Ford Focus vs Skoda Octavia
Figures updated
The Ford Focus and Skoda Octavia are two of the UK's most popular family hatchbacks. We compare the Mk4 (2018–2025) Focus and the Mk4 (2020–) Octavia on price, size, boot space, performance, safety and running costs, plus how reliable each has been across 1,104,136 real MOT tests.
The short answer
The Skoda Octavia comes out ahead, with the bigger boot, the better MOT record and lower fuel costs; the Ford Focus is close on everything else.
- The Skoda Octavia has the biggest boot: 600 litres, 225 more than the Ford Focus.
- The Skoda Octavia has the better MOT record. Like for like on age and mileage, the Ford Focus fails its MOT about 22% more often.
- The Skoda Octavia is the cheapest to fuel: comparing petrol versions, about £96 a year less than the Ford Focus at 7,500 miles a year.
| Figure | Ford FocusMk4 (2018–2025), 5-door hatchback | Skoda OctaviaMk4 (2020–), 5-door hatchback |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | – | £28,505 to £40,660October 2026 price list |
| Body | 5-door hatchback | 5-door hatchback |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| BootSeats up / folded | 375 litres / 1,354 | 600 litres / 1,555 (best) |
| Length | 4,382mm | 4,698mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 1,825mm | 1,829mm |
| Height | 1,471mm | 1,470mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 85–280 PS (best) | 116–265 PS |
| 0–62mph | 5.7–13.5 sec (best) | 6.4–10.6 sec |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2018) | ★★★★★ (2025) |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Diesel, Hybrid, Petrol | Diesel, Hybrid, Petrol |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 35.8–70.6 mpg | 40.4–65.8 mpg |
| CO2 | 106–180 g/km | 111–159 g/km |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.8p a litre, today's UK average | £1,181 (49.6 mpg) | £1,085 (54 mpg) (best) |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | £1,054 (64.2 mpg) | £1,074 (63 mpg) |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £1,054 (diesel) | £1,074 (diesel) |
| Car tax a yearCars registered from April 2017 | £200 | £200£640 in years 2–6 for versions listed over £40,000 |
| Reliability from real MOT tests | ||
| Reliability score | 101Average | 123Well above average (best) |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 31.5% | 24.3% (best) |
| Failed at 3 years old | 11.4% | 10.9% (best) |
| Failed at 5 years old | 17.0% | 14.9% (best) |
| Failed at 10 years old | 34.1% | 24.7% (best) |
| Most common MOT fault | Position lamp (3.8% of tests) | Coil spring (2.4% of tests) |
| Fails more than average on | Nothing stands out | Nothing stands out |
| MOT tests analysed | 905,513 | 198,623 |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Family hatchback | Family hatchback |
| Owners' average miles a year | 8,000 | 11,500 |
| On sale | 2018–2025 | 2020 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 Skoda Octavia more reliable?
The Skoda Octavia. Like for like on age and mileage, the Ford Focus fails its MOT about 22% more often (reliability scores 123 and 101, where 100 is average). 24.3% of Skoda Octavias and 31.5% of Ford Focuses failed first time in 2024.
›Which is bigger, the Ford Focus or the Skoda Octavia?
The Skoda Octavia is 316mm longer (4,698mm against 4,382mm). The Skoda Octavia has the bigger boot: 600 litres against 375.
›Which is cheaper to run, the Ford Focus or the Skoda Octavia?
Comparing petrol versions, the Skoda Octavia costs about £96 a year less to fuel at 7,500 miles (£1,085 against £1,181), using typical official economy and current UK average fuel prices.
›Which is safer, the Ford Focus or the Skoda Octavia?
Euro NCAP gave the Ford Focus 5 stars (2018) and the Skoda Octavia 5 stars (2025). 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 Skoda Octavia?
The Skoda Octavia comes out ahead, with the bigger boot, the better MOT record and lower fuel costs; the Ford Focus is close on everything else. 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.