Arch Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Thoughts and opinions anyone? Stylish modern SUV or jacked up Focus? We dropped into a Ford dealers on the way home from going to look at a new'ish CRV, with a Honda salesman whose get up and go, had got up and gone Had a good look around the Kuga and was pleasantly surprised, seemed like it could be a really nice place to be for day to day driving. Reading around it seems to get good press and positive talk from the owners forum. It would be wifeys daily drive/family car. We've taken to driving to Europe for hols for the last couple of years so want something that's reasonably comfy, spacious and offers good to average MPG for this purpose. There seem to be quite a few deals around at dealers/drivethedeal/broadspeed and a few around on Ford Direct. Not really bothered about gadgets/luxuries although *cough* wifey has taken a fancy to the panoramic roof. Off to look at one and an S-Max as an alternative (although neither us really fancy a 7 seater MPV) on Saturday. Any thoughts much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Yuk. Can't say I'm impressed with the interiors of the Fords. Cheap and plasticky and not well made. It'll soon come apart. Engine wise - not an issue! Rather have the Chevrolet tonka toy alternative. Looks better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonC Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 I've never fancied any Ford offering in it's history, but that's quite a sporty city SUV type car. Prettier than the S-Max IMO. Still, I couldn't bring myself to buy a Ford. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simkna Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 A word of warning on the S-Max - we've had LOADS of problems with them here at work, mostly electrical... even ended up rejecting two... Si. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 If you are looking at the Kuga, also consider the Rav4 and the Nissan X-Trail. Both Toyota and Nissan are doing silly deals on them. My wife has the Rav4 and its pretty good for what it is: Well equipped and well built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Yuk. Can't say I'm impressed with the interiors of the Fords. Cheap and plasticky and not well made.It'll soon come apart. Engine wise - not an issue! Rather have the Chevrolet tonka toy alternative. Looks better. Top half of Ford dashboards are easily a match for any of the premium brands, but the bottom half (where the glove box etc is) is very nasty plastic, but it wont break or fall apart though. I think the smaller Fords don't have the horrible bottom half of the dash though so should be fine. Had the main fault on my Galaxy that seems to affect both that and the S-Max, but it's been sorted with various new bits and has never reoccurred. Never had any trouble otherwise with either the Galaxy or the Mondeo I had before it, both used as taxi's and the Mondeo got ragged to death at Donnington and the Nurburgring. My brother has a Focus ST, and the brother in law has a Focus too, both very reliable and nice places to be. I think most of the badge snobs have never really spent any time in the new generation of Fords as they are actually very nice, and get very good reviews from all the media, interior quality as mentioned above will match anything this side of a Maybach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 I think most of the badge snobs have never really spent any time in the new generation of Fords as they are actually very nice, and get very good reviews from all the media, interior quality as mentioned above will match anything this side of a Maybach. I have. I had a new Focus for 3 days (57 reg in late 2007). Worst crock of shi1t I've driven in a long time. The chromey bits on the steering wheel were ready to come off, the ride was awful and the engine was naff and noisey with low gearing making for loud motorway speeds and terrible economy. (however, I think it was the 1.6 I think). Economy was woeful. Doors were tinny when closed. I did not think it a nice place to be. On the plus side, the handling was very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1MAC Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Top half of Ford dashboards are easily a match for any of the premium brands, but the bottom half (where the glove box etc is) is very nasty plastic, but it wont break or fall apart though.I think the smaller Fords don't have the horrible bottom half of the dash though so should be fine. Had the main fault on my Galaxy that seems to affect both that and the S-Max, but it's been sorted with various new bits and has never reoccurred. Never had any trouble otherwise with either the Galaxy or the Mondeo I had before it, both used as taxi's and the Mondeo got ragged to death at Donnington and the Nurburgring. My brother has a Focus ST, and the brother in law has a Focus too, both very reliable and nice places to be. Seconded - only issue I've had with mine so far is a creaking seat base that moved around a little under hard cornering. A known problem with the Recaros in the ST and sorted under warranty. Apart from that, nothing of note, not even used a drop of oil in nearly 45k. Which is more than can be said for the Honda that preceeded it. Sure the lower plastics ain't great but they are tough enough and how often do you actually fondle the things (and recoil in disgust)? Hardly ever, personally. 