Test drove a Kuga - Ford never fails to disappoint
Discussion
Dapster said:
I went from an Audi A4 to an SMAX when kid #3 arrived. Compared to the Audi, the SMAX is rather cheaply finished and there is a very tangible depth of quality to the Audi - the carpets covering areas you won't normally see, the durability of everything, the fact that it felt LIKE NEW even after 8 years of pretty tough use etc. However the SMAX is now 5 years old (2.5 years in my possession) and nothing has broken or fallen off. It comes across as a far more honest car, not pretending to be anything it isn't and for what it sets out to do, it exceeds every requirement.
It's not some pseudo "premium" brand - it's a fantastic family car, handles brilliantly, is well thought out and is easy to drive and live with. The kids love it and my wife thinks it's brilliant.
In fact when thinking about what I'd buy when my numbers come in, I'd imagine that next to the Bentley Mulsanne, 991 Turbo S and '85 288 GTO, there'll be a dark grey 10 plate SMAX.
Genuine, real life experiences have no place on PH. It's not some pseudo "premium" brand - it's a fantastic family car, handles brilliantly, is well thought out and is easy to drive and live with. The kids love it and my wife thinks it's brilliant.
In fact when thinking about what I'd buy when my numbers come in, I'd imagine that next to the Bentley Mulsanne, 991 Turbo S and '85 288 GTO, there'll be a dark grey 10 plate SMAX.
If I had to have an MPV it'd be an SMax without a doubt, they even steer well for a big car too, 2.5t for me please
austinsmirk said:
well who buys a 30k car new ? Just to watch your money vanish ???
buy it 6/12 mths old for feasibly half the price.
at that point you have a bargain !
That isn't happening though is it? These half arsed "crossovers" are in demand for what i can only assume is vanity reasons, and this is keeping prices high.buy it 6/12 mths old for feasibly half the price.
at that point you have a bargain !
Dapster said:
I went from an Audi A4 to an SMAX when kid #3 arrived. Compared to the Audi, the SMAX is rather cheaply finished and there is a very tangible depth of quality to the Audi - the carpets covering areas you won't normally see, the durability of everything, the fact that it felt LIKE NEW even after 8 years of pretty tough use etc. However the SMAX is now 5 years old (2.5 years in my possession) and nothing has broken or fallen off. It comes across as a far more honest car, not pretending to be anything it isn't and for what it sets out to do, it exceeds every requirement.
It's not some pseudo "premium" brand - it's a fantastic family car, handles brilliantly, is well thought out and is easy to drive and live with. The kids love it and my wife thinks it's brilliant.
In fact when thinking about what I'd buy when my numbers come in, I'd imagine that next to the Bentley Mulsanne, 991 Turbo S and '85 288 GTO, there'll be a dark grey 10 plate SMAX.
Couldn't agree more, we're on our second S-Max because the first one was so good.It's not some pseudo "premium" brand - it's a fantastic family car, handles brilliantly, is well thought out and is easy to drive and live with. The kids love it and my wife thinks it's brilliant.
In fact when thinking about what I'd buy when my numbers come in, I'd imagine that next to the Bentley Mulsanne, 991 Turbo S and '85 288 GTO, there'll be a dark grey 10 plate SMAX.
I have the exact same opinion on the Fiesta. It's a very pleasant looking car with a funky looking interior but the quality of the materials around the interior really let it down.
My girlfriend has one and she loves it but sitting in it has really put me off ever buying another Ford. I swear the interior light is from a mk6 Escort and it doesn't even fit in its gap properly and hangs down.
I had a mk1 Focus an mk2 Mondeo and although the interior quality on both wasn't the best compared to some of their rivals, they were still acceptable and the better driving experience made up for it. Now their interiors really would put me off buying one, even if it was the better car.
My girlfriend has one and she loves it but sitting in it has really put me off ever buying another Ford. I swear the interior light is from a mk6 Escort and it doesn't even fit in its gap properly and hangs down.
I had a mk1 Focus an mk2 Mondeo and although the interior quality on both wasn't the best compared to some of their rivals, they were still acceptable and the better driving experience made up for it. Now their interiors really would put me off buying one, even if it was the better car.
Nickbrapp said:
ok.
Now try a mokka and report back
Like all Vauxhalls, they smell of biscuits.Now try a mokka and report back
What about a Kadjar?
That's the thing that I don't get with the Ford love, yes they do tend to drive better than the competition but the things that matter most to the normal, everyday buying public; looks, build quality etc, are lacking.
Edited by HTP99 on Tuesday 13th October 10:00
I went from a 2012 Kuga lease car to a 2015 Skoda Octavia Scout (same Haldex 5 4x4 system)
worlds apart - the skoda is like an audi inside, it handles superbly, the engine is far more revvy and capable, it is lower powered but faster, the fuel consumption is far better, and it is c. half the price on a lease...
worlds apart - the skoda is like an audi inside, it handles superbly, the engine is far more revvy and capable, it is lower powered but faster, the fuel consumption is far better, and it is c. half the price on a lease...
wibblebrain said:
Test drove a Ford Kuga today and was very impressed with the way the car drove for a crossover.
... It felt so cheap and nasty inside...
Ford seem to be brilliant at making cars that look pretty good and drive well, but just shoot themselves in the foot with interior design, build quality and ambience.
My stepdad passed me his old one (2011 model) when he upgraded to a new one.... It felt so cheap and nasty inside...
Ford seem to be brilliant at making cars that look pretty good and drive well, but just shoot themselves in the foot with interior design, build quality and ambience.
I was very impressed by how well it could go round corners. I also thought the inside of the old ones looked better than