2003 Ford Focus ZX5

To be really safe, you'll want to spend another $350 for side-impact airbags for the driver and front-seat passenger. Fortunately, Focus models receive "good" (the highest) ratings in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests. We say "fortunately" because many buyers likely will opt to spend $815 for an automatic transmission and another $595 for a power moonroof instead of investing in the additional safety technology.


Base out-the-door price for the ZX5 is $16,355, very competitive in the entry-level hatchback class. But our test version came with AdvanceTrac, side-impact airbags and leather seats (a $695 option). It stickered for $19,515, which almost takes the ZX5 out of what many would consider the basic-transportation price category. Opt for an automatic transmission and moonroof and you're talking more than 20 grand.


Other hatchback competitors in this price range are the Volkswagen Golf, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Matrix and BMW Mini, which means the Focus ZX5 faces very substantial competition. So how does the ZX5 stack up?


Ford's ZX3 has been popular with young buyers who want to customize and even hot-rod their vehicles. If you can afford it, you could do the same things to the ZX5, plus have the utility of a four-door body style.

Upper-trim-level Focuses now offer a silver instrument cluster and color-keyed accents. The nicely sculpted dash and large switchgear are a highly attractive and ergonomic combination.

The ZX5 uses standard Ford switchgear, which means that its controls are large and easy to use and to find. Instruments are mounted on a nicely sculpted dashboard that, like the car's exterior, pleases your eyes with its combination of curves and angles. New for 2003 is a silver instrument cluster offset by color-keyed trim.