Our select group includes the winner and runner-up from that last outing – the VW Golf R and Honda Civic Type-R – plus two newcomers intent on making the ‘hot’ in ‘hot hatch’ look a bit undercooked. Who cares if the manual ’box loses it a race or two or if the interior is a bit scratchy in places? You can still trim your line with the throttle, but it’ll never rotate beyond a degree or two. I’m not so sure. The ultimate source of the RS’s otherworldly powers, though, is its advanced torque-vectoring four-wheel-drive system. Wrong, I’m afraid. Would you like to compare the Ford Focus against similar cars? You can sense that this is a car set up with lap times at the top of the job list because it feels wider than its dimensions, with immense lateral grip. What happens when you go hardcore off-roading in a soft-roader? Moments before I disappear into the mud, the RS bites, with all four wheels still spinning and adopts a 45° angle as I claw my way up and out the other side. Built on the outskirts of Detroit—for another year or so—and with a well-deserved spot in driveways across the country, the Ford Focus is as American as apple pie. At the other end of the taste spectrum are the A45 and Type-R, both constantly vying for your attention, desperate to add a few more mph or shave a tenth with another vent here or wing there. A mist hangs over the 2.2 miles of tarmac and 19 turns, lifting its skirt just enough in places to reveal a worryingly glazed surface. It’s a “lifestyle” car, for people who are active. Upshifts are now a thing of uninterrupted beauty, but it still has a habit of delaying on the way down. With a starting price of $41,120 you get a turbocharged 2.3-liter four cylinder engine that makes an impressive 350 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Soon enough, with four of us lapping, the sheet ice turns to slush and there’s meaningful feedback to work with. Love the Ford Focus? We love the athletic handling that Ford engineers into all of its cars, yet there is a trade-off when it comes to low-speed comfort. Immediately the ride feels firmer than the others in their softer modes, although there’s less of a gap with the Merc when you crank the dampers up. In Exclusiv trim, it’s short on creature comforts, while the unrewarding dynamics leave it trailing for driver appeal. It’s on this basis that I make a call which will infuriate keyboard warriors everywhere. We compare design, practicality, price, features, engine, transmission, fuel consumption, driving, safety & ownership of all models and give you our expert verdict. I discover this as I barrel into the first of them on cold summer tyres and plough straight on. I appreciate that this is a Golf and needs to ace the daily grind better than anything out there, but while it’s doing an impression of a 1.4 TSI SE, the other three are gurgling and goading, without resorting to unbearable refinement. Volkswagen Golf. And yet here we are, but seven moons later, and there’s a new world order in waiting. The best competitors to the Ford Focus The Ford Focus has long been one of the class leaders in the family hatchback segment. The third-generation Ford Focus has hardly been challenged in the three years it’s been on sale. All rights reserved.Auto Express™ is a registered trade mark. They’re essentially crossover-type vehicles without being the full-on SUV body. But good enough to win again? It’s fast, fun to drive and packs the dramatic styling so many buyers in this class love. It came into formation through the acquisition of Ford Motor Company that made and sold vehicles engineered by Henry Ford. Baby Bertha is the Vauxhall worth travelling around the world for. So, in Sport, you get sharper throttle response, meatier steering and more explosive tailpipes, plus a more neutral stance in corners. I leave it out of the drag race. And so with every upshift, they pull further ahead, the A45 winning at a canter. Well, I say “beast”, but it’s more of a large domestic cat really, given the welcoming way in which it lets you approach the limit, go straight past it and still keep your underpants fresh. It’s as if it’s lifted several inches and is suddenly up on its toes, sidestepping, dancing, anticipating the next turn. Build your confidence to approach the higher limits, and it can even be coaxed into a bit of power oversteer, all the while responding instantly to your inputs and feeling shot through with a build quality the others cannot match. See all 59 photos. Ford is among the most renowned car makers of the world. Fun