Who remembers Tiff Needell front wheel drifting a Puma on Top Gear in the 90s and changing gear mid drift with Clarkson in the front seat and Quentin in the back getting thrown all over the place. Great Tv !
Good video Ian. Thank you. I have recently finished a complete restoration of my Puma 1.7. This was done because of the emotional attachment rather than for any financial reasons. I took on the car after my daughter had owned it and used it for work to avoid using my bigger cat, a Jaguar S Type. There is a problem though, it does bring out the boy racer in this 72 year old! I do remember once getting wheel spin at 5000rpm!! The Jaguar is for long distance comfort. The Puma is for short, fun trips and to take to shows. It is a keeper to be passed back to my daughter when I “peg it”!
A very underrated car. We used to have them as company cars at Jlr and they were a hoot to drive, esp the 1.7. Aside from the rear rust (check this out very carefully if you’re buying) it’s a bargain at the moment but prices will rise soon as the good ones all disappear - great vid :)
Little known wiper fact - these had variable intermittent. You basically switched it on for one wipe then waited for the required interval before switching it on again. It then remembered the interval you’d set until you turned it off. It truly paid to read the manual for this car!
Yamaha did most of Toyota's Twin Cam Heads from the 18RG,3TGEU, all the 4AGE,1JZ,2JZ,3GSE,3GSE BEAMS, and on and on through they have got away from 5 valve heads which is a Yamaha Staple and focused on variable cams. Hub Nut on the limiter great stuff keep it up.
@Alfred Wedmore I have not heard about Triumph using Yamaha tech - plenty of talk of the early fours and triples being based on the '80s Kawasaki unit.
@Alfred Wedmore are you referring to the XS750 / 850 ? The Triumph is nothing like it. Just not at all. How about looking at the Kawa GPz liquid cooled four valve fours of the mid '80s. I have not heard any suggestion that eithe Japanese company acted as a consultant to Triumph, rather that they had a good look at current designs and then it was done in the UK.
I would say that Yamaha's brilliance at engine design is absolutely because of the fact they make musical instruments...in particular because the also make woodwind instruments so they have a deep understanding of airflow and resonance. As others have pointed out, they have been working with many manufacturers for years. The American Ford Taurus SHO had a Yamaha designed engine.
I once had a Fiesta (around the same era as the Puma) with the 1.25 Zetec engine, also Yamaha developed I believe, and it was the sweetest, smoothest engine I've ever driven. The car rode and handled as well as anyone could wish for a small, cheap runabout hatchback. We have many things Ford that we can thank Richard Parry-Jones for...
I had three Pumas and absolutely loved them ( lucky my dad worked for Ford ) , stuck to the road like glue , great fun to drive the only downside was the less than a candle headlights 😂 however as you mentioned the gear stick did require the addition of a “kn*b sock” as they got pretty hot in summer too !
I remember having to tow one out of a ditch with my L400 after the driver went way too fast along a country lane! Evidently not too gluey! Shame, he'd smashed up the front, it was a pearler.
@@monkehbitch as mentioned by Mr H it was / is obligatory to drive them like a complete hooligan but a wise hooligan chooses his / her moments and roads 😎 still wish I’d hung on to my last one …
@@cazridley5822 Of course - we all regret getting rid of that one car. I'm sure though, that there would be quite a bit of welding for the mot each year!
There’s so much to like here! As a Fiesta ST owner, I very much enjoy sporty hatches, and this one ticks all the boxes. Another excellent episode, thanks!
My car averaged 25mpg. Nothing was broken on it, I just drove it flat out, everywhere, because it lapped it up. Apparently they could do 40 on a run.... Never saw that!
I was a ford technician was these were out..cracking motors but as the suspension was straight from the fiesta it suffered with the normal lower arms bushes and anti roll bar bushes wearing out in no time.
@@mexodroid1848 my sister had it in her 1997 fiesta. Given its weight at the time, it absolutely flew. And was such a nice soundtrack compared to its larger 1.3 sewing machine equivalent. It's like it was meant to be!
I remember wanting one as an 18 year old during my apprenticeship, but it was way out of my price range back then. The fantastic TV add with Steve McQueen parking it next to his Mustang and motorcycle in his garage in San Francisco didn't exactly reduce my yearning for one either..😅 I'm 41 now and I'm gonna buy one.
I work colleague lent me his a few times when he needed my larger car for the weekend. The most fun in small car EVER. He said it was a hooligan car - and so true, you start a journey with good intentions, you very soon start driving quickly, taking corners hard, overtaking at every opportunity and Erving that amazing engine to the limit. Thanks for the excellent review and good to see you also got that hooligan feel!
That gear knob is awesome, a friend of mine has one in a mk6 Escort Si, and is just wonderful, cold and heavy and very comfortable. (He also has original cossie wheels, so very sporty indeed 😅)
Great video. I love my Puma for all of the reasons that you mentioned. I owned a mk1 Mx5 at the same time as my first Puma and the Puma’s handling was so superior to the Mx5 that I sold the mx5 soon after. I currently have a TVR Chimaera which prefers smoother roads and is great for relaxed pottering. The Puma is there for fun down country roads.
I drive a MK2 MX 5 back to back with my Puma and I wondered what all the fuss was about. Ok, the steering was a bit cleaner but the engine was dull as dishwater and the handling wasn't nearly as sharp. Currently got an E46 330i and while it's a different car to the Puma, I'm still not convinced it drives better in the real world....!
I very nearly bought one when they came out but Mrs Sensible, whom I dearly love, decided that we should have a Peugeot 406 2.0 Turbo Executive instead and ultimately, I think she was right.
