2001 Ford Focus ZX3 review from North America
"Great car at a cheap price"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The paint on engine hood is fading at 50000 miles. Other body panels are holding color better. The car is driven in Las Vegas and is parked outside in the sun. For some reason, likely engine heat, is causing the hood to slowly discolor / fade.
The radio has a loose connection at the security device which causes it to crap out when I hit a pre program button.
The hatch release button inside the car does not work at 50000 miles.
General comments?
I bought this car used and put almost 10000 miles on it in five months. So far, so good.
The vehicle handles very well.
Low insurance premium. My insurance dropped by about 25 percent when I bought this car.
The manual trans is very smooth shifting and easy to drive.
The car truly feels the road. Not a good car if you want a smooth ride. This car responds to every little bump in the road.
The manual trans gets great gas mileage, however my old honda (automatic) got better.
The interior is nice for such a cheap car. It was thoughtfully put together.
The disc brakes make a lot of noise. I have been told this is normal.
The hatchback fits into any parking space and stores loads of weird shaped boxes and items. Great for cargo.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2001 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 4 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 42000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 51000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 29th June, 2005 |