Ford Focus ST review - MPG, CO2 and running costs
Despite a high list price, the Focus ST is cheaper to insure than rivals and offers solid fuel economy
Despite offering strong performance, the Focus ST still manages to return decent economy figures. The recently departed diesel model was particularly frugal, although the ST's petrol engine won’t leave you constantly standing at the pumps.
Ford says the ST's 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine manages a maximum of 35.8mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, while CO2 emissions stand at 182-183g/km, depending on which transmission you select. When we pitted the Focus ST head-to-head against a Hyundai i30 N in a twin test, the Ford proved to be the more effecient of the two cars. We averaged 32.1mpg in the Ford, which beat the 28.8mpg the Hyundai could muster.
In comparison, a Mk8 Volkswagen Golf GTI manages over 38mpg, under WLTP testing, while the more powerful Honda Civic Type R is little less efficient, only delivering 34.4mpg.
The now-discontinued EcoBlue diesel was naturally more economical at 53.3mpg, and emitted 140g/km of CO2.
Insurance
Insurance for any hot hatch owner is generally a high cost to bear, but the Focus ST remains competitive in this area, as both the ST hatch and estate sit in insurnace group 27 (out of 50). In comparison, the Civic Type R is given an insurance rating of 43 and the Volkswagen Golf R occupies group 31.
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Depreciation
The previous-generation Focus ST didn’t perform well in terms of depreciation, with the petrol hatchback model struggling to keep 40 per cent of its new value after three years. This time around our experts predict the new five-door hatch will retain up to 51 per cent over a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period, while the estate is expected to hold onto 49 per cent of its original price after the same period.
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