Great review of a fantastic car. I have had mine now for 20 years from new, kept in garage, rust minimal. The cheap plasticky interior looks new and rock solid. I am over average height and I have travelled miles in the back (and I am a pensioner!), no problem. The most flexible engine/gearbox combination ever, this car dances around roundabouts and I couldn't think of too many cars, Lotus Elise apart that could see it off on a twisty B road. Apart from a bit of rust fixed twice now, tyres and exhausts, wipers and such the car has only had a fuel pump replacement, and two glove box hinges in its whole life, it is on about 80K miles now, it has toured around France, so not just a shopping trolley. Great review, you have done justice to most aspects of the car, but I think the interior is a classic of its time and fully functional. The heater works like a train, by the way, I twiddle the heater controls and use the aircon for 1 hour a week, every week for all the time I have owned it, never regassed. Is this really a Ford?
Similar to me. Brought a brand new one in 2001 and kept it as my daily driver for 20 years then sold it when the whole thing just rotted away. Never let me down. I just had to reguarly replace the front heated screen switch as it would burn out, but fantastic car in every way. Apart from headlights and brakes.
Great video, thanks Ian!! I bought a puma 1.6 new in 2002, kept it for 14 years, as it was so much fun! (they replaced the 1.4 90bhp, with the 1.6 103bhp, in year 2000, as the 1.4 wouldn't meet the new emissions standards without down tuning it to 80 bhp,as in fiesta,fusion and focus) Also, mine had the slickest gearbox of any car i've ever owned, it was a great car!
Got one of these for my son, it is an Amparo-bleu one. Differences are the car has been lowered, fatter wheels, and he has the full Recaro interior (in dark blue a with blue stripes) and a rear spoiler. Also, we fitted an MP3 solution for the radio (it thinks it has a CD changer, but in fact that is a 6-map-MPO# stack). And yes the LHD ones have great brake feel.
Yey! A car I actually owned on hubnut, I loved my puma, I had the heater valve problem and the rear arches, but what a great car. I had the 1.7 and on a back road there was little that could keep up, only I found the brakes were perhaps a little small? They used to burn out a bit quickly…but I’m now going on eBay!
Two friends of mine had a Puma 1.7, despite the design faults (like, don't open the rear hatch when it rains) they loved the cars. Unfortunately the cars succumbed to rust. But every time when they come across one, they're tempted to buy.
Great video as always. A real blast to drive, keep on top of the rust and you'll have fun for years! How about a drive of the Puma's big brother, the Cougar? I've not seen one for years. Thanks for the memories, Ian.
I think the best way to get past the 'girly tarted up shopping trolley' reputation of these cars is to remember that Evo magazine considered the Honda Integra Type R the very best handling front wheel drive car ever made. And they considered the Puma a close second. I had the one in my profile pic (a millennium - eye searing paint, all the toys, genuinely excellent recaros that make the standard seats feel terrible by comparison) for five years and fifty thousand miles, doing everything from 300 mile motorway runs (where those recaros proved their worth) to fifty miles each way back road commutes that were hilarious from start to finish. The only reason I don't have it now, is rust. It kills them, and it kills them fast One of the few cars I genuinely miss, and if I come into a decent sum of disposable money, one of the only cars I'd consider buying, cleaning up properly, and keeping long term for myself.
I had a 2001 1.7 zetec s. I still my favourite car to drive till this day. I remember feeling like I was in a go cart and had so much fun in it. Shame it had to go to scrap in the end..
Such a shame about the endemic rust problems, this car has the best smiles per mile of any car I've owned. Great video - the other side of that metal gear knob getting cold in the winter was that in the summer you'd end up getting your palm branded if you parked in the sun.
Thanks for a great vid, Ian. Our 1.7 does have tremendous brakes and I would say that the ride is very good, so maybe yours was a little tired in that area. An absolutely storming car, £500 right now with MoT, but the rot is catastrophic. Done the sills, seatbelt mounts, rear subframe, on ours and the wheel arches are the next project. They will be a classic.
I’ve always been a sporty Ford fan. I’ve had 4x of these 1.7 pumas over the years. For a long time I kept on about these being the most fun you could have for the money. Sadly rust has taken most of them and a good one can no longer be found for bargain basement money. In fact they are probably good contenders for low level investment as the numbers are only going to get smaller. I found them brilliant driving cars and fairly easy to provoke into lift off oversteer. Great B road fun
Thanks for the memories. We had a Red X reg Puma with cloth seats, which were too small for me, and gave me back ache. Still I really did love the little Puma, with it's short shift gear change.
I always fancied one of these. I think it's just finding a good one now that's quite difficult due to rot etc. I don't think they should have used the same name on the new one. Bit of a travesty on what is just another bit of white goods.
Always liked them. Fond memories of playing Colin McRae rallye 3 on PStation 2. In career mode it was of course with the Focus but in freeplay, you had all sorts of cars reflecting the participating WRC cars just as the Fiat Punto, MG 45 in racetrim, Lancer, Puma and Xsara. I miss those times.
Sadly we never got this in the US! Styling from the rear reminds me of the Mazda MX-3, interior definitely Ford Focus. I noticed while you were driving steering input was quick and exact; you did not move the steering wheel in order to navigate corners, nice! And yes, Yamaha did help build and engineer Ford Taurus SHO engines and made that model covetable; first for the V6, and then for 1989 until around 1998 SHO production, 32 valve V8. A very nice modern classic. And no one can say that you dislike Ford!
