My Car History

E-mail: p@pamspaulding.com

Visit my blog

My home page:
http://www.pamspaulding.com

a nice site to visit:
http://www.myfordfocus.com/

Ford's Focus ZTW Package

The ZTW comes standard with the 2.0L Zetec engine and offers a standard four-speed automatic transmission. Customers can choose an optional manual transmission with a 3.82:1 final drive ratio.

The exterior features standard 16-inch, six-spoke aluminum wheels, fog lamps and dual power mirrors.

The ZTW wagon comes equipped with an extensive list of standard equipment, including:

  • 2.0L DOHC Zetec I-4 engine
  • Leather seating surfaces
  • Driver's side lumbar support
  • 6-disc in-dash CD player
  • Tilt/telescoping steering wheel
  • Remote Keyless Entry System
  • Power windows and door locks
  • Electronic speed control
  • Air conditioning
  • SecuriLockTM passive anti-theft system

The ZTW also has optional features to help make driving the ZTW safe and fun. Options include AdvanceTrac Interactive Vehicle Dynamics System, antilock brakes, side-impact airbags and a power moonroof.

Package Efficiency

All Focus models employ efficient design and package engineering to maximize interior room for passengers and cargo. For example, in a clever packaging solution, the hydraulic hatch hinges do not impinge on interior storage space. The high roofline increases front and rear headroom, while the long wheelbase offers greater interior volume and contributes to the Focus’ smooth ride.

The driver’s seat has a manual height adjustment for comfort and visibility. Rear-seat air ducts provide heating and cooling to improve rear passenger comfort.

The 60/40 split-fold-down rear seatbacks offer flexibility for carrying passengers and cargo – including long items such as skis. The "flip-up" seat bottom provides a flat load floor when needed.

The sedan trunk can hold two standard-size suitcases, while the wagon offers more cargo volume a two-door Explorer.

Powertrains

The 2.0-liter DOHC Zetec inline four-cylinder engine is standard on Focus ZX3, ZTS and wagon models, and optional on the Focus SE sedan. It delivers 130 horsepower and 135 foot-pounds of torque. This engine is matched with the MTX75 5-speed manual transaxle, which is designed with low-friction needle-roller bearings and uses low-viscosity mineral oil to help improve fuel economy and performance.

A 4-speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive transaxle is available on all models.

Ride and Handling

Focus is engineered to provide a smooth ride, nimble handling and responsive steering, due in part to its Control Blade multi-link independent rear suspension. The space-efficient design of this suspension has the side benefit of contributing to interior space.

Trailing arms offer precise longitudinal control to help resist braking torque and reduce rear-end lift under braking, while allowing enough compliance to absorb sharp-edged road irregularities. Control arms precisely control lateral movement, contributing to accurate steering. Precise, predictable steering also results from reducing friction and compliance throughout the rack-and-pinion steering system.

The zero-offset MacPherson strut front suspension helps to reduce body lean during cornering. Focus also boasts a stiff unibody structure with rigid mounting points for the suspension. This contributes to its lightweight design and offers outstanding impact performance.

Focus engineers used advanced tools to stop noise, vibration and harshness from reaching occupants. For example, computer simulation programs helped to identify sources of powertrain noise that could then be eliminated or insulated.

Safety and Security

New for the Focus is the Personal Safety System. The Personal Safety System is actually a number of different features working together to help protect the driver and right front passenger in the event of a collision. The system is able to adjust the deployment of the airbags to enhance protection for front seat occupants, depending on a number of factors. It does this with the help of several components:

  • Electronic crash severity sensor
  • Personal Safety System restraint control module
  • Dual-stage driver and right front passenger airbags
  • Dual-threshold driver and right front passenger airbags
  • Driver's seat position sensor
  • Front outboard safety belt energy management retractors
  • Front outboard safety belt pretensioners
  • Front outboard safety belt usage sensors

Ford Focus offers dual stage driver and right front passenger airbags, and safety belts with pretensioners and energy management retractors. Head and chest side-impact airbags are optional. All models feature LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) in outboard rear seating positions.

The optional AdvanceTrac™ interactive vehicle dynamics system is available on all models. It uses electronic sensors and computerized control of the vehicle’s brakes to help maintain handling in extreme driving situations.

"Safety Cell" body construction helps provide crash-management protection in the event of a collision. Specific body structure areas are designed to absorb and spread impact forces.

A glow-in-the-dark emergency release handle provides a means of escape in case anyone is locked in the trunk.


