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#2011 of 2013 2002 Focus ZTS by 2002focuszts

Jan 22, 2012 (10:31 am)

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• markus5 (Jan 23, 2012 6:54 pm)
  • 2002focuszts (Jan 23, 2012 7:12 pm)

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#2012 of 2013 Re: 2002 Focus ZTS [2002focuszts] by markus5

Jan 23, 2012 (6:54 pm)

Replying to: 2002focuszts (Jan 22, 2012 10:31 am)

This forum as you can see, was very busy several years ago as I bought my '04 ZTS in Nov. '03. CR had just put the Focus at the top of their list subsequent to my purchase. My decision was motivated substantially on "connecting" with the Ride and Dynamics of the vehicle, this came through clearly on a test drive.
Today, 115,000 miles later it still "all there". This is quite remarkable, especially when considering that it has never been garaged through 9 North-East winters w/ salt sand and so forth.
The only modification which I made was to buy narrower 15 inch rims with aggressive snows for the winter months after the O.E. all-season tires had two winters on them. This allowed me to to go for more aggressive summer rubber for the rest of the year. But be careful here. Based on this experience, I suggest that you do not use soft "directional" tires on the 16" rim. If you do, you may find that unless you stay on top of moving them front to rear every 2000 miles, there will be excessive wear on the rears. Because of the dynamics of Fords' proprietary IRS design ( Control Blade), an assymetrical tread tire seems to work best here.
Did you get a History of your Car? There may have been some recalls pertaining to the 2002 models. By 2003 most of the issues had been taken care of. Enough in fact for the C.R. to not only recommend but also give it a top rating.
Enjoy your ride.

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• 2002focuszts (Jan 23, 2012 7:12 pm)

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#2013 of 2013 Re: 2002 Focus ZTS [markus5] by 2002focuszts

Jan 23, 2012 (7:12 pm)

Replying to: markus5 (Jan 23, 2012 6:54 pm)