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April 3, 2008 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/ford_focus_2002

  Paul Wiley Cockerham
EditorPaul Wiley Cockerham

As dog owners, the missus and I dig hatchbacks and small wagons, particularly when their practical nature is mixed with a dollup of fun. So we eagerly anticipated seat time in Ford’s Focus ZTW Wagon—it would be our first chance to experience the lively handling characteristics that the Focus is known for, along with the wagon’s class-leading cargo capacity.

Ford is not ashamed to call the ZTW a wagon, refreshingly enough. And the ZTW certainly looks like a wagon, with nice, squarish lines at the liftgate that complement the edgy, love/hate front end. Those lines help contribute to a total of 55.8 cubic feet of volume with a rear seat folded down.

My first move upon delivery was to fold up the back-seat cushion, fold down the seat backs, and then crawl through the liftgate. I couldn’t entirely stretch out my 5’ 10”, 225-lb frame, but the floor dimensions were generous enough that I figured I could curl up comfortably in a sleeping bag for the night, should the need ever arise.

The interior space also provided excellent leg room front and rear, no doubt due to the Focus’s relatively tall seat height. Said height was also adjustable in the driver’s seat, thanks to a handy crank—a simple, yet innovative feature at this price point.

Unfortunately, the seats were not adequately bolstered, lumbar support was almost nil and the surface leather was rather slippery. This is a problem the Focus shares with the Escape sport-ute; Ford should take a cue from VW on low-budget seating.

Tossing it up

You want good seat support in this wagon, because, like all Foci, it is extremely tossable. The power rack-and-pinion steering system is perfectly weighted and provides telepathic levels of feedback. The fully independent control blade/multilink suspension system, with coil springs, shocks and the beefier stabilizer bars that come with the Zetec engine package, is a revelation. The roads on our backcountry speed run are little more than asphalt poured over dirt; heaving terrain, cracks and bumps, loose particles and negatively banked, decreasing-radius curves are all part of the game. The little wagon’s four wheels felt firmly planted at all times, yet the ride wasn’t particularly harsh. Its comportment was nearly as reassuring as that of a Subaru Impreza WRX I had driven last summer, and transitions through curves were predictable. Oversteer will cause the tail to step out a tad when you lift off the throttle, but is easily correctable.

The brakes—discs all around when you order optional ABS—were quite effective, with little fade. There’s a lot of nose squat in panic stops, but the ABS keeps things straight and true. The 16-inch alloys and the 50-series, H-rated Firestone Firehawk GTAs deserve credit for enhancing the wagon’s dynamics.

The powertrain doesn’t, however. The 130-hp, DOHC Zetec, standard on the ZTW, gets mated to a sluggish four-speed overdrive slushbox, bogging down its 135 lb-ft of torque (at 4500 rpm) and completely negating whatever performance boost the Zetec enjoys over the 110-hp mill found in the base SE wagon. Acceleration is sluggish, and the powerband plateaus way too soon. Do yourself a favor, take the $815 credit and go with the five-speed stick—the manual unit is more in character with the excellent chassis.

Fortunately, there’s a burgeoning performance aftermarket for the Focus. The air intake system is as convoluted a beast as I’ve ever seen; simplifying breathing, both fore and aft, could only help matters.

Quality control issues have bugged Ford as of late, but fit and finish on our tester seemed fine. If the seats were a little better, and the 170-hp engine found in the SVT Focus was made standard throughout the line, this little wagon would blend function and fun into quite a treat.

2002 Ford Focus ZTW Wagon
Base price: $18,195; as tested, $20,795
Engine: 2.0-liter in-line four, 130 hp
Drivetrain: Four-speed automatic or five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Length x width x height (inches): 168.1 x 66.9 x 56.3
Wheelbase: 103.0 inches
Curb weight: 2717 lb
EPA City/Hwy: 26/32 mpg
Safety equipment: Four-wheel anti-lock brakes, child seat anchor tethers, rear door safety locks
Major standard equipment (ZTW): Air conditioning, power windows/mirrors, leather seats, AM/FM stereo w/six-CD changer, cruise control, height-adjustable driver’s seat, tilt/telescopic leather-wrapped steering wheel, 16x6 alloy wheels, 205/50R16 Firestone Firehawk GTAs, fog lamps, luggage rack
Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles

