Used ZX3 or 5

[156n3rd]

My wife learned to drive in Scotland. Her last car while living there was the English version of an Escort wagon. It's engine blew and a larger Sierra engine was put in it's place and it was quite a fast car until the timing belt went. Anyway, when she arrived here in 2004, I was driving a '95 Contour and she didn't care for it. I loved it's handling and ride quality, but the rear suspension was bad and the trans was acting up. I traded it for a 2002 PTC. The Contour had but 115,000 miles on it. Now, she is driving a 1992 Saturn SL2, which we bought from a family member for $500.00 3 Septembers ago. It has nearly 222,000 miles on it. It leaks from it's sunroof. It leaks around the doors. It's defroster is weak and it is the hardest car to get in and out of that I've ver experienced. Those stupid active/passive belts are maddening!

So, my wife and I set a limit of about $8,500 for a replacement and she admires the Zx 3's and 5's. I think they look cool and would be perfect for our needs. Some car rags say the things are underpowered. My Cruiser is around 3,300 pounds and has 150hp. It is not a rocket by any means, but is adequate if you plan your highway approaches and leave the a/c off while doing so. I recall the Contour had little in the way of power and doesn't that have the same engine as the Focus? (I bought the Contour w/67,000 miles on it when my Aerostar was just not needed anymore and I wish I had kept it as a second or ebven third vehicle. I love that ol' bastard.) One more thing. I know someone who drove a Focus renatl a while back (he's 6'0" and we're around 5'9 or so) and found in to be uncomfortable. I know we'd have to test drive one ourselves to be sure, and I am anxious to do so. She likes red, charcoal and black in that order. According to the pricing on the net, $8,000 for one with under 50,000 miles should be a good bet. Whaddya think?

[bbf2530]

My wife learned to drive in Scotland. Her last car while living there was the English version of an Escort wagon. It's engine blew and a larger Sierra engine was put in it's place and it was quite a fast car until the timing belt went. Anyway, when she arrived here in 2004, I was driving a '95 Contour and she didn't care for it. I loved it's handling and ride quality, but the rear suspension was bad and the trans was acting up. I traded it for a 2002 PTC. The Contour had but 115,000 miles on it. Now, she is driving a 1992 Saturn SL2, which we bought from a family member for $500.00 3 Septembers ago. It has nearly 222,000 miles on it. It leaks from it's sunroof. It leaks around the doors. It's defroster is weak and it is the hardest car to get in and out of that I've ver experienced. Those stupid active/passive belts are maddening!

So, my wife and I set a limit of about $8,500 for a replacement and she admires the Zx 3's and 5's. I think they look cool and would be perfect for our needs. Some car rags say the things are underpowered. My Cruiser is around 3,300 pounds and has 150hp. It is not a rocket by any means, but is adequate if you plan your highway approaches and leave the a/c off while doing so. I recall the Contour had little in the way of power and doesn't that have the same engine as the Focus? (I bought the Contour w/67,000 miles on it when my Aerostar was just not needed anymore and I wish I had kept it as a second or ebven third vehicle. I love that ol' bastard.) One more thing. I know someone who drove a Focus renatl a while back (he's 6'0" and we're around 5'9 or so) and found in to be uncomfortable. I know we'd have to test drive one ourselves to be sure, and I am anxious to do so. She likes red, charcoal and black in that order. According to the pricing on the net, $8,000 for one with under 50,000 miles should be a good bet. Whaddya think?

 

Hi 156n3rd. :D Like most other used cars, if you can find a clean, well maintained example, it is a good car.

 

My nephew had a 2000 ZX3 . He purchased it new, and drove it for 5 years until 2005, when he was rear ended and the car was totaled. He loved it.

 

He is 6'3", I am 6"0', and neither of us had any problem finding a comfortable seating position. Perhaps your friend did not know that there is a seat height adjustment on the Focus (most models at least). It consists of a ratchet type seat lifter (almost like a window crank) in front of the seat, by the floor.

 

Anyway, the Focus is a very nice small car. But like any used car, you take your chances, so have any prospective vehicles inspected by a mechanic you trust.

 

Good luck! :beerchug:

[156n3rd]

Thank you for your response.

[triton-boy]

Thank you for your response.

iam the owner of a 2004 zx-3 bought new with the 2 litre 16 valve 4 banger and it scoots really well, have 73 thousand kms on it no problems.only one complaint the original tires wore out around 50 km and i rotated them every year but other than that its fun to drive and good gas and pep on the hi- :happy feet: ways...

[630land]

The 97-02 Escorts are very underrated cars. They have better resale value than same year Taurus/Contour, and are very reliable, even if they are not 'refined'. They last longer than previous generation Escorts and still chug along while most Contours have been crushed by now.

[richardmayo]

There are brand new ('07) ZX3 loss leaders in my Sunday paper for around $10,000 nearly every week. If you can get your hands on one, it may be worthwhile paying a little more than your $8500 budget for a brand new car.

 

I have an '04 ZX3 with the 2.3L PZEV, and it's been a really good car minus one recurring warning light issue which I blame more on my local dealers ineptitude, not Ford.

[laserred02]

I did a quick autotrader search and found around 10 zx3's listed under 8k in the St. Louis area with anywhere from 30-60k miles on them. So if you area is similar you should be able to find one pretty easily in your price range.

 

As for my focus experience my parents have an 03 with 110k miles on it, and other than a collapsed vacuum hose the car has been very reliable. Also my girlfriend purchased a new 06 about a year and a half ago and it has 22k without a problem. They are pretty reliable and man are they fun to drive. My mustang was in at the dealership for repairs, and i had a focus to drive, it was peppy, handled great and had a ton of room inside.

 

Best of luck!