12/27/2001
There's not much to it, as I have only had one car for the last 13 years and it was my first car. Living in NYC during my early adulthood meant I didn't need a car. When I moved back to NC in 1989, I went to South Square Lincoln Mercury (no longer in business now) and bought a 1988 Mercury Tracer 4 door hatchback. It was built in Mexico, and had a 1.6 liter, 88 HP Mazda engine. Not exactly burning rubber with it from the get go.


The 1988 Mercury Tracer 4-door hatchback, in front of my house the day it was driven away by the AAA guy. It was in great running condition. BTW, I highly recommend AAA's car buying service. They saved me money and dropped my new car at my door, did all the paperwork there, and he took my trade.

Laugh you might at an American car, but the engine never failed me, never stranded me anywhere. I think I've had a dead battery twice. It moved many a friend as its storage capacity with the seats down is enormous. I moved myself several times using it.

The Tracer had one boo-boo. A tree branch fell on it after a storm about 5 years ago, hitting the front quarter panel. It didn't interfere with the hood opening, thankfully.

This car was very nice to give my 2 large dogs a ride in. They both fit nicely in the back seat. The large windows all around the car allowed for great visibility too. It had nice standard options that were hard to find in an econobox at the time: cruise control, map lights, A/C. Of course it had no power windows, doors or air bags.


The rear view. I guess I have to get all new bumper stickers again. I am surprised at the styling of this car; it doesn't seem as dated as many of the cars of its era.

I'll miss the Tracer, but I won't miss the incredibly loud road noise when going 55 or higher; it was loud enough to make holding a conversation a pain. The other thing I won't miss is the ride. Crap, you hit a bump in this car and it was a tooth-shattering experience. It felt like the vehicle had no shocks. The other fun feature of the Tracer is that anemic engine when you've have 4 adults in the car, or heaven forbid, the A/C is on and you have to climb a hill...plan an ascent at 25 mph if you can (or shut the A/C off). This is when you wish you had a Flintstones car and could use your feet to assist your Tracer up the hill.

The New Car - 2002 Ford Focus ZTW wagon

This car is very practical (true to my nature), but it has creature comforts that weren't even options in the Tracer. Leather seats, moonroof, power windows and doors, ABS, keyfob, lol. Cripe, it has a 6-CD changer in dash! The luxury econowagon.

Isn't it sharp? I can't wait to take it for a longer jaunt than just my 3 miles to work. Rest assured I will in the end, as I won't be buying a new car for at least another 13 years!

Apparently this was a very difficult car to find. The AAA guy said that this was the only ZTW with the options I wanted in all of the Southeast! Ford probably didn't make too many of these. After all who wants a small wagon with luxury things like leather or a moonroof. The ZX3 and ZX5 "Foci" are probably the hot sellers. Wagons aren't sexy.

I like the color a lot, though this was my second choice. First choice was CD Silver!

My actual first choice, when considering a new vehicle, was a Subaru Forester. My budget, however, couldn't handle the price tag once you added in the options that came standard in the ZTW. I figured that by the 2002 model Ford had knocked out any quality kinks in the Focus line. There were several recalls on the 2000 and 2001 models, but none reported on 2002. Even so, it is a highly rated car overall in its class. You certainly get bang for the buck.



12/29/2001
I have been treating myself to drives around town in my ZTW the last 2 days, getting used to the car. It doesn't take much to get comfy in it either. It is a dream to drive and the 6-CD in dash changer is wonderful (of course this is someone who had only an AM/FM radio in her Tracer hatch, so there was nowhere to go but up). I'm not a hot rod mod gal, so I only have these modest accoutrements to report that I have acquired for added user-friendliness for my ZTW:

  • a nice behind-the-passenger-seat fabric trash bag that matches my gray leather seats.
  • Ford should have made cargo nets a freebie! Today I ran to Advance Auto Parts and picked one up, so now that problem is solved. No more rolling apples, oranges or cans of tomatoes.
  • I also did a Wal-Mart run today for a medium-size Tupperware-like cargo container with a lid ($3.99 for you cost-cutting types), as someone on the MyFordFocus message board suggested. This is to hold my jumper cables, oil and funnel, towels, emergency light/air pump, cleaning wipes, ice scraper/brush, etc. I noticed that these latter things I was formerly able to store in the spare tire storage area of my Tracer, which had extra hollowed-out space there. There's no such extra space under there in the Focus wagon. Even with the container in the back, there is still plenty of room for cargo. It only takes up about 1/4 of the space (with the back seats up in normal riding position).

Top | Visit my blog


My home page: http://www.pamspaulding.com