I have the same color but -99 Puma. Insanely good car, I absolutely love it. I used to have -98 puma too but someone crashed into it. It was a huge blow for me
Owned one for 2 years. Boot and rear seats folded were big enough to get a mountain bike in the back (I'm 6ft 4) Engine was bulletproof. Stuck heater valve issue was resolved with buying revised version from Ford directly. (Afermarket version fails very quickly) Rust was the major killer.
Never driven a Puma but have once driven the MK1 focus and we owned a 2004 Ka for several years. They all drive very well and rust in pretty much the same place. The Ka also had a very snickerty gearshift and heavy ish steering. I did ride in the back of a Puma as a teenager at launch. No headroom back there so my dad stuck with the Mégane Coupe he had bought in 1996. He did say the Puma drove very well though.
My wife had one before I met her, she drove it from Kent to Helsinki in 24 hours (she did get some rest during the ferry crossings!); she would never be accused of driving too slowly!
Must be a great pleasure to drive this car. In Germany we don't find it very often. Thank for that very interesting road test. The car sounds great. The video really makes you feel sitting next to you. Fantastic!
Thanks for the memories. I've had 2 pumas and regularly drove them on roads like in your video, albeit in Ireland. First was a 1.4, second was a 1.7. The 1.4 was by no means a bad car, it handled just as well as the 1.7 and you could you ALL of the power , ALL of the time. But the 1.7 was obviously better, sounded so much better. I recall reading in an article when it was launched that the intake plenum was tuned to sound like an Alfasud. Rust tho.... When I sold the 1.7 it was only 6 years old and the arches were already bubbling and Ireland doesn't salt the roads anything like as much as the UK.
Hi! I consider Puma as my first car, do you think it is a good idea? Everyone are trying to talk me out of it as it's an old car, but I just really love the way it looks and I've read a lot of good reviews on it. The Puma I want to but is 1.4; 1998. It's in good condition compared to the others and for a good price. Although I can buy something more "reliable" as everyone says for that price :(
I had a 1.7 V reg and it was quite possibly one of the most entertaining cars I’ve ever had out of nearly 30 years of driving. Visibility was rubbish and the rear parcel shelf was a pain in the bum but boy was a gear change, what handling, the steering was perfect. You are right about the aluminium gear knob, it’s too cold so I swapped it out for a Momo round perforated leather gear knob which was perfect. I still have the aluminium knob. My eldest son has it in his box of precious stuff.
I had one of these. It was the “black” addition. Loved it. fitted a Milltek exhaust and power flex suspension bushes. Ran it until rust killed it. Great driving car.
A scout leader in a group I was part of for a long time only ever had Fords. He had one of these for a bit and the only thing he complained about was the small fuel tank
It looked absolute awesome, like some futuristic car or UFO hoovering over the streets with undercar lighting, but the technical problems I had with this car were insane. Every year the dampers, stabilizer bar and front wheel bearings were damaged and had to be exchanged. After two years the hydraulic valve lifters and the camshaft became very loud, and after three years the crankshaft bearing and parts of the electric (the reverse gear lights and the high beams failed - but not the light bulbs it was the electric circuits). The clutch completely slipped after buying, a new clutch was build in - and guess what even the NEW clutch started to slip again after TWO!!! years. Phew... The only thing that was not breaking apart, failing somehow more or less, or rusting after the third year were the LED lights I soldered behind the heating panel and the speedometer gauge, the airbrushed interior parts, and the seats. Aw..... you don´t know any of these problems if you drive Mercedes ;) I recommend a Puma only for letting it stay inside the garage to look good for the neighbours, otherwise if you try to use it daily it will fail and fall apart literally everywhere just by simply driving it carefully :D But it was cool seeing my old problem-car again on UA-cam, none of these classic Pumas can be seen around anywhere. The last one I have seen was ten years ago or so. And I think I know why, these were build in 1997 till 2002 or so - but unfortunately these cars were not built to last. P.S. This Ford Audiosystem 5000 or 6000 or whatever it was called - was only able to cope with Metallica, Scooter, Disturbed and other good bands from that era for one year! The woofers failed after only one year. How old is your video, uploaded one year ago... well I give you a second year with that Puma until a never-ending array of technical problems will start ;)
The zetec engines are super bullet proof aswell. Every morning in the winter I used to redline mine from cold and it never skipped a beat. Get nice warm heaters quick though.
An ex-colleague of mine had a green one with the same engine. It was certainly quicker than my BMW E39 520i at the time. Thanks for another excellent review, Ian!
My Son had a 1.6 Puma. It was a wonderful drive , great gearshift and I thought that the brakes were powerful enough. Sadly it had to be scrapped but he did keep the metal gear knob. A real faf changing headlight bulbs.
I had a very late escort with that engine and it was SO fast! I was constantly astonished how rapid it was. Got 128mph out of it on the A20 very early one Sunday morning.
Great video Ian, can you do a review if possible of a 90s Ford Cougar and the Ford Probe it would be interesting to see the difference of roughly the same time period of the 1990s. Just a thought.😁👍
When I think of cutesy shopping trolley the Smart Roadster always comes to mind. I've never driven one myself but I would imagine it's the epitome of power; less is more and possibly a lot of fun on a b-road. Ever driven one Ian?
Amazing! Thank you HubNut for the video! Used to have a 1.7 in Green. Loved every minute of it. Had the issue with the heater valve sticking and the usual rust, but regret getting rid of it :(. The gear box was a dream to use! Nothing comes close nowadays unfortunately. Not too sure how true this is, but some of the later models were torque limited in 1st and 2nd I believe? Those blue and green wires with the connectors at the back of the engine @ 2:15 is meant to be what limits it?
