New Ford Fiesta vs new Ford Focus: costs

Buying and owning

Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security

The difference in our contenders’ cash prices might seem big enough to knock the Ford Focus off your wish list straight away, but hold your horses. Factor in its slower predicted rate of depreciation and the difference in the cost of ownership over three years comes down to a more reasonable £2200 – despite the fact that the Ford Fiesta is more economical (41.3mpg versus 36.5mpg in our test). 

The gap grows again if you opt for PCP finance, though. Put down a £3000 deposit and sign up to a three-year deal with a 9000-mile annual limit and you’ll be paying £311 per month for the Fiesta and £75 more for the Focus. With its lower list price, the Fiesta will be significantly cheaper to run as a company car, too.

As you’d expect of these high-end trims, both cars are very well equipped, coming with 18in alloy wheels, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel, cruise control, keyless entry/start and a heated front windscreen. The Focus adds a couple of extra luxuries, including wireless phone charging.

Both cars come with lane-keeping assistance, too, but only the Focus gets automatic emergency braking (AEB) as standard; it’s part of a £350 Driver Assistance Pack on the Fiesta. That’s a shame, because it’s standard on most new cars, and its absence detracts from the five-star Euro NCAP rating the Fiesta earned in 2017, when the tests were nowhere near as tough as they are today. The Focus also got five stars when it was tested in 2019 and scored well for adult and child occupant protection.

Reliability, meanwhile, is a little disappointing, with both cars finishing below average in their respective categories in the 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey. Ford didn’t do any better in the brand league table, finishing joint 27th out of 30.

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