2009 Ford Kuga Zetec AWD 2.0 turbo diesel

Summary:

Average and boring, but does all I need

Faults:

Exhaust, DPF, EGR valve, usual diesel troubles.

Noisy suspension, replaced springs at last MOT.

Air con is useless.

A bit heavy on brakes, replaced pads twice and the discs are needing replaced again as well!

Try to look after it as much as I can, gets every service as per schedule. The car had full history upon purchase. No major breakdowns, but some repairs have been expensive.

General Comments:

A decent enough to drive SUV, the Kuga is nothing special. Pretty much the epitome of average in the family transport segment.

2.0 TDCi performs OK, does about 45 MPG at best. The car is actually nice to drive, handles very well for its size and weight.

Not as spacious as you might think. Interior materials are nice though, and the seats are comfortable. Glass pan roof brightens up inside. Boot space not that great for a family SUV.

Mine is white with original Zetec alloy wheels, looks OK.

Hard to say anymore, not a bad car, just boring. Better than my previous Hyundai Tucson, but only by a little. Worth a look if you want a decent modern family car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 21st April, 2023

23rd Apr 2023, 14:24

A Vauxhall Mokka is much the same though slightly cheaper to buy.

2010 Ford Kuga Titanium AWD 2.0 TDCi

Summary:

Not bad, drives great for what it is

Faults:

Timing belt + water pump and all maintenance carried out.

ABS sensor light came on, fixed for a fair price.

Rear suspension required some work.

A/C stopped working.

General Comments:

Pretty decent to drive for a dull SUV, the Kuga was a good car for me.

Titanium model had the lot. Leather, full electrics. Very comfortable.

2.0 TDCi could be surprisingly fast, but only managed 45 mpg at very best, a bit under par for a modern diesel.

Traded it for a Skoda Yeti which I am enjoying so far, but I miss how good the Kuga drives. Test drove a Vauxhall Mokka before this - not a great car, the Kuga is way better.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th December, 2022

2019 Ford Kuga Titanium 2WD 2.0 TDCi

Summary:

Hard to love the Kuga, but it is a decent modern vehicle

Faults:

Basically nothing. Low mileage, serviced on time and modern - I would not expect any major problems.

General Comments:

It is big, modern looking, not very fast... welcome to your typical SUV.

This Kuga was a purchase I had to make after a problematic Vauxhall Mokka of mine was finally sold. Not a bad car, and usually Vauxhall's I have had were fine, but that car was a lemon and had to go.

Decided to change to Ford, and it is basically like McDonald's and Burger King - both are the same, just depends what you prefer. Honestly these cars are all the same nowadays. Kuga is a little sharper to drive though.

Titanium model is near range topping and has all the electrics you would want in a 2019 vehicle. Very comfortable and easy to drive. I suppose I could complain about the electric parking brake, but as others say, they are not bad when you get used to them.

2.0 TDCi is a bit plodding, but you will get 45 - 50 mpg out of it, good for a larger vehicle.

Looks OK in black, with big alloy wheels. Interior is also black with good seats, very comfortable to sit in, very nice.

If you are after a modern family vehicle, the Kuga is an OK choice.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 1st December, 2022

2015 Ford Kuga Zetec 2.0 turbo diesel

Summary:

Boring

Faults:

For clarity, this was a company car I had from new, so someone else took care of maintenance and repairs. To the best of my knowledge over the 2 years I had the car, there were no major problems, only an initial recall for something electronic to be fixed under warranty.

General Comments:

Was given this as a company car back in 2015, with a choice between this Kuga, or Nissan's Juke. Despite not liking this car much, I think I made the right choice.

OK where to start. For some background, I like cars, and have had many luxury saloons and coupes over the years, so that has heavily influenced my views on this car. If you are new to driving you'll probably find this car just fine, but for everyone else, this car is mediocrity on wheels.

First of all I have no idea why these silly crossover vehicles exist. It's one of those cars that does not know if it wants to be an MPV or a 4x4. I tried hard to see the appeal but just could not.

Zetec spec is mid range, so that means enough electrical equipment, a nice set of alloys, etc. But nothing can be done to sharpen this car up - it is (in my opinion) ugly. All cars like this are. Usually a nice colour and wheels do wonders for even the ugliest cars, but this car is one big chunk of modern plastic and steel built with no passion whatsoever.

On the plus side the interior is spacious, I like the fact it still has a lever for a handbrake and not those silly electronic buttons, visibility is excellent, drive is smooth and quiet, and the 2.0 is economical as expected. Fast enough as well.

When I was finished with it in 2017 I was glad to see the back of it. Moved on to a new job where I could buy my own car again, and certainly would not consider a Kuga. I suppose at the very least it wasn't all bad if all you want is modern transport that functions at the most basic level, but if you like cars, then you're in possession of a heartbeat/soul, so please choose just about anything else, and not a crossover type vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th June, 2022