1999 Ford Puma 1.7 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Fun for one, but not really for a family

Faults:

Indicators not cancelling.

Knocking from rear over bumps (needs investigating).

Steering wheel peeling.

Rust on rear arches (common).

General Comments:

Not had this car long, but always liked the shape. As soon as I got it, though, the elusive Puma started to appear everywhere.

This car is quick and handles very well. It is a joy to drive and turns heads.

Lack of vision around the 'A' pillar and a few blind spots, which are not covered by the small mirrors, but hey, this is a coupe after all.

Expensive to tax, but the upside is 280 miles per tank (£40), which gives an average of 43 MPG, no matter how it is driven.

The rear seats are for a child, however a small adult will fit in quite comfortably as long as they are not too tall.

All controls are to hand and has lots of toys, which you don't normally get with Ford, like heated screens!

As long as you don't open boot lid too far when wet, everything will stay dry, otherwise the water pours in.

Make sure you keep an eye on the oil level, as mine was very low when I got it, and this affected the cam/valve timing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th July, 2012

1999 Ford Puma Racing 1.7 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Future classic, amazing drive, ignore the lack of power

Faults:

Nothing I wasn't expecting. I have rebuilt the front brake calipers because of advice I was given, although it turned out it wasn't necessary. I've bought a third car for day to day use to keep this nice (my other car's a 70's TVR).

The only things that don't seem to work intermittently are the radio (reception's poor) and the rear wiper (which works perfectly sometimes, but gives up on others).

General Comments:

The brakes and handling are amazing, it's not very powerful, but it's very enjoyable getting the most from the engine.

It drives very much like a slow Porsche 911 GT3 (I've worked for Porsche for 8 years). The down side of this is that the ride is much worse than a GT3 (on uprated RPJ dampers); everyone who's been a passenger in it has complained about the damping, and the fact that although it can take corners and brake faster than almost anything, it is no where near as fast as my old VAG 1.8t was in a straight line.

I intended to use this as my only car, but due to the ride and rarity of the car, I'm after a Fiesta/106/Micra to use during the winter.

The main thing this has above all the other performance cars you'd spend 6k+ on, is that it's incredibly focused on handling/braking, and it is very rare. I love mine, even though it's not very fast.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th October, 2011

26th Aug 2022, 15:09

Nice review, these were fun cars.

1999 Ford Puma 1.7 16v vct from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good fun, a real animal

Faults:

The brakes are very poor, considering the engine size.

Very small, offers very little room for passengers.

Very back-end-happy, this may be due to the fact that the back sits higher-up.

Headlights are very poor.

Many blind spots-visibility is poor.

Leather steering wheel deteriorating.

Rust on the arches.

Interior very poor and basic.

Parcel shelf sits in the boot, as it's constantly falling of the hooks.

General Comments:

This car is fast, responsive and accelerates with ease.

A lovely natural noise.

Very stylish and sophisticated looking car.

Not very child/passenger friendly.

A very smooth silent ride.

Elegant looking head lights.

Comfortable seats.

Not good handling at high speeds.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th September, 2008

31st Oct 2008, 17:37

It sounds to me as if your rear shock absorbers are worn or you have crap tyres. That would explain the poor handling at speed and "Loose" rear end.

1999 Ford Puma 1.7i VCT 16v from Slovenia

Summary:

Small, sporty and very reliable car

Faults:

Just a minor failure of the left handle of the lamp switch and a little bit of rust at the back mudguard, otherwise, absolutely nothing.

General Comments:

This car was truly amazing.

It was a reliable, small, sporty car, enough for me and my girlfriend.

Except the regular service checks and the necessary materials, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the car. Maintainance costs were low, as a major parts are taken from the sister Fiesta.

The exterior appearance is form me still eye-catching, especially with the front cat pupils-like lamps and small bulky rear part.

The interior was OK, though not so ergonomically like in my former car (Citroen), but function-able.

The true gem of the car is its engine, love to drove it at high revs and also at low there was enough torque.

Steering was very precise and at the tight corners it was unbeatable.

It was worth buying it and could absolutely not be compared with Opel (Vauxhall) Tigra.

If you hesitate to buy, just check if the car was maintained regularly.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th June, 2008