My first car was a 1.7 Puma. Still perhaps the best car I've ever had. Sold it to a hairdresser who'd just passed her test and she wrote it off the same day! I miss you R958 GJN :(
If I was going to have a useable "modern classic" for myself that still felt relatively safe (airbags etc) but was fun and didn't cost a fortune, I think I'd find it hard to look past one of these.
Never as popular as perhaps they should've been, never particularly common and now they're becoming a rare sight. Shame, they do look indecently good fun!
The whole dashboard, rear arch rust, broken heater control valve, and non-existent lumbar support take me back to my Mk4 Fiesta, but this certainly isn't the 1.3 Endura-E bag of nails! Looks like a lot of fun!
I had a Puma 1.7 Many years back and i loved it, until the rust took hold. The dead brakes could well just be the pads, someone might have fitted some fast road/semi track pads which need warming up before they would bite. The standard brakes should be more than adequate for the cars performance on the road.
Great review of a fun little car. Ford have sometimes produced very entertaining little cars, not as comfortable as most French ones but good to fling around.
A well known industrialist did a lot of research into the state of British foundries years back and came to the conclusion that some bit the dust because the Spanish Government subsidised their foundries and they simply could not compete. I mention this because you referred to the block being cast in Spain.
One of the reasons I bought my 1.4L Mk4 Fiesta S in 1997 was the new techology in the Yamaha Zetec engine. It had plenty of umpty, but had horrible economy - barely 30mpg. And that was with me driving cautiously. I should've got the 1.25L that I test drove instead. I can't imagine this 1.7L getting much above 25mpg, especially with "enthusiastic" driving. (Good review, btw!)
That dash takes me back to my mum's 2001 Fiesta Black edition, similar leather seats. 1.25 zetec was great, not quick but incredible steering feel. I don't even think my Renaultsport Megane's steering tops the feel of that Fiesta. Always therefore wanted to drive a Puma. Cracking car. Ford were on a roll back then
Wanted a racing puma when they first came out but couldn't afford the near 23 grand. Missed a chance to buy one fir 4 grand about 10 years ago. They are very rare now.
Always fancied a Puma : you’ve confirmed what a great car I missed. I did have a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec with same dash (I liked the white dials) Freestyle run out model. Firm ride but great fun on corners. Anyone remember the advert with Steve McQueen with Bullitt soundtrack?
Had one in the 00s when they were nearly new. Probably the best handling car I've owned in 20+ years of driving. I didn't rate the engine unlike most of the other comments and the reviewer, just thinking how amazing it would be with a Honda B18 engine in it; similar power delivery but with real punch... Of course you can argue the 1.7 Puma was the perfect all round package, not "too" fast and designed to be the perfect sweet balance of all things but it did need more horses once you got used to the car. A mild modernisation with rear discs, a 6 speed gearbox and more power would be a very interesting prospect. Rear arches were a mess even after a few years of ownership and with the car being garaged. Ford though it was clever to line the arches with felt, of course that trapped water and caused rust from the inside out... Was just a Fiesta Coupe on paper but was so much more to drive.
Who remembers Tiff Needell front wheel drifting a Puma on Top Gear in the 90s and changing gear mid drift with Clarkson in the front seat and Quentin in the back getting thrown all over the place. Great Tv !
Quentin kept saying “I’m going to be sick” if I remember correctly. They were a great trio long before Clarkson teamed up with Hammond and May .
ua-cam.com/video/R3QuH7z1Z1o/v-deo.html that should be it. Captain off
I seem to recall they were squealing with joy.
Top gear at it's best as it focused on the technical side of cars as well as been entertaining
Still remember the great Steve McQueen advert, like the Racing version - flared arches made it very purposeful.
This one ua-cam.com/video/KaP4Ns-ILzo/v-deo.html
Good video Ian. Thank you.
I have recently finished a complete restoration of my Puma 1.7. This was done because of the emotional attachment rather than for any financial reasons.
I took on the car after my daughter had owned it and used it for work to avoid using my bigger cat, a Jaguar S Type.
There is a problem though, it does bring out the boy racer in this 72 year old! I do remember once getting wheel spin at 5000rpm!!
The Jaguar is for long distance comfort. The Puma is for short, fun trips and to take to shows.
It is a keeper to be passed back to my daughter when I “peg it”!
A very underrated car. We used to have them as company cars at Jlr and they were a hoot to drive, esp the 1.7. Aside from the rear rust (check this out very carefully if you’re buying) it’s a bargain at the moment but prices will rise soon as the good ones all disappear - great vid :)
Little known wiper fact - these had variable intermittent. You basically switched it on for one wipe then waited for the required interval before switching it on again. It then remembered the interval you’d set until you turned it off. It truly paid to read the manual for this car!
Yamaha did most of Toyota's Twin Cam Heads from the 18RG,3TGEU, all the 4AGE,1JZ,2JZ,3GSE,3GSE BEAMS, and on and on through they have got away from 5 valve heads which is a Yamaha Staple and focused on variable cams. Hub Nut on the limiter great stuff keep it up.
@Alfred Wedmore I have not heard about Triumph using Yamaha tech - plenty of talk of the early fours and triples being based on the '80s Kawasaki unit.
@Alfred Wedmore are you referring to the XS750 / 850 ? The Triumph is nothing like it. Just not at all.
How about looking at the Kawa GPz liquid cooled four valve fours of the mid '80s. I have not heard any suggestion that eithe Japanese company acted as a consultant to Triumph, rather that they had a good look at current designs and then it was done in the UK.
You're really getting into your Henry's these days. Good to see.
I read that twice, thought it was a euphemism first time.