to drive, well-equipped and backed up by a large dealer network, it isn’t hard to see why it’s one of the highest selling new cars in the UK. That number is higher in every vehicle on our comparison list. GM is without a doubt one of the top most Ford Competitors. It’s always worn its performance lightly, the Golf R, but in this company it’s elbowed to the back of the lunch queue. It’s eventful, near-death stuff, but for some reason I’m slapping the steering wheel and laughing out loud. Ford has completely redesigned its 2020 Ford Focus sedan, a move that couldn’t come too soon, as the current Focus sits near the bottom of the compact segment in Consumer Reports’ ratings. It starts from just over £17,000, whereas the Focus starts from about £14,000. Go on, have a guess at the result. Rowan Horncastle points out that the seats are the best here, too, which I agree with, before he adds that he likes “fighty” cars like this and does an impression of a lion. Perfect hot-hatch territory, then, and unshackled by the rules of the public highway. Historically, it has delivered fun handling to make you smile and low running costs that won't make you weep. The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by the Ford Motor Company and created under Alexander Trotman's Ford 2000 plan, which aimed to globalize model development and sell one compact vehicle worldwide.The original Focus was primarily designed by Ford of Europe's German and British teams.. Adjust the front seat to where you like it and then sit in the rear seats and gauge how much room is left. When judged on price, efficiency and resale values, the Focus is just about bang on with the Seat Leon, so it should cost roughly the same to own over a typical three-year period. In meeker colours than this Nitrous Blue, it would be a touch too apologetic for our liking. You sink lower into the seats than you do in the Focus, while everywhere you look and touch show it to be a more premium machine. The A45 looks like a serious piece of kit and is extracting all the right sort of “phwoars” and “oofs” from our cultured TG crew. BBC is a trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Pull the left-hand paddle three times and it’ll stack the shifts, waiting until you’re done then dropping three cogs in quick succession. Nope, for that you need to select Drift (and switch the ESC off completely, if you’re feeling bold) and unleash the beast. Unfortunately, these gifts come with some compromises. Frank Guittard, the track’s manager, is less concerned about the ice than a bunch of sleep-deprived, soft-centred Brits. Frustrating, but not a deal-breaker. We Look at Several Competitors in This Ford Fusion Comparison. As we’re on a track, that’s not a huge concern right now. In half an hour it will burn through,” he claims before setting off in his well-used Honda CR-V for an ill-advised exploratory lap. You provoke the rear end with a hefty prod of the throttle then simply keep it pinned and enjoy the sideways ride. Despite spending the last four days and several thousand miles in it, I head straight for the Focus RS – keen to see how it performs flat-out. Meet the E-Type specialists taking restoration to new heights with their exquisite new Lightweight GT. The Focus is outclassed by la… Slow things down, use a gear or two more than you would normally and it’s possible to stick to the track, but by that point you’re going so much slower than the other three that it saps the fun. It achieves that, no question, but to leave it there would be damning it with faint praise, because it’s fundamentally a better driver’s car than the other three here. Ford policy is one of continuous product development. Truth is, we may have made a rod for our own back, because in isolation it felt worthy of that title, but now it’s time to earn it. The low emissions of this BlueMotion model only add to the appeal. The Ford Focus Estate has long been a popular choice among families. In many ways, it’s a modern-day Mitsubishi Evo, born to flatter the driver, but also to deliver those hero moments that you can’t wait to embellish in the pub. Ford's upcoming high-performance Focus set to battle Volkswagen's new 395bhp flagship Golf, as well as rivals from Mercedes, Audi and Honda Ford has a whole range of these Active cars, with the dinky Ka+ Active starting it off and Fiesta Active in the middle. Top-selling family hatch scores on style, inside and out. Its competitors are primarily competing with Ford based on low-cost as Honda, Toyota, and Nissan tend to focus