Audi A3 vs Ford Focus
A side-by-side comparison of the used Audi A3 and Ford Focus — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
Audi A3 or Ford Focus — which should I buy?
The Ford Focus starts cheaper (Audi A3 from £6,495, Ford Focus from £2,900), with illustrative finance from £299/mo and £70/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 42% and 48% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- A3 from
- £6,495
- Focus from
- £2,900
- In stock
- 7 vs 20
| From live stock | Audi A3 7 in stock · from £6,495 | ★ Best value overall Ford Focus 20 in stock · from £2,900 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £6,495 | £2,900★ lowest |
| Median price | £8,995★ lower | £9,125 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £299/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR) | £70/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR)★ lower |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 51,719 mi | 51,302 mi★ lower |
| Median year | 2015 | 2018★ newer |
| Median CO₂ | 104 g/km★ cleaner | 119 g/km |
| Typical power | 120 bhp | 123 bhp★ more |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 42% | 48%★ more reliable |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 1 / 7 | 4 / 20★ more |
| View all 7 A3 → | View all 20 Focus → |
Motoring Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | Audi A3 | Ford Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 63/100 | 68/100 |
| Reliability | 63 | 58 |
| Running costs | 80 | 84 |
| Safety | 44 | 60 |
| Family & practicality | 74 | 78 |
| Insurance | 48 | 58 |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the Audi A3 and Ford Focus trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | Audi A3 | Ford Focus |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 0–83 mpg | 35–83 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 8–224 g/km | 0–189 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 14–46 | Group 6–43 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 53% pillar avg | 73% pillar avg |
| 0–60mph | 3.7s | 4.5s |
| Power | 100–394 bhp | 78–345 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 4313 mm | 4378 mm |
| Width | 1966 mm | 1991 mm |
| Height | 1425 mm | 1484 mm |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Audi A3 or the Ford Focus cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Ford Focus starts lower: the Audi A3 is available from £6,495 (median £8,995) and the Ford Focus from £2,900 (median £9,125).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Audi A3 vs the Ford Focus?
- Illustrative finance starts from £299/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR) on the Audi A3 and £70/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the Ford Focus. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the Audi A3 or the Ford Focus?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Audi A3 stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Ford Focus — so the Audi A3 is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Audi A3 or the Ford Focus?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Audi A3 averages a 42% first-time pass rate and the Ford Focus 48% — the Ford Focus edges it on this measure.