Used Ford Puma cars for sale

Transitioning to an SUV means the modern-day Puma is a lot more spacious than the 1997 version, with five doors giving way to good amounts of interior room. Of course, the interior also features two decades’ worth of technological improvement, and fuel economy is better too.

Even compared with its contemporary rivals, the Puma SUV comes up with the goods. It’s the best small SUV to drive, it has a really big boot and comes with all the must-have infotainment features. 

Ford Puma buying guide

What Ford Puma trim levels are there?

The Ford Puma doesn’t have a base model. The entry-level car is Titanium, which is a mid-spec trim level on other Fords. As such, the equipment level is strong, with 17-inch alloy wheels, auto headlights and wipers, cruise control and sat nav all coming as standard. Additionally, there’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus active safety features and Ford’s handy Quickclear heated windscreen. Never scrape the ice off your windscreen in winter again!

ST-Line is next, with sporty looks and a crisp digital instrument cluster. For extras like part-leather seats, tinted windows, a B&O sound system and 18-inch wheels, head to ST-Line X.

Then, there’s the ST-Line Vignale. This is the range-topper in the standard Puma line-up, with leather-effect upholstery (complete with seat heating and massaging functions for those in the front), keyless entry, LED headlights and a heated steering wheel.

The Ford Puma ST is a bit of a standalone model, as it comes with a more powerful engine and go-faster upgrades. There are bucket seats to keep you in place through fast corners, plus ST badging and alloy pedals. Many of the features fitted to the ST-Line Vignale are also fitted here.

Ford Puma interior and technology

If you’ve been in a modern Ford Fiesta, Focus or even Kuga, the Puma’s interior will be instantly familiar – it’s pretty much the same as Ford’s other hatchbacks and SUVs. That means you get an eight-inch touchscreen protruding from the dashboard, a climate control panel below some chrome-lined air vents, and a steering wheel stuffed with buttons.

Even if you’ve never experienced a Ford, the Puma’s interior is very easy to use. You twirl a dial to turn the temperature up or down, the steering wheel controls are well-marked and there aren’t any ergonomic surprises. That’ll come in handy on tired journeys home from the office.

Like the rest of the interior, the touchscreen favours user-friendliness over pin-sharp graphics and lots of design flair. The icons at the bottom of the display are big – and easy to prod while you’re driving – and you won’t get lost in lots of submenus. It can be a little hard to find your favourite radio stations, but you can always use the voice control function instead. As mentioned, all Pumas come with sat nav and smartphone mirroring, so you can choose to use your phone’s apps if you prefer.

Being so heavily based on the Fiesta, the Puma’s materials are generally a good standard, with harder, scratchier plastics mostly kept down low. The manual gear lever is a particular highlight, while high-spec cars also get some carbon-effect dashboard trim and even a leather-wrapped binnacle cover.

What’s the best engine for the Ford Puma?

Indecisive? You’ll be pleased to hear that the standard Ford Puma only comes with a 1.0-litre petrol engine. Most have a small electric motor to assist the petrol engine, hence the ‘hybrid’ badge on the bootlid. Meanwhile, the Puma ST uses a fiery 1.5-litre petrol engine for exciting performance.

(Most popular!) Ford Puma 1.0 EcoBoost petrol

Capable of quick-ish acceleration or fuel economy of over 50mpg, Ford’s familiar 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is the sole option for most Puma trim levels. The electric motor acts as a starter and a generator, providing a little extra power when it’s needed and helping to reduce emissions. For the majority of the time, this engine will feel like a conventional petrol engine, but you may notice the stop-start system cutting in sooner when coming up to a junction.

You can opt for 125hp or 155hp versions of this engine, with 0-62mph being dispatched in 10 and nine seconds respectively. There’s not a lot of difference in how they feel, so we wouldn’t get too hung up on which one is best. Both come with a slick six-speed manual gearbox.

If you need an automatic gearbox to shift your gears for you, this is available with a 125hp version of the engine. Earlier examples don’t come with the hybrid technology.

Ford Puma ST 1.5 EcoBoost petrol

The 1.5-litre, 200hp petrol engine under the bonnet of the Ford Puma ST is a firecracker. It’s revvy and eager, and enables a speedy 0-62mph time of just 6.7 seconds. With a great engine and a super-responsive driving experience, the Puma ST is one of the best hot SUVs on sale at any price if you’re a keen driver.

But the Puma ST is a hot SUV that doesn’t require you to spend half your time at a petrol station. One of the engine’s three cylinders can shut down at cruising speed to save fuel, and 40mpg is achievable if you resist the urge to put your foot down.