Ford Focus vs Vauxhall Astra
A side-by-side comparison of the used Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra — 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.
Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra — which should I buy?
The Ford Focus starts cheaper (Ford Focus from £2,499, Vauxhall Astra from £3,850), with illustrative finance from £60/mo and £91/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 89% and 90% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Focus from
- £2,499
- Astra from
- £3,850
- In stock
- 16 vs 7
| Metric | Ford Focus | Vauxhall Astra |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £2,499 | £3,850 |
| Median price | £9,545 | £7,390 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £60/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) | £91/mo (HP, 60 months, 15.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 54,096 mi | 45,000 mi |
| Median year | 2019 | 2018 |
| Median CO₂ | 121 g/km | 127 g/km |
| Typical power | 123 bhp | 134 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 89% | 90% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring.Today price rating | 3 / 16 | 4 / 7 |
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 Ford Focus or the Vauxhall Astra cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Ford Focus starts lower: the Ford Focus is available from £2,499 (median £9,545) and the Vauxhall Astra from £3,850 (median £7,390).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Ford Focus vs the Vauxhall Astra?
- Illustrative finance starts from £60/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the Ford Focus and £91/mo (HP, 60 months, 15.9% APR) on the Vauxhall Astra. 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 Ford Focus or the Vauxhall Astra?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Ford Focus stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Vauxhall Astra — so the Ford Focus is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Ford Focus or the Vauxhall Astra?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Ford Focus averages a 89% first-time pass rate and the Vauxhall Astra 90% — the Vauxhall Astra edges it on this measure.