2018 Ford Focus vs. 2018 Ford Fusion: Which is for You?

2016 Ford Focus RS ・ Photo by Ford

Just because Ford is pushing forward with SUVs and dropping most cars from its lineup doesn’t mean there aren’t any great choices from the Blue Oval right now. In fact, two of the best are in the compact and midsize sedan segments, where most car buyers prefer to shop. This leads us to an important question: When comparing the 2018 Ford Focus vs. the 2018 Ford Fusion, which is for you?

Well, as you’re about to find out, that’s going to depend a lot on what you’re looking for in a new car. Since the Focus and Fusion are in two distinct size classes, they also have distinct pros and cons. On the other hand, they also share some important Ford benefits. These include some of the automaker’s most popular safety, infotainment, and powertrain technologies. The good news is you also can enjoy a wide range of luxury content with both cars. Let's dive in and take a closer look.

Which is for you if you like performance?

Generally speaking, bigger cars offer bigger engines, and that’s true with the 2018 Ford Focus and 2018 Ford Fusion. The midsize Fusion showcases a 2.7-liter V6 in its Sport trim, while the biggest engine for the Focus is a 2.3-liter four-cylinder unit. For the Fusion, that engine is turbocharged to deliver 325 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque.

But, the Focus has a secret weapon to take the checkered flag here. The RS model is one of the industry’s hottest hatches. Despite a smaller turbo engine, the Focus range-topper actually packs more horsepower: 350. The Focus RS also boasts 350 lb-ft of torque and a much lower curb weight. Add to that launch control, torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, Recaro sport seats, a special drift mode, and a 0-60 time of under 4.7 seconds.

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Which is for you if you prefer fuel efficiency?

Another general rule in the auto industry is that smaller cars are more fuel-efficient. Yet this is another tradition that the Blue Oval breaks. The highest EPA grades for the 2018 Ford Focus come with a six-speed manual transmission and a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine. That tiny-sized turbocharged engine, which makes a segment-competitive 123 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque, achieves fuel-economy scores of 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway/34 mpg combined.

But the 2018 Ford Fusion Hybrid provides higher numbers in every measure. To be exact, the Fusion Hybrid supplies a total of 188 hp, 129 lb-ft of engine torque alone, and an EPA line of 43 mpg city/41 mpg highway/42 mpg combined.

(Note: We’re purposely leaving the Focus Electric EV and the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid out of the equation, due to their limited availability).

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Which is for you for everyday driving?

High-efficiency and high-performance models are great to have in the lineup. But not everyone wants to drive a car with a specialized powertrain. For those folks, the most common models for the 2018 Ford Focus and 2018 Ford Fusion have their standard engines.

With the Focus, you get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 160 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque. The Fusion counters with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 173 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. When it comes to fuel economy, the standard Focus can post an EPA line of 26 mpg city/38 mpg highway/31 mpg combined with its automatic transmission, while the comparable Fusion is listed at 21 mpg city/32 mpg highway/25 mpg combined.

In the end, nimbler dimensions, a better power-to-weight ratio, and higher EPA ratings add up to a victory for the Focus.

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Which is for you if you need cabin and trunk space?

The 2018 Ford Focus serves up a unique advantage here as well, thanks to an available hatchback body style. That car can handle 23.3 cubic feet of gear behind its rear seats, and 43.9 with those seats folded. The sedan-only 2018 Ford Fusion has a trunk capacity of 16 cubic feet, which means the Focus hatch can hold more cargo in both seating configurations. (The trunk capacity for the Focus sedan is 13.2 cubic feet).

The Focus also surprises with a bit more rear-seat headroom than the Fusion. But, as you’d expect from a larger car, the Fusion features more front-row headroom and legroom, along with much more rear-seat legroom. When you put it all together, that’s enough to give the Fusion a clear edge in overall interior volume.

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Which is for you for the best safety technology and ratings?

As a starting point, the 2018 Ford Fusion earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS. This includes “Good” grades - which are the highest possible marks - for all six of the IIHS physical crash-testing procedures. In the test for front crash-prevention technology, where the highest grade is “Superior,” the Fusion earned that mark, too. The 2018 Ford Focus misses out on the influential IIHS honor entirely.

The Focus also misses some technologies that you can get with the Fusion. Among them are adaptive cruise control, automatic forward emergency braking, forward-collision warning, and pedestrian detection. So, we count this as a Fusion victory, even though both cars share some other notable safety technologies. For instance, the Fusion and Focus each provide a rearview camera, a blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic parking assistance.

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Which is for you if you like infotainment technology?

Nowadays, people demand a high level of infotainment technology no matter what size car they drive. This is why both the 2018 Ford Focus and 2018 Ford Fusion respond with standard Ford Sync voice-activated infotainment system with a 4.2-inch LCD display, Bluetooth, access to mobile apps, and a subscription-free automatic crash-notification system. Next, they both offer the latest Sync 3 technology, which upgrades to an 8-inch touchscreen with advanced Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. Satellite and HD Radio also are available for both cars.

Still, we’ve got sound reasons for choosing the Fusion in this category. The Focus has a standard four-speaker audio system, and the Fusion entry setup has nine. Then, for audiophiles, the Fusion can be ordered with a 12-speaker sound system by Sony. The Sony system for the Focus is limited to 10 speakers.

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Which is for you for the best interior design?

The 2018 Ford Focus and 2018 Ford Fusion have different approaches to interior design. In the Focus, you’ll see more of a driver-oriented vibe, with a dramatic flowing frame that bundles the center stack and gear shifter on the pilot’s side of the cabin. The Fusion relies on a more upscale and sophisticated look. For example, the Fusion skips the physical shift lever and uses the kind of rotary dial that you find on luxury sedans.

On the topic of luxury, the Focus can offer premium touches like leather upholstery, heated front seats, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a heated steering wheel. However, the Fusion wins the day by raising the bar. It features the same content as the Focus but with heated and cooled front seats, 10-way power adjustability, and a leather-wrapped instrument-panel hood.

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Which is for you for the best exterior design?

Ford designers have done a nice job crafting sporty looks for each car. Key details for the 2018 Ford Focus and 2018 Ford Fusion include low-profile grilles, sweptback headlights, and aggressive sculpting for the lower-intake area. Of course, the high-performance models in each lineup add bigger wheels, bolder style cues, and a variety of aero upgrades.

The thing is, the Fusion once again goes farther upscale than the Focus. The difference is especially notable in terms of lighting. Above the entry trim, the Focus offers striking LED signature lights for the headlamps plus separate daytime running lights, dual-exhaust outlets, a power moonroof, heated mirrors with integrated turn signals, and approach lights. The Fusion ups the ante - and wins this category - with additional goodies like full LED headlamps, LED fog lights, and quad exhaust outlets.

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So, which is for you?

Although there were some unexpected outcomes in today’s matchup, the overall results never really were in doubt. True, the 2018 Ford Focus brings an unbeatable advantage for pure performance with the RS model, and the Focus hatch can fit much more cargo than the Fusion sedan. The Focus also is less expensive.

Yet on the other side of the ledger, since the 2018 Ford Fusion competes in a higher segment of the industry, it naturally offers more content in key areas. This includes more infotainment technology, more driver-assistance features, more premium luxury cues, and more passenger space. The Fusion further had an unexpected triumph of its own. Remember, the hybrid model is more fuel-efficient than the most economical Focus.

The bottom line: It’s a first-place finish for the Fusion.

Photo by Ford