Interior
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A roomy, attractive cabin makes the ZX2 a comfortable place for long trips. A sporty instrument panel peeks beneath a wedge that sweeps attractively into the door panels. Interior fabrics and materials are of higher quality than some of the other cars in this class, though the inside door handle is on the dainty side. Our ZX2 came with the Sport package's handsome seats, which are firm and supportive. They are a bit lumpy, however, and the small headrest doesn't raise high enough. The driver's seat is height adjustable, a nice extra for shorter drivers.
The rear seats are amazingly comfortable-something you'd never guess by looking at the ZX2's swooping roofline. There's plenty of headroom and legroom for a 5-foot, 10-inch adult.
The 11.8-cubic foot trunk is sizable by compact standards and the rear seats can be folded forward to make room for longer items.
Three cupholders, a center console and heater ducts for the rear seat area add comfort to the interior. Adding more features means paying extra. Our ZX2 came loaded with the $345 Comfort Group, which included map lights and an adjustable steering wheel with conveniently mounted cruise controls. Power windows and locks were another $345. A $295 six-disc CD changer was installed in addition to the in-dash CD player; it's nice to load up on long trips, but takes up valuable real estate in the trunk. The Sport package added another $595.
It pays to read the owner's manual to fully understand Ford's air conditioning system. It senses when the outside temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and comes on in all but two modes. The system shuts off under hard acceleration to improve performance. At other times, it cycles on and off constantly, which can be a little annoying because it can be felt as a subtle bump through the throttle. It can be turned off by selecting the vent or floor mode.
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