2000 Ford Puma Racing 1.7 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Rare, beast

Faults:

Nothing yet.

General Comments:

I traded from a pristine Puma Black and bought it for it's image. It just 'oozes' power.

In comparison to the standard Puma it's faster, more stable, more 'masculine' looking with an 'aggressive' sound though the ride is harsher and the fuel consumption is slightly worse.

For a four year old car built in such limited quantities the choice of good examples left is diminishing. I viewed several that had been 'thrashed into the ground' before buying this one.

The seats and steering wheel had wear and tear and all the alloy had slight kerbing however this didn't matter as the engine bay was 'as new', it had had a regular Ford service and the disk/pads had been changed recently.

Maintenance can get expensive on this model.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th April, 2004

10th Jul 2004, 16:54

Sounds like you bought my old FRP. I sold to a Honda dealer in March and it too had "slightly kerbed" alloys and the interior was a tad worn. The engine bay was mint too. I had manifold number 232.

16th Sep 2004, 06:49

No, sorry mate not the same one.

I think after 4 years most FRP Alcantra/vinyl interior and low profile alloys are going to suffer from wear and tear. I'm planning on replacing all the worn out parts soon.

These cars (up north at least) are very rare. I've only seen one other in 6 months of ownership. Low prices and low number of cars produced mean that this is the car for people who want exclusivity at minimal cost. The car still stands out from the crowd because of it's 17" alloys, wide body and aggressive sounds.

No problems with the car so far. I keep having to top up the oil more regularly than the standard Puma I previously owned.

Fuel economy is good. I commute long distances and get around 42MPG with regularly checked tyre pressures and driving around in high gear.

2000 Ford Puma Black 1.7 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Fast, luxurious and a car to be proud of

Faults:

Headlamp units sometimes steam up, vents have been fitted, but problem still occurs.

Rattles in the cabin, but they can't be located, but strangely this only happens when driving between 30-35mph.

Required a new alternator within weeks of buying the car.

The servo also broke within the first few weeks.

General Comments:

This car handles well, is quick off the mark and the interior is fantastic.

But, the boot lets in water when opened after rain and the headlights are terrible.

The above can be forgiven though as it's such a pleasure to drive.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th February, 2004

16th Feb 2004, 04:46

I've got one of these (had it for 2 years so far)

Haven't seen anything to replace it (except a Racing Puma - put off by relatively high replacement cost of front tyres / brake disc's / brake pads)

Same problem with headlights steaming up.

The rattles in my car were due to loose front door mounting clips - you can get these all replaced at a Ford dealer for around £35 fitted - I've had no problems for a year now...

Other problems I've had are;

Worn gear selector shaft (makes the gearstick rattle) - repaired under warranty.

Air conditioning failed (flooded my passenger foot well with antifreeze) - repaired under warranty.

One dealer 'trashing' my 'mint' 6 month old car following warranty repair - took 6 months of complaining to replace all the damaged trim (new dashboard/instrument cluster/gear knob etc) - very poor...

Prices have dropped to 'boy racer' levels - some of the modifications I see make me weep - might still make that move to a Racing Puma to keep that 'exclusive' feeling I had when I first got my 'Black'...

2000 Ford Puma LX 1.7 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Exciting driving, poor reliability

Faults:

New gear box at 6000 miles.

New battery at 3000 miles.

General Comments:

Beautiful exciting car to drive. Due to number of problems encountered I have lost confidence in this car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 3rd April, 2003