on style more than function. Forget the storm clouds brewing overhead – the big drama this week happened on the ground. Will all-new version raise bar in the family class again? The steering is rife with feedback and has a brawnier weight to it than the other cars do here – I wouldn’t say it requires serious muscle, but it feels like you’re operating something manly and mechanical. It’s a tough gig for the 296bhp Golf, but as our reigning hot-hatch champ it should be well-equipped for such a task. The Focus RS is Ford’s hottest hatchback. The Focus has the rest of the bases well covered too. Trail-brake into corners, and the rear swings around obediently, and from there satisfying four-wheel slides are yours for the taking. First Place: 2018 Ford Focus ST – Stephanie Wallcraft The competition between these four cars is as tight as it is between the owners who take them to their local autocross events. Bringing up the rear is the Astra. It’s handicapped by its outdated engine and high price. So, let’s start with the positives. As our convoy rolls into the Circuit des Ecuyers, 66 miles east of Paris, the sun is still hiding behind the firs and the thermometer is firmly in the negative. It possesses a genuinely mighty engine – boosty, yes, but in a straight line it doesn’t feel any slower than the Focus RS, despite giving up a second in the official 0–62mph figures. The Ford Focus ST is a popular choice in the hot hatch segment. It didn’t require a genius to deduce that traction was going to be an issue. OK, so the width of the track means there’s only enough room for three abreast, but on our hastily constructed, slightly uphill, fifth-of-a-mile drag strip, the Honda would be left for dead, so we leave things to our four-wheel-drive, launch-equipped trio. During its journeys, the Focus has accumulated many gifts, and it has bestowed them on the American consumer; among them are lithe handling and impressive fuel efficiency. The six-speed manual is a revised version of Ford’s trusty unit, but with a shorter lever and revised mechanism – not quite the precision-milled action you get in the Type-R (the only other manual here), but positive enough and compatible with a gobsmackingly effective launch-control system… more on that later. “Wait for the sun. Strange man. It has a classy cabin, desirable looks and a capable, confidence-inspiring driving experience. We did too. What hasn’t changed much is the interior, and that’s good. Whether that’s worth the £10,000 entry ticket in itself is up to you, but let’s see how it moves before making snap judgements. Logos © 1996. we undertook our most vigorous audit of the class ever, Don’t call me ‘baby’: meet the coolest Vauxhall ever. Ford Focus RS vs. Honda Civic Type R vs. Volkswagen Golf R vs. Subaru WRX STI Type RA Sport compact car revival: Four pocket rockets vie for the title of best hot hatch. The right is reserved to change specifications, colours of the models and items illustrated and described on this website at any time. And while the cabin is very spacious, the boot is smaller than before, which is a faux pas in this sector.The Golf cements its place at the top of the pecking order with another impressive showing. See other Ford vehicles or check out a certified pre-owned Focus. With 30 per cent of the power still spinning the front tyres, it hauls you forward while the tail hangs out, reducing the chance of swapping ends to virtually zero. In this context “Active” means “higher-riding, plus cladding”, although there’s an obvious double-meaning here. Like GM, Ford also places a heavy focus on product innovation. Ford debuted the all-electric Ford Focus Electric at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 to compete with the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt and announced the hot hatch ST model at the Paris Motor Show in September 2010. Ford's Focus small hatch is one of the world's most popular cars, thanks to strong sales in Europe and the United States.It's been on sale in Australia since 2002, but hasn't really enjoyed the same run of success against established competitors like the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla. Shock new Renault 5 arriving in next few years with electric power, and an electric Renault 4 is rumoured too, Fine tuning of Sony Vision S’s handling and autonomous technology in a new European development programme, New concept gives us a glimpse at an all-new flagship Dacia Bigster model that has value at its core. The same can’t be said of the flamboyant Civic, but