Cruising across the desert what seemed like an occasional misfire was only the air conditioning compressor cycling on and off. On the undulating two-lane highways through Death Valley the ZX2's rigid body structure gave it a tight, secure feel, while the suspension soaked up bumps without being mushy. Ride and handling have a distinctly European feel. Inside, the dashboard follows Ford's current thinking by having the radio and climate controls integrated into a single, oval unit. Market research shows that drivers adjust the radio five times more than they change temperatures so the radio is located highest in the cluster.
All buttons are large and logically placed.
The asymmetrical instrument pod has analog gauges, including a tachometer. The driver's seat has a memory feature so you do not have to reset the seat back each time you access the back seat. Based on this cursory driving experience, the ZX2's solid road behavior, peppy engine and competitive price has changed the landscape of the compact sports coupe segment. We await the chance to spend a week with a regular production model for further evaluation. The ZX2 is targeted at young buyers, many of whom will be women.