The trouble with auto writers is that they place little attention on reliability. I made the mistake (well, partially) with buying a 1998 Ford Contour SE V6. From a driving perspective, it was a great car but still a Ford no less, which meant it was in the dealer monthly to fix some problem or another (often the same problems) or on recall. So now I drive an Accord, a more boring vehicle on the road but many times easier to own and operate without stress.
With the amount of recalls seen by the Focus, including the most recent one for SVT, I would not buy one. It's not worth the hassle of ownership. Out of the three, I'd have to pick the staid but predictable Civic Si.