Have you heard? Ford is bringing back the Focus. Yes, finally Ford appears taking on board the advice that pretty much everyone else has been offering them: don’t ditch two of your best-loved and best-known nameplates (the Fiesta being the other).
Rumours abound that the Focus will make a return, perhaps not as a svelte family hatchback, as before, but in the form of a Qashqai-style crossover that will sit between the Kuga and the Puma in the company’s line-up.
It’s not cut-and-dried that the new car will wear the Focus nameplate, mind you. But if it does, it will surely spark renewed interest in the first-generation Focus, a car which seems destined one day for classic status. Though perhaps not quite yet. All the more reason to get on and buy one now.
“Classic status? A Ford Focus? No, you’ve well and truly lost me there, Robbins,” you’re no doubt thinking. But indulge me a moment.
The original Focus is, granted, still very much thought of as a bit of a banger in Britain. And so it will remain for many years to come, in fact. But this was a special car, one which set new benchmarks for ride and handling in a family car and revolutionised the way we thought about Ford.
It all started with the first-generation Ford Mondeo. After years of churning out cars that were built down to a price and did just enough to justify their low cost, here was Ford finally making a class leader: modern, comfortable, efficient, spacious, and most importantly, great to drive.
All it lacked was looks. Granted, it wasn’t unattractive, but the Mondeo was hardly going to grab people’s attention. So when it brought in the Focus, Ford allowed its designers to go wild.
Creases, corners, angles, curves: you name it, the Focus had it. After a few false starts, Ford’s ‘New Edge’ design philosophy had finally found its feet. After the forgettable final Escort, the Focus was a revelation.
Combined with the same engineering nous that had made the Mondeo so good to drive, the Focus was the complete package. No wonder it flew off forecourts, rapidly becoming Britain’s best-selling car and a monumental success for Ford.
The beauty of buying a Mk1 Focus now is that you’ll get one while they’re still cheap. Even the best examples don’t go for much more than £2,000; there’s a 1.6 Zetec for sale on CarGurus as I write this that you can buy for £1,849. With just 33,000 miles on the clock and two owners from new, it’s a car that you could use as a daily, or keep for high days and holidays, and preserve until such time as values start to rise.
What if you fancy the Focus’s mix of pragmatism and agility, though, but want something a little newer? Enter the second generation. By the time the Mk2 Focus came along, Ford had toned down its design language, and so the new Focus was blander and less innovative than the original.
But what it lost in looks, it gained in substance. Beneath the skin, the Mk2 was a more accomplished all-rounder, boasting improved build quality, a stronger range of engines, and better ride comfort.
By now, the range was huge, too; Ghia versions were truly luxurious, with their plush velour trim and standard cruise control, while the potent ST and RS models crowned the range, sitting proudly among the most admired hot hatches of the time. And if you wanted something more frugal, the smooth, modern diesel engines were a great bet.
These days, the Mk2 is the bargain of the Focus line-up. You can pick one up for a three-figure sum, though spend a little more and there are plenty of tidy examples to choose from. How about a 2011 1.6 Sport with a very reasonable 87,000 miles, backed up by a full service history: yours for just £1,790? This one has satnav and an in-dash CD changer fitted, too, a rare optional extra.
But the Focus isn’t just worth considering as a future classic or a bargain runaround. Granted, the Mk3 Focus‘s more generic looks mean it doesn’t quite have the charm of either of its progenitors, but with a welcome added slice of modernity, it’s a more usable day-to-day proposition, and a great family car.
Steer clear of 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre petrol examples; while these engines are great to drive, they both suffer with known engine problems that can result in costly bills.
Instead, look for an early 1.6-litre petrol, or a diesel. Or if you’re feeling rakish, go for the lairy ST, whose 2.0-litre turbo isn’t just fast, but can also be surprisingly frugal.
If I were buying with my head, I’d choose the tidy 2015, 43,000-mile 2.0 TDCi Titanium X I found going for £9,188: £1,159 less than its CarGurus Instant Market Value (IMV). My heart, however, would lust after the 2014 ST-2 Estate with 84,000 miles on the clock asking just £6,995: £1,417 less than its CarGurus IMV.
Don’t dismiss the latest Focus out of hand, though. While every one of its rivals grew less involving to drive as time went by, the Mk4 Focus kept its USP of lithe handling, and as a result, this latest model is one of the most entertaining family cars of its era to drive.
Again, you’ll want to steer clear of the 1.0-litre engine, although the 1.5-litre was upgraded to a more reliable three-cylinder unit here, which makes it the obvious choice.
With this generation, some of the best deals are to be had on the rare Vignale model. This was Ford trying to do its best to be luxurious: you get leather everywhere, even on the dashboard, and a full flight of toys.
But few second-hand buyers are willing to pay a premium for a Focus Vignale, so they don’t tend to cost that much more than the more proletarian models.
For example, the 2020 1.5 Vignale hatchback with 56,000 miles that I found will set you back £11,222: £1,320 below its CarGurus IMV.
Compare that to a 1.5 Titanium X from the same year with 61,000 miles on the clock, going for £11,000. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather pay the extra £200-odd and enjoy the additional toys.
Whichever Focus you go for, you can be sure of one thing: it’ll drive better than any of its rivals, and come at a price that’s distinctly affordable. No wonder British buyers loved the Focus. Here’s hoping its story continues.