FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK REVIEW

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Every petrol engine is a 1.6-litre. Entry-level cars come with a basic 84bhp unit, but that doesn’t give much performance. There are other versions with 103- and 123bhp, but the 148bhp unit is our favourite, with a fine blend of performance and economy. The cheapest diesel models also have 1.6-litre engines, with the 113bhp version giving a good blend of pace and price. Further up the range, the two 2.0-litre-engined models perform very well, but the 161bhp is too dear to recommend.
Ride & Handling

5 out of 5 stars

Ford has a real knack for producing sweet-handling cars, and the Focus continues this trend. Strong grip and solid body control makes it feel wonderfully agile in bends, while the super-accurate steering weights up progressively the faster you go. The ride is pretty good, too, although, it isn’t as smooth as a VW Golf.
Refinement

4 out of 5 stars

The precise steering, strong progressive brakes and neat, accurate gearshift combine to make the Focus feel full of life. However, when you just want to sit back and enjoy the journey, the excellent isolation of road- and wind noise means it’s also a very accomplished high-mileage tourer.

Buying & Owning

4 out of 5 stars

Every engine (when paired with a manual gearbox, at least) has CO2 emissions that fall under the 140g/km mark, so the Focus – and the small diesels in particular – is a popular choice with company car drivers. The car’s resale values aren't as strong as a VW Golf's, but a healthy discount on a Focus should bring down the overall cost of ownership to a similar level to the VW's.
Quality & Reliability

3 out of 5 stars

The Focus's dash has an appealingly funky design, and an expensive-looking soft-touch covering. However, the plastics on the centre fascia and central partition are harder and cheaper-looking. By the time you reach the footwells or boot, the plastics look downright low-budget. On the other hand, Ford has a pretty good record in Reliability Surveys.
Safety & Security

5 out of 5 stars

The Focus is stuffed with airbags, and every model comes with full electronic stability control. Additionally, ‘torque vectoring' brings a significant advance in performance and safety. This clever electronic system uses the ESP and brakes to distribute drive to the front wheel with the most traction. It's a subtle, but brilliant piece of kit, elevating the Focus's cornering agility and stability way above the class norm.

Behind The Wheel

4 out of 5 stars

The Focus's driving position is spot-on, thanks to a precisely laid-out pedal box and a wide range of seat- and steering wheel adjustment. The cats-eyes instrument cowling and neat banks of switches arranged in a herringbone design around a small central rotary selector look attractive and are easy to use.
Space & Practicality

4 out of 5 stars

Bucking the trend to build ever-bigger cars, this Focus is actually 16mm narrower than the previous car and just 8mm longer between the axles. The cabin is not quite as spacious as a VW Golf’s, but there’s still comfortably enough space for four, while the good, square-shaped boot means there’s plenty of usable space out back.
Equipment

4 out of 5 stars

There’s plenty of substance in the standard equipment, with air-conditioning, a DAB radio and Bluetooth across the range. However, we reckon it’s worth upgrading to Titanium, thanks to the posher-looking stereo that gives the cabin a real lift. Trade up to top-of-the-range Titanium X, and dual-zone climate control, cruise control and hill-start assist join the roster. Items such as blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning are available as options.