The Journey Begins

Ford Focus ZX4 ST - New Purchase - Phil Usher - May 2006

I sit at the finance table at the local Las Vegas Team Ford dealer signing papers for this baby Ford and wonder about the circumstances which brought here.   With five vehicles already on the insurance policy there is no practical reason to buy another car; yet here I sit.   I have excuses like;

  • I need a car which gets better gas mileage

  • The standard of local driving suggests that sooner or later my “exotic” car will probably get hit by an uninsured driver

  • My exotic car is too expensive to run yet too cool to sell.

However, what’s really going on here is the big old kid has been feeling a little ill and is treating himself to a new toy. 

Making the deal was easy the salesman Bob Kirkbride is my next door neighbor did everything for me.  I provided some criteria; under $18,000 out the door, light color, no sunroof, and manual transmission.  Twenty minutes later he called back with a selection of new and used vehicles.  I selected the most likely candidate and fifteen more minutes he outlines a really great deal.  I agree to come down and test drive.

Test Drive.  On a dealer test drive you’re really limited and I find that with Bob I am less inclined to push the car than I might with a stranger.  Never-the-less as we accelerate, break and move through various transitions I hear Bob say “if anyone else was driving I would be panicking about now”.  It’s then that I realize that my impression of "pushing it" and the norm really differ.

First impressions. It’s bigger than I expected.  The drivers’ seat is quite firm which suites me but might prove troublesome for extended trips.  The headrest (an important item of safety equipment) is good meaning it can be properly positioned.  Cynthia (my wife) reports the rear is unexpectedly roomy but devoid of air conditioning outlets (a potential problem in Las Vegas).  The pedals are too widely spaced making heal and toe overly difficult, I try to bend the pedals with my feet but they will not budge and I foresee my first modification clearly.  At the drivers right elbow is the worst armrest I have ever encountered.  In the down position it makes changing gears a near impossible task, in the up position it presents an elbow impact point for changes into 2nd and 4th – that will have to go.  However, the location of the shifter is good and gear selection is quite positive.  The wheel is a very pleasant surprise offering both tilt and telescope.

On the road. We’re heavy (with 3 people) and allowing for that I decide the car is quite responsive but not terribly linear in its acceleration.  The brakes handle the weight surprisingly well with no obvious fade or grab apparent.  Turn transitions are sluggish but once the car is set seems stable.  There's a little more body roll than I would like but it's not a show stopper.  At speed the car proves susceptible to crosswind but not uncontrollably. 

More aggressive testing will have to wait till the car can be taken to the track.  My expectations are:

  • The tires will prove to be the primary sauce of the sluggish transitions.  I'll probably see if I can find some 15" wheels with some race rubber to see if I can prove this point.

  • The body will roll more but will continue to do so in a linear fashion.

  • The car will get hot (Oil, Water and Brakes) and require cool down laps to be inserted.

  • Some will leave the track wondering about that "apparently stock" Focus that passed them.

The deal is made.  This Silver 2006 Ford Focus ZX4 ST came with 500 miles already on the clock.  Apparently the dealership owner drives examples of each new model and tags those he is impressed with to be driven by all the sales staff and this was one of those cars. Now there was a time when buying a car which might had been mistreated would have concerned me but several seasons of club racing has cured that, what I saw was an opportunity to save some money which could later be reused for “upgrades”.

What options are on this car?  Upgraded sound package & traction control are the only additions on this car.

The deal is done, I drive away.

What do I know about the Ford Focus?  Nothing, no really – nothing!  Will I allow this to slow me down; not a chance.  The wonderful world of the internet allows me access all the knowledge I could possibly need.  Searching for Focus Forums produces a number of hits but I select Focus Fanatics and start reading.

                              

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