I had a 2000 ZX3 5spd. I was a great car for me. It did have 8 recalls, but had them fixed (mostly minor things) when I changed the oil. I did notice the stumble/surge others complained about at around 2000 rpm. It really wasn't enough to complain about for me. Other than that, the car was great. I had it for 3 and 1/2 years then wanted something bigger.
I guess I didn't learn because every time I went to a larger car, I didn't keep it long and went back to the smaller ones. While the Focus is not a performance car, it was fun to drive and got great gas mileage.
I see the 2005 are offered with a 2.0L 136 HP engine. I hope they didn't ruin the torque characteristic when adding the 6 extra ponies. Anyone do a comparison?
Thanks, John