its main contribution on this test was to highlight the shortcomings of front-wheel drive. The all-new Ford Focus – which is set to arrive in South Africa before the end of 2018 – will offer a host of new technologies, higher levels of occupant comfort, plus enhanced performance and efficiency. In a straight line, the Focus’s 345bhp, 2.3-litre, 4cyl EcoBoost engine is a revelation – floor it from low revs and there’s a sniff of turbo lag, but from there on it’s a wall of torque (325lb ft or 347lb ft on overboost) – a thrusting linear surge that’ll headbutt the 6,800rpm limiter if you’re not quick on the draw with your gear changes, and leaves a rasping rally-style note in its wake, with AK-47 flurries on the overrun. Oh it’s good, this car, very good. Check specs, prices, performance and compare with similar cars. It starts to find its voice, too – a metallic gnash rather than anything overly dramatic – and the gearbox is the best auto here. No. We’ve already bombarded you with the gritty technical details of how the electronic clutch-based system operates, but suffice it to say that it can shift up to 70 per cent of the torque to the rear axle, and then up to 100 per cent of that to either of the rear wheels. Instead, it feels soft and slow-witted, underendowed both aurally and visually, and generally outclassed. You’re thinking Mercedes, Ford then VW, right? Like most cars, the Fusion has its high points, but in a crowded class, it lands somewhere in the middle of U.S. News’ midsize car rankings. How much lifestyle is too much lifestyle for a lifestyle SUV like a VW T-Roc Cabriolet? The new, [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"content_narrow","fid":"68629","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image"}}]]. With Ford’s famed chassis know-how, the newcomer was sure to excel around the twisty Yorkshire moors, but it will need more than sharp dynamics to win this test. We pitch it against Vauxhall and VW rivals on UK roads. Add in a purchase price several thousand pounds less than some of the competition, and it isn’t hard to see why the Ford so desirable.. No money from the licence fee was used to create this website. So has Ford done enough to propel the Focus back to the front of the family car class? While the Golf R still has flashes of magic in its bones and can smoothe the edges off the real world better than the other three, it’s too staid in the face of more exotic competition. While sensations from the RS are still fresh in my fingertips, it’s the A45 I need to try next. And then, when I’m all but ready to give up, I hit the track, attack hard and the whole thing comes to life. Photography: John Wycherley & Rowan Horncastle, Full screen Straight away, there’s a playground pecking order. Last year, we undertook our most vigorous audit of the class ever: 20 cars carefully dissected on an unforgiving circuit and bruising Scottish roads. GM is competing with Ford for both low-cost and function. Trouble is, besides the turbo whistling and puffing away, the engine makes a horribly vacuous noise, and, despite the best efforts of the front diff, the front tyres are constantly scrambling for purchase. While the Focus’s brilliant and easy-to-activate launch control (select launch in the instrument cluster, slot it into first, bury the throttle then dump the clutch) means it’s the sharpest off the line, each extension of my human leg and flick of my flesh-and-blood wrist is no match for the others’ dual-clutch, computer-controlled transmissions. The circuit is longer, with more elevation changes than Google Images can convey, and the two trickiest, double-apex corners are both downhill on entry, off-camber in the middle and still icy as hell. We set off to the nearest building to hunch ourselves around cups of coffee and stare at our foursome through the glass doors. The 2012 Ford Focus has plenty of new features aside from the return of the hatchback body style. It may cost precisely £10,000 more than the RS, but Ford makes no secret that it’s the Merc and the similarly pricey Audi RS3 it’s gunning for. Ford Focus RS vs the rivals Focus RS does battle with Merc A45, VW Golf R and Honda's Civic Type R Nowhere else do the tectonic plates shift quite as quickly as on the hot hatch continent. Its job is to make serious performance accessible, pleasurable and affordable to the man in the street. First things first: Frank’s idea of a thawed track is slightly different to mine. Focus RS does battle with Merc A45, VW Golf R and Honda's Civic Type R. Nowhere