![]() The cabin on pre-facelift models is relatively button heavy and a little cluttered for our liking. Your view of the road ahead is pretty clear, and while your rear view is hampered slightly by a small rear window, it’s a similar story in many of the Focus’s rivals. Go for ST-Line X, Titanium X or Active X trims, and the seat moves electrically. The seats are very supportive, and there’s loads of movement in the seat and steering wheel to help you find a comfortable position. But when compared with some new rivals - in particular the lovely interior of the Mazda 3 - the dark plastics and absence of colour make it feel gloomy.īy modern car standards, there are also rather a lot of buttons and switches to control various functions, but not too many that you feel overwhelmed by them, and the markings make it clear what everything does. Taken in isolation (and particularly when compared to some older family hatchbacks) it's fine, with enough soft-touch plastics and curved surfaces to avoid being completely drab. ![]() However, it's just a bit dark and dull in there. The interior of the Ford Focus gets the fundamentals right, being reasonably well made, laid out with thought and comfortable for driver and passengers alike. If you're looking for the previous version, you need our Ford Focus (2014-2018) review. But if you want a used family car that represents great value for money and offers an impressive amount of versatility, you really can't go wrong with a Ford Focus. Many buyers now overlook it in favour of SUV alternatives or, at the very least, hatchbacks with a more premium badge. It's a shame the Ford Focus doesn't sell in the same huge numbers as it once did. If you cover a lot of miles, you can still buy a Ford Focus with a surprisingly refined diesel engine. It feels punchy and eager, although its characterful burble does mean it's not the most refined choice. That said, there's lots to like about the popular 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine (which is available with or without mild-hybrid electrical assistance). The closest you'll get is a mild-hybrid, which does little more than capture a little energy ordinarily lost under braking. You can't buy an electric Ford Focus, or even one with a significant amount of hybrid power. The most disappointing thing about the Ford Focus is the reason why it'll face the axe within the next few years - its lack of electrification. There's plenty of technology on hand to make your life easier, including a reversing camera and even an Active Park Assist feature which'll essentially park the car in a space for you. You can no longer buy a Ford Focus Vignale but it's worth looking out for one on the used market if you fancy a bit of class in your family hatchback.Īll Ford Focus models are great to drive, thanks to eager steering and compliant suspension. You can get it in sporty ST-Line flavour, which takes styling cues from the sporty Ford Focus ST hot hatch, as well as in more rugged Ford Focus Active flavour (which is a bit like an SUV without actually being an SUV). One of the most appealing things about the Focus is the range of different personalities available. A few more plush materials wouldn't go amiss, but there's a reason the Ford Focus is cheaper than premium competitors like the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class. It's more spacious than many of its competitors (although the Skoda Octavia wins if you need outright versatility), while even the most affordable trim levels aren't exactly sparsely equipped. Tech aside, the interior of the Ford Focus is officially 'a nice place to be'. This is standard across the entire range and, not only does its size give it some visual clout, it's also brilliant to use. While cosmetically not a great deal has changed, the biggest upgrade has been the addition of a fancy new 13.2-inch navigation display on the dashboard. The latest Ford Focus has been on sale since 2018 but it's recently been given a mid-life update to keep it fresh. We'd say it's as good (if not better) than the latest Volkswagen Golf, while it also provides stiff competition to the revamped Vauxhall Astra and stylish Mazda 3. That's a shame because, during its 24 years on sale, it's evolved to become one of our favourite family cars. Ford recently announced it'd be pulling the plug on the ubiquitous Ford Focus in 2025.
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