Ford Puma ST-Line V

Worst experience of my life – A great little car when it works!!! Top of the line St V $42000 with some extras. My car has been towed 4 times 'transmision limited function' error, with the spanner! And car goes into limp mode, shudders and won't drive. No choice than to get it towed to Ford. The first time they said there are multiple error codes but they couldn't fix them. They had the car 8 weeks

Second time after only 2 days of driving since getting it back the first time. Ford forced me to pay for a service saying it was due at 25000 km, however the log book and sticker on the car said 30,000. Regardless, they said pick up your car, return the the loan car. This left me no choice than to pay for the service they insisted it needed otherwise I would void the warranty! They had the car approx 6 weeks this time

Two weeks later, a third time. They had the car approx 8 weeks again. Ford refused to give me a refund for the car despite new car warranty legislation and Consumer Affairs legislation. Ford Dealership and Directors completely ignored 'Letter of Demand' from my lawyer. They ended up saying after all that, 'There's nothing wrong with the car!!! Come and get it!!

4th time, had the car 6 weeks, albeit a different dealership this time meant I received a healthy dose of respect and compassion for the situation, however, same thing!! Nothing wrong with the car....Apparently this happens to the pumas, they break and then magically fix themselves.

ATROCIOUS Customer Service FORD!!

Last time it broke down I was 1/2 hr from home (regional) , I had a chest infection and needed to fill a script and also get dinner. Ford left me stranded in the dark at night with no way to get home (Nice Customer Service Ford!) The next day they said they would send an uber to take me me to pick up a loan car, but it never arrived. Apparently there were issues with ubers phone!!! All attempts to then phone, text or email Ford customer Care went unanswered (Nice one Ford).

On top of that Ford Customer Care refused to repay me the monies I gave to the people who saved me both times. These friends had to drop everything and go out of their way to the tune of 4 hrs on the second day and she's been a cancer patient x 2 in the last year! JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH FORD

My work requires a reliable car travelling to various sites throughout the day/evening. A reliable car is essential for me.

A lemon car should be replaced or refunded.

If you look up 'transmission limited function' Ford focus and various other fords, there have have been multiple class actions worth 10's of millions in Australia.

BEWARE !!! I will never go near a Ford again!

Great to drive but build quality needs improvement – This Ford is built in Europe, and I can definitely feel a European level of build quality throughout this car. For the most part, I found there to be plenty of high quality materials splashed throughout the cabin, moreso than other cars at this price point. I especially liked the heavy door feel for a small SUV like this. My pain points came in the form of a large crack on the roof trim, which would have required a warranty claim at a local dealership. In addition, I couldn’t replicate the high sound quality from the Bang & Olufsen speakers that many other car reviewers praised. It was crackly and appeared possibly faulty.

The Puma ST-Line V is priced from $35,540 before on-road costs. It’s the most expensive trim of the Puma range.

Our tester had a $2000 panoramic sunroof installed, a $1500 park pack and $650 prestige Grey Matter paint.

Ford offers a 5 year/unlimited kilometres warranty. Service plans can be purchased for either $897 for 3 years or $1519 for 5 years of coverage.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

There was a decent amount of sound insulation inside this little SUV, however it wasn’t enough to combat some excessive road noise.

At highway speeds, tyre roar was more than noticeable, but eventually it became a regular background sound.

I would have loved to have used the B&O sound system, but using Apple CarPlay seemed to produce a tinny, distorted sound that was less than pleasant to listen to. That same sound issue persisted even in the Ford warning chime.

I believe these speakers might have been faulty, but it was disappointing that this upgraded sound system had these issues for a relatively new vehicle.

I was a big fan of the brakes on this little SUV. They were strong but easy to modulate to provide a smooth ride. Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection was also fairly active and reassuring for those just-in-case moments.

Since the Ford Puma is built on the same chassis as the latest generation Ford Fiesta, it comes with a familiar but miniscule 1.0L turbocharged 3-cylinder producing 92kW (122hp) and 170Nm. Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels so traction can occasionally be an issue when slamming the throttle in Sport mode.

That’s a rare case, seeing as the Puma produces as much horsepower as a golf cart. But that golf cart power works since this car only weighs 1267kg. There’s enough power to have fun with on some back roads but certainly not enough to even be worried about losing your licence.

Mid-range power for highway driving feels a little breathless, but that turbocharger helps produce a little more torque for just a bit more punch.

A 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is used in the Puma for rapid gear changes and a more engaging drive.

It really works as a more entertaining alternative to a torque converter automatic or even a dreaded CVT.

It’s smooth enough to avoid any jerky changes in bumper to bumper traffic, but it can get a little hung up when reversing on uneven terrain.

At least it's actually fun to use those paddle shifters when you feel like channeling the sportiness of the ST badge in the ST-Line name.

The Puma offers a smooth ride for commuting, but is also capable when exploiting its capabilities on some fun driving roads.

Despite packing larger wheels, there’s enough travel in the suspension to avoid a busy ride. But that does mean handling starts to fall apart when hitting up sharper corners.

The Puma is easily the best driving car in this segment. I just wish I could exploit a stiffer chassis setup with more power, like that found in the Puma ST (which we don’t get in Australia).

Despite my heavy right foot, the Puma returned a very respectable 6.7L per 100km during my combined tests. The claimed fuel economy is 5.3L per 100km, which I don’t doubt you could achieve on longer stretches of road.

The inside of the Puma has plenty of light thanks to the optional glass roof and large windows.

It’s not as sporty as I’d like for something branded ‘ST-Line’, something that Hyundai successfully achieved with the Kona N-Line. However, the interior does feel upmarket.

There’s a 8-inch touch screen which feels a bit out of date compared to the new software used in the latest Ranger and Everest lineup. And the 12.3-inch driver display offers limited customisation and is a little too laggy for my liking.

The biggest surprise of the Puma was its boot. There was a false floor that could be stored in a variety of ways to expose a large 410L of storage with all the seats up.

Seats fold in a 60:40 split to open up 1170L of boot space, making this one of the more practical options in this segment.

Comfort up front was great, especially when using the massaging seats available in this model. However, the rear seats were far too tight for many adults who might be taller than 5'8".

As a 5'11" adult, my head was hitting the roof and my knees were very cramped, even though the seats had additional sculpting.

I really didn’t like the omission of any rear air vents or USB ports, which almost made the Puma feel like a glorified two door car that happened to have four doors.

The Puma lives up to the ST-Line name with this V variant, but some better quality control would be appreciated to ensure Ford can avoid some of the strange defects I experienced with this car.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.