Ford Focus (2011 – 2014) Review

Ford Focus (2011 – 2014) At A Glance

3/5

+Refined and upmarket feel to the cabin. Comfortable and quiet on the move. More efficient petrol and diesel engines. Better ride quality. Excellent £750 Driver Assist Pack.

-About 50 litres less bootspace than previous model. Engines all belt cam. Plagued with clutch problems and 1.0 EcoBoost degas pipe failures. Too many issues to hang on to 4 stars.

Insurance Groups are between 7–26
On average it achieves 76% of the official MPG figure

In the beginning was the Ford, and the Ford was a Focus. The rather unassuming hatchback has become the default choice for many and a car against which everything else is measured. Look up 'affordable family hatchback' in that imaginary dictionary everyone goes on about and you'll see a picture of a Focus. Probably a silver one.

In a way it's become the modern day 'peoples car'. A reliable, practical and affordable vehicle that's liked by everyone from families to pensioners to those who want something enjoyable to drive. In essence it is the perfect all-rounder that's even branched out to performance models with the ST and RS. So when a new Focus comes along, it's - not unsurprisingly - a big deal. No pressure then.

You'll doubtless read plenty of road tests of this generation Focus and many of them will go on about the original Focus (which replaced the unbelievably drab Escort in 1998) and how it 'set the benchmark' for hatchbacks and 'revolutionised' the way people thought about family cars.

They may be cliches but they're accurate. At the time the competition was - and lets be kind here - dire at best with alternatives like the Nissan Almera and Vauxhall Astra. Hardly stuff to get you excited. So when the Focus came along it blew everything else out of the water.

The general consensus of the third generation Focus is that it doesn't 'change the game' in the same way the original did. But then it was never going to. A lot has changed since the first Focus was launched, not least with the quality and comfort of small cars. The competition is now better than ever, driven by the high demands of customers, especially us in the UK. Instead Ford has taken the strengths that made the Focus a success and built on them.

So while this Focus may not as exciting to drive as the original, it still excels in nearly every other department. It's quiet and comfortable on the move, easy to drive, has a high quality interior and some mightily impressive (and efficient) engines. There's very little to criticise (aside from a cut in boot space) and much to praise. Okay, so it may not rock your world, but the Focus does everything you want it to and does it well.

We also covered this car as a live launch. Click here for a replay of what happened.

Our Cars Ford Focus Banner Copy

Ford Focus 2011 Road Test and Video

Ford Focus 2012 1.0 Ecoboost 125 Road Test

Ford Focus 2014 Facelift Road Test

Real MPG average for a Ford Focus (2011 – 2014)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

76%

Real MPG

27–68 mpg

MPGs submitted

2650

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

When should I change the cam belt on my 2013 Ford Focus?

"When do I need to have the cam belt changed on my 2013 Ford Focus 1.0 Eco Boost 99hp? My car has only done 40,000 miles."
Every 10 years or 150,000 miles (whichever comes first).
Answered by Dan Powell

How much is my 2013 Ford Focus worth?

"At 92 I can no longer drive. I have a Ford Focus auto 1.6. It is a 2013 model with a mileage of 19,993. It has had a new clutch and four new tyres. I wish to find out a sale price based on the above details. Can you help? "
As a rough estimate, I'd value your Focus at around £8,000. If you insert your registration number into our car valuation tool, you should be able to get a more accurate value: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/how-much-is-my-car-worth/
Answered by Andrew Brady

Ford Focus Titanium 2013 Powershift Gearbox failure - is this a common problem?

"I bought a 2013 Ford Focus from a main dealer in 2018. The car only had only 56,000 miles on it. It now has 67,000. The garage has told me that the wet clutch gearbox needs replacing. It is a sealed unit and cannot be repaired. It will cost £5,200 to fix. To say I am gutted is an understatement. On ringing around various gearbox repair garages the reply is the same, they average two calls a week with the same problem. If this is the case, and Ford are no longer installing these gearboxes, why are Ford unwilling to help? Why did Ford not do a recall? "
Ford say they don't have a history of this being an issue and nor have any recalls been issued. Unfortunately, due to the age of the vehicle they are unable to help as the vehicle is out of warranty so this is an issue you will have to take up with the dealer you bought the car from.
Answered by Sarah Tooze

Why is the fuel economy in my Ford Focus 1.0-litre EcoBoost so much worse than official figures?

"I've just bought a 2013 Ford Focus Estate 1.0-litre EcoBoost Titanium. It is giving me about 33mpg, when the advert for urban driving says it should be giving over 47mpg. On the motorway at 70mph it also gave me 44mpg when its advertised at 67mpg. This is a huge difference. Can you advise me on this please."
Your experience is typical of many Ford Focus owners. The old EcoBoost engine never had a particularly good reputation for real world fuel economy. The problems were compounded by the fact this version of the Focus - sold from 2011 - 2014 - was assessed using the old and outdated NEDC fuel and emissions test. Few NEDC tested cars will meet their advertised fuel figures. According to Real MPG submissions, an average of 40-42mpg is the best you can expect: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/ford/focus-2011
Answered by Dan Powell
More Questions

What does a Ford Focus (2011 – 2014) cost?