Ford Focus

“When it came to picking an overall winner, there was no argument. The Focus offers an unbeatable all-round package.” David Johns

Here it is – our Number One! The best used car in Britain. The superb Focus proves that practical constraints and a limited budget are certainly no barrier to owning a great motor that’s also enjoyable to drive.

The Ford was the overwhelming choice of our experts this year, thanks to its excellent value, all-round ability and, to coin a phrase, buyability. What’s that? Well, during the selection process, our team often asked themselves if they could recommend a particular car to a close friend or relative. However, that didn’t really apply to the Focus, because all of our judges would happily take one home to keep!

Thanks to its status as a top-selling new motor, there’s already a huge variety of second-hand examples to choose from, despite the fact the fresh model arrived as recently as 2005. Prices start from only £7,000, and for that you’ll be getting a spacious, practical and reliable family car.

However, as with its predecessor, the current version doesn’t only tick the sensible boxes. With a quality interior, fine engines and excellent chassis, the Focus is genuinely desirable. Like any other Ford, you’ll also benefit from low running costs and a huge dealer network, so getting your car looked after won’t be a problem, either.

An impressive 19th place in this year’s Driver Power survey goes to show how popular the blue oval’s big-seller is with existing owners – and there are no finer judges than the people who actually drive and run them.

As well as both three and five-door options, there’s also a saloon and an estate. However, wise buyers will avoid the unloved four-door saloon variants and stick to the popular five-door hatchback and load-lugging versions, which will always be easy to sell on.

If you can’t stretch to the latest model, the original Focus remains a worthy second-hand choice. Its cabin looks dated compared with modern rivals, and its boot isn’t the biggest, but the first-generation car still cuts the mustard on the road and it remains a seriously cheap buy.

However, if you can afford it, the capable current car is excellent value for money – and never better than when someone else has taken the initial depreciation hit.