Toyota Yaris vs Ford Focus
The Toyota Yaris and Ford Focus are popular and efficient small hatchbacks that have built up great reputations, but which one should you put your money on?
The Cazoo editorial team
Published on 19 January 2026 | 1 min read
When it comes to second-hand hatchbacks, the UK market is flooded with lots of great choices.
The Toyota Yaris and Ford Focus are two of the most sensible, practical and easy to live with propositions in this sector.
The Yaris’ ultra-efficient hybrid powertrain makes it very cheap to run, while the Focus’s practical interior, sharp driving dynamics and Blue Oval heritage make it one of the best cars in its class.
But, when it comes to second-hand options, how do both cars stack up against each other? We’ve put the Toyota Yaris and Ford Focus back-to-back to see which one is the better used buy.
Styling
Starting with the cars’ looks, the Yaris and Focus are positioned in different sectors of the market.
The Yaris is a B-segment supermini, whereas the Focus is a C-segment family hatchback. Their designs are very different, but not in a bad way.
The Yaris features lots of sharp angles and edges, while the standard flared wheel arches make the car have a bold presence on the road. The tailgate has a squatted stance, and there is even a GR Sport model, which gains bigger wheels and lowered suspension.
The Focus on the other hand, also has lots of sporty design elements, with a sloping roofline, bold front grille, wraparound headlights and a narrow tailgate, which makes this Ford a lot more attractive than its main rival, the Volkswagen Golf. Just like the Yaris, the Focus can be chosen in a sportier ST-Line trim, which adds a few extra sporting details, such as larger alloy wheels, a rear roof spoiler and sports suspension.
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Interior
Jump inside, and the Yaris’ interior feels well-screwed together with lots of durable plastics and physical buttons to make it easy to navigate all of the car’s controls. The plastics are not the best, with lots of hard surfaces across the cabin, though its overall design is smart and feels modern.
The Focus, on the other hand, feels a bit more dated in places, as the latest model has been around since 2018. However, the quality of the materials feels more premium than the Toyota, with soft-touch plastics found on the door cards and dashboard, while you still get lots of physical controls, and ST-Line cars come with a sports flat-bottom steering wheel and sports seats.
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Powertrains
The Yaris is only available with a hybrid powertrain, which is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor. It produces a total of 114bhp and can manage up to a claimed 70.6mpg on the combined cycle, which makes it one of the most frugal cars on the second-hand market.
Sadly, if you want a manual, then the latest Yaris isn’t the car for you, as all models are paired to a CVT automatic transmission, with no manual option available.
The Focus is available with several different powertrains to suit lots of different buyers. The 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder Ecoboost petrol engine comes with mild-hybrid technology, which can be chosen with 124bhp and 153bhp power outputs. And, this setup can be paired with six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes.
If you want a diesel, then Ford has got you covered with the 1.5-litre turbocharged unit that develops 118bhp and 300Nm of torque, while Ford claims the car can manage an impressive 78mpg.
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Practicality
When it comes to practicality, the Yaris can’t quite match the Focus in this department due to its smaller dimensions.
Up in the front, there is sufficient room for adults, while there is enough adjustment in the seat and steering wheel for drivers to get comfortable. Space in the back is tight, partly due to the car’s sloping roofline, and partly because the rear doors are small and don’t open very wide. The car’s boot capacity of 286 litres makes it fall behind even its direct rivals, such as the Volkswagen Polo, which offers 351 litres of space. Plus, interior storage isn’t the best, with the car offering two cupholders, a centre armrest storage bin and average-sized door bins.
The Focus’s larger dimensions make it feel like a car from the class above, which it is. The driving position is spot on with a low-seating arrangement, while there is enough space in the rear seats for average-sized adults to get comfortable. The car’s boot space of 375 litres means it’s bigger than the Yaris’ but five litres off its benchmark rival, the Volkswagen Golf. Interior storage is also not the best, with limited space under the centre armrest and a mediocre glovebox.
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Second-hand prices
Second-hand examples of the Yaris are more than affordable, and thanks to their standard hybrid powertrain, they should be very cheap to run.
A four-year-old example with less than 30,000 miles on the clock can be picked up for £13,950 in mid-level Design specification.
If mileage doesn’t bother you, then higher mileage cars with around 75,000 miles are on the market for £12,000.
Used Ford Focus models vary in price depending on their age, condition and mileage. A clean 2021 example with less than 40,000 miles on the clock can be purchased for £11,495, while a diesel-powered ST-Line X car with 34,000 miles is on the market for £13,995.
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Verdict
To conclude, the Toyota Yaris and Ford Focus are great cars that are competitive alternatives to their rivals.
The Yaris is an ultra-efficient, good-looking, well-made and sensible offering for those looking for a hybrid supermini. The Focus is a sporty, charismatic, practical and affordable small family hatch which is a much more interesting offering compared to the Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra.
Putting the two cars back-to-back has shown that the Yaris is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run than the Focus petrol models and offers a similar amount of practicality.
However, the Focus offers a bigger boot, a wider range of powertrains, and there is more space in the back for a family.
If you’re looking for a cheap-to-run second car that is likely to be very reliable, then the Toyota Yaris is the perfect choice. But, if you’re a family that wants a small family hatch that is practical, economical and offers a lot more space, then the Ford Focus wins this test.
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