CAR SHOPPING

I OWN A SUZUKI FORENZA Station Wagon I recently went shopping for a 2nd car sort of a backup for my Suzuki. There currently is nothing wrong with my Suzuki, it starts every time Runs fine but it is a car that was totally manufactured, and built in Japan Yes, it has no foreign parts from China, Twain, Korea, Canada, Mexico, or USA It is a 100% Japanese auto and when my clutch went out, 2 weeks later, the part Had to be ordered from Japan. It took another 8 days to get my part, total time to repair My car was 4 weeks. Since I missed the wedding because of my car, and not only the Time to repair but the towing and troubles and etc... turned into a $2,000 nightmare So it was time not to replace my Suzuki but have a backup. BACKUP requirements, It must get 30mpg on highway It must cost $3,000 or less It must not need anything, buy and drive It must pass inspections It must not have been in accident and have a clean title It must be insurable Cars that qualify were almost all makes and models, surprisingly once a car hits the Price of $3,000 you get Honda Accords with Civics, you get Ford Taurus with Ford Focus, Same with Toyota Corollas’ with Camry’s. Among other 30mpg cars. I test drove about 15 cars, the first car was a 2001 Honda Civic private owner, but it had 189,000 miles on it, new tires, and brakes, but it would hit 200,000 by end or summer not good. It got scratched when my brother convinced my mom not to lend me money to buy such an old car with that many miles on it. After which I secured a loan for 3,000 from bank and deposited the cash. So all the cars I looked at I had cash with me to buy the car. The Mazda protégé seemed to be a great car, until I read horror stories about front wheel bearing. Some cars had 4 doors, and that is when I thought, since this is a spare car Why not get a sporty car, which gets 30mpg, and looks cool too. Hence Honda Civics’ or Ford Focus FX3. I test drove 3 civics and 3 Focus, Today March 20th the 2001 Ford Focus FX3, I went to look at had a clean body, clean interior. It started and no pinging and ticking that several cars had, no white smoke, no huge vibrations. The test drive was slow and deliberate, over a few bumps and few turns, handling was good, the shocks seemed stiff as they should with an FX3, acceleration from dead stop with automatic was quick, responsive, no hesitation and quickly reached 60mph in less than a short city block. Making it the fastest car tested, faster than V6 Taurus and Camry. The tires were a low profile 205/55/16 and had lots of miles left. Will not need tires for at least 2 years. The 5 spoke 16”aluminum alloy wheels looked cool. The only thing I did not test in any of the cars was the radio??? Not sure why I never turned the radio on any of the cars I drove. At the time of writing this blog is when I noticed that??? I guess it was not part of the decision making? Here is the Car and Driver magazine review of a 2001 Ford Focus FX3 Introduced last year, the Ford Focus is one of the most enjoyable its price range. Its fun, it's practical, and it's safer than most, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Wild New Edge styling helps it stand out from the crowd. An available twin-cam engine give the ZX3 hatchback, ZTS sedan and SE wagon enthusiastic response. Yet all Models deliver good fuel economy Two 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines are available (a 110-horsepower single overhead-cam and a 130-horsepower double overhead-cam Zetec – the car I bought). There's also a choice of 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The sedan comprises the bulk of Focus sales and is available in three trim levels, an entry level LX ($12,385), an upgrade SE ($14,040), and the fully-equipped ZTS ($15,260). ZTS comes with the more powerful twin-cam Zetec engine The hatchback is available as one model, the ZX3 ($13,125). This is a sport and comes with all the requisite hardware: a more powerful 130-horsepower twin-cam engine, 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels, and fog lights. Its wild styling makes the hatchback look sportier and even more distinctive than the sedan. Power windows, mirrors and locks, and keyless entry are now available ($740), along with optional cruise control. (I GOT BOTH Keyless entry and cruise control) When Ford engineers designed the Focus, they didn't simply make a smaller sedan. Ford studied the needs of passengers and designed the Focus from the inside out. Instead of figuring how to fit passengers within the conventional three-box sedan profile scaled down to proportions, Ford raised the roof for today's taller average heights the elevated the seating height for more effective legroom. (WILT Chamberlain would fit in this car) To accentuate this change in concept, Ford employed its New Edge styling (introduced on the Mercury Cougar). Ford's New Edge styling, with tidy creases that define intersecting arcs, looks simpler than it really is. Large pie-section headlamps give the front end a distinctive appearance. On the ZX3, they are joined by fog lamps in the grille opening below the