Anthony Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 (edited) Well, lucky me! A family member just had a Ford ZX2 Sport just sitting collecting dust and they decided rather then have it sit any longer, they said "Here, take it!". So, I once again have a Ford. It will become my daily "throw over a hundred miles a day car" since I have a nice long NY-traffic filled commute every day. So, how does a 6 year old ZX2 rate on the commute-O-meter? Well, coming from my other newer car...it ain't so bad! I've owned a few Escorts in the past, namely a 1986 GT and a 1991 1.9L (both 5 speeds)...this one is an automatic. Exterior: Lets start with the exterior. First off the car is in great shape, no dings or dents. The paint is getting a little oxidized, but nothing a little wax can't fix. What is impressive is no rust at all after 6 NY winters. Even the aluminum wheels have held up quite nicely. The trunk has a pretty small opening, but again, I'm not using this for hauling. Styling: Even after being introduced many years ago. The car still is somewhat stylish for an economy car. I remember when it came out, I thought it looked like a mini Mark VIII. Granted, the looks are a bit dated with the swoopy lines (now that the "chisel" look is all the vogue), but its still better looking then alot of the current offerings. Interior: A throwback to the 96 Taurus oval theme. Most controls are logically placed, but the oval pod with HVAC and radio controls are bit overdone with buttons. This was a mid-level model so it doesn't have power windows or cruise control (which I miss the most!). But it does have an auto tranny, cold cold AC and a decidedly 80's cassette player (no matter, only Sirius gets played in my cars). The seats are pretty uncomfortable. I guess they may just take some getting used to, but the headrests don't go up far enough to rest my melon on. If I try resting my head on the headrest at its highest position I end up lying on top of it and staring at the ceiling. That being said, the seats are bolstered pretty nicely, but there is no lumbar support at all....your back just kinda keeps going and going and going until it finds something to rest against. The backseat is mostly useless...but I have no need for it as I'm the only person who would be in this car. The cupholders are very far away from the driver and passenger because of the emergency brake lever taking up all of the center console. Which brings me to my second biggest gripe: No right side armrest! I'm guessing that higher level models must have had some kind of center storage compartment or armrest...I keep putting my right elbow up to rest it on the non-existent compartment and it just falls. (I know, minor gripe, but it does effect your comfort). If one is offered, I may just have to find a junkyard armrest. My biggest WTF with this vehicle is the complete and utter uselessness of the side mirrors. They are so incredibly tiny that they offer no help with seeing what is in the lanes to your left and right. I'm sure other ZX2 owners can vouch for this. If there is a safety reg that mandates a minimum sized mirror, Ford went right to letter and put the smallest one possible. Sure, it looks sporty, but damn! I can't see anything! Driving: Now, enough complaints, lets get to the good stuff. The car has 116K miles on it and it runs and drives great! The front end was recently rebuilt, but regardless... the car drives just as nicely as any other newer economy car I've driven in recent memory. It also handles great. Coming from a 4 door sedan of mushy merits, the car feels like a little go-kart which makes for fun cloverleaf freeway entrances (a la the Mitsu commercial). Even being a automatic, the car is plenty peppy. I generally cruise around 65-70 mph on the expressway and it tracked straight and true without a wimper from the engine compartment. The engine sounds a bit thrashy, but that could also be contributed to by the fact the car is over 6 years old and has well over 100K miles. The most impressive attribute is the solidness of the car. The doors are thick (which looks to be attributed alot to the swoopy styling) and close with a solid "thunk". Every thing on the car feels solid. So, to summarize...it is a old design and some parts of that show through glaringly. But any complaint I had was minor and would most likely be the same of any other comparable economy car of that era. Mostly ergonomic boo-hoos. All in all, a great car that has held up incredibly well for its initial price. Edited May 24, 2007 by Intrepidatious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old_fairmont_wagon Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I used to actively avoid getting Focuses as rentals due specifically to the poor seat comfort. When I used to travel without the corporate perques, I used to voluntarily pay for the size upgrade to the Taurus just for better seats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Martin Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I have 2001 Zx2 with 84k miles on it. I've never had any problems with this car, and it's a blast to drive. Just like you said, it's like driving a go-cart, but the ride is much more refined than my wife's cavalier or my mom's Kia Spectra. I also get 30 mpg in mixed driving. These are great cars. To bad I have to sell mine. What do you think about the sound system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted May 24, 2007 Author Share Posted May 24, 2007 I have 2001 Zx2 with 84k miles on it. I've never had any problems with this car, and it's a blast to drive. Just like you said, it's like driving a go-cart, but the ride is much more refined than my wife's cavalier or my mom's Kia Spectra. I also get 30 mpg in mixed driving. These are great cars. To bad I have to sell mine. What do you think about the sound system? It is a great car. The sound system is pretty good for what the car is....not sure if there was a "premium system" available, but I'm sure my 'scort does not have it. But, not bad. I'm mostly highway driving and I think I'm getting somewhere in the low 30's. I'll know better after this next tank of gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Martin Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 It is a great car. The sound system is pretty good for what the car is....not sure if there was a "premium system" available, but I'm sure my 'scort does not have it. But, not bad. I'm mostly highway driving and I think I'm getting somewhere in the low 30's. I'll know better after this next tank of gas. I have the premium sound system, and it's just ok. One thing I don't like is how they put the disk changer right under the driver side rear speaker. If you turn up the volume it makes the cd skip. The best milage I've seen is when I was driving 10 hours/day crossing the country. I was able to average 42 mpg in South Dakota and Montana. Mine is 5sp btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted May 25, 2007 Author Share Posted May 25, 2007 How many miles are you getting out of one tank of gas? Curious...I did my first fill up yesterday and it dropped very fast to 3/4. (I'm also used to much bigger tanks too...how big is the tank in the ZX2?