i am looking to buy my first car. is the ford focus sedan a good first car? pros? cons?

Question

year: a 2001-2003

which is better LX or ZTS?

Answer 1

I have a 2002 Ford Focus ZTS. It's very appealing to the eye. Most of the ZTS's come with a spoiler on the back and it looks very classy. It came with low profile tires as well, which is great for turning corners.

As for performance and reliability, it's not the best car. The first problem we had was the brakes. The brakes went after only 6 months of owning the car. Cost several hundred to fix it. I wasn't impressed. After that we had several problems with the engine which I’m not going to get into as it gives me a migraine just thinking of all the hassle we went through at the dealership!

The interior of the car is not designed well. The two cup holders are different sizes (at least in mine), literally. I can fit a mug in one but not in the other.

In the back of the car, the seats are very hard and higher than the front seats because the car has a steep slope to it, I suppose to go along with the European style design.

The doors don't open much and it's horribly hard to fit things in. We went to the Home Depot once and bought a shelf that needs to be assembled and it comes in a box. I couldn't fit in the car because the doors wouldn't open far enough so we had to go home get the other car (a Volvo S80) and it fit in with the Volvo. Im sure it would have fit fine into any other make of car as well.

We paid an extra $600 for a 6 disk cd player. The mechanism that turns the disks around broke several months ago so I had to get that fixed. Not a pretty sight seeing the entire dashboard removed to have a CD player fixed.

The Focus is appealing to the eye but poorly designed. I began to think I had a "lemon" but apparently many other people who have a Ford Focus have had similar problems.

If you are going to get a Focus, go for the ZTS. It's worth the extra money ... I can't imagine what the SE is like. Don't want to either.

The SE is basically the Standard Editions. Actually that's what is must stand for. I never realised that! The ZTS is a step up.

Overview:
PROS:
- Appealing to the eye, nice exterior design
- Low profile tires in the ZTS are great for turning sharp corners
- The steering wheel can be adjusted for your comfort
- Appealing dashboard design

CONS:
- Unreliable
- Low profile tires need to be switched around if you live in an area that gets lot's of snow in Winter. If you don't, you'll be slipping every were.
- Interior dashboard looks nice but isn't the most functional
- Uncomfortable seats
- Low roof in the back
- Doors don't open very wide
- very SMALL trunk


- Hope this helps
- Sonic

Answer 2

I own a ford focus SE (street edition) is what it stands for not standard edition. My focus is a 2001 used vehicle and it has not been a problem with me at all, good fuel mileage and CD player has not gone out either. My wife and I recently moved to a bigger city and we packed a lot of things and I am not talking small things either, we put the back seats down and put loads of things from our previous apartment into it, so I don't know why everybody else is having problems with this type of car but my experience has been great. Unless you want none American, Japanese made in America vehicles go right ahead but every car has it's problems and it does not matter what kind of vehicle it is man built it, it's going to have it's problems. Always make sure you change the fluids when it is ready to do so and tune it up like check spark plugs, and the general maintenance you're vehicle will last for a long time. So bash or be bashed no one is ever happy with any thing, but my opinion is mine alone.

Answer 3

The Focus has too many problems. Next to the Ford Pinto (back in the 1970's), it is the most problem plagued Ford vehicle.

There are better choices for around the same money. The Toyota Matrix, Mazda 3 hatchback are both better vehicles for the same money. Both of these cars are also built in North American like the Focus.

Answer 4

"NO" Ford trucks are great but their cars are not worth having. I had a new ford contour. Within 1 week, the passenger side door fell OFF, the carpeting all pulled away from the sides, one of the cup holder things broke. The motor seemed ok but as far as the car inside, piece of junk. Your better cars would be a Honda, a Buick or Oldsmobile. Nissan is good.

Answer 5

Ewwwww I have a Focus and I have just an awful time with it. NOTHING but problems, I'm always fixing something!!! I know quite a few other people that own them too and it's really the same thing with them. Actually 2 people around here have had the motors blow on them already! So what's that tell ya?
Best of Luck to You!!!

Answer 6

The ford focus isn't a good car, first or thirty-first. It's a piece of junk!

Answer 7

I think you would find the Focus to be a fine car. Small, fuel efficient and dependable. Even though they have been around awhile the styling and design have held up well. I say go for it. As for which model, ZTS or LX, I would go with the LX.

Answer 8

We have a this model, and we have had no problems with the car mechanically. It gets good gas mileage; it's reliable, and the price is right. Ours is going on five years old.

Answer 9

Ford, means found off road daily

Answer 10

To be truthful, everyone that i know who has had one has had it fall apart on them. It drives well, and is pretty eye pleasing for the price. But unfourunatly they tend to be put together fairly poorly.