It does seem odd that Ford didn't make the 2.3 ST variant out of the ZX5. It would seem the more natural "sporty" configuration. The ZX3 has never been a good seller so I can understand why they would forget about it.
This sounds like a pretty positive review for the Focus. Really the only negative is the reviewers insinuation that it is overpriced. Of course, that just reveals an inherent flaw in almost all auto reviews. The only pricing usually considered is MSRP when we all know that the selling price of many cars including the Focus can be significantly less than MSRP.