Review: 2000 Ford Focus ZTS
The new Ford Focus replaces the Escort and the duo formed by the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique. Ford not only hopes to retain old customers but to attract new ones with the Focus, which is available as a hatchback coupe, four-door sedan and station wagon.
Interior and trunk
The passenger cell is easier to reach from the front than from the rear. The high-backed bucket seats are firm and very comfortable. Driver’s-side adjustments include seat-height control and a tilt-telescopic steering column. The height adjustment knob on the front of the seat should be relocated.
Ford Focus 2000
The rear bench seats two comfortably. Both front- and rear-seat passengers enjoy plenty of headroom. The centre console extends back to the rear to make room for a cup holder but in the process takes up valuable foot room. The bench has a 60/40 split seat back but to fold either side flat to the floor, the one-piece cushion has to be flipped straight up. A split cushion is a better solution because it lets you fold one side down and leave the other side up for a passenger.
The roomy trunk has a flat floor and low liftover. However, as the opening created by folding the seat back is low and the raised cushion is high, you can’t put skis in the trunk because the angle is too sharp.
Safety and convenience
Interior finish is perfectible and soundproofing should be upgraded to reduce road and wind noise. You’ll probably have trouble inserting the key into the ignition switch because the slot is at such odd angles. It’s something you get used to, but it makes you wonder if the change was really necessary.
Instruments and controls are well laid-out. The click of the turn signals is practically inaudible. The climate control system is efficient but the fan is noisy as soon as it is turned up a notch. There should be more and bigger storage compartments.
Safety-wise the Focus is equipped with dual front air bags (side air bags are optional), reasonably bright headlights, an anti-lock braking system and adjustable, locking front-seat head restraints that are quite high and very close to the head (even a bit too close for some people). It is disturbing not to have head restraints for the rear seat in a vehicle built by a company that prides itself on being safety-conscious.
Engine and transmission
The 130-h.p. 2.0-litre Zetec engine, the bigger of the two available, runs smoothly but is noisy in heavy acceleration. With just the driver on board, the engine provides adequate standing and passing acceleration. Add another passenger or some cargo, and performance gets anemic. A manual transmission makes it easier to exploit the full capacity of the engine, which has plenty of torque for pleasant, flexible performance. The well-geared manual transmission is easy to shift and fun to use. Clutch action is progressive.
On the road
The Focus rides very comfortably on good pavement but reacts firmly, at times even stiffly, when the going gets rough. Suspension travel seems a bit limited. The ZTS has a good grip in turns but given the firm suspension, it leans more than you’d expect. It is sensitive to side winds and the suspension provides almost no road feel at all.
The steering is heavy at low speed and though steady and precise, it provides little feedback about how the tires relate to the road. Braking is powerful and fade resistant.
Some of what we saw during an inspection at the CAA-Quebec test centre was not very reassuring: the brake discs are not shielded, the bottom of the front bumper doesn’t look like it will resist scraping over a snow bank for long, the front suspension mounting points look fragile, and there are too many crannies where snow and dirt can accumulate. Whether the plastic-coated felt linings in the rear fenders will last long is questionable, and the unpainted metal fuel lines are unprotected.
Conclusion
The Focus ZTS stands out for its roomy, comfortable interior, generally pleasant handling, precise steering and powerful brakes but it needs a better rear seat design, more storage spaces and improvements to the underside. The lack of head restraints in the rear is regrettable.
FOR – AGAINST
Roominess – Noisy acceleration
Front-seat comfort – Rear seat design
Powerful brakes – Too few storage spaces
Precise steering – Heavy steering at low speed
Flexible engine performance – Sensitivity to side winds
Handling – Assembly details
2000 FORD FOCUS
Engine: 8-valve, 2.0-litre 4 cylinder; 16-valve,2.0-litre 4 cylinder
Horsepower: 110 h.p. @ 5,000 rpm; 130 h.p. @ 5,000 rpm
Torque: 125 lb.-ft.@ 3,750 rpm; 130 lb.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual; 4-speed automatic
Suspension: fully independent
Brakes: disc/drum
Length: 427 cm (coupe); 444.2 cm (4-door); 452.6 cm (wagon)
Width: 169.9 cm
Height: 143 cm (wagon: 144.8 cm)
Wheelbase: 261.6 cm
Weight: 1,144 to 1,232 kg
Tires: P185/65R14; P195/60R15
Towing capacity: 450 kg
Air bags: standard dual
Fuel consumption (4-door sedan, Zetec engine and manual transmission):
– Transport Canada rating: city: 9.4 L/100 km (30 mpg); highway: 6.5 L/100 km (43 mpg)
– Test result: 9.5 L/100 (30 mpg)
Fuel tank capacity: 49 litres
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h : 9.5 seconds 60-100 km/h : 5.4 seconds
Competition: Chevrolet Cavalier, Chrysler Neon, Daewoo Nubira, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Sephia, Mazda Protegé, Nissan Sentra, Pontiac Sunfire, Saturn S, Subaru Impreza, Suzuki Esteem, Toyota Corolla, Volswagen Golf
Maintenance (amount may vary from dealer to dealer):
Frequency: 3 months/5,000 km; total cost to 100,000 km: $1,477
Warranty:
– Full basic coverage: 3 years/60,000 km
– Powertrain: 3 years/60,000 km
– Surface corrosion: 3 years/60,000 km
– Perforation damage: 5 years/unlimited mileage
– Emissions control system: 3 years/60,000 km (full coverage); 8 years/130,000 km (catalytic converter, electronic control module and on-board diagnostic device)
Factory replacement parts:
Rear bumper: $507 Front brake disk: $107
Brake pads: $65 Muffler: $231
Front fender: $255
Average insurance premium (Quebec City, replacement cost endorsement, claim-free insurance record, female driver or male driver 30 to 40 years old): $549 to $723
Price according to trim line: LX: $14,895 ZX3: $16,595 SE (4-door): $16,595 SE (wagon): $17,595 ZTS: $19,695
Main options:
Automatic transmission: $1,100 ABS: $779
Comfort package: $600 Sport package: $1,300 (wagon); $1,500 (4-dr)
Power package: $600 Side air bags: $463
Price as tested: $20,971 Freight and preparation: $700
