The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

You can never have too much fun.

So what a relief it is that Ford has opted to produce the Escort ZX2, a new sports coupe that helps to fill the 1998 lineup now that the Probe is history.

I say helps because it’s not quite so serious a sports car as the Probe. It’s more of a sporty coupe, albeit one that’s a lot more fun than you might suspect.

Although it’s named after the Escort, with which it shares its platform, its heart is not the Escort’s 1.9-liter four. Instead, Ford substitutes the “Zetec” in-line four-cylinder engine from the larger Contour. While 130 horsepower might not sound like a lot, it’s a 20-horse boost over the sedan and more than most of its competitors, like the Saturn coupe or Toyota Paseo.

Hooked to either a five-speed manual or a rather quick-shifting four-speed automatic, this little ZX2 zips around corners with a panache that invites enthusiastic driving. It’s easy to push this little puppy through corners in a manner that’ll make you grin.

This is a revelation as far as Escorts go.

We’re talking decently quick steering, nicely controlled body lean, even grippy Eagle GA tires, all contributing to the fun ride.

But this is an Escort, so costs must be contained. Rear drum brakes reside out back, and anti-lock is an option.

The cost-cutting is apparent elsewhere.

The keyless entry unlocks the driver’s door, but not the passenger’s door, meaning its too easy to forget to lock it. And despite a sticker of slightly more than $16,000, there are no power locks or windows. But the money here was spent underneath the vehicle.

It was also spent on the dash. The asymmetrical design is nicely done. The plastic is of nice quality, but the light gray color and poor seam matching makes it look cheap. It did function well and was easy to figure out.

The comfortable front seats were a nice place to spend some time, proving comfortable while driving through the cut and thrust of mall traffic.

The car’s tidy 175-inch length made it easy to park. Once done at the mall, you’ll find the trunk is a great place to stow your packages, with a decent amount of space. Although Ford didn’t install a trunk net, they did use struts to hold the trunk lid up. This is more expensive, but saves space. A thoughtful touch in a small car.

So, despite a little cost-cutting, this is a very refined small car, with as much finesse in its controls as its Asian competitors. There’s a moderate amount of tire and road noise, but little wind noise. Engine noise only gets raucous at very high rpms.

The fun factor continues when you go to the gas pump, with this car rated at 25 mpg city, 33 mpg highway. There’s a lot of fun to be had with little to pay for in fuel.

This is true whichever trim level you opt for. In a clue as to the age group for which this car is intended, it comes in “Cool” and “Hot” versions. Since the biggest difference between the two is t rim, it’s a wonder that there’s even a necessity for two trim levels.

One you might want to consider is the Sport Package. It includes 15-inch low-profile tires with aluminum wheels, rear deck lid spoiler, fog lamps, upgraded seats and bright exhaust tips. This is aimed at those for whom too much fun is a way of life.

What the ZX2 comes down to is a fun, economical sportster for those in the under-30 crowd who value fuel economy, fun and style over space and maximum number of features for the dollar. For 16K, you won’t get all the gadgets, but you will get an entertaining machine that’s more fun to drive than most of its competition.

Ford Escort ZX2 Standard: 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, five-speed manual transmission, power rack and pinion steering, front disc-rear drum brakes, dual air bags, console with cup holders, passenger-side vanity mirror, rear seat heat ducts, rear defroster, AM/ FM stereo radio, P185/65R14 tires, intermittent wipe s. Options: Preferred package 327A (air conditioning, driver’s door remote entry, rear defroster), four-speed automatic transmission, Group 3 (tilt steering wheel, cruise control, convenience group), dual power mirrors, AM/FM-Cassette stereo, aluminum wheels. Base price: $13,145 As tested: 16,075 EPA rating: 25 mpg city, 33 mpg highway