 

forumAs dog owners, the missus and I dig hatchbacks and small wagons, particularly when their practical nature is mixed with a dollup of fun. So we eagerly anticipated seat time in Ford’s Focus ZTW Wagon—it would be our first chance to experience the lively handling characteristics that the Focus is known for, along with the wagon’s class-leading cargo capacity. Ford is not ashamed to call the ZTW a wagon, refreshingly enough. And the ZTW certainly looks like a wagon, with nice, squarish lines at the liftgate that complement the edgy, love/hate front end. Those lines help contribute to a total of 55.8 cubic feet of volume with a rear seat folded down. My first move upon delivery was to fold up the back-seat cushion, fold down the seat backs, and then crawl through the liftgate. I couldn’t entirely stretch out my 5’ 10”, 225-lb frame, but the floor dimensions were generous enough that I figured I could curl up comfortably in a sleeping bag for the night, should the need ever arise. The interior space also provided excellent leg room front and rear, no doubt due to the Focus’s relatively tall seat height. Said height was also adjustable in the driver’s seat, thanks to a handy crank—a simple, yet innovative feature at this price point. Unfortunately, the seats were not adequately bolstered, lumbar support was almost nil and the surface leather was rather slippery. This is a problem the Focus shares with the Escape sport-ute; Ford should take a cue from VW on low-budget seating. Tossing it up You want good seat support in this wagon, because, like all Foci, it is extremely tossable. The power rack-and-pinion steering system is perfectly weighted and provides telepathic levels of feedback. The fully independent control blade/multilink suspension system, with coil springs, shocks and the beefier stabilizer bars that come with the Zetec engine package, is a revelation. The roads on our backcountry speed run are little more than asphalt poured over dirt; heaving terrain, cracks and bumps, loose particles and negatively banked, decreasing-radius curves are all part of the game. The little wagon’s four wheels felt firmly planted at all times, yet the ride wasn’t particularly harsh. Its comportment was nearly as reassuring as that of a Subaru Impreza WRX I had driven last summer, and transitions through curves were predictable. Oversteer will cause the tail to step out a tad when you lift off the throttle, but is easily correctable. The brakes—discs all around when you order optional ABS—were quite effective, with little fade. There’s a lot of nose squat in panic stops, but the ABS keeps things straight and true. The 16-inch alloys and the 50-series, H-rated Firestone Firehawk GTAs deserve credit for enhancing the wagon’s dynamics. The powertrain doesn’t, however. The 130-hp, DOHC Zetec, standard on the ZTW, gets mated to a sluggish four-speed overdrive slushbox, bogging down its 135 lb-ft of torque (at 4500 rpm) and completely negating whatever performance boost the Zetec enjoys over the 110-hp mill found in the base SE wagon. Acceleration is sluggish, and the powerband plateaus way too soon. Do yourself a favor, take the $815 credit and go with the five-speed stick—the manual unit is more in character with the excellent chassis. Fortunately, there’s a burgeoning performance aftermarket for the Focus. The air intake system is as convoluted a beast as I’ve ever seen; simplifying breathing, both fore and aft, could only help matters. Quality control issues have bugged Ford as of late, but fit and finish on our tester seemed fine. If the seats were a little better, and the 170-hp engine found in the SVT Focus was made standard throughout the line, this little wagon would blend function and fun into quite a treat. 2002 Ford Focus ZTW Wagon Base price: $18,195; as tested, $20,795Engine: 2.0-liter in-line four, 130 hp Drivetrain: Four-speed automatic or five-speed manual, front-wheel driveLength x width x height (inches): 168.1 x 66.9 x 56.3Wheelbase: 103.0 inchesCurb weight: 2717 lbEPA City/Hwy: 26/32 mpgSafety equipment: Four-wheel anti-lock brakes, child seat anchor tethers, rear door safety locksMajor standard equipment (ZTW): Air conditioning, power windows/mirrors, leather seats, AM/FM stereo w/six-CD changer, cruise control, height-adjustable driver’s seat, tilt/telescopic leather-wrapped steering wheel, 16x6 alloy wheels, 205/50R16 Firestone Firehawk GTAs, fog lamps, luggage rackWarranty: Three years/36,000 miles   As dog owners, the missus and I dig hatchbacks and small wagons , particularly when their practical nature is mixed with a dollup of fun. So we eagerly anticipated seat time in Ford’s Focus ZTW Wagon—it would be our first chance to experience the lively handling characteristics that ...