Ford ZX2 offers sporty styling, responsive handling, brisk acceleration, and everyday comfort and practicality for one or two people. Its back seat and trunk are fully usable. Yet the ZX2 is easy on fuel, and costs less than some base-level sedans.

ZX2 has a new front end this year, more aggressive, less cute, yet still in keeping with its overall character. Gone is the smooth, grille-less look, replaced by a dark horizontal slash between the headlights, punctuated by new amber turn signals. A bigger under-bumper air intake is stretched wide by new round fog lights that seem to pull at its outer edges.

Fifteen-inch wheels are standard on all 2003 models, replacing last year's 14-inch wheels. Handsome machined aluminum rims are available on Premium models. Deluxe and Premium models now come with a single-CD player.