I would say that Yamaha's brilliance at engine design is absolutely because of the fact they make musical instruments...in particular because the also make woodwind instruments so they have a deep understanding of airflow and resonance. As others have pointed out, they have been working with many manufacturers for years. The American Ford Taurus SHO had a Yamaha designed engine.
Absolutely! First two SHO models had the 24 valve V6, 1996 they had the Yamaha 32 valve V8.
@@CandyMan2001 Incorrect. Have a look at their logo. Crossed tuning forks.
I hope you get the opportunity to review the Ford cougar coupe.
I once had a Fiesta (around the same era as the Puma) with the 1.25 Zetec engine, also Yamaha developed I believe, and it was the sweetest, smoothest engine I've ever driven. The car rode and handled as well as anyone could wish for a small, cheap runabout hatchback. We have many things Ford that we can thank Richard Parry-Jones for...
I had a 1.25 Ghia Fiesta of the same era, I loved that engine, I've not experienced anything as smooth and willing since.
Love the Puma, and drove a Racing Puma for a few weeks when I worked for a Ford dealer, an immensely special car to look at and drive.
A guy I worked with had one of these and he very kindly let me have a go of it. I wasn't disappointed. Great cars
I had three Pumas and absolutely loved them ( lucky my dad worked for Ford ) , stuck to the road like glue , great fun to drive the only downside was the less than a candle headlights 😂 however as you mentioned the gear stick did require the addition of a “kn*b sock” as they got pretty hot in summer too !
I remember having to tow one out of a ditch with my L400 after the driver went way too fast along a country lane! Evidently not too gluey! Shame, he'd smashed up the front, it was a pearler.
@@monkehbitch as mentioned by Mr H it was / is obligatory to drive them like a complete hooligan but a wise hooligan chooses his / her moments and roads 😎 still wish I’d hung on to my last one …
Gloves required all year!
@@cazridley5822 Of course - we all regret getting rid of that one car. I'm sure though, that there would be quite a bit of welding for the mot each year!
The Steve McQueen Bullitt ad for these was fantastic.
Hi Ian. An absolutely fantastic roadtest. My late mum had one of these and it was a total blast. Thankyou great memories with that one.
I had a 1998 Fiesta Van. That Puma interior looks very like the interior of my little van.
There’s so much to like here! As a Fiesta ST owner, I very much enjoy sporty hatches, and this one ticks all the boxes. Another excellent episode, thanks!
I had R reg 1.7 with the propeller alloys ,absolutely loved it ,so much fun but still really economical on fuel .
My car averaged 25mpg. Nothing was broken on it, I just drove it flat out, everywhere, because it lapped it up. Apparently they could do 40 on a run.... Never saw that!
Big moan of these back in the day was that on a rainy day with the boot open, the shape of the rear hatch would pour water onto the back seats.
I was a ford technician was these were out..cracking motors but as the suspension was straight from the fiesta it suffered with the normal lower arms bushes and anti roll bar bushes wearing out in no time.
Yammy engines are brilliant, even that baby zetec engine too. Very revvy happy.
They did F1 engines, for a while
I have 2007 Fiesta 1.25. That engine is miles ahead of competition of it's time.
@@mexodroid1848 my sister had it in her 1997 fiesta. Given its weight at the time, it absolutely flew. And was such a nice soundtrack compared to its larger 1.3 sewing machine equivalent. It's like it was meant to be!
I remember wanting one as an 18 year old during my apprenticeship, but it was way out of my price range back then. The fantastic TV add with Steve McQueen parking it next to his Mustang and motorcycle in his garage in San Francisco didn't exactly reduce my yearning for one either..😅 I'm 41 now and I'm gonna buy one.
I work colleague lent me his a few times when he needed my larger car for the weekend. The most fun in small car EVER. He said it was a hooligan car - and so true, you start a journey with good intentions, you very soon start driving quickly, taking corners hard, overtaking at every opportunity and Erving that amazing engine to the limit. Thanks for the excellent review and good to see you also got that hooligan feel!
That gear knob is awesome, a friend of mine has one in a mk6 Escort Si, and is just wonderful, cold and heavy and very comfortable. (He also has original cossie wheels, so very sporty indeed 😅)
Great video. I love my Puma for all of the reasons that you mentioned. I owned a mk1 Mx5 at the same time as my first Puma and the Puma’s handling was so superior to the Mx5 that I sold the mx5 soon after.
I currently have a TVR Chimaera which prefers smoother roads and is great for relaxed pottering. The Puma is there for fun down country roads.
I drive a MK2 MX 5 back to back with my Puma and I wondered what all the fuss was about. Ok, the steering was a bit cleaner but the engine was dull as dishwater and the handling wasn't nearly as sharp.
Currently got an E46 330i and while it's a different car to the Puma, I'm still not convinced it drives better in the real world....!
I very nearly bought one when they came out but Mrs Sensible, whom I dearly love, decided that we should have a Peugeot 406 2.0 Turbo Executive instead and ultimately, I think she was right.
Yes she was
Great review of a fantastic car. I have had mine now for 20 years from new, kept in garage, rust minimal. The cheap plasticky interior looks new and rock solid. I am over average height and I have travelled miles in the back (and I am a pensioner!), no problem. The most flexible engine/gearbox combination ever, this car dances around roundabouts and I couldn't think of too many cars, Lotus Elise apart that could see it off on a twisty B road. Apart from a bit of rust fixed twice now, tyres and exhausts, wipers and such the car has only had a fuel pump replacement, and two glove box hinges in its whole life, it is on about 80K miles now, it has toured around France, so not just a shopping trolley. Great review, you have done justice to most aspects of the car, but I think the interior is a classic of its time and fully functional. The heater works like a train, by the way, I twiddle the heater controls and use the aircon for 1 hour a week, every week for all the time I have owned it, never regassed. Is this really a Ford?