99% of the time it's just the main things such as steering wheel, 'box etc that you touch with any regularity and these are fine - not Audi quality but perfectly acceptable or better. Of course we aren't talking Audi prices like for like either so that's to be expected. I think most of the badge snobs have never really spent any time in the new generation of Fords as they are actually very nice, and get very good reviews from all the media, interior quality as mentioned above will match anything this side of a Maybach. I wouldn't quite go that far but as already said, all is perfectly acceptable. I'm not that kind with my cars and yet my interior looks more or less as new - the only blemish (IIRC) is on the centre console where I clouted it hard with a steering lock, something that would have damaged the dash of any brand you care to mention. To suggest that it will fall apart post haste is pretty laughable TBH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lesK Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 I drive an A4 now, before I had 2 Mondeos(P & V reg) and liked both, the P reg one was a cracking car 146k nothing gone wrong and still running like a dream. G/F has a Galaxy not my fav car because it's so big, but again very reliable and reasonably comfy. The Audi has better build, but i think there isn't as much between them as there used to be IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 I like Fords, if I was in the market for a car I'd consider one. I do not however like SUV's so it's a no from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busby Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 ANother plus for Ford here. I have done 68k in two years in a TDCI Focus and it has been top notch. 55mpg and nothing whatsoever has gone wrong with it. Interior quality is fine so far as I'm concerned and certainly better than a mark five Golf I had for few days. IMHO the Kuga is a nice looking car. I had a mooch around one whilst getting mine serviced and thought it was ok. Interesting how people are critical of the inside and then recommend Japanese cars which are renowned for having awful plastic interiors! I'd imagine there are some good deals at the moment. A guy I work with has just picked up an 18 month old Galaxy with a really high spec and not many miles for around £12k from a pal who works for Ford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch Posted April 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Interesting mix of views, thanks people. Obviously we know it's not going to have the build quality of an Audi per se, but as said, it's nowhere near Audi money. Wifey had a fully loaded Focus ST a couple of years back and loved it to pieces, I've had about 1/2 dozen Fords and driven probably nearly all the rest whilst working for a company that also owned dealership. I was lucky enough to play with all the XRs/RSs/Cosworths etc. back in the 90s. We shall see how it drives at the weekend and what deals are on offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 How about this? Antara | Vehicle Range | Cars | Vauxhall Motors UK ????? But then again, I am a Vx fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 But then again, I am a Vx fan. See, it's funny how peoples opinions of different cars can vary so much, I have a mate thats into Vx's and he's always tinkering with Vectra bits, but I cant think of anything I'd want less than a Vauxhall? particularly a Vectra, and the new Insignia he had in his workshop the other day was horrid, it's like a reverse tardis (looks quite big but is cramped inside). IMO, far worse build quality and reliability than Ford (and that comes from our own experiences on the cab fleet) and they've never ever made a car that goes round corners (Monaro and VX220 dont count as they dont make them!) I'm not saying either one of us is right about wether Ford or VX is best, but that I find it interesting how opinions can differ so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch Posted April 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Kind of agree with Tipex there, I've only ever owned one Vauxhall (briefly) and wouldn't want another. That Antara just doesn't look right for some reason, I think it's what the grill does to the front end. The Kugas front looks so much nicer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Kuga, Antara... it's like chosing between sickness and diarrhoea.... I've driven neither, but c'mon, use your eyes ! I'd take a Ford over Vauxhall based on their driving dynamics, although I suspect that's nowhere near the top of wifey's wishlist. I had a C-Max recently and was surprised at how good it was, practical, spacious, and pretty solid inside. Then I had a Focus CC, and was amazed as how tacky/flimsy the interior was, lots of electrical stuff didn't work, crap bootspace, flakey trim, and it was gutless too. I think Booster has hit the mark, RAV4 or X-Snail, if you really can't get her into a decent estate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch Posted April 