2003 Ford Focus ZX5

Ford's Focus ZX3 hatchback is one of the pillars of the sport-compact segment. Last year, the car gained two doors when the ZX5 joined the Focus family. This five-door enters its sophomore season offering more trim levels and option packages. The result is a vehicle that's more practical, popular and personalized than ever.

ZX5 mild-makeover items include restyled 16-inch wheels, gray headlamp surrounds, three additional paint colors and two new trim levels.

Like the ZX3, the ZX5 has a well-designed blend of curves and creases, of arching lines and triangular shapes. In other words, it's eye-catching. The addition of Light Tundra, Arizona Beige and French Blue to its exterior color palette should make the ZX5 even more distinctive. Other cosmetic changes for 2003 include gray headlamp surrounds and restyled 16-inch wheels.


Standard equipment includes an in-dash/six-CD changer (now with an MP3 player), fog lamps, power locks/windows/mirrors, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, tilt and telescoping steering wheels, height-adjustable driver's seat, cruise control, variable windshield wipers and an anti-theft system. The new Comfort and Premium levels allows ZX5 buyers even more flexibility to bundle options such as a moonroof, leather seats, traction control, antilock brakes and a new perimeter alarm system.


All Focus ZX5s are powered by the 130-horsepower/2.0-liter Zetech DOHC 4-cylinder engine. Its responsiveness is improved for 2003 thanks to a new throttle body, a new cylinder head that allows an increase in spark timing, reduced-load valve springs and a less-restrictive exhaust. Transmission choices are a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic. Other mechanicals include front MacPherson strut and rear Control Blade trailing-arm suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, 10.1-inch front disc brakes and the aforementioned 16-inch alloy wheels. On our test car, those wheels carried 205/50R16 mud- and snow-rated Firestone Firehawk GTA 02 tires.

Ford's 2.0-liter Zetech four-banger puts out 130 horsepower and enjoys several throttle-response tweaks for 2003. The ZX5's standard 5-speed transmission helps the engine achieve its full potential.

Also available on the ZX5 is a choice of two traction-control systems. AdvanceTrac, Ford's "interactive vehicle dynamics system," carries over from last year. This safety-intensive system uses aerospace technology to monitor such things as steering-wheel angle, throttle and brake position and the vehicle's directional response, then makes adjustments automatically to help keep the car from spinning out of control. AdvanceTrac is bundled with the optional antilock brakes (otherwise a $400 stand-alone option) and 10-inch rear discs (instead of old-tech drums). The only catch is that the package adds $1,625 to the vehicle's bottom line, or about 10% of the car's base price. A new and more affordable alternative for '03 is a stand-alone traction-control system.