What is the "third" Focus? Jokers on internet forums of those years called it a credit-mobile and the favorite car of office plankton, but perhaps it's a people's foreign car and a practical family vehicle? Let's try to figure it out.
When developing the third-generation Focus, Ford returned to the concept of a global model, and although the premiere took place at the NAIAS auto show in Detroit (the debuts of previous generations were held in Europe), production of the model started simultaneously in Europe and the USA – in March 2011. It took only three months to launch production of the new model at the Ford plant in Vsevolozhsk. Note that we are interested in cars after the 2014 facelift – by age, they fall into the category of those worth considering for purchase on the secondary market.
In Russia, Ford Focus III was sold with three body types: sedan, hatchback, and station wagon. The suspension is fully independent, with MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear. The range of powertrains consisted of three variants of the 1.6-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine from the Duratec family, with three power outputs – 85, 105, and 125 hp. The 85-hp version was paired with an iB5 manual transmission, while the 105- and 125-hp engines could work with a PowerShift robot (also known as Getrag 6DCT250).
Top versions were equipped with a 150-hp 1.5-liter EcoBoost turbo-four, as well as a 6-speed hydromechanical automatic transmission 6F15. Other combinations of engines and gearboxes are much rarer – for example, the 150-hp EcoBoost with a 6-speed MMT6 manual, or cars imported from Europe with diesel engines producing 95 or 120 hp, paired with manual transmissions or the PowerShift 6DCT450 robot.
Today, the third Focus in its facelifted version is represented by a fairly large number of listings – only in the central region there are over 700. Notably, the price range in the ads is exceptionally wide: depending on the year of manufacture, trim level, mileage, and condition, sellers ask for their cars from 310,000 to 2.7 million rubles.
By the way, we once dedicated several materials to the problems that buyers of the third Focus may encounter – both overall and with a detailed breakdown of issues with individual systems, from body and electrics to engines, gearboxes, and suspension. This analysis is based on expert opinions and statistics from service visits. But what do owners of such cars write – what did they like, and what caused strong rejection? Let's find out.
The times when the Ford Focus was a people's foreign car have long since passed. Back in the 2000s, the Focus was significantly cheaper than all imported classmates thanks to localization. Then Renault, Volkswagen, and after them the Koreans, decided that it was not right to let one brand eat such a tasty pie alone.
The cost also increased: by the time of the 2014 facelift, prices for the "third" Focus started from 700,000, and by 2019, when the company essentially left the Russian market, the model already cost 1-1.4 million rubles. Naturally, sales plummeted multiple times: from 92,200 in 2012 to 11,200 cars in 2016. Add to that the fairly high costs of maintenance and repair.
Prices on the secondary market can't be called bargain either: cars from 2017-2018 with relatively low mileage and in good trims are quite expensive. For sedans and station wagons, they ask 1.75-2 million, and for hatchbacks – as much as 2.2-2.7 million rubles! Of course, there are plenty of cheaper cars on the market. Cars from 2015-2016 with naturally aspirated engines of 85 and 105 hp, manual transmissions, and mileages up to 500,000 km, most often having worked extensively in taxis, can be purchased for 300-320 thousand rubles. But such a purchase can hardly be called trouble-free.
Owners of used Focuses, who left their reviews online, agree with such statements: "I can note the high cost of spare parts after the company left the market," "Overall a solid rattletrap. True, it can no longer be called cheap," "Perhaps its only plus is its appearance. The rest will become a headache for you." Of course, the last statement should not be taken as the ultimate truth: the model has plenty of quite objective advantages, and if you find a car with an honest mileage of 20-40 thousand kilometers, you can quite count on several years of trouble-free life.
Nevertheless, many review authors confidently assert that the Ford Focus III is the best, and in many parameters at once. Some, for some reason, name models that actually belong to the B and B+ segments among the Focus's main competitors: "I thought the Ford Focus was the most stylish among its competitors (Solaris, Polo). I drove it for a few years and remained of the same opinion," "I switched to it from a Kia Rio. I didn't regret it for a minute."
But many compare the model with real classmates that have already gained popularity: "The car met my expectations, excellent transport in its class, the look is just fire, it attracts attention in traffic." At the same time, avid "Focusers" note that the facelift really did it good: "Overall, the facelift turned out successful, they refreshed the appearance a bit, the rear part became more interesting," "I really like the appearance, which even five years after purchase looks modern and is not inferior to many latest new models."
