Thank you. I can see why people like to hang onto these for so long, you really would struggle to find a new car that ticks all the same boxes as one of these. My wife had the KA for several years and they also get under your skin.
@@markonmotoring Brilliant cars also. My wife had 2 KA's, the very first one she bought the month they came out. We loved those too. We did get an indicated 90mph out of the second one. She inherited the Puma, couldnt get her out of it.
Thank you. Yes I agree Ford were really on their game by the late 90's. My Wife had the Ka for several years in the early 2000's but we both enjoyed driving it equally.
Nice video Mark! I bought my puma 1.7 for £475 and struggled to sell it for the same despite having minimal rust, a fresh cambelt and less than 80000 miles! Not the case anymore, values are up. I'm not a ford fan, but the puma is one of the best cars ever and one of my favourite ever cars to drive. The whole package is perfect and we'll probably never see a car like the puma again! You're right about the gearshift! It's extraordinary. Got to miss rod gearshifts, cables just can't do the same. The pum was a brand, it was a movement. They through everything at it and it succeeded.
You didn't get much for under £500 now. The Puma is still a bargain though and you are right about never swung a car like it again. I think the same every time I drive the Mégane Coupe. We had the KA for several years and that also had great steering and practise gear change. I'm not a huge Ford fan either but they had a few good models at that time.
I nearly bought a Puma in 2006, ended up buying a Mark 1 Focus instead as I had always wanted a Focus after seeing them from Launch. One day I will get to drive a Puma. A excellent review Mark and been waiting for this one.
I thought you may have enjoyed this one. I'd say the Focus probably has the edge with its control blade rear suspension but the Puma is still an exciting drive, very much like the Ka but more refined and the 1.7 Zetec engine really suits this car.
Paul who owned this car also has another in the past and spent a lot of time sourcing this one. It seems once you've been bitten by the Puma you are hooked.
Great review Mark. A car from Fords purple patch of outstanding RPJ cars. I have always liked these and your review just reinforces my belief it’s probably one of the best small coupes ever designed. I must own one one of those days!
Ford were flying high by the end of the 90's and knocked it out of the park with the Puma. All the fun of a hot hatch and stylish too. I doubt there is anything on sale today at the equivalent price point that's this much fun.
Really good review, thanks Mark. I’ve never driven a Puma but would really like to - I _have_ driven a Ka though and that was a lot of fun, as you said.
Thanks Martin, I too had to wait a long time to drive a Puma. We owned a Ka for several years and I'd say the Puma feels similar but a little more refined and the steering a little less nervous at speed, it.sort of had that built in sneeze factor. The KA was great on really tight low speed turns but nervous at speed where the Puma feels more at home.
Yes it's one of the more memorable car ads. I remember being amazed at the time how they had managed to put the legend that is McQueen into a car some 16 years after his passing.
Such a tragedy that one of the best small coupes ever made had such terrible problems with rust.. I still think the Puma is better looking and better handling than the vast majority of modern cars, but finding a good one is getting tricky. Can you tell me: I've heard this story before about the later ones being made with thinner Russian steel - is there a good source for that rumour? I'm seriously considering buying another one, but sadly my previous 2001 model did just fall apart with corrosion 😬 . If the rumour is true I might limit myself to earlier ones...
I agree, it was a great era fir cars like this and the modern cars are nice where near as exciting. This particular bexamole is a later car but the body work was in great shape so they are still worth considering.
I've had a few cars in the past that have gone due to uneconomical repairs, only to have regretted it in the long run. I think the rust issues are pretty well known these days in the Puma and most owners have them in spite of the risk of corrosion. As you say they are great fun.
Presumably they thought that there wasn't a market for it over there. Small cars that are really good at going around corners work well in Europe but probably don't sell to the masses state side, well other than to a small group of enthusiastic drivers. Would have probably appealed to those who bought into cars like the Abarth in recent years or the Mini. It's certainly a lot smaller than a Focus or a Golf.
![Retro Coupe Roadtrip! [Ft. Honda CRX | Alfa Romeo GTV | Audi TT | Ford Puma]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dEE-xlhEUOo/mqdefault.jpg)
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
youtube.com/@markonmotoring?si=LZHgg4XOM7X-BRjd?sub_confirmatiom=1
I had my 1.7 for 21 years. Utterly reliable, went like stink, seated 4 and was the best car I have ever driven. Great review of a fantastic car.
Thank you.
I can see why people like to hang onto these for so long, you really would struggle to find a new car that ticks all the same boxes as one of these. My wife had the KA for several years and they also get under your skin.
@@markonmotoring Brilliant cars also. My wife had 2 KA's, the very first one she bought the month they came out. We loved those too. We did get an indicated 90mph out of the second one. She inherited the Puma, couldnt get her out of it.
