Used Ford Puma cars for sale

Ford Puma buying guide

About the Ford Puma

Once a pretty coupe in the 1990s, the Ford Puma has grown up into a small SUV to rival the Renault Captur and Nissan Juke. Reusing the name irked Ford enthusiasts, but there’s definitely a method to the madness. Both were based on the Ford Fiesta and offer plenty of real-world driving thrills and, if you squint, some of the styling details of the Puma SUV pay homage to its predecessor.

Transitioning to an SUV means the modern-day Puma is a lot more spacious than the 1997 version, with five doors giving way to good amounts of interior room. Of course, the interior also features two decades’ worth of technological improvement, and fuel economy is better too.

What versions of the Ford Puma are there?

The Puma is a five-door hatchback with a sporty feel. If you want to go faster, there’s the Ford Puma ST, with a sprinkling of magic from Ford's Performance division.

Entry-level cars come in well-equipped Titanium trim or you can pick the ST-Line, with sportier looks. There's also the ST-Line X with a few choice extras. Above that is ST-Line Vignale, which gets all the bells and whistles. The Ford Puma ST is a standalone model, as it comes with a more powerful engine and go-faster upgrades.

What features does the Ford Puma have?

If you’ve been in a modern Ford Fiesta, Focus or even Kuga, the Puma’s interior will be instantly familiar – it’s pretty much the same as Ford’s other hatchbacks and SUVs. That means you get an eight-inch touchscreen protruding from the dashboard, a climate control panel below some chrome-lined air vents, and a steering wheel stuffed with buttons.

Even if you’ve never experienced a Ford, the Puma’s interior is very easy to use. You twirl a dial to turn the temperature up or down, the steering wheel controls are well-marked and there aren’t any ergonomic surprises. That’ll come in handy on tired journeys home from the office.

Like the rest of the interior, the touchscreen favours user-friendliness over pin-sharp graphics and lots of design flair. The icons at the bottom of the display are big – and easy to prod while you’re driving – and you won’t get lost in lots of submenus. It can be a little hard to find your favourite radio stations, but you can always use the voice control function instead. As mentioned, all Pumas come with sat nav and smartphone mirroring, so you can choose to use your phone’s apps if you prefer.

Being so heavily based on the Fiesta, the Puma’s materials are generally a good standard, with harder, scratchier plastics mostly kept down low. The manual gear lever is a particular highlight, while high-spec cars also get some carbon-effect dashboard trim and even a leather-wrapped binnacle cover.

Ford Puma engine range explained

Indecisive? You’ll be pleased to hear that the standard Ford Puma only comes with a 1.0-litre petrol engine. Most have a small electric motor to assist the petrol engine, hence the ‘hybrid’ badge on the boot lid. Meanwhile, the Puma ST uses a fiery 1.5-litre petrol engine for exciting performance.

(Most popular!) Ford Puma 1.0 EcoBoost petrol

Ford’s familiar 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is the sole option for most Puma trim levels. You can opt for 125hp or 155hp versions of this engine, with 0-62mph being dispatched in 10 and nine seconds respectively. There’s not a lot of difference in how they feel, so we wouldn’t get too hung up on which one is best. Both come with a slick six-speed manual gearbox. More recent models include mild-hybrid tech and an automatic gearbox is optionally available.

Ford Puma ST 1.5 EcoBoost petrol

The 1.5-litre, 200hp petrol engine under the bonnet of the Ford Puma ST is a firecracker. It’s revvy and eager, with a speedy 0-62mph time of just 6.7 seconds. But the Puma ST is a hot SUV that doesn’t require you to spend half your time at a petrol station. One of the engine’s three cylinders can shut down at cruising speed to save fuel, and 40mpg is achievable if you resist the urge to put your foot down.

Is the Ford Puma a good car?

The Ford Puma is a good car but it needs to be – there are loads of small SUV rivals, each with their own talents and skills. Thankfully, the Puma stands out for its superb handling, which places it as the one of the most agile and entertaining cars in the class. It's reasonably comfy, too, with the sporty setup having a minimal impact on overall ride quality. Rear-seat space is only average for the class, and rear visibility is lacklustre, but it has one of the largest boots in the class thanks to its vast under-floor storage. Get a more complete picture by reading our full Ford Puma review.