The suspension is off the hook! I drive on streets that are normally annoying and bumpy, but the ZX3 smoothes the ride. The overall appearence draws attention to your car... without any mods!

The factory stereo is huge and you have to purchase a harness for a custom stereo. They lied about the gas mileage.

This car is very eye catching and full of suprises. I'm not very big on factory stereos, but this one is very nice. The volume adjusts to the rpm levels and it plays CD-RWs. Even though the stereo is nice, I'll probably end up putting in an aftermarket with subs. The Zetec engine with the 5 speed tranny is very impressive straight from the factory. After performance cams, intake, exhaust, and headers, this little 4 banger will be weaving through traffic. In fact, I was coming home from work today on the freeway when i gave it full throttle, and i got upto 110 mph pretty quick until i had to brake for slower cars. The interior is very unique and has great style and personality. The dome light is placed right above the dash and is bright enought to light the whole cabin. The steering wheel is very sporty and has a nice feel and grip. The interior is roomy in the driver and front passenger areas, but me being 6' feet, the person sitting behind me wont have a great time. The car looks great and draws attention at night too! I went to the "baby boy" movie premier Wednesday night and people where turning heads. The interior looks very attractive at night too. This is a great car all around.

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Honda Civic, Chrysler Sebring, Ford Escort ZX2

Speed. Handling. Handling. Great interior, I'm 6'6" I fit in it fine. The 5-speed is great and it's not afraid to get goin'. I'm working on a cold air intake for it, so it's only gonna get better.

Nothing, except for the weird little shift light.

I love this little car. For a 2.0 it is suprisingly peppy. I've outran a number of Civics and other assorted imports. Handles better than any car I've driven except for a AWD Impreza.

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Civics, Cav's, Mirages, Daewoo. Focii blow them all away for the value.

Engine: The 2.0 Zetec move the car along nicely.
Exterior: The car looks far more expensive.
Interior: The wood/leather look nice. The audio system is great.
Fun Factor: The car is a pleasure to drive, preferably fast with the radio up.

The remote has limited distance. If I am more than 20 feet away from the car the remote is useless. For comparison, the 98 Escort remote will function perfectly at more than 100 feet.
The A/C recirculate feature defaults to off any time the car is started.

The ZTS sedan in white looks like a far more expensive car (Audi, BMW). The 2.0 Zetec engine moves the car along quite swiftly with the 4-spd automatic. Acceleration is nice and passing power is more than adequate once the Zetec gets into the higher RPMs. Gas mileage surpasses sticker (25/31) on the highway while commuting, but it can dip below 25 in the city if you have a heavy foot. The ABS works well. I have >16K miles on the car and have had no problems. The only recall (A-pillar trim) was handled during a routine oil change at the dealer. So far routine maintenance has been all that has been required. The car is a pleasure to drive. You find youself checking the speedo quite often as the car just begs to be driven.

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Civic, Sephia, Corolla, & Elantra. I also own a 98 Escort SE (>87K miles). This car turns far more heads than the others.

Engine has never let me down - correct use of the manual transmission greatly improves performance.
Suspension and tires are rather good (not Firestones!) - I drive every weekend in the Santa Cruz mountains, and I LOVE to negotiate those tight turns!
Interior functionality borders on perfect (for me, anyway).
The addition of the full range of airbags, ABS, and A/C, to my car for what I paid, was well worth it.
I didn't wait for a complete custom order, so I missed out on getting tilt and cruise (arrgh!)

The engine has had a slight and intermittent "miss" at idle since day one. This does not affect performance at all, but it's sometimes annoying - (of course the dealer said "we can't see this problem on the computer analysis").
The plethora of recalls was bothersome, especially the rear wheel falling off issue, but each was promptly fixed by the dealership.
The 5-speed transmission somewhat "bites" - at 28,000 miles now, I just had the tranny replaced due to excessive noise - and now the gear shift is very stiff and "chunky". Well, back to the service center!
The ABS brakes are very good, but please, rear drum brakes? Hey Detroit, can you spell o-b-s-o-l-e-t-e?