bumper. There's a similar, but smaller opening above the bumper that houses the turn signals. Both are outlined by arcs. The front and rear fenders are highlighted with geometric curves creased into the sheet metal. The roofline is highly arched, particularly noticeable when parked next to another car. The roofline is truncated just aft of the rear axle line. Wedge-shaped tail lamps set in the C-pillars enliven an otherwise plain rear end. Ford claims the tail lamps are more noticeable in that location and reduce repair costs in minor accidents, but the location is distinctive and effective styling. Lower bodyside PVC coating provides protection from stone dings on all models, and the underbody gets PVC coating as well. Clearcoat paint is standard across the board. The ZX3 and LX have black rather than body-color bodyside protective molding, but this is offset on the ZX3 by black rocker panels. The door handles on all models are black as well. The door handles on black cars blends in, but black also masks the distinctive lines of the Focus that are accentuated by the brighter colors. If you like the Focus outside, you'll love it inside. The New Edge styling extends to the interior. The dash is a collection of arcs, the instrument panel covered by an asymmetrically curved and sharply creased bezel. A 7000-rpm tachometer flanks a 140-mph speedometer in the ZX3. (Next month I will put pedal to metal to see the top end of my car). Both instruments are round and easily readable, clearly marked with white numerals on black, though the tach has no The fuel gauge has a small arrow pointing to the right, denoting on which side the filler is located, appreciated by those of us who drive a number of cars, have bad memories or both. The center dash panel is formed by an arc that sweeps upward across the dash to the right side of the car and an inverted parabola. The radio fits into the top of this area and includes a single-disc CD player. Part of the controls seating include a better view down the road, plus more effective leg room front and rear, and it takes advantage of the Focus' roofline with headroom for the long and tall. It also makes entry and exit easier. The manual height adjustment on the ZX3 allows almost everyone to find a comfortable position behind the wheel and an easy arm's length away from the manual shifter. The back seat of the ZX3 is best accessed by the young and agile, but both front seats do slide forward. Once back there, however, rear seat riders have lots of legroom, thanks to widely spaced runners under the front seats, plus adult-sized head and shoulder room. Versatility of the hatchback design is lost on most Americans, who prefer the more formal profile with its conventional trunk, but this design is hugely popular among Europeans for its practicality. Fold the back seat of the ZX3 and there's 18.5 cubic feet of cargo space and a big door for access. can be taken with you to discourage theft. Snuggled in to the left is the cigarette lighter/ash tray. Circular ventilation controls, less frequently accessed, fit below the radio and are styled in the New Edge theme, with buttons styled to fit the room available. The trunk release, on the left end of the dash, is triangular as well, shaped to fit into the intersection of the arcs outlining the instrument panel. The overall asymmetry lends an informal air to the interior, but the feel of the interior is rich. The control knobs all have distinctive shapes for easy identification; rotary controls are rubberized for pleasing soft-touch operation. The steering wheel on the ZX3 is leather-covered and satisfying to touch. Even the plastics used on the dash and door panels have a finger-friendly soft-touch feel. Painted silver accents around the center ash give the ZX3 a modern look, while wood grain in the same area enhances the ZTS model. The seats are comfortable with an exceptionally high hip point, 20 inches above the ground. The advantages of this Clutch take-up is good and easy to modulate. Shifting into first gear reveals a rubbery feel to the linkage of the long-shafted shifter. It feels like a Saab shifter; it's precise but not inviting. ZX3 doesn't act like an economy car. It accelerates and turns much more quickly, making this one of the most enjoyable cars in its class to drive. Response through the rack-and-pinion steering is quick and precise, and feedback is excellent. The car feels like it is leaning in corners more than it actually is because the driver is sitting higher in the saddle. Optional 50-series (16-inch) tires sharpen handling response. The ZX3 cruises easily on the Interstate. The engine is quiet and wind noise is subdued. Ordinary roads feel smooth, while well-maintained superhighways feel velvety. The Ford Focus breaks new ground in economy car design. The ZX3 hatchback proves the economical and practical can also be sporty and fun. Overall, the Focus shows that Ford has done some thinking outside the box. In doing so, Ford has created an inexpensive car that is desirable as well as practical. CONSUMER REPORTS – Average to above average reliability NO Black marks