Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Costs, insurance groups, MPG and CO2
The Ford Focus will cost you less than the VW Golf as a cash purchase, about the same as the Skoda Octavia and a little bit more than the Seat Leon. The bad news is that the Focus's higher depreciation could increase monthly payments if you buy on PCP finance, so make sure you get the best deal through our New Car Deals service.
The Focus's Ecoboost three-cylinder petrol engines have a system that shuts down one cylinder when you’re cruising to improve efficiency. That helps the popular 123bhp 1.0 Ecoboost 125 to return more than 50mpg in official WLTP tests.
With the exception of Trend, all trim levels come with the option of a Vignale upgrade, but we wouldn’t recommend it because of the extra cost. If you do go for it, you’ll be adding premium leather seats, rear privacy glass, heated front seats and steering wheel, and wireless phone-charging. Meanwhile, Active models will appeal to fans of SUV-inspired styling.
Reliability
Ford finished a disappointing 27th place out of 32 car makers in the 2022 What Car? Reliability Survey below most other brands (only Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Land Rover and Jeep did worse).
