drives excellent, handles like a sports car, and saves me gas. Lets try to be more supportive here, becuase we never know when we might be in thier shoes. You can blame Ford, but lets llok at really what happened now, learn from it. I know I did.
passenger mirror. ive always relied on the drivers and rear view.
if you can blame ford for anything,it is a cheap mirror. i do however
believe in personal responsibilty for ones own actions. sorry to hear
you had to break-in your new car that way. my previous car was
broken in the first day with a large burn in the rear seat. i only had myself to blame.
BTW, FoMoCo has had folding or collapsible mirrors on some of its products for years now -- even smaller, less expensive products like Tracer and Escort. I would think that Ford would invest a few extra dollars in the interest of customer satisfaction and make folding mirrors standard. Personally, I'm tired of much of the junk N. Americans are forced to buy/drive that is made by Detroit when the same companies make far superior products in overseas markets. I guess N. Americans are not seen by Detroit as being very savy when it comes to things automotive. When it comes to tiny "extras" such as folding mirrors, I don't mind shelling out a few extra buck it it's something that makes my life better, safer, more liveable, etc.
I'm in the market for a new car (time to dump, errr, I mean generously give, the 92 Tercel to the college student son) and, since I live on the Front Range of the Rockies with its attendant variable weather I've been looking at small SUVs, Subarus, (and the PT Cruiser - what a cutie!) etc. I've always loved hatchbacks which, in my opinion are *the most* sensibly designed cars in the bang-for-your-buck sense (I once fit 3 good sized tables, two floor lamps with shades, a chair and an ottoman into the hatch of a CRX). Anyway, there I was: minding my own business at WalMart the other day when the most unusual little hatchback pulled into a spot at the end of my row -- a Kona Focus! I must have been living under a rock for the last couple of years because I hadn't heard a thing about the Focus line. I was enchanted by the style and as soon as I got home, looked it up on the internet figuring it would probably wind up being some sort of no-name import with a lousy track record. Imagine my surprise to find out it was a Ford with only a moderately lousy track record :P
Well the bottom line is this: the little SUVs are too unstable for me to be comfortable with - we get BIG winds here; the big SUVs are too, well, big; Outback's AWD is fine on the 10 days a year I'll need it and a waste of gas on the other 355 - not to mention that the insurance rates are oddly high for them here in CO; and the few hatchbacks around are 1) old and 2) boring.
The ZX3 looks like just the thing for me! I read many, many of your messages on this forum (and thank you for them - it really helps to know what your ongoing experiences are) and it sounds like most problems were with the first year cars, am I right? It doesn't sound like too many problems have surfaced with the 2001 models.
Enough of this rambling! I'll get to the point: I want this puppy egg yolk yellow (it will be called The Screaming Yellow Zonker if I buy it)and loaded - do I spring for the Advance Trac or not? I saw a couple of posts regarding this option but there didn't seem to be a clear consensus. On one hand, having traction control in our weird weather would be handy, if it really delivers. Can anyone point me to a decent explanation of what this option will really give me?
Thanks
I see you're driving a Toyota now.
I would suggest that you stay with the Japanese brand. Yes, the Focus is very attractive as a package and the price is right. Still, if I were you and in position of starting it all over again, I would buy something like the new '02 Subaru Impreza wagon TS. An exceptional value! Also fun to drive.
Odds are that you'll have a much happier ownership experience if you decide to take this route.
Or if you're a gambler by nature, go ahead and buy Ford.
Good luck!
http://www.anime-alberta.org/~dan/car_show/Mazda_Protege5_2.jpg
I hear that a very limited number of cars in that color is destined for the US shores.
OK guys. I finished now. See you in another long while.
for the u.s.? also,when i first read about the mirror post, i thought
the person was just kidding about ford being responsible. when i
first saw the focus,i was surprised they didnt have foldaway mirrors.
however,i can see in many places on this car where they cut cost and
corners. the handling and road feel is still above average for this low
cost vehicle. may not be a perfect package,i am still hanging in there
with the nuisance recalls and rework.the dealer has been very receptive to my concerns. overall, i still enjoy the ride. from what i can gather,the 2001 model seems to have less problems. i expect ford to tighten-up the ship on the launching of new models. look how long the new t-bird is taking.they may have actually learned a costly lesson
with the explorer,escape and the focus. time will tell of course.
Drivers side window outside moulding keeps lifting up above the horizontal...well about the mirror hieght. Keep having to push it back down.
Another two recalls. A pillar plastic and clutch spring...The car is a work of art but manno did they really have to cut corners this much!
Struts on the hatch are leaking....Heck i could go on and on...there are so many flaws on this car!
ARGHHHHHH!!!!!
Read the post about the mirror again. It's valid.
WHYFORD
Depending on your budget/urgency, they have both free and paid listings. For a free ad, check their "Free Basic Listing." Good luck. ;-)
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