Ford Puma - 'the exhilarating drive'

This has probably been mentioned or discussed my times over.

But how do you guys rate the drive of the Puma compared to other cars, old and new?

I don't have a vast experience when it comes to driving other cars, but from the handful I've driven.. I still prefer the Puma's handling without question :thumbs:

Really think it depends where and when you are driving...dry open European motorway ,not much fun.Twisty French wet mountain road spot on.Fastish track in the dry like Snetterton bit boring.Brands Indy in the wet very rewarding.As an all round cheap FWD hatch I think it is the best you can buy IMO.Compared to a modified mk 1 escort it feels very stable but not as much fun.Compared to a 300 bhp/ton Exige running on semi slicks it feels numb in the dry but definitely less arse clenching in the wet.

My Mk7 Fiesta ZS runs the Puma close handling wise but it's hardly surprising considering how closely the chassis are related

I finally replaced the old lumpy Pirelli's on the front of my Puma last week and got to take it out for a 70 mile drive around the Sauth Wales Valleys yesterday, god it was enjoyable!

What I love about the Puma is that it's handling is great and it has enough power for fun but it's not "too fast" for the road.

In the autoslalom I am better than most Honda Civic/CRX cars. I can follow the BMW's in the corners but I will lose on the straight sections. Usually the field is comprised of various FWD hot hatchbacks and some BMW 320's (my competition really) and 330's / M3 / M5's. I lose to them. Recently a car mag joined us in a brand new Fiesta ST and Mini Cooper S Works. They were a good 4 seconds behind me even though they were driven by proffesional drivers.

I really love the feel of the puma.You really do feel part of the car,as the steering,chassis and gearbox give you feedback that modern hatchs cant match ,with all there massive wheels and electronic assistance.
It reminds me so much of my old integra type R with the way it drives.The only let down is the brakes.

I find myself looking forward to doing the shopping run in it!,taking this, rather than my 270hp Megane R26!

Love my puma's to drive and both completely different to drive. I also have a renault twingo 133 cup as a road car. All 3 put a smile on your face for different reasons.
Silver puma:softer fantastic on bumpy tarmac and is the quicker out of the puma's in a strait line.
Black puma: unreal brakes and has an unreal cornering speed.
Twingo: far quicker than both the puma's in a strait line. Corners somewhere between the 2 and more comfortable over a distance.
All 3 exhilarating in there own way.