Ford Focus vs Volkswagen Golf
Figures updated
The Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf are two of the UK's most popular family hatchbacks. We compare the Mk4 (2018–2025) Focus and the Mk8 (2020–) Golf on price, size, boot space, performance, safety and running costs, plus how reliable each has been across 1,744,851 real MOT tests.
The short answer
The Volkswagen Golf comes out ahead, with the better MOT record, lower fuel costs and more performance; the Ford Focus is close on everything else.
- Their boots are much the same size: Ford Focus 375 litres, Volkswagen Golf 381 litres.
- The Volkswagen Golf has the better MOT record. Like for like on age and mileage, the Ford Focus fails its MOT about 23% more often.
- The Volkswagen Golf is the cheapest to fuel: comparing petrol versions, about £61 a year less than the Ford Focus at 7,500 miles a year.
| Figure | Ford FocusMk4 (2018–2025), 5-door hatchback | Volkswagen GolfMk8 (2020–), 5-door hatchback |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | – | £29,040 to £48,380October 2026 price list |
| Body | 5-door hatchback | 5-door hatchback |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| BootSeats up / folded | 375 litres / 1,354 | 381 litres / 1,237 |
| Length | 4,382mm | 4,282mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 1,825mm | 1,789mm |
| Height | 1,471mm | 1,483mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 85–280 PS | 115–333 PS (best) |
| 0–62mph | 5.7–13.5 sec | 4.6–10.2 sec (best) |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2018) | ★★★★★ (2019) |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Diesel, Hybrid, Petrol | Diesel, Hybrid, Petrol, Plug-in hybrid |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 35.8–70.6 mpg | 34.0–64.2 mpg |
| CO2 | 106–180 g/km | 6–189 g/km |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.5p a litre, today's UK average | £1,179 (49.6 mpg) | £1,118 (52.3 mpg) (best) |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | £1,054 (64.2 mpg) (best) | £1,102 (61.4 mpg) |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £1,054 (diesel) | £1,102 (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 | 124Well above average (best) |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 31.5% | 25.1% (best) |
| Failed at 3 years old | 11.4% | 9.5% (best) |
| Failed at 5 years old | 17.0% | 12.0% (best) |
| Failed at 10 years old | 34.1% | 21.9% (best) |
| Most common MOT fault | Position lamp (3.8% of tests) | Coil spring (2.5% of tests) |
| Fails more than average on | Nothing stands out | Nothing stands out |
| MOT tests analysed | 905,513 | 839,338 |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Family hatchback | Family hatchback |
| Owners' average miles a year | 8,000 | 8,600 |
| 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 Volkswagen Golf more reliable?
The Volkswagen Golf. Like for like on age and mileage, the Ford Focus fails its MOT about 23% more often (reliability scores 124 and 101, where 100 is average). 25.1% of Volkswagen Golfs and 31.5% of Ford Focuses failed first time in 2024.
›Which is bigger, the Ford Focus or the Volkswagen Golf?
The Ford Focus is 100mm longer (4,382mm against 4,282mm). Their boots are much the same: 375 and 381 litres.
›Which is cheaper to run, the Ford Focus or the Volkswagen Golf?
Comparing petrol versions, the Volkswagen Golf costs about £61 a year less to fuel at 7,500 miles (£1,118 against £1,179), using typical official economy and current UK average fuel prices.
›Which is safer, the Ford Focus or the Volkswagen Golf?
Euro NCAP gave the Ford Focus 5 stars (2018) and the Volkswagen Golf 5 stars (2019). 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 Volkswagen Golf?
The Volkswagen Golf comes out ahead, with the better MOT record, lower fuel costs and more performance; 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.