Overall, this particular car is well built. No major problems with brakes, electrical, or any other systems, except for the 5-speed manual.
The 5 or 6 recalls were handled quickly by the dealer.

Driving position is good (I'm 5'11"), and handling inspires confidence on mountain switchbacks. Sound levels are at the limit of tolerance on rougher roads, but it's not a luxury car, so not bad, really.

The styling is angular, much more eye pleasing than the bulbous, oval, roundy thingies! It cuts through the wind just fine, either with it or against it, but not across it - as the ZX3 shape is susceptable to buffeting from cross winds.

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The Focus compares as "better" to other cars I've had experience with, such as the Tempo (yuk), the Escort (ehh) and Cavalier (chintzy.) Toyota, Honda, and Nissan generally have higher engineering quality, but their interiors and mannerisms don't suit me well. With this in mind, the Focus is a very good deal for those with a budget under $16 to $18K. That amount can get you a fully loaded car with relative quality.

PS - I actually give the Focus ZX3 three 1/2 stars for Value Rating AND Overall Rating.

Power everything!
Nice lookin interior!
The presense and ery feeling you get when you roll up somewhere slow with tint and music bumping....and you know every ones looking!

other than that everything is what you would expect in the year 2001

Hmmmm lets start

Brake Noises
transmission slippin
gas light broke
fuel gage broke
left headlight stronger than right
recieved car with now cigarette lighter
passenger seat belt dont work
Speakin bout those seat belts in zx3's why are they so damn far back?
cup holders to small.....I WANT SUPERSIZE COKES dam - nit!
gas milage could be better
why when i use the wipers it makes an awful noise
why are my windows squeakin????????
lots of little thing break

Well the great style is first percieved as an ugly car, but after seeing it many times you cant but help to say....."wow".....what a cool looking car. There are definitly things that could be improved on the car! They should realize that YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BUYING THIS CAR!!!! AND WE WILL SCRUTINIZE EVERYTHING!!! If something is not meant to my expectations or yours get it fixed for free! The zx3 model could be a little more zippy!
I think we need to see a v6 3.4 liter zetec engine in the zx3's! then i would definitly love my car!

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i had a ford tempo which i thought was a hell of a car and still do!!!!

On my third tank of gas I averaged 31.2 mpg for 2/3rds highway driving at about 68 mph and the rest crawling up route 1A from Hampton MA to Portsmouth NH with a lot of stop and go with the AC on.

The car is very quiet at highway speeds. The Car & Driver road test measured 72 dBA at 70 mph cruising and that is quiet!

The paint job is excellent and rainforest green is deep and lucious. With the ZTS wheels and 205/50-16 tires the car looks very sharp and different from anything else on the road. I appreciate the European design and engineering inside and out and I think most other rounded designs on the road look very dated in comparison.

I love the engine and drivetrain and have experienced no difference in performance with the AC on or off, and have found that the lowest fan speed is adequate at highway speeds in 90 degree weather. The power assisted rack & pinion steering has just the right balance.

The car, built on June 1 according to the door jam sticker, came without the woodgrain accent panel on the dash. The dealer has ordered it for me. The warning chime for seatbelt, door ajar, and key in ignition is quite annoying.

I took delivery of a 2001 ZTS, 5-speed, rainforest green, on July 18, 2001. I've been driving since 1966 and this is the 12th car I've owned, all but two manual transmissions, including a 1962 Beetle, 1970 Ford Cortina, and four different Alfa Romeos with double overhead cam engines in the early 80s. Based on comments in some other reviews, either Ford made some substantial inprovements in the 2001 models or I have whatever is the exact opposite of a lemon! The car is solid, the engine smooth and responsive, and the clutch and transmission are excellent. I have found no defects and everything works perfectly.

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I think this is one of the best designed small cars available and all of my friends and colleagues who have riden in it or driven it have been surprised by the solid feel and roomy interior. Anyone considering spending $20,000 or less on a new car should test a Focus with the ZTEC engine.

I like the looks of the sedan. The suspension is very good. It is fun to drive on mountain roads, the 205/50/16 tires certainly help. The engine is smooth and strong when the outside temperature is low.