Some note the interior: "A car created as if especially for me. The design, especially the interior – is the best. Very different from all cars in this price segment," "Based on the test drive results, the Focus completely destroyed the Ceed, in dynamics, handling, and noise insulation, and even in the interior." We'll return to the discussion of dynamics and handling, but as for the cabin, fans also note excellent optional equipment. True, this mainly applies to top trims: "I took the Titanium trim. Handling, dynamics, packed with electronics. It wins against competitors in its price range by a wide margin."
Perhaps, against the backdrop of modern Chinese crossovers, the equipment of the Ford Focus, even from 2018-2019, may seem modest, as does the proprietary Ford Sync 3 multimedia system. Nevertheless, owners speak of the model's equipment with great respect: "Dual-zone climate control, light and rain sensors, heated steering wheel, front seats, mirrors, and windshield, auto-dimming mirror, four automatic power windows (hello to the 'Koreans' with one automatic power window even in the top K5)," "I really liked the trim: heating of everything, interior lighting in different colors, lumbar support. The multimedia is normal. Quite convenient, plays loudly and clearly. Apple CarPlay / Android Auto is available."
When discussing the lighting of the "third" Focus, opinions are divided. Owners of top trims with swivel xenon say: "Adaptive smart headlights. There was always enough light, they adjust themselves. There are washers, they work well in auto mode," "In the evening on the highway, everything is very clearly visible. When turning the steering wheel, the side lighting turns on," "Headlights with factory swivel xenon – a real thing, the low beam shines very decently and illuminates the turn."
In cheaper trims, the situation is different. "What always annoyed me, and what I never got used to – the light with regular halogens! How inferior it is, especially after xenon!" "The headlights are halogen, but they shine brightly enough," "By default, the optics are halogen, I would like LED." But if this can still be fixed, nothing can be done about the ground clearance. "The ground clearance is a bit low. You can't even approach every curb without fear," "For a dacha, of course, it's too low, it scrapes its belly in ruts when fully loaded with passengers." However, there are those who believe it's sufficient for a city car: "During winter operation, there were no problems, although there was a lot of snow this year," "You can drive on a dirt road if you know your car's limits."
And finally, the complaints about weak paintwork, which have become commonplace for almost all modern cars: "A real minus is the paintwork. In St. Petersburg, this is a big problem. There are small areas of corrosion on the rear arches and trunk lid, and that's a shame, even though it doesn't affect speed," "Of course, chips above the arches are a problem on all Focuses. A big minus," "There were no particular problems with the body, except that pieces of paint about 2x2 centimeters fell off at the joint of the rear bumper."
It is worth noting that in the vast majority of reviews, the authors emphasize the comfort of the facelifted Ford Focus III. "The Ford interior is very comfortable, the trim materials are good, the plastic on the dashboard is soft, the seats are comfortable, the back doesn't get tired," "Inside it's very comfortable and convenient, controls on the steering wheel, everything is heated," "I can confidently say that for short and long distances, it's a very comfortable ride," "The car is ideal for travel and long journeys."
Owners also note excellent directional stability: "It holds the road wonderfully on the highway," "On the highway, it behaves excellently, and the visibility is good." The suspension's performance earned positive marks: "Indestructible and soft. Easily goes over speed bumps," "The suspension is elastic, moderately soft," "It confidently holds the road even on bumps." However, there are certain discrepancies regarding acoustic comfort. Some think everything is fine: "The noise insulation is normal, at 120 km/h you can talk without raising your voice," others complain: "At high speeds, tire and wind noise is audible in the cabin, which can be annoying."
In fact, many review authors list comfort among the model's undoubted advantages. But it's worth considering the existence of an alternative opinion: "The car is very strange. It's some kind of hybrid of a cheap economy car and a comfortable sedan. It's all made of compromises," "The glove box is tiny, barely fits books. The pockets are narrow, the elastic in the armrest falls off, the light constantly turns on from my knee," "It's a little uncomfortable here, a little hard there. This Ford hasn't gone very far from our cars like the Granta," "Switching from a Lada to a Ford, I think, will be great, but switching from any decent imported car will bring a lot of negative emotions."
It must be admitted that Russian motorists still treat preselective robotic gearboxes with a fair amount of suspicion. The Powershift transmission was no exception: "Take the automatic, better not go near the robot," "When buying, we specifically chose the automatic, as there are many complaints about the robot." And what, exactly, are these complaints about? A number of reviews mention incorrect operation in some modes – for example, when the automatic system just can't figure out which gear to engage, causing the car to jerk.
