Hello Shane,

The Focus should be worth about €15,000, from which you’ll have to deduct a few thousand Euro for a trade-in price. Nevertheless, that gives you a good chunk to put towards something new. In terms of C-segment hatchbacks, the Volkswagen Group’s quartet of cars are all due for replacement soon, so factor that into your thinking. French cars in the class are also not that new, although the Peugeot 308 is handsome and the Renault Megane is striking, if you value good looks. That means there are a couple of newer – or incoming – machines to consider: the Honda Civic Mk10, the Ford Focus Mk4 (the model that replaced your version) and the inbound Toyota Corolla. We’d recommend these, first and foremost.