Focus vs its rivals

The Ford Focus plays the middle of the hatchback field almost perfectly. Its £26,495 price tag sits just £1,381 above the £25,114 segment average, making it neither a bargain nor a stretch. Its 125 PS petrol engine is a shade under the 130 PS average, and 10.0 seconds to 62 mph is unhurried rather than genuinely slow. Economy of 48.7 mpg falls short of the 53.9 mpg segment mean, which translates to roughly £1,083 a year in fuel at 8,000 miles. Once insurance, maintenance and tax are added, the five-year true cost totals £28,397 — £473 a month — landing it below pricier rivals like the Golf and A-Class. The Focus leads no metric and lags none badly; it is the segment's honest, representative middle ground.

Focus vs the Hatchback segment average

Ford FocusSegment average (11 cars)
Price from£26,495£25,205
Power125 PS130 PS
Fuel economy54.3 mpg55.0 mpg
Est. 5-year true cost£27,837—

Segment average is computed from 11 popular hatchback models on DrivePedia. True-cost figure is an estimate.

The Focus suits the buyer who distrusts extremes. The pragmatic family driver gets a spacious, comfortable and genuinely enjoyable car to drive — Fords have long led the class for chassis balance — without paying the Golf's badge premium or the A-Class's luxury surcharge. The budget buyer, however, can do better: a Vauxhall Astra saves £2,500 up front and a Renault Clio undercuts it by £6,500 while returning far better economy. The enthusiast will find 125 PS adequate rather than exciting. Verdict: the Focus is a thoroughly decent car at a thoroughly average price, which makes it easy to overlook but hard to criticise. If you want a hatchback that simply does everything well with no surprises, the Focus delivers exactly that.

Full Ford Focus review →

Frequently asked questions

How does the Ford Focus compare to rivals on price?
The Focus costs £26,495, which is £1,381 above the £25,114 hatchback average — essentially middle of the pack. It sits below the Volkswagen Golf (£27,995) and well below the Honda Civic (£32,995), while costing more than the Vauxhall Astra (£23,995) and the Peugeot 208 (£21,500). It is priced as the safe mainstream choice: not the cheapest, not the dearest.
How does the Focus compare on running costs and economy?
The Focus returns 48.7 mpg against a 53.9 mpg hatchback average, costing about £1,083 a year in fuel at 8,000 miles — middling for the class. Hybrid rivals like the Toyota Yaris (68.0 mpg) and Renault Clio (64.2 mpg) are considerably cheaper to run. Its five-year true cost of £28,397 (£473 a month) is fair, but economy-focused buyers will find better further down the price list.
Is the Ford Focus good value?
It is reasonable value rather than standout value. You get a well-built, great-handling family hatchback at an average price with average running costs. Nothing about the Focus is a bargain, but nothing is a rip-off either. Buyers chasing the lowest total cost should look at the Clio or Yaris; buyers who simply want a dependable all-rounder at a fair price will be content.