Low quality.
Dashboard was squaking like crazy. Had to take it to the dealer 4 times before they fixed it by replacing the instrument bezel.
Loud creaking from the rear right corner. I will have to waste one Saturday to take it to the dealer in hope that they will do something about it, and not just say that "it is normal for these cars".
Loss of power in how weather. When the temperatures go above 85-90 degrees F then the car drives like crap :(
Aha, fuel consumption is so so. I get on average 26MPG. Worst was 24MPG, best was 32.5MPG.

I have mixed feelings about this car. I think I would not buy it again. I would look for something of better quality.

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None

Smooth, smooth, smooth. Good handling, good response.

After having rear-ended another car...I would think twice about buying another Focus. Travelling at 25mph I got distracted and rear ended a Mercury Sable. However the bumpers didn't line up, so their bumper hit directly into my hood. Yikes! The engine parts were shoved back a full foot! I had this car just for a year, and now it's totaled. Because of the slant of the hood and the lower-than-normal bumper, it's probably more likely to sustain more damage in a rear-end collision. When I went back to get my stuff from the car, I could not believe how much damage there was. The engine was displaced by 12 inches! I walked away fine - the airbags deployed and obviously the car is good for safety.

I LOVED THIS CAR...till I crashed it. Be warned: rear-ending another car will destroy your engine beyond repair!

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None

EVERYTHING, especially looks, fuel consumption, ergonomics, stereo, ride transmission and engine.

everyone has one!

amazing feul economy! i got 34 mpg on my second tank. it looks great, handles amazingly ( compared with cavalier, neon, corolla etc.) great stereo. smooth ride, transmission, engine. NO PROBLEMS!! I've had it for 6 months and 29 876km!!

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i had a 1998 cavalier which was frequently refusing to start and when it did usually ended up stalling! I decided to try focus because i loved the looks and couldn't be happier! beware of general motors products! i've owned 2 and both have disappointed me.....

-Price - Biggest bang for the buck compared to competition.
-Handling - After 18+ years of VWs I switched to the ZX3 because it gave me the feel/handling of VWs without the cost. (Too bad for VW.) I am comparing this to the VW GTI/GLI handling. Just wish there was less room between the wheels and the body - looks like it is on stilts.
-Room - There was a lot more room in the back for kids and adults than the others tested, and lots of head room.

-MILEAGE - 26 avg, have yet to hit 30 with 5k miles on so far in 4 months.
-Rough idle
-Hesitation between 2500 and 3500 RPMs. Been to dealer 3x and the computer says it is OK, but technician felt it when driving with me. So I was told all are like that (wrong answer), but I can't get all the others to do it, and it may be my driving. Going 1 more time to fix then after Ford with the Lemon Law to get another ZX3.
-Performance-needs a little more power and a shorter shift throw. If Ford was trying to get into the niche market they should have added some of the aftermarket goodies themselves, i.e., underdrive crank & alternator pulley, anti-sway bars, exhaust.
-Paint - Looking at the front fenders when the doors are open it looks like it was not painted and the paint scratches way too easy.
-Rear drum brakes.

Fun car but I wish Ford would fix the quirks so I can modify it (1 of the reasons I bought it). After reading others' reviews I see I am not the only 1 with these problems and I see a pattern here that Ford fails to realize/acknowledge - POOR mileage (26 avg never better than 30), rough idle and start, and hesitation between 2500-3500 RPMs in various gears.

Even with all my gripes, I like its handling, looks, price, and aftermarket opportunities to make it unique and I plan to drive it into the ground over time.

As soon as I get my problems resolved or another ZX3 (Lemon Law) I am putting in a folding sunroof and some engine mods to give it the power Ford should have done. I am also adding rear disc brakes.

Some rhetorical questions:
Whats with the fabric wheel wells? I am afraid what winter will do to those and they are noisy in the rain.
Where is the intermittent wiper control that is described in the manual? Ford should have put it in themselves versus the $40 (from the dealer) I will spend to add it.

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VW Jetta/Golf/Cabrio, Nissan Sentra, Mazda Protege, Honda Civic, BMW 3 series, etc