Citroën C3 vs Ford Focus
A side-by-side comparison of the used Citroën C3 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.
Citroën C3 or Ford Focus — which should I buy?
The Ford Focus starts cheaper (Citroën C3 from £5,393, Ford Focus from £2,499), with illustrative finance from £130/mo and £60/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 71% and 83% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- C3 from
- £5,393
- Focus from
- £2,499
- In stock
- 9 vs 20
| From live stock | ★ Best value overall Citroën C3 9 in stock · from £5,393 | Ford Focus 20 in stock · from £2,499 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £5,393 | £2,499★ lowest |
| Median price | £7,695★ lower | £9,275 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £130/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) | £60/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR)★ lower |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 48,372 mi★ lower | 52,446 mi |
| Median year | 2019★ newer | 2018 |
| Median CO₂ | 103 g/km★ cleaner | 116 g/km |
| Typical power | 81 bhp | 123 bhp★ more |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 71% | 83%★ more reliable |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 5 / 9★ more | 5 / 20 |
| View all 9 C3 → | 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 | Citroën C3 | Ford Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | — | 68/100 |
| Reliability | — | 58 |
| Running costs | — | 84 |
| Safety | — | 60 |
| Family & practicality | — | 78 |
| Insurance | — | 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 Citroën C3 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 | Citroën C3 | Ford Focus |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 39–83 mpg | 35–83 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 85–172 g/km | 0–189 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 2–22 | Group 6–43 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 4 stars (2017) | 73% pillar avg |
| 0–60mph | 8.6s | 4.5s |
| Power | 55–120 bhp | 78–345 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 3941 mm | 4378 mm |
| Width | 1994 mm | 1991 mm |
| Height | 1519 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 Citroën C3 or the Ford Focus cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Ford Focus starts lower: the Citroën C3 is available from £5,393 (median £7,695) and the Ford Focus from £2,499 (median £9,275).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Citroën C3 vs the Ford Focus?
- Illustrative finance starts from £130/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the Citroën C3 and £60/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 Citroën C3 or the Ford Focus?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Citroën C3 stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Ford Focus — so the Citroën C3 is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Citroën C3 or the Ford Focus?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Citroën C3 averages a 71% first-time pass rate and the Ford Focus 83% — the Ford Focus edges it on this measure.