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Martin Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I'm thinking that the tank is 13 gal. I fill up at 1/4 tank and it holds only 8.5 gal. I typically get 220 to 270 miles on 8.5 gallons of regular unleaded fuel. That's impressive when you consider that I live in Seattle and nothing is flat. My meter usually stays above 3/4 for about 90 miles and then drops faster the rest of the way. One other complaint that I have besides the disk changer is that the engine runs at high rmp all the time. 70 mph in 5th gear is about 3500 rpm, and it idles at 1000 rpm. Also, if I turn on the headlights or the AC, it idles lower than 1000 rpm which must hit a resonant frequency of the car because it shakes the interior a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8A4RE Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 (edited) I'm thinking that the tank is 13 gal. I fill up at 1/4 tank and it holds only 8.5 gal. I typically get 220 to 270 miles on 8.5 gallons of regular unleaded fuel. That's impressive when you consider that I live in Seattle and nothing is flat. My meter usually stays above 3/4 for about 90 miles and then drops faster the rest of the way. One other complaint that I have besides the disk changer is that the engine runs at high rmp all the time. 70 mph in 5th gear is about 3500 rpm, and it idles at 1000 rpm. Also, if I turn on the headlights or the AC, it idles lower than 1000 rpm which must hit a resonant frequency of the car because it shakes the interior a bit. I tend to run mine @ 6500 RPM....LOL! one hell of an engine!! sponsors needed Edited May 25, 2007 by 8A4RE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Martin Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 That's awesome! It will put you back in the seat if you run it to the red line, but it hurts your ear drums too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted May 25, 2007 Author Share Posted May 25, 2007 Yeah, I noticed when I put the air on it gets a bit shaky. BUT, it doesn't suck the energy out of the engine so bad like many 4 bangers do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I have a 2000 Escort SE as 2nd car and it may not be 'refined', but it has been trouble free for the past year. I see lots of 97-02 Escorts for sale with high miles [over 120K] , and the sellers say 'been reliable'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtoups Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 170k and still running strong. 35 mpg (except on race days); original clutch, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 did the ZX2 share any mechanicals with the Mazda 323? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 did the ZX2 share any mechanicals with the Mazda 323? transmission, the engine is ford.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Martin Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 About the transmission. I've hear people complain about the shifter being too heavy. I got rid of the rubber boot and put on a leather one, and it actualy feels quite nice now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtoups Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 did the ZX2 share any mechanicals with the Mazda 323? much of the suspension is shared as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted June 8, 2007 Author Share Posted June 8, 2007 Just to bring this one back up. I've been driving the ZX2 for about 2-3 weeks now. I'm liking it. Its not getting the mileage you guys described though...its only getting around 30 mpg, which probably has to do alot with the bad traffic we've been having this past week (and intermittent AC usage) Funniest thing? I pulled out the registration today to make a photocopy (I have not put it in my name yet)...its not a 2001. Its a 1998. HAHA!!! The car is definitely not bad for being basically ten years old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Martin Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 Your fuel mileage sounds right to me. I get 27-30 mpg mixed driving, and that's great in my opinion when you consider how fun it is to drive. I'm still having trouble selling it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bri719 Posted June 8, 2007 Share Posted June 8, 2007 (edited) I have 2001 Zx2 with 84k miles on it. I've never had any problems with this car, and it's a blast to drive. Just like you said, it's like driving a go-cart, but the ride is much more refined than my wife's cavalier or my mom's Kia Spectra. I also get 30 mpg in mixed driving. These are great cars. To bad I have to sell mine. What do you think about the sound system? why are you selling it?? how much do you want assuming it's 50 state legal Edited June 8, 2007 by bri719 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Martin Posted June 9, 2007 Share Posted June 9, 2007 why are you selling it?? how much do you want assuming it's 50 state legal SOLD!! I got my first bite on it yesterday, and after driving it, it was an easy decision for them. $4,500. I really will miss that car, but I will enjoy buying a nice focus or mazda3 for my wife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibinubu12 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 My parents each have a 2002 ZX2 Premium. Mom's is true red, dads is dark shadow gray. Man are they fun to drive. My biggest complaints however is WHY DOES 75mph NEED TO BE AT 3,000rpm? My 36mpg could be 40 or more with another gear or two on the auto trans. Other than that, holding up very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas1022 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 My parents each have a 2002 ZX2 Premium. Mom's is true red, dads is dark shadow gray. Man are they fun to drive. My biggest complaints however is WHY DOES 75mph NEED TO BE AT 3,000rpm? My 36mpg could be 40 or more with another gear or two on the auto trans. Other than that, holding up very well. We have a 98 SE Sport and a 2000 ZX2. Both are well over 100K miles. I think the ZX2 is actually past 160K. The shifter is shot from stop and go city driving during ruch hour. The alternater bracket is a cast pos and breaks every other year (about 40K) and costs a tow job plus the cast piece install and part. Otherwise it's trouble free. The 98 has never let us down anywhere. Mileage on both cars is in excess of 32 mpg and neither has had a tune up. Platinum plugs, gotta love em. For comparison. We had a Buick Century before the 98 and it failed weekly for two months with less than 60K miles. I said "Uncle", and goodbye to GM (never again). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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