Every Ford Focus ranked: why we’re going to miss this iconic family hatchback

The Ford Focus has been part of Britain’s motoring landscape for so long that it seems impossible that it has really gone. But production has now ended, and once the remaining stock has been sold the Focus will have left Ford showrooms for good.

Nowadays most of us walk past a Focus without a second glance, so it’s easy to forget the impact the original Ford Focus had in the late ’90s. Car Magazine famously ran a cover with an image of the concept that was to become the Focus, begging Ford to build it.

Since then, the Focus has invariably been the best-driving family hatchback on the market.

We’re going to miss it.

Here’s our ranking of the Ford’s four generations.

1. Ford Focus Mk1

The original Focus is our favourite. This car replaced the Escort Mk6, a car that was to family motoring what beige wallpaper is to interior décor. When the Focus arrived in 1998, the ‘New Edge’ design philosophy was truly radical. It skewered the idea that it was better to be bland and inoffensive than to risk putting off a single customer through distinctive design.

The Focus Mk1 was more than a pretty face. It had personality too. The driving experience was a revelation for drivers brought up on diet of Escort-shaped stodge. You could have more fun driving a Focus than some sports cars of the time, but the Ford still ticked all the right sensible boxes.

2. Ford Focus Mk4

While it cannot compete with the impact of the Mk1, the Mk4 is objectively the best Focus generation. It’s the roomiest, most fuel-efficient, and the safest.

The last Focus is a handsome car and you can still see hints of the first generation here and there. Most importantly for anyone who enjoys driving, the final Focus is still fun. Like the original, the Focus Mk4 proves that you don’t need heaps of power or a racing-car ride to make a car enjoyable.

3. Ford Focus Mk3

The third-generation Focus was (and is) a very well-rounded car. It improved on the earlier models with a better interior finish and a more comfortable ride. A wide variety of engines were available, with the most frugal delivering strong fuel economy.

Although the electrical power steering offered less feel than the hydraulically assisted system in the Mk2, the Focus Mk3 continued to be a benchmark for driver appeal.

4. Ford Focus Mk2

There’s something of the difficult second album syndrome about the Focus Mk2. It was always going to be hard to follow the design of the original, but the conservative look of the second model was disappointing.

Still, noughties drivers didn’t care once they were sat behind the wheel. The Mk2 was just as good to drive as the earlier model, while offering more space and an improved finish. It’s a more mature car than the Mk1, and although last on this list it is still one of the best hatchbacks of its era.

The best hot Ford Focus models

The Focus wasn’t just a fine family hatchback. Over the generations it has spawned some of the best hot hatches. In no particular order, here are three of our favourites.

1. Ford Focus RS (Mk1)

The Focus RS Mk1 brought back the RS badge in 2002 after a six-year gap. Short for Rallye Sport, the RS name is reserved for the highest performance versions of Ford’s everyday cars, although there was nothing ‘everyday’ about the Focus RS.

It looked like a rally car waiting for the sponsors logos to be applied, and thrilled would-be Colin McRaes with turbocharged acceleration and sharp handling. It had too much power for the front wheels to handle, though, and the ride was brutally stiff.

2. Ford Focus RS (Mk2)

The second-generation RS is the sweet spot in the history of fast Focus models. It takes the template established by the lairy Mk1 and tones it down just enough to make the car more usable from day to day.

The Mk2 rides more comfortably and puts its power to the road with less drama. While the RS Mk1 is uncompromising, the Mk2 is willing to meet the driver halfway which makes it the better road car.

3. Ford Focus ST (Mk4)

It’s unfair to think of the ST hot hatches as poor relations to the RS cars. Although less powerful than the RS equivalents, the Focus ST models are generally more rounded. It doesn’t hurt that they have always been more affordable to buy and insure.

The Focus ST Mk4 is our favourite. The last ST shows almost identical pace to the first- and second-generation RS cars, but with much more tech, safety kit, and fuel efficiency.

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