Similar to me. Brought a brand new one in 2001 and kept it as my daily driver for 20 years then sold it when the whole thing just rotted away. Never let me down. I just had to reguarly replace the front heated screen switch as it would burn out, but fantastic car in every way. Apart from headlights and brakes.
Great video, thanks Ian!! I bought a puma 1.6 new in 2002, kept it for 14 years, as it was so much fun! (they replaced the 1.4 90bhp, with the 1.6 103bhp, in year 2000, as the 1.4 wouldn't meet the new emissions standards without down tuning it to 80 bhp,as in fiesta,fusion and focus) Also, mine had the slickest gearbox of any car i've ever owned, it was a great car!
I was looking forward to you driving a Puma. Lovely lovely car, and I can see myself eventually getting one. A most definate future classic
What a great way to start the weekend! Ian doing what he does best!
I've had three of these over the years and they were all great little cars -buy one now while they are still reasonably priced.
Had 2x 1.7s plus FRP 441. Absolutely loved them.
Got one of these for my son, it is an Amparo-bleu one. Differences are the car has been lowered, fatter wheels, and he has the full Recaro interior (in dark blue a with blue stripes) and a rear spoiler. Also, we fitted an MP3 solution for the radio (it thinks it has a CD changer, but in fact that is a 6-map-MPO# stack). And yes the LHD ones have great brake feel.
Yey! A car I actually owned on hubnut, I loved my puma, I had the heater valve problem and the rear arches, but what a great car. I had the 1.7 and on a back road there was little that could keep up, only I found the brakes were perhaps a little small? They used to burn out a bit quickly…but I’m now going on eBay!
Two friends of mine had a Puma 1.7, despite the design faults (like, don't open the rear hatch when it rains) they loved the cars. Unfortunately the cars succumbed to rust. But every time when they come across one, they're tempted to buy.
Great video as always. A real blast to drive, keep on top of the rust and you'll have fun for years! How about a drive of the Puma's big brother, the Cougar? I've not seen one for years. Thanks for the memories, Ian.
It looks great in black
I think the best way to get past the 'girly tarted up shopping trolley' reputation of these cars is to remember that Evo magazine considered the Honda Integra Type R the very best handling front wheel drive car ever made.
And they considered the Puma a close second.
I had the one in my profile pic (a millennium - eye searing paint, all the toys, genuinely excellent recaros that make the standard seats feel terrible by comparison) for five years and fifty thousand miles, doing everything from 300 mile motorway runs (where those recaros proved their worth) to fifty miles each way back road commutes that were hilarious from start to finish.
The only reason I don't have it now, is rust. It kills them, and it kills them fast
One of the few cars I genuinely miss, and if I come into a decent sum of disposable money, one of the only cars I'd consider buying, cleaning up properly, and keeping long term for myself.
I got yellow one if you want it needs work?
@@bertg74 don't have that disposable chunk of cash do I? :D
Thanks Ian. I was looking to buy one of these as a project, but now you have reviewed it prices will rise!
I wish we had the Puma in the States. The closest we have to it is the Mercury Cougar which also has the ‘edge’ design. Cool sporty cars.
I had forgotten about the smaller Cougar!
The styling does look similar, yet unique to both models.
The Cougar did have the Duratec V6!
Similar in concept to the ZX-2 that we had here in the US...but this one looks a lot better!
had Two 1,7 back in the days, Best car ever
I had a 2001 1.7 zetec s. I still my favourite car to drive till this day. I remember feeling like I was in a go cart and had so much fun in it. Shame it had to go to scrap in the end..
Such a shame about the endemic rust problems, this car has the best smiles per mile of any car I've owned. Great video - the other side of that metal gear knob getting cold in the winter was that in the summer you'd end up getting your palm branded if you parked in the sun.
I've always had these down as a future classic.
Always wanted a puma and the Steve McQueen advert was a game changer for ford! About £17000-18000 when new
Thanks for a great vid, Ian. Our 1.7 does have tremendous brakes and I would say that the ride is very good, so maybe yours was a little tired in that area. An absolutely storming car, £500 right now with MoT, but the rot is catastrophic. Done the sills, seatbelt mounts, rear subframe, on ours and the wheel arches are the next project. They will be a classic.
I’ve always been a sporty Ford fan. I’ve had 4x of these 1.7 pumas over the years. For a long time I kept on about these being the most fun you could have for the money. Sadly rust has taken most of them and a good one can no longer be found for bargain basement money. In fact they are probably good contenders for low level investment as the numbers are only going to get smaller.
I found them brilliant driving cars and fairly easy to provoke into lift off oversteer. Great B road fun
Thanks for the memories. We had a Red X reg Puma with cloth seats, which were too small for me, and gave me back ache. Still I really did love the little Puma, with it's short shift gear change.
I always fancied one of these. I think it's just finding a good one now that's quite difficult due to rot etc. I don't think they should have used the same name on the new one. Bit of a travesty on what is just another bit of white goods.
yeh the new puma looks nothing like the puma
Always liked them.
Fond memories of playing Colin McRae rallye 3 on PStation 2. In career mode it was of course with the Focus but in freeplay, you had all sorts of cars reflecting the participating WRC cars just as the Fiat Punto, MG 45 in racetrim, Lancer, Puma and Xsara.
I miss those times.
Sadly we never got this in the US!
