Used Ford Focus 2018-present review

Time flies and, before you know it, your kids have been to university, gone travelling and completed every pub crawl under the sun. Suddenly, they're nearing on six-foot tall (or taller) and family car journeys are becoming all the more cramped: perhaps it's time to run out and buy a Ford Focus, if you haven't already?

It's long been the family car of choice for many, because there's plenty of passenger and boot space available, yet it's also economical enough to work for the average UK household, whether that be in London or Leeds.

Engines & Performance: There are plenty of punchy (yet fuel efficient) engines to choose from, with the entry-level 99bhp 1.0-litre petrol potent enough to cope with most situations. Mind you, the 123bhp version is even more capable, while the 153bhp 1.0-litre unit is powerful enough to deliver 0-60mph in 9.0sec.

Before the latter engine was introduced in 2020, you had a 148bhp and 180bhp 1.5-litre petrol to choose from, the 180bhp option quick enough to border on hot hatch territory.

Speaking of which, there's the full-fat Ford Focus ST hot hatch as well, with its 276bhp 2.3-litre petrol engine – a diesel version is also available, although few people opt for it.

Also on the diesel Focus front is a 118bhp 1.5-litre and a 148bhp 2.0-litre option. These are good options but are better off with owners that do lots and lots of motorway miles, because that's really where you'll see the diesel's beefier low-end performance and better fuel economy pay off.

All models get a six-speed manual as standard, and everything other than the 99bhp 1.0 petrol can be had as an automatic.

Ride & Handling: The Seat Leon is ahead of the pack, being better to drive than most rivals, such as the Toyota Corolla and VW Golf. It doesn't best the Focus, though: it's the class leader when it comes to the driving experience, namely handling.

The Focus is sharp and light on its feet, coming alive on a twisty road (where some rivals can feel inert). The Focus doesn't play it safe – although there's good grip, composure and safety systems to lean on – instead, it's playful and engaging, proving truly fun to drive.

The six-speed manual is slick – the auto' is capable, albeit not the smoothest one out there – and the steering is quick and direct. We wish it weighted up a little bit more at higher speeds, but it's otherwise confidence inspiring.

When you've had a long day and want to relax, the ride of the Focus caters fairly well, being firm but well cushioned. You'll want to avoid ST-Line trims if comfort is a priority, because its sports suspension doesn't smother bumps as well as, for instance, Titanium trim's standard suspension. The trade off, of course, is that ST-Line cars are the sharpest handlers of the lot.

Overall, the Corolla is more comfortable, as are a fair few rivals, but the ride is compliant enough to keep the vast majority of buyers happy.

Interior & Practicality: The Focus fails to match most rivals for interior quality, with some plush materials used on the places you touch most but a lot of drab plastics surrounding them. If you're hopping into this Focus from a last-gen model (the 2011-2018 Ford Focus), you'll likely be pleased with the improvement. If you've previously owned, say, a Skoda Octavia, you might be disappointed.

ST-Line cars improve matters with sportier touches such as red stitching, metal pedals and a different gearknob, while Vignale models have wood grain trim. Build quality in the Focus feels generally solid.

As we touched upon, passenger space is plentiful, front and rear – you'll only start to run out of room if you're a family of six-footers. You’ll have little trouble loading a child’s pushchair in the boot. We managed to fit a total of five carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf.

Trims & Equipment: Studio cars come without an infotainment touchscreen, but the others, such as Style, get an 8.0in system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Titanium adds automatic wipers, power-folding mirrors, sat-nav, front and rear parking sensors, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control and passenger seat lumbar support.

ST-Line models get sports-inspired trim pieces and sports suspension, but it's the bigger wheels on ST-Line X that contribute to the fidgety ride. Titanium X versions come with a heated steering wheel and an electric driver’s seat, while Vignale cars are loaded up with leather seats, adaptive LED headlights, a Bang & Olufsen stereo and a head-up display.

Interested in buying a used Ford Focus? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.

You can buy a used Ford Focus for £9000 and that'll get you a respectable 2018/2019 model with reasonable mileage. It'll likely be in Zetec trim, too. Have around £10,000 or £11,000 if you fancy a 2020 Titanium model. Generally, ST-Line cars go for roughly a grand more.

A facelift – that brought a fresh front end and a new infotainment system – arrived in 2022. You'll need around £15,000 if you like the sound of that.

As of writing, nearly new Focuses go for upwards of £22,000.

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MPG: The 99bhp 1.0-litre is the most efficient petrol engine, with an official figure of 50.4mpg, under the WLTP tests. The 99bhp and 123bhp versions both return 49.6mpg, while the 1.5-litre unit returns 46.3mpg and 44.1mpg in 148bhp and 180bhp forms. The 277bhp Focus ST hot hatch gets 34.4mpg.

The 94bhp 1.5-litre diesel offers the highest economy of the range, at 64.2mpg. The more flexible 118bhp version of the same engine is only a little down on this, at 62.8mpg. The 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel should manage to get somewhere near the 57.9mpg claimed figure, but the 187bhp version of this engine offered in the Focus ST drops to 50.4mpg.

Road tax (VED): Yearly car tax for any Ford Focus model of this generation will be the same flat rate fee for all cars that cost less than £40,000 when new – only some fresh-faced ST models have exceeded this amount. This is currently £180 per year.

Insurance and servicing: The entry-level 1.0-litre Ecoboost Zetec sits in insurance group 11, rising to 15 for the 123bhp version. Both 1.5-litre petrols are between groups 16-19, while the hot ST bumps this up to 34. Diesel insurance groups start at 14 for the 1.5-litre, going all the way up to 23 for the 2.0-litre diesel ST and Vignale versions.

You can spread the cost of servicing your Focus with a service plan you pay for in instalments, or can look into a Ford Essential servicing once your car is four years old. This includes an oil and filter change, pollen filter change and a wash and vacuum-clean for £169.

Reliability

The Ford Focus stands out for its reliability, based on feedback from our annual What Car? Reliability Survey. Many owners enjoy a hassle-free ownership experience, though there are sporadic mentions of gearbox and infotainment system issues, which are more the exception than the rule.

Dealer service feedback is varied: while a significant number of owners commend their dealer for outstanding customer service and problem resolution, a few highlight concerns over repair costs and service wait times, suggesting an area for potential improvement.

Discover more about used Ford Focus reliability and common problems on our dedicated reliability page.

Engine: Unless you need a diesel for long-distance fuel economy, the 123bhp 1.0-litre petrol will suit all your needs in terms of performance and running costs. The 118bhp 1.5-litre is the best diesel option and is reasonably flexible once you’ve got past some turbo lag.

Specification: Studio trim is rare and too basic by most modern buyers' standards. Titanium doesn’t cost much more than Zetec yet is better equipped, so that's the one we'd suggest going for, overall.

ST-Line is worth it if you want sportier handling, but ST-Line X is a touch uncomfortable due to its bigger wheels. Titanium X and Vignale come loaded with luxury features but don't address the rather low-rent interior and therefore don't make the Ford Focus feel a premium as the Audi A3. In our opinion, they aren't worth the extra outlay.

Our favourite Ford Focus: 1.0 125 Ecoboost Titanium

You might think that the Audi A3 would be completely out of your price range, but a used example is surprisingly affordable. Not only does it have a vastly superior interior, but it also handles well and offers a very efficient range of petrol and diesel engines. Rear passenger space is much better, too.

If maximum practicality is what you’re after, however, the car to go for has to be the Skoda Octavia. Rivals can’t touch it for boot volume and it puts even some larger executive saloon to shame when it comes to rear leg room.

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Interested in buying a used Ford Focus? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.