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Kuga, Antara... it's like chosing between sickness and diarrhoea.... I've driven neither, but c'mon, use your eyes ! I'd take a Ford over Vauxhall based on their driving dynamics, although I suspect that's nowhere near the top of wifey's wishlist. I had a C-Max recently and was surprised at how good it was, practical, spacious, and pretty solid inside. Then I had a Focus CC, and was amazed as how tacky/flimsy the interior was, lots of electrical stuff didn't work, crap bootspace, flakey trim, and it was gutless too. I think Booster has hit the mark, RAV4 or X-Snail, if you really can't get her into a decent estate. Your suspicions would be a bit off then She does care how it drives and likes to have a certain amount of power at her disposal, for 'tricky situations'. Like I said before, she loved her Focus ST and also enjoyed the odd bit of fun in my old CTR. Nowadays, she thinks more Mum than girl racer and sacrificed her ST for our Accord estate, something i'm not allowed to forget. If I'm totally honest, I think I've taken more of a shine to the Kuga than she has. There is also the fact that she has doesn't like anything along the lines of Audi, BMW, Mercedes even VW to a point. Various reasons for this, call it inverted snobbery but I know she'd be far happier with a C-Max than an RS4 Incidentally, what are you classing as a good estate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Your suspicions would be a bit off then She does care how it drives and likes to have a certain amount of power at her disposal, for 'tricky situations'. Like I said before, she loved her Focus ST and also enjoyed the odd bit of fun in my old CTR. Nowadays, she thinks more Mum than girl racer and sacrificed her ST for our Accord estate, something i'm not allowed to forget. If I'm totally honest, I think I've taken more of a shine to the Kuga than she has. There is also the fact that she has doesn't like anything along the lines of Audi, BMW, Mercedes even VW to a point. Various reasons for this, call it inverted snobbery but I know she'd be far happier with a C-Max than an RS4 Incidentally, what are you classing as a good estate? Fair do's ! A good estate for me - Volvo V70, T5 or D5 engine. Might be of interest to the missus if the usual German stuff doesn't appeal. Lots of room, great sounding engines (all 5 pot), handles pretty well (although ride isn't as good as a BMW), safe, and pretty robust. Super-comfortable for long distances too. The T5 will do c.30 mpg and has (IIRC) 240 bhp as standard, the D5 (later models) will do 40+ mpg and had 185 bhp. I've owned both and really rate 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlot Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 If you want a soft roader then the Kuga has a lot going for it. Personally I wouldn't criticise people for buying them as they fill a role. They are not drivers' cars but people don't buy them for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch Posted April 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 Drove the demo Kuga today. A Titanium, fully loaded with as much as you can pack in, the Code Red remap, so 181bhp and 400Nm (whatever that equates too in 'old money') and optional 18's. The overall ride felt really good, very stable and car like, no harsh vibrations or crashiness to it although we didn't exactly stray too far from the smooth tarmac. It certainly moves quick enough too, pretty surprised at how much 'ooomph' it had for a 2.0 diesel. Driving position, to me, was very comfortable, quite nice being in a lofty perch for a change instead of on the floor of the DC2. Didn't fiddle too much with the gadgets and gizmos but there was plenty there with the touch screen audio/nav system, bluetooth, heated electric leather seats etc. etc. Panoramic roof was really nice, for passengers anyway, obviously the driver doesn't benefit too much from this. Space wise, which is the important thing for us, was ok. I had my little girl in her isofix Recaro behind me and with her in a comfortable leg position, I could just about get the passenger seat back for me to be comfortable knees wise, I'm 6'3. The boot is probably, at best, adequate. Did the pushchair test, and you'd easily get your weeks worth of shopping and other crap in too. How it will fair packed up for a jaunt across Europe I'm not so sure yet. On the other hand, the S-Max we looked at had absolutely acres of room inside (I could wind the passenger back and almost have straight legs -even with daughter in behind) and, with the 3rd row folded, a really good sized boot....to boot. However, it's not nearly so nice to look or funky and it seems like 'seat overkill' for us until any more children arrive. It's like the biggest Thule box ever, on wheels. Anyway, we're going to sleep on it as I'm still not sure I want to shell out that much money on a car, Ford or any other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 It's like the biggest Thule box ever, on wheels. Try the new Galaxy then, thats even bigger! It's basically the same, but still has a boot with all the seats up, when they are all folded flat it's like a transit van! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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