Starting at
Starting at
| 44.8 cu-ft. | Cargo Capacity | 47.2 cu-ft. |
| 5 | Seating Capacity | 5 |
| 160 hp | Horsepower | 153 hp |
The Ford Focus was originally introduced in 1998 as a replacement for the Ford Escort model. The Focus was available in several body styles including a 3-door hatchback, 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, 5-door estate, and the 2-door coupe. The Focus gained extreme popularity once on the market for its fuel efficiency and flexible, capable performance in its class. Over the years, the Ford Focus has maintained its position as Ford’s most popular sedan. For 2018, a few new changes have been made, including the addition of a few new exterior color options. The Ford Focus remains a big player in the class of compacts.
The Chevrolet Cruze has been on the automotive market since 2008. There have been three popular body styles of the Cruze over the years including the 4-door compact sedan, the 5-door hatchback, and the station wagon, which was introduced in 2012. While the Cruze is still on the market today and performs fairly well, improvements had to be made over the years as its reliability in its first year of production was among the lowest of all the sedans on the market. Now in its second generation, the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze has been upgraded with minor body changes, including a slightly longer length, as well as a few additional powertrain combinations under the hood. Here’s a look at the 2018 Ford Focus vs. 2018 Chevrolet Cruze in a few major categories.
Modern drivers expect their cars to have the most current technology when it comes safety and entertainment. Ford knows what drivers want and has stocked the 2018 Ford Focus with user-friendly technology to exceed their expectations by assisting in safety, navigation, communication, connectivity, and entertainment. Available technology like SYNC, Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility, and the MyFord Mobile App are only a few of the technologies that are available in the Ford Focus. Safety technology also abounds in the 2018 Ford Focus with active safety features such as a rearview camera, Blind Spot Information System, cross-traffic alerts, and the lane-keeping system. On the whole, the technology on the Ford Focus is quite impressive in all categories – even for the most tech-savvy drivers.
The 2018 Chevrolet Cruze includes Chevrolet’s exclusive MyLink technology with a 7-inch touchscreen display. Apple Carplay and Android Auto all you to connect your smartphone to the Cruze seamlessly. Once connected drivers can access navigation information, listen to music, make hands-free calls and more. On board, built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi lets up to seven devices stay connected while on the go. Active safety technology, such as rear-view cameras and lane-keep assist help drivers stay more aware and confident on the road. The MyChevrolet mobile app lets drivers control their cars lock and unlock features and start their vehicle remotely. The app also lets drivers access information about their car like fuel levels and air tire pressure levels.
The 2018 Ford Focus really pulls ahead in its class when it comes to styling. Whether you choose a hatchback or a sedan body style, the exterior styling is impressive. The hatchback and the sedan are both available in 10 exterior colors, including bold options like Hot Pepper Red and Outrageous Green, or the more classic options like White Platinum and Shadow Black. With smooth, sculpted lines, Ford’s classic front grille styling, and stylishly shaped headlights give the 2018 Ford Focus a unique look for a compact car.
The Chevrolet Cruze lets drivers choose from 10 exterior colors with its exterior design. LED daytime running lamps and projector-beam headlamps pair with sculpted curves and a bold front styling to give the Chevrolet Cruze a stand-out look on the road. Drivers can choose to customize their Cruze with one of the available trim levels or go for the Redline series.
The 2018 Ford Focus gives drivers average cargo space for its compact size compared to others in its class. With folded seats, drivers can access 23 feet of cargo space with the seats up on the hatchback model. With rear seats folded into a 60/40 split the hatchback gives 44 cubic feet. Interior storage space is also on par with other compact cars in its class. Drivers and passengers will find cubby and organization space inside the vehicle ample enough to store everything that they need on the go.
The 2018 Chevrolet Cruze fairs well in the cargo and storage department despite its compact size. With the seats folded on the hatchback, the Cruze gives you 47 cubic feet of storage space. With the seats up, there are 25 cubic feet of space behind the last row. While the hatchback gives more cargo space in the trunk and behind the seats, the interior storage is a bit lacking. For those looking for a larger console and more small space organization drivers may want to opt for the 2018 Ford Focus instead.
The 2018 Ford Focus is a popular compact car option for families, and safety has a lot to do with that. Four of the Focus’ trim levels received the highest, five-star safety rating. Safety features include: a full suite of airbags with front, side, overhead, and knee protection, anti-lock brakes to help your Focus handle better under unstable road or weather conditions, stability control, which adjusts brake pressure and reduces engine power to allow drivers to have better control over their vehicle, front seat belt reminder alerts, child-seat LATCH system, rearview camera to assist in parking and reversing, along with a rear sensing system.
The 2018 Chevrolet Cruze also received a five-star safety rating for the NHTSA. And while the Cruze performs well on safety tests and gets good ratings, many of the active safety tech that give it such a good rating is only available on higher trim levels, making the price much higher than the starting MSRP at $16,975. For drivers looking for safety and value, this could be a drawback. Still, there are some nice safety options available on the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze, including:
A full suite of airbags is also available on the Chevrolet Cruze rounding out the compact car’s safety packages. There haven’t been any changes to the interior space for carry-on cargo on the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze, so the capacity for storage is the same as last year. The Cruze has user-friendly seat fold levers that allow drivers to fold seats in one movement, unlike many other cars in its class that require two separate steps to fold rear seats. Drivers who want a bit more storage space for their gear can choose the hatchback model that adds about an additional 11 cubic feet behind the rear seats.
*Images, fuel economy, and other stats, may reflect higher trim levels, options, or features that may result in a higher cost from the starting MSRP.
MSRP excludes tax, license, registration, additional options, and possible destination charges. Dealers set own prices.
