2001 Ford Puma Storm review from UK and Ireland

Severe stone chipping on bonnet.

Rattles in both doors. Drivers side window does not shut properly and unaligns itself.

Rear parcel shelf keeps coming loose, water enters boot when opened after a bout of rain.

Passenger seat rattles if there is no passenger sat in it.

This car is near perfect, but flawed. The paint finish is to be scorned, stone chips appear so easily I dare not drive on an unfinished road surface.

Inside space is quite tight, I'm 6' 2" and can barely squeeze into the seats, but once I'm in the legroom is OK. I just wish the back of my head would reach the headrest and that the steering wheel was adjustable for height. But the funny thing is you can ignore this because the handling is superb. Long journeys are OK, but not recommended. Forget the back seats, this is a coupe. The boot is useful, but useless in the wet, all your shopping gets sodden.

The interior has some nice touches, but interior quality is substandard. The materials are very cheap and phantom rattles can be heard all over the car.

The Puma has sold on it's reputation of great handling, superb engine response, and lighting reactions to driver input. On all these points I agree wholeheartedly. The gearshift is brilliant and the way you can chuck it through bends is awe inspiring. But I get the feeling I should have bought a VW Golf which though is inferior in the handling stakes and ultimate driver fulfillment, it has a more powerful engine and is better screwed together. And one more thing the dealerships should concentrate on helping their customers, not just try to palm them off.