else do the tectonic plates shift quite as quickly as on the hot hatch continent. From the grippy Alcantara on its wheel to its chunky paddles nicked from the AMG GT, the A45 comes from a rarefied world that’s alien to the blue-collar Focus. Eco-friendly yet fast and fun... green Golf remains a brilliant contender. A small car to compete against the like of the Hyundai i30, Mazda 3 and Toyota Corolla, the Ford Focus will be the freshest rival among this crowd until the … It arrived fresh from hitting the top of the UK sales charts in December, so the 1.7-litre CDTI Exclusiv would be no pushover. Right now, I’m learning that while the A45 is brutally effective on the road, given enough space, it can also be enticed to play. That means you get a vehicle that’s almost entirely car-like, but with a little extra groun… This service is provided by Disqus and is subject to their privacy policy and terms of use. 1/6. Ford is positioned as a low-cost competitor with a focus on function. All three of the cars tested here have their compromises, but the Golf demands the fewest – so it’s a worthy winner. The company was incorporated in Delaware in 1919. Please read Top Gear’s code of conduct (link below) before posting. Things get a little more serious in Track. For fans of proper, chest-beating oversteer – the kind you get in a Viper ACR that widens your eyes to saucers and floods your stomach with adrenaline – the way the Focus RS slides might be a bit Fisher-Price, but for the other 99.9 per cent of us, it’s a revelation. There’s a reason I’ve left the Civic Type-R until last: these are far from ideal conditions for a 306bhp, front-wheel-drive, turbocharged nutter-hatch, and I’ve just watched our road test editor being towed back onto the track following a spin that left the front tyres two feet from the tarmac. The way it snaps forward feels a league above, too, and because you don’t have to dip the clutch and manoeuvre a small stick when you want to change gear, there’s zero break in the torque, just all the acceleration, all the time. BBC Studios is a commercial company that is owned by the BBC (and just the BBC). Can Ford’s all-new Focus regain its place at the summit of the family car class? In your face, 362bhp Audi RS3. But despite the willy-waving rear wing, double diffuser and silly exhaust (kept permanently in its shouty setting, of course), it still lacks a layer of interactivity at and beyond the limit – space that the Focus RS now officially owns. by: Auto Express team. Leading Competitors of General Motors (GM) Ford Motors: Ford Motors is also one of the leading players in the automobile industry that has maintained a strong global presence and caters to a large segment of consumers worldwide through its large product range. This is a really key area with cars like the Focus, and as a result, the margins of difference are pretty slim. Official: Renault 5 reborn as compact EV due on sale by 2025, Pure-electric Sony Vision S begins road testing programme, New Dacia Bigster concept previews future SUV. Search & read all of our Ford Focus reviews by top motoring journalists. Today, Ford Motors Company is a global brand that designs, manufactures, markets, sells and services a large range of … team. Not so the Focus RS that sports its RS-embossed wing, 19-inch wheels and angular front end with pride, but it’s still a far cry from its heavily muscled predecessor. Yup, we’re looking at you, Mercedes-AMG A45. It’s not just the extra grunt (unlocking a 0–62mph time of 4.2 seconds, four tenths faster than the pre-facelift model) at play here – there’s a new locking front differential and a faster seven-speed dual-clutch ’box. For starters, the two-stage dampers firm up, holding the body tighter while the rear end loosens a notch. The algorithm with which it divvies up the torque is up to you. This website is made by BBC Studios Distribution. Top Copyright © Dennis Publishing Limited 2021. The new car addresses many flaws of the old model, such as its dated cabin and engine line-up, but it doesn’t make the leap required to topple the best in the sector. The profits we make from it go back to BBC programme-makers to help fund great new BBC programmes. It now produces 376bhp and 350lb ft of torque from its strung-out 2.0-litre turbo – that’s more than a Lamborghini Countach. Read the definitive Ford Focus 2021 review from the expert What Car? Ford Focus review: success in a hatch isn't just about the drive. If the Merc’s willingness to play the fool is the day’s biggest surprise, then the