Ford Focus vs Volkswagen Golf
A side-by-side comparison of the used Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf — 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 Volkswagen Golf — which should I buy?
The Ford Focus starts cheaper (Ford Focus from £2,900, Volkswagen Golf from £6,695), with illustrative finance from £70/mo and £178/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 55% and 48% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Focus from
- £2,900
- Golf from
- £6,695
- In stock
- 16 vs 9
| From live stock | Ford Focus 16 in stock · from £2,900 | Volkswagen Golf 9 in stock · from £6,695 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £2,900★ lowest | £6,695 |
| Median price | £9,473★ lower | £12,480 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £70/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR)★ lower | £178/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 50,521 mi | 46,000 mi★ lower |
| Median year | 2018 | 2018 |
| Median CO₂ | 126 g/km | 112 g/km★ cleaner |
| Typical power | 123 bhp | 128 bhp★ more |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 55%★ more reliable | 48% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 2 / 16 | 2 / 9★ more |
| View all 16 Focus → | View all 9 Golf → |
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 | Ford Focus | Volkswagen Golf |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 68/100 | 73/100 |
| Reliability | 58 | 71 |
| Running costs | 84 | 85 |
| Safety | 60 | 66 |
| Family & practicality | 78 | 79 |
| Insurance | 58 | 61 |
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 Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | Ford Focus | Volkswagen Golf |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 35–83 mpg | 0–83 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 0–189 g/km | 6–278 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 6–43 | Group 6–39 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 73% pillar avg | 80% pillar avg |
| 0–60mph | 4.5s | 4.5s |
| Power | 78–345 bhp | 60–328 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 4378 mm | 4255 mm |
| Width | 1991 mm | 2027 mm |
| Height | 1484 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 Ford Focus or the Volkswagen Golf cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Ford Focus starts lower: the Ford Focus is available from £2,900 (median £9,473) and the Volkswagen Golf from £6,695 (median £12,480).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Ford Focus vs the Volkswagen Golf?
- Illustrative finance starts from £70/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the Ford Focus and £178/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) on the Volkswagen Golf. 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 Volkswagen Golf?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Ford Focus stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Volkswagen Golf — so the Ford Focus is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Ford Focus or the Volkswagen Golf?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Ford Focus averages a 55% first-time pass rate and the Volkswagen Golf 48% — the Ford Focus edges it on this measure.