Styling from the rear reminds me of the Mazda MX-3, interior definitely Ford Focus.
I noticed while you were driving steering input was quick and exact; you did not move the steering wheel in order to navigate corners, nice!
And yes, Yamaha did help build and engineer Ford Taurus SHO engines and made that model covetable; first for the V6, and then for 1989 until around 1998 SHO production, 32 valve V8.
A very nice modern classic.
And no one can say that you dislike Ford!
I have the same color but -99 Puma. Insanely good car, I absolutely love it. I used to have -98 puma too but someone crashed into it. It was a huge blow for me
Owned one for 2 years. Boot and rear seats folded were big enough to get a mountain bike in the back (I'm 6ft 4)
Engine was bulletproof.
Stuck heater valve issue was resolved with buying revised version from Ford directly. (Afermarket version fails very quickly)
Rust was the major killer.
Never driven a Puma but have once driven the MK1 focus and we owned a 2004 Ka for several years. They all drive very well and rust in pretty much the same place.
The Ka also had a very snickerty gearshift and heavy ish steering.
I did ride in the back of a Puma as a teenager at launch. No headroom back there so my dad stuck with the Mégane Coupe he had bought in 1996. He did say the Puma drove very well though.
Hello officer... How nice to see you again
My wife had one before I met her, she drove it from Kent to Helsinki in 24 hours (she did get some rest during the ferry crossings!); she would never be accused of driving too slowly!
Must be a great pleasure to drive this car. In Germany we don't find it very often. Thank for that very interesting road test. The car sounds great. The video really makes you feel sitting next to you. Fantastic!
Used to watch a puma at the Brighton Speed Trials 580bhp rocket, nice video 🚙👍🇬🇧
Thanks for the memories. I've had 2 pumas and regularly drove them on roads like in your video, albeit in Ireland. First was a 1.4, second was a 1.7. The 1.4 was by no means a bad car, it handled just as well as the 1.7 and you could you ALL of the power , ALL of the time. But the 1.7 was obviously better, sounded so much better. I recall reading in an article when it was launched that the intake plenum was tuned to sound like an Alfasud. Rust tho.... When I sold the 1.7 it was only 6 years old and the arches were already bubbling and Ireland doesn't salt the roads anything like as much as the UK.
Hi! I consider Puma as my first car, do you think it is a good idea? Everyone are trying to talk me out of it as it's an old car, but I just really love the way it looks and I've read a lot of good reviews on it. The Puma I want to but is 1.4; 1998. It's in good condition compared to the others and for a good price. Although I can buy something more "reliable" as everyone says for that price :(
Ian try out it's bigger brother the Ford Cougar..the V6 is awesome.
This is the car that got away, always regret not having one
Dad had a 98 Puma 1.7, was by far and away the most fun car i have ever been in
I had a 1.7 V reg and it was quite possibly one of the most entertaining cars I’ve ever had out of nearly 30 years of driving. Visibility was rubbish and the rear parcel shelf was a pain in the bum but boy was a gear change, what handling, the steering was perfect.
You are right about the aluminium gear knob, it’s too cold so I swapped it out for a Momo round perforated leather gear knob which was perfect. I still have the aluminium knob. My eldest son has it in his box of precious stuff.
I’m not a Ford man by any means, but I have driven one of these and they are pretty good, I enjoy the snap oversteer especially around the islands 👌
I had one of these. It was the “black” addition. Loved it. fitted a Milltek exhaust and power flex suspension bushes. Ran it until rust killed it. Great driving car.
I’m very pleased that you agree with me that the New Edge era is like the main good Ford era lol
Also I saw a few of these in car parks occasionally but my mum would deride them as a dressed-up and less-useful Fiesta… how wrong she was!
Had one in 97 as a company car. Loved it!
A scout leader in a group I was part of for a long time only ever had Fords. He had one of these for a bit and the only thing he complained about was the small fuel tank
It looked absolute awesome, like some futuristic car or UFO hoovering over the streets with undercar lighting, but the technical problems I had with this car were insane. Every year the dampers, stabilizer bar and front wheel bearings were damaged and had to be exchanged. After two years the hydraulic valve lifters and the camshaft became very loud, and after three years the crankshaft bearing and parts of the electric (the reverse gear lights and the high beams failed - but not the light bulbs it was the electric circuits). The clutch completely slipped after buying, a new clutch was build in - and guess what even the NEW clutch started to slip again after TWO!!! years. Phew... The only thing that was not breaking apart, failing somehow more or less, or rusting after the third year were the LED lights I soldered behind the heating panel and the speedometer gauge, the airbrushed interior parts, and the seats.
Aw..... you don´t know any of these problems if you drive Mercedes ;)
I recommend a Puma only for letting it stay inside the garage to look good for the neighbours, otherwise if you try to use it daily it will fail and fall apart literally everywhere just by simply driving it carefully :D
But it was cool seeing my old problem-car again on UA-cam, none of these classic Pumas can be seen around anywhere. The last one I have seen was ten years ago or so.
And I think I know why, these were build in 1997 till 2002 or so - but unfortunately these cars were not built to last.
P.S.
This Ford Audiosystem 5000 or 6000 or whatever it was called - was only able to cope with Metallica, Scooter, Disturbed and other good bands from that era for one year! The woofers failed after only one year. How old is your video, uploaded one year ago... well I give you a second year with that Puma until a never-ending array of technical problems will start ;)
The zetec engines are super bullet proof aswell. Every morning in the winter I used to redline mine from cold and it never skipped a beat. Get nice warm heaters quick though.
I had the big brother - namely the Ford Cougar: coupe Mondeo. Great car too...