"The car has enough power, but the robot ruins everything. Especially in the city, in traffic jams. It often hesitates, can kick during acceleration," "The robot hesitates, especially when you floor it," "Everything about this car is excellent, except for the robotic gearbox," "The gearbox has a character, it jerks in traffic jams." There are also opinions like: "After 2015, the gearbox was fixed. Very smooth shifts, no jolts," "On the highway, it works perfectly, you almost don't notice the shifts," "In the facelifted version, the robot doesn't hesitate at all," "The main thing is to get used to a smooth and calm driving style. As soon as you start driving erratically, the robot immediately starts jerking and pushing."
Another set of complaints relates to reliability. The unit itself is quite repairable, with the clutch and control module being the weak points. "I replaced the clutch under warranty, new software for the gearbox, and the problem went away," "Problems every 30,000 km are guaranteed. The repair cost even at non-official dealers was 140,000 rubles." In general, as one owner wrote in his review, "Only the lazy haven't cursed the PowerShift robot."
However, many owners in their reviews report no problems with the gearbox throughout the entire period of operation: "A little over six years of ownership, 108 thousand mileage. The robot caused no problems at all, sold it with the original clutch and no complaints"; "Mileage 140,000, original clutch, nothing was done at all"; "I've been driving a robot for seven years now, no complaints." But still, when buying a Focus III with a robot on the secondary market, it's worth keeping in mind that problems with gearbox repair might fall on you.
What Focus owners praise quite unanimously is the dynamics: "Very peppy! It's impossible to crawl in it, it wants to be cheeky," "Positive impressions of the dynamics. It accelerates well and holds the road," "Excellent acceleration from a standstill, you leave the majority at the traffic light behind," "The little car is just like a bullet, nimble and comfortable," and so on in that vein.
Of course, the driving impressions of versions with different engines and gearboxes vary somewhat: "105 hp for a car with a curb weight of 1.2 tons is very weak. To accelerate at all, you have to constantly rev the engine." Although some might be quite satisfied with this version: "I have 105 hp with a robot. I don't experience any problems." The golden mean is the 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine with 125 hp: "I consider it the most optimal option for the Focus. It drives noticeably more pleasantly than the 105 hp or especially the 85 hp. At the same time, it's much simpler to maintain and less finicky than the 150-hp one."
Apparently, this engine already allows you to feel quite confident, albeit with some reservations: "It goes fast, but not as fast as I would like," "Moderately sharp, although the robot sometimes hesitates, especially when you floor it." But with a manual transmission, the driver can appreciate the torque of this engine: "The very short gears are noticeable, which was unusual at first. That is, in the city, it turns out you can already drive in fifth gear."
But the leader is the top 150-hp EcoBoost: "Excellent dynamics! No hesitations, thoughtfulness, or sluggishness, any overtaking is easy and without worry," "All overtakes last 3-4 seconds. Trucks, cars, triple, double overtakes – no problem, the car pulls like a tank." In general, everything is good in terms of dynamics. You just need to remember that winter happens in Russia, and during this time of year, you should be more careful. Although the third Focus can't be called completely helpless on snowy roads: "In winter, the little car didn't let me down, it confidently gets out of small snowdrifts. On slush, it behaves predictably."
What is really pleasant is that the dynamics of the Focus III are combined with fuel efficiency. There are also owners who consider this car too thirsty: "The fuel consumption turned out not to be very low, on the highway it was about seven liters, in the city – 11.5 on average, I expected less"; "I'll also note a minus – the consumption. In Moscow, it gives me 10 liters, it could have been less"; "Gluttony is a significant drawback." But those who list fuel efficiency among the advantages in their reviews are an order of magnitude more! "Fuel consumption is very pleasant, 6-7 liters on the highway and 7-8 liters in the city"; "With the 1.6 engine, good fuel efficiency – about 6-7 liters in the combined cycle"; "Low fuel consumption, 8-9 liters in the city in traffic jams, I think that's chic." Such is the case.
When Ford introduced the turbocharged engine of the EcoBoost family to the market in 2014, it had high hopes for it – after all, it was supposed to at least keep pace with Japanese and German companies. Alas, everything has a price, and for the technical sophistication and power combined with efficiency, a whole host of problems had to be paid for.
"The EcoBoost turbo engine is not about reliability. It is not repairable. Various repair options are offered, but there is no guarantee that in a couple of tens of thousands of km it won't throw up surprises again"; "It's also non-repairable. They seem to have learned how to repair it, but it's unclear how, because this engine has very thin cylinder walls"; "The turbo engine is disposable." And this reputation has very real grounds. "After buying an FF3 2018 with a mileage of 140,000 km, crankcase gases started to leak into the cooling system. The problem is in the bridge between the 2nd and 3rd cylinders in the block. As the master explained, this is a problem with all EcoBoosts."