Seriously cool car . Ford were on a roll in the 90’s , Richard Parry-Jones was a genius chassis engineer. Quality review Mark .
Thank you.
Yes I agree Ford were really on their game by the late 90's.
My Wife had the Ka for several years in the early 2000's but we both enjoyed driving it equally.
Nice video Mark! I bought my puma 1.7 for £475 and struggled to sell it for the same despite having minimal rust, a fresh cambelt and less than 80000 miles! Not the case anymore, values are up.
I'm not a ford fan, but the puma is one of the best cars ever and one of my favourite ever cars to drive. The whole package is perfect and we'll probably never see a car like the puma again!
You're right about the gearshift! It's extraordinary. Got to miss rod gearshifts, cables just can't do the same.
The pum was a brand, it was a movement. They through everything at it and it succeeded.
You didn't get much for under £500 now.
The Puma is still a bargain though and you are right about never swung a car like it again. I think the same every time I drive the Mégane Coupe.
We had the KA for several years and that also had great steering and practise gear change. I'm not a huge Ford fan either but they had a few good models at that time.
I nearly bought a Puma in 2006, ended up buying a Mark 1 Focus instead as I had always wanted a Focus after seeing them from Launch. One day I will get to drive a Puma.
A excellent review Mark and been waiting for this one.
I thought you may have enjoyed this one.
I'd say the Focus probably has the edge with its control blade rear suspension but the Puma is still an exciting drive, very much like the Ka but more refined and the 1.7 Zetec engine really suits this car.
Great review Mark, it sure brought back fantastic memories. Ours was in Gill’s name, but I borrowed it as often as I could!
Thanks.
Sounds like when my wife had the KA. I was always happy to take it out for a drive.
Had 4 1.7s from 99 onwards including FRP 441 with factory fitted LSD. X52 FLE. Still remember the registration.
Paul who owned this car also has another in the past and spent a lot of time sourcing this one. It seems once you've been bitten by the Puma you are hooked.
Great review Mark. A car from Fords purple patch of outstanding RPJ cars. I have always liked these and your review just reinforces my belief it’s probably one of the best small coupes ever designed. I must own one one of those days!
Ford were flying high by the end of the 90's and knocked it out of the park with the Puma. All the fun of a hot hatch and stylish too.
I doubt there is anything on sale today at the equivalent price point that's this much fun.
Really good review, thanks Mark. I’ve never driven a Puma but would really like to - I _have_ driven a Ka though and that was a lot of fun, as you said.
Thanks Martin,
I too had to wait a long time to drive a Puma.
We owned a Ka for several years and I'd say the Puma feels similar but a little more refined and the steering a little less nervous at speed, it.sort of had that built in sneeze factor. The KA was great on really tight low speed turns but nervous at speed where the Puma feels more at home.
Great review as usual Mark
Thank you.
As you know cars of this genre from that era are right up my street.
Great car, bet that wasn't filmed today Mark, 👍,
It was filmed a few months ago. I've had the odd event and seasonal video that I needed to get out first.
I have this car and it's best car I've ever driven so far
They are great fun.
These cars always did have a good reputation for how they drive. You could easily spend far more on a car that is less satisfying.
I remember the ad for the puma 😀.
Yes it's one of the more memorable car ads.
I remember being amazed at the time how they had managed to put the legend that is McQueen into a car some 16 years after his passing.
Great video
Thank you.
I enjoyed filming this one.
Such a tragedy that one of the best small coupes ever made had such terrible problems with rust.. I still think the Puma is better looking and better handling than the vast majority of modern cars, but finding a good one is getting tricky.
Can you tell me: I've heard this story before about the later ones being made with thinner Russian steel - is there a good source for that rumour? I'm seriously considering buying another one, but sadly my previous 2001 model did just fall apart with corrosion 😬 . If the rumour is true I might limit myself to earlier ones...
I agree, it was a great era fir cars like this and the modern cars are nice where near as exciting.
This particular bexamole is a later car but the body work was in great shape so they are still worth considering.
I had one and regret selling it, should have just repaired the rust as it the mini that replaced it just wasn't as fun to drive and not as practical.
I've had a few cars in the past that have gone due to uneconomical repairs, only to have regretted it in the long run.
I think the rust issues are pretty well known these days in the Puma and most owners have them in spite of the risk of corrosion. As you say they are great fun.
Why those boneheads at Ford never brought this to N.America I will never know.
Presumably they thought that there wasn't a market for it over there. Small cars that are really good at going around corners work well in Europe but probably don't sell to the masses state side, well other than to a small group of enthusiastic drivers. Would have probably appealed to those who bought into cars like the Abarth in recent years or the Mini.
It's certainly a lot smaller than a Focus or a Golf.
@@markonmotoring Thanks! In my mind it would be an ideal city car.
It would be equally at home in the city but really shines on tight, twisty roads.