An ex-colleague of mine had a green one with the same engine. It was certainly quicker than my BMW E39 520i at the time. Thanks for another excellent review, Ian!
My Son had a 1.6 Puma. It was a wonderful drive , great gearshift and I thought that the brakes were powerful enough.
Sadly it had to be scrapped but he did keep the metal gear knob.
A real faf changing headlight bulbs.
I had a very late escort with that engine and it was SO fast!
I was constantly astonished how rapid it was.
Got 128mph out of it on the A20 very early one Sunday morning.
Great video Ian, can you do a review if possible of a 90s Ford Cougar and the Ford Probe it would be interesting to see the difference of roughly the same time period of the 1990s.
Just a thought.😁👍
'Sporty little number' with decent engine.. great review as per usual Mr Hubnut !!😀
It does look very Fiesta-like inside, I had an ex Royal Mail Fiesta Courier Kombi D which was a van with rear seats and side windows.
Those roads are very familiar Ian, super fun review
When I think of cutesy shopping trolley the Smart Roadster always comes to mind.
I've never driven one myself but I would imagine it's the epitome of power; less is more and possibly a lot of fun on a b-road. Ever driven one Ian?
I have, when they were new. Test drove several and always came away disappointed by that stupid gearbox...
Amazing! Thank you HubNut for the video! Used to have a 1.7 in Green. Loved every minute of it. Had the issue with the heater valve sticking and the usual rust, but regret getting rid of it :(. The gear box was a dream to use! Nothing comes close nowadays unfortunately. Not too sure how true this is, but some of the later models were torque limited in 1st and 2nd I believe? Those blue and green wires with the connectors at the back of the engine @ 2:15 is meant to be what limits it?
My first car was a 1.7 Puma. Still perhaps the best car I've ever had. Sold it to a hairdresser who'd just passed her test and she wrote it off the same day! I miss you R958 GJN :(
Aw. Sad ending!
Absolutely loved it, still turn my head around whenever I see one
Regarding the tailgate, NEVER open it when the car is wet if you want your boot cantents to stay dry!
Open it just a little until the excess water runs off.
If I was going to have a useable "modern classic" for myself that still felt relatively safe (airbags etc) but was fun and didn't cost a fortune, I think I'd find it hard to look past one of these.
Never as popular as perhaps they should've been, never particularly common and now they're becoming a rare sight. Shame, they do look indecently good fun!
The whole dashboard, rear arch rust, broken heater control valve, and non-existent lumbar support take me back to my Mk4 Fiesta, but this certainly isn't the 1.3 Endura-E bag of nails! Looks like a lot of fun!
I had a Puma 1.7 Many years back and i loved it, until the rust took hold. The dead brakes could well just be the pads, someone might have fitted some fast road/semi track pads which need warming up before they would bite. The standard brakes should be more than adequate for the cars performance on the road.
Great review of a fun little car. Ford have sometimes produced very entertaining little cars, not as comfortable as most French ones but good to fling around.
Basically all the car you'll ever need!
If you're ever over this way (Norfolk) Ian you are welcome to review and drive my very original R53 Cooper S.
A well known industrialist did a lot of research into the state of British foundries years back and came to the conclusion that some bit the dust because the Spanish Government subsidised their foundries and they simply could not compete. I mention this because you referred to the block being cast in Spain.
One of the reasons I bought my 1.4L Mk4 Fiesta S in 1997 was the new techology in the Yamaha Zetec engine. It had plenty of umpty, but had horrible economy - barely 30mpg. And that was with me driving cautiously. I should've got the 1.25L that I test drove instead. I can't imagine this 1.7L getting much above 25mpg, especially with "enthusiastic" driving. (Good review, btw!)
That dash takes me back to my mum's 2001 Fiesta Black edition, similar leather seats. 1.25 zetec was great, not quick but incredible steering feel. I don't even think my Renaultsport Megane's steering tops the feel of that Fiesta. Always therefore wanted to drive a Puma. Cracking car. Ford were on a roll back then
I agree, I had a 1.25, steering was pretty good, you felt connected.
@@Sametribeeverytime terrible brakes mind you, push the pedal and hope you stopped 😁
I remember being in one of these at 19 years old and thought it was "rapid mate" as we hit 130mph.
Wanted a racing puma when they first came out but couldn't afford the near 23 grand. Missed a chance to buy one fir 4 grand about 10 years ago. They are very rare now.
Always fancied a Puma : you’ve confirmed what a great car I missed. I did have a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec with same dash (I liked the white dials) Freestyle run out model. Firm ride but great fun on corners. Anyone remember the advert with Steve McQueen with Bullitt soundtrack?
The Ford Puma had the best gear knob ever fitted to any car ever.
Had one in the 00s when they were nearly new. Probably the best handling car I've owned in 20+ years of driving. I didn't rate the engine unlike most of the other comments and the reviewer, just thinking how amazing it would be with a Honda B18 engine in it; similar power delivery but with real punch... Of course you can argue the 1.7 Puma was the perfect all round package, not "too" fast and designed to be the perfect sweet balance of all things but it did need more horses once you got used to the car. A mild modernisation with rear discs, a 6 speed gearbox and more power would be a very interesting prospect.
Rear arches were a mess even after a few years of ownership and with the car being garaged. Ford though it was clever to line the arches with felt, of course that trapped water and caused rust from the inside out... Was just a Fiesta Coupe on paper but was so much more to drive.
Always found it amusing that the ride is faily firm, but the rear looks like its been jacked up somewhat!
96 Honda 1.6 VTI, 160 bhp 8,000 revs, that was a proper engine.