Ford Focus Estate review - Reliability and safety

The Focus Estate delivers impressive safety tech, while reliability shouldn't be an issue

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.5 out of 5

Reliability and Safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

Price
£29,630 to £40,305
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There’s a lot of advanced technology in the latest Focus line-up, and some of the most impressive kit is designed with safety in mind. The Focus hatch scored an impressive five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests in 2018 and while the tests have grown tougher in the years since, the Focus has enhanced its arsenal of safety kit.

All models have Lane-Keeping Assist and Pre-Collision Assist with an Autonomous Emergency Braking feature that can also detect pedestrians and cyclists. The standard LED headlights have Automatic High Beam Control and a function that gives a wider spread of light for low speed manoeuvres.

The Driver Assist Pack adds various extra safety features including Traffic Sign Recognition and there’s an advanced Blind Spot Information System on the options list that scans adjacent lanes for vehicles, and can be adjusted to compensate if you’re towing a trailer.  

Ford has made some positive strides on the reliability front but finished a lowly 25th out of 30 manufacturers in our 2022 Driver Power brands poll, a similar position to the one it’s occupied for a few years. The Focus itself didn’t appear in the 2022 model survey but finished 72nd out of 75 cars in Driver Power 2021. 

Warranty

Standard warranty cover is three years and 60,000 miles, but you can pay more to extend up to five years and 100,000 miles.

Servicing

Expect to pay around £500 for the first three years of maintenance, including two routine stops for servicing.

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    1.0 EcoBoost 85 Style 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £19,415

Most Economical

  • Name
    1.5 EcoBlue 120 Zetec Edition 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £23,585

Fastest

  • Name
    2.3 EcoBoost ST 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £33,710
Group website editor

Steve looks after the Auto Express website; planning new content, growing online traffic and managing the web team. He’s been a motoring journalist, road tester and editor for over 20 years, contributing to titles including MSN Cars, Auto Trader, The Scotsman and The Wall Street Journal.

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