Ford Focus vs Honda Civic
Figures updated
The Ford Focus and Honda Civic are two of the UK's most popular family hatchbacks. We compare the Mk4 (2018–2025) Focus and the Mk11 e:HEV (2022–) Civic on price, size, boot space, performance, safety and running costs, plus how reliable each has been across 1,161,185 real MOT tests.
The short answer
Pick the Ford Focus for lower fuel costs and more performance, or the Honda Civic for the bigger boot.
- The Honda Civic has the biggest boot: 410 litres, 35 more than the Ford Focus.
- Their MOT records are close: once age and mileage are taken into account, they fail about as often as each other.
- The Ford Focus is the cheapest to fuel: comparing petrol versions, about £104 a year less than the Honda Civic at 7,500 miles a year.
| Figure | Ford FocusMk4 (2018–2025), 5-door hatchback | Honda CivicMk11 e:HEV (2022–), 5-door hatchback |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | – | £34,325 to £39,295October 2026 price list |
| Body | 5-door hatchback | 5-door hatchback |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| BootSeats up / folded | 375 litres / 1,354 | 410 litres (best) |
| Length | 4,382mm | 4,560mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 1,825mm | 1,802mm |
| Height | 1,471mm | 1,408mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 85–280 PS (best) | 184 PS |
| 0–62mph | 5.7–13.5 sec (best) | 7.8–8.1 sec |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2018) | ★★★★★ (2022) |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Diesel, Hybrid, Petrol | Hybrid, Petrol |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 35.8–70.6 mpg | 33.2–60.1 mpg |
| CO2 | 106–180 g/km | 108–193 g/km |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.7p a litre, today's UK average | £1,180 (49.6 mpg) (best) | £1,284 (45.6 mpg) |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | £1,054 (64.2 mpg) | – |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £1,054 (diesel) | £1,284 (petrol) |
| Car tax a yearCars registered from April 2017 | £200 | £200 |
| Reliability from real MOT tests | ||
| Reliability score | 101Average | 106Above average (best) |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 31.5% | 32.4% |
| Failed at 3 years old | 11.4% | 8.8% (best) |
| Failed at 5 years old | 17.0% | 14.4% (best) |
| Failed at 10 years old | 34.1% | 24.3% (best) |
| Most common MOT fault | Position lamp (3.8% of tests) | Position lamp (5.3% of tests) |
| Fails more than average on | Nothing stands out | Nothing stands out |
| MOT tests analysed | 905,513 | 255,672 |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Family hatchback | Family hatchback |
| Owners' average miles a year | 8,000 | 7,600 |
| On sale | 2018–2025 | 2022 on |
Green marks the better figure where the difference is more than 3%. Reliability figures cover every version of each model tested in the year. Running costs use the typical official economy of recent versions (WLTP where available); real-world economy is usually a little worse for every car.
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
›Is the Ford Focus or the Honda Civic more reliable?
There's little in it. Once age and mileage are taken into account, both fail their MOT about as often as each other (reliability scores 101 and 106, where 100 is average).
›Which is bigger, the Ford Focus or the Honda Civic?
The Honda Civic is 178mm longer (4,560mm against 4,382mm). The Honda Civic has the bigger boot: 410 litres against 375.
›Which is cheaper to run, the Ford Focus or the Honda Civic?
Comparing petrol versions, the Ford Focus costs about £104 a year less to fuel at 7,500 miles (£1,180 against £1,284), using typical official economy and current UK average fuel prices.
›Which is safer, the Ford Focus or the Honda Civic?
Euro NCAP gave the Ford Focus 5 stars (2018) and the Honda Civic 5 stars (2022). Euro NCAP makes its tests tougher every few years, so ratings from different years aren't directly comparable.
›Should I buy the Ford Focus or the Honda Civic?
Pick the Ford Focus for lower fuel costs and more performance, or the Honda Civic for the bigger boot. The comparison above sets out price, space, performance, safety, running costs and reliability side by side.
Sources: manufacturers' UK specifications and price lists and Euro NCAP (listed on each model's page); DVSA anonymised MOT tests 2024 (Open Government Licence v3.0); Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data, © Crown copyright, VCA cannot accept liability for its accuracy; fuel prices from the GOV.UK Fuel Finder scheme. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.