Golf R is the biggest disappointment… on the road, at least. Except, whereas the Civic has been tinkered with for too long and the end result is quite frankly a dog’s dinner, the A45 looks like a serious piece of kit and is extracting all the right sort of “phwoars” and “oofs” from our cultured TG crew. Click here for more information on the retirement of the Focus. And our Focus 1.6 TDCi Zetec even featured stop-start, to add a dose of economy to proceedings. And then there’s the main event, the Ford Focus RS, the car that’s already being lauded as the finest example of hot-hatchery ever to grace our planet. Mainly by us, to be fair, but, hey, we’d just driven 2,000 spectacular miles in it around some of Europe’s most coveted roads and were besotted. The Focus was released in July 1998 in Europe, succeeding the Ford … Main Competitors of Ford Motors. The tectonic plates are shifting alright, and it’s the RS that’s moving them. Never the sore loser, I rack my brain for excuses and realise our little race actually shines a light on the Focus’s core philosophy. Ford’s main competitors include Toyota, Honda, GM, Nissan, and Chrysler. The steering is under-geared in this company, and with a 50/50 torque split from the Haldex four-wheel-drive system, it never feels rear-driven like the RS, but lifts of the throttle or dabs of the brake are your tools for getting the car turned in, then there’s masses of traction to sling you down the next straight. The Octavia and Golf are 118kg and 37kg lighter respectively than the 1,413kg Ford. There was a winner, eventually, but frankly we’re still debating/throwing stationery at each other over the result. Use our side by side comparison reviews to help you find the perfect car. The previous afternoon had been spent exercising the cars on public roads around Reims, but this circuit does a better impression of a perfect B-road than a ‘proper’ racetrack: narrow and surrounded by a welly-stealing bog. It’s a proper fireworks factory this engine, with bursts of artillery fire from the exhausts that are denser, more varied and louder than the RS. 2) Toyota Motors Toyota Motors hails from the land of engineering and automation – Japan – … Whereas the A45 feels like it has core strength and a rippling six-pack, the Golf has been skipping leg day and grown a sizeable paunch. Attention 2017 Ford Fusion owners: The midsize car market is competitive, and that’s good news for you. If the Merc’s willingness to play the fool is the day’s biggest surprise, then the Golf R is the biggest disappointment. But in our view, the Ford Focus ST is the choice that delivers the perfect balance of driving entertainment, everyday usability, and feature list versus price. The Ford Focus falls short of competitors here with only 32.0 inches of rear legroom. 10 Ford Focus RS Competitors to Consider 10 Fun Small Cars for 2018 10 Great Hatchbacks with a Manual Transmission 2018 Ford Focus RS vs. 2018 Honda Civic Type R: Which is Best? We pitch it against Vauxhall and VW rivals on UK roads. The recent changes have done the Mercedes a world of good, it’s still the most unhinged hatch in the world and it’s learned not to take itself too seriously. And I mean constantly, even with the unnecessarily twitchy R+ mode turned off. New Ford Focus vs rivals Can Ford’s all-new Focus regain its place at the summit of the family car class? Our trip took in everything from congested city streets and monotonous motorways to thrilling British back roads. In these cold damp conditions, it would be the most effective way to post a lap time, but would it be the most fun? The pool of contenders is smaller, but then we’ve already separated the wheat from the chaff. The Audi is an absentee because we’ve already established that it’s a bit of a one-trick pony – crushing in a straight line but inert with steering lock applied – but the A45 has arrived armed to the teeth. Here is our selection of five cars that represent good alternatives to the high-selling Ford Focus. This e Our man Frank returns triumphantly announcing that the circuit is suitably thawed and like a slow-mo Le Mans start, we leap up and tiptoe gingerly across the pits. That optional wing might be a rip-off at £1,530, but I’d swallow it and tick the box. Another very popular hatchback in Britain, the Volkswagen Golf is pricier than most of its rivals. How to make the most beautiful Jaguar E-Types on the planet, City, slicker: Honda City Turbo vs Honda e. It's just not as cut out as it used to be, at least in comparison with newer competitors.