A very under-rated performer!

In 1998, I came off my lease of a 1995 Taurus GL 3.8. I was looking for a car with much more get up and go, plus I wanted to go back to driving a car with a manual transmission. I was considering a used Taurus SHO but the insurance would have been rather high. After doing some research, I decided a brand new ZX2 would be my best bet. My decision to purchase the ZX2 was based both on price as compared to the Cavalier Z24, Neon RT, Honda Civic EX, and the Nissan Sentra SE-R as well as the performance of the Escort GT. I would be getting much better fuel economy and cheaper insurance over the SHO. In the past three years and six months of owning the car, I have been very satisfied with my purchase.

The Escort ZX2 is the replacement for the Escort GT which was last produced for model year 1996. The ZX2 and the GT before it is simply an Escort chassis with a more powerful engine and suspension tweaks. All this combines to form a car with improved handling and better acceleration over a base model Escort. Average performance figures are 0-60mph in 7.8 seconds and the 1/4 mile in 15.9 when equipped with a 5sp manual. Note that some magazines have netted better times.

Fuel economy is very good for this car, especially with a manual transmission. Over a mix of 75% expressway and 25% city driving, I get an average of 30-32mpg, depending on traffic and speed. With the air conditioning running, the mileage only drops to about 27mpg. For extended expressway driving, that is, driving at a steady 70mph for 3 hours uninterrupted, I have netted mileage figures as high as 41mpg. Highway driving as defined by the EPA is driving on the average rural two lane highway, like that of the former US Route 66. Stops and speed reduction due to terrain is taken into account when given a highway mileage rating/estimate.

Power is surprising for this car. The 2.0L double overhead cam (DOHC) Zetec engine revs with eagerness and acceleration is surprisingly swift. As with most DOHC engines, maximum power does not come on until 2500rpm or more and flooring the gas pedal is needed for maximum performance. However, the ZX2 has a very broad torque band and downshifts are much less frequent than your average 4cyl DOHC engine. I have done 35mph on a flat road in 5th gear turning only 1700rpm on the tach. Not once did the engine seem to lug and the car accelerated quite swiftly for being in 5th gear at low speed.

Handling is quite neutral and the steering response is quick without too much effort being needed by the driver. Road feel is quite good for a power assisted steering setup. However, body roll is a bit on the excessive side and can trick the driver into thinking the car handles worse than it really does. For model years 1999 and 2000, Ford had the S/R handling and performance package as an option. This gave the driver a revised computer for an increase of 13hp but was noted primarily for suspension and brake upgrades. The car had notably better handling without undue harshness. However, Ford discontinued the S/R package after the model year 2000. Ford should have used the S/R suspension in ALL ZX2 models. But regardless, the ZX2 handles quite competently. It will never surprise the driver.

All corporations are driven to cut costs and Ford is no exception. As a cost cutting measure, the rear disc brakes from the Escort GT were replaced by drum brakes for the ZX2. While the drum brakes are very good for the ZX2, rear discs should have been retained. Braking performance will always be better with a 4 disc setup on the same car. My Taurus had 4 wheel disc and they were very hard to cause the ABS to engage on a dry road, even when applying full force to the brakes. Brake fade and lockups would be reduced with a 4 wheel disc setup and would give shorter stopping distances. To be fair, the brakes modulate well and lockups are easily controlled.

Early ZX2's with manual transmissions did see an unusually high rate of failure of the transmission synchronizers. While transmission can handle normal loads, a great number of people, myself included, drive the ZX2 rather spirited and like to shift at higher RPMs. However, my transmission, while not liking to be shifted from 1st to 2nd gear at around 5300RPM, has not failed nor given me any problems to date. 1999 did see a revision in the manual gearbox that resulted in far fewer transmission failures. Another highly probable reason for synchronizer failure could very well be the ratios of 1st and 2nd gear. First gear is about 3.22:1 and second gear is about 1.88:1 Such a large jump between ratios not only seems to hurt overall performance, it means the synchros must take a split second longer to do their job. For those who like to use very fast 1st to 2nd upshifts, this may very well have contributed to early synchro failure for the 1998 model year. Missed or grinding high speed 1-2 shifts seem to be rather common. My opinion is that Ford/Mazda should have used a 2.20:1 ratio for 2nd gear. However, for those that do not like to shift at the redline, there is no cause for alarm.

With that in mind, clutch feel is very good, if not a bit on the soft side. Clutch takeup is smooth. The shifter, while a bit long with its thows, is smooth and precise. The S/R package does offer a stronger Centerforce clutch as well as a short throw shifter.

The body and engine are very solidly built. I did not hear any squeaks and rattles on my car. Of course, assembly line variances plus the classic Monday/Friday car stigma can yield wide variances in build quality. However, my car has had no reliability issues. I was struck in the rear quarter panel by an F-350 stake bed pickup on Sept 2000 and only received sheet metal damage and some minor frame bending. The car was not even knocked out of alignment that I could tell! Even the F-350 took damage which is a testament to the solid construction of this car. The engine is also a very tough engine. I have installed a nitrous oxide system on the car and experienced an intake backfire at high speeds. Most cars would have broken something under a nitrous oxide backfire. But I only had the intake tubing blown off. The throttle body was not cracked and nothing was broken! After replacing the intake, the car drove off as if nothing ever happened. And subsequent applications of nitrous oxide did not have any ill effects. Surviving a nitrous backfire is a testament to the solid construction of this engine.

For anybody comparing the ZX2 coupe to the Focus ZX3 hatchback, the following should be noted. The ZX2 has better acceleration due to its gearing and reduced weight. The Focus ZX3, and all Focus models for that matter, has better handling to to its stiffer chassis design. The S/R package did make the ZX2 handle better than the Focus models though.

Engine and road noise can be excessive at freeway speeds, but unless you are expecting clinical silence, you will get used to the noise. I have no problem carrying on a conversation at 70mph and I have even done intake modifications and use different tires. Both of those factors increase the noise, yet I still have no problems talking or hearing people in the car.

All in all, the ZX2 is a very competent performer for the price especially with the manual transmission. Anybody wishing to own a peppy but economical compact car would be well served by the ZX2. Performance is comparable to the Neon RT and the Cavalier Z24 for a few thousand dollars less. Construction is very good and reliability has been great. It is a car that has been way overlooked as well as way under-rated.