Volkswagen Passat vs. Ford Focus
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Focus contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Volkswagen Passat and the Ford Focus.
In comparing the Volkswagen Passat's and the Ford Focus's specifications and ratings, the Volkswagen Passat has the advantage in the areas of fuel efficiency, interior volume and base engine power. The Ford Focus has the advantage in the area of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars. Based on this comparison of the Volkswagen Passat's and the Ford Focus's specifications and ratings, the Volkswagen Passat is a better car than the Ford Focus.
Pricing: A used 2018 Volkswagen Passat ranges from $8,950 to $19,415 while a used 2018 Ford Focus is priced between $6,200 to $15,408.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Volkswagen Passat’s base engine makes 174 horsepower, and the Ford Focus base engine makes 160 horsepower. The Passat is rated to deliver an average of 29 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 666 miles. The Focus is rated to deliver an average of 28 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 422 miles. This gives the Volkswagen Passat the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Ford Focus. Both models use regular unleaded.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Volkswagen Passat has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front shoulder room, rear shoulder room, rear leg room, and cargo space. The Ford Focus has the advantage in the areas of front leg room and rear head room. The Volkswagen Passat and Ford Focus are comparable in regards to front head room.
Safety Ratings: The Volkswagen Passat has an average safety rating of 4.86 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
22995
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Midsize Cars)
23460
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Midsize Cars)
21680 - 31900
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
17950
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact Cars)
20571
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact Cars)
14395 - 39785
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
14171
Price Range:
8950 - 19415
Category Avg Price:
(Midsize Cars)
15852
Category Avg Price Range:
(Midsize Cars)
12763 - 22022
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
224
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
88914
# Good or Great Deals:
115
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
10921
Price Range:
6200 - 15408
Category Avg Price:
(Compact Cars)
15390
Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact Cars)
8856 - 27909
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
546
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
75344
# Good or Great Deals:
207
Volkswagen Passat Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
7.8 / 10
Reliability:
7.6 / 10
Retained Value:
7.9 / 10
Safety:
7.9 / 10
Ford Focus Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Volkswagen Passat
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
3.4
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Midsize Cars)
3.6
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Midsize Cars)
0.8 - 6.6
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
0.088
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Ford Focus
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
3.1
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Compact Cars)
4.8
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Compact Cars)
1.8 - 11.1
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
0.062
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
3.950967286138629
Typical Category Recalls:
(Midsize Cars)
4.0
Category Range for Recalls:
(Midsize Cars)
1.7 - 11.6
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
3.3336557019878184
Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
3.9
Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
0.9 - 13.2
Volkswagen Passat Rankings
Ranking
4 out of / 13Ranking
5 out of / 7Ranking
6 out of / 13Ranking
6 out of / 7Ranking
7 out of / 13Ranking
9 out of / 13Ranking
10 out of / 13Ranking
11 out of / 13Ranking
12 out of / 13Ranking
13 out of / 13Ford Focus Rankings
Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Body Styles
Hatchback, Sedan
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Electric, Gasoline
Volkswagen Passat Trim Levels
2.0T R-Line, 2.0T S, 2.0T SE, 2.0T SEL Premium, V6 GT, V6 SEL Premium
Ford Focus Trim Levels
RS, S, SE, SEL, ST, Titanium
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
6 years / 72000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
6 years / 72000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
5 years / 60000 miles
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
4.86 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
174 hp @ 5000 rpm
Torque:
184 foot-lbs @ 1500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.053 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
160 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque:
146 foot-lbs @ 4450 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.055 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
25 / 36 / 29
Range (city/hwy):
463 / 666 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
25 / 34 / 28
Range (city/hwy):
310 / 422 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Android Auto:
Available
Apple CarPlay:
Available
Automatic Parking:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Parking Sensors:
Available
Power Lift Gate:
Available
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Voice Recognition:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Available
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Android Auto:
Available
Apple CarPlay:
Available
Automatic Parking:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
N/A
Parking Sensors:
Available
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Air Suspension:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
Available
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Available
Forward Collision Warning:
Available
Lane Departure Warning:
Available
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Available
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.3 inches
Front Leg Room:
42.4 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
56.9 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.8 inches
Rear Leg Room:
39.1 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
57 inches
Cargo Space:
15.9 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
102.0 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.3 inches
Front Leg Room:
43.1 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
55.6 inches
Rear Head Room:
38 inches
Rear Leg Room:
33.2 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
52.6 inches
Cargo Space:
13.2 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
90.0 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3274 lbs
Width:
72.2 inches
Height:
58.5 inches
Length:
191.9 inches
Wheelbase:
110.4 inches
Ground Clearance:
5.4 inches
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
2928 lbs
Width:
80.5 inches
Height:
57.8 inches
Length:
178.7 inches
Wheelbase:
104.3 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 x 6.5 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
215/60R16
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
15.0 x 5.5 inches
Wheel Type:
steel
Tire Size:
195/65R15
Exterior Colors
Beige
Titanium Beige Metallic
Black
Deep Black Pearl Metallic
Blue
Tourmaline Blue Metallic
Gray
Platinum Gray Metallic
Red
Fortana Red Metallic
Silver
Reflex Silver Metallic
White
Pure White
Exterior Colors
Beige
Not available
Black
Shadow Black
Blue
Not available
Gray
Magnetic
Red
Not available
Silver
Ingot Silver
White
Oxford White
Interior Colors
Beige
Cornsilk Beige
Black
Titan Black
Gray
Moonrock Gray
Interior Colors
Beige
Not available
Black
Not available
Gray
Charcoal Black
