Used test: Ford Focus vs Skoda Scala vs Vauxhall Astra costs

Buying and owning

Costs, equipment, reliability, safety

Fuel economy will be a major consideration for budget-conscious families, and in our real-world tests, the Scala achieved the best figure: an impressive 56.6mpg. So, while you wouldn’t call the Focus and Astra thirsty (they managed 50.4mpg and 50.8mpg respectively), the Scala would cost around £500 less to fuel over three years than either at today’s prices.

Despite the fact that the Scala was the cheapest of the three to buy when new, it's actually significantly more expensive than either the Focus or Astra as a used buy now, because it holds its value better. The Astra was predicted to suffer the heaviest losses when new, so it could end up costing you more to own than the Scala, despite being the cheapest to buy now. 

The other benefit of going for the Scala is that it’s the best equipped, being the only car here that comes with climate control, keyless entry and rear parking sensors as standard.

All three cars come with automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance, while the Scala is the safest for adults in the event of a crash and the Focus the best at protecting children, according to Euro NCAP.

Skoda as a brand did well in the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, coming fifth out of 31 manufacturers. That's significantly higher than Ford (18th) and Vauxhall (a lowly 27th).

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