Luckier owners may report that the engine worked quite normally during operation, or with minor and quite solvable problems: "Everyone was twirling their finger at their temple, but I bought an EcoBoost and over so many years haven't had any problems with it." And everyone unanimously reminds of the need for careful maintenance, timely oil changes, and the use of quality fuel: "And EcoBoosts run fine if you take care of the car, and don't pour any junk into it," "The EcoBoost is an excellent engine, torquey at low revs and elastic at high speeds. The engine loves good lubrication, it's important to monitor the coolant, it doesn't like overheating, the consequences are dire. These aren't cast-iron blocks like before, it's thin aluminum."
In terms of handling, the Ford Focus III truly proved worthy of its predecessors. Review authors are surprisingly unanimous on this point, with both handling and suspension performance on bumps earning high praise: "Dynamics and handling are simply out of this world. The best among all foreign cars I've driven, except for the BMW X6"; "The Ford Focus behaves wonderfully on the road, I was surprised at how easy it is to drive. The car seems to merge with the road, every turn is taken with ease"; "On the highway at high speed, it goes magnificently."
"The suspension is something you can sing praises to the Focus for almost endlessly. No car of this class handles or holds the road the same way," "On the road, it showed itself confidently, responds clearly to the steering wheel, and the steering wheel itself has a pleasant weight." And this is just a small fraction of the enthusiastic words I found. Add to this the absence of serious complaints about suspension reliability. Some mentions of its repair are still found: "At 120 thousand km, the rear suspension was replaced," "After nine years, I replaced the entire suspension." But those who consider the suspension "very reliable" and "indestructible" are still significantly more numerous.
Well, the main drawback of the Ford Focus III, according to review authors, is the insufficiently spacious cabin, primarily in the second row. And there are quite a few questions about the trunk. "Disadvantages include the cramped cabin, I can't sit comfortably behind myself anymore"; "The cabin is cramped, very little legroom for rear passengers"; "If you plan to constantly drive with someone in the back – I don't recommend it." However, not everyone agrees that the front row is fine: "The cabin is very cramped. I constantly caught the light switch with my knee," "The Focus is cramped – that's a fact. But I like it – you sit behind the wheel like in a cockpit."
And ultimately, the reason for selling the car sometimes even becomes an addition to the family: "I would have been 100% satisfied with the car further, but over these years I managed to give birth to a child, get divorced, get married a second time, and have another child. With a stroller – trunk minus, two child seats in the back – rear row minus." Disagreements are also noted in assessing the trunk's capacity: "Two large suitcases fit easily, and you can put something else in"; "With the seats folded down, I even transported a one-and-a-half-meter stepladder"; "In the sedan, you can even sleep if you fold down the rear row and remove everything from the trunk."
There are also plenty of those who are categorically dissatisfied with the trunk: "The trunk fits 1 (one!!!) wheel when changing tires"; "The narrow opening doesn't allow you to shove anything in there"; "The trunk lid hinges prevent full use of the volume"; "Catastrophically small opening of both the trunk lid itself and the passage into the cabin when the rear seats are folded down," "Any incorrectly placed bag won't allow you to shove the rest into the trunk – despite there being plenty of free space."
In this regard, the hatchback looks more attractive, although formally its trunk is even smaller: "Enough for the city, but for a long journey with luggage for more than two people – it could be a problem"; "Unlike many cars, the hatch has a flat floor when the seats are folded down, I carried a refrigerator there," "Personally, the trunk volume was enough for me, and if you remove the shelf, a set of wheels fits in without problems." And owners unequivocally praise the capacity of the station wagon: "Simply a hold, I even slept a few times with the seatbacks folded down," "The trunk is large and spacious, you can make a two-person bed."
Cars come in different types. Some are like hardworking donkeys: modest, unremarkable, but patiently doing their job day in and day out. There's usually nothing special to say about them: you arrive, sit down, start up, drive from point A to point B, get out, and forget. And there are others, with bright advantages and equally distinct disadvantages. These are the cars that make you want to get behind the wheel and rush towards the wind. The third Ford Focus belongs to this category, albeit with some reservations. In any case, not all versions evoke vivid emotions, but only those equipped with the older engines from the lineup.
Owners write: "The car is dynamic, gives emotions"; "Periodically there are moments when I joyfully remember the feelings this car evoked"; "Simply a fairy tale. You constantly look for a reason to go somewhere in it. You just want to drive and drive." And there's nothing to add here, because the main components of this very emotionality were the dynamics, handling, and excellent suspension performance, which we have already discussed. You can also note that the Focus III quite fits into the category of "cool cars." At least in reviews, it's often written exactly like that: "In character, the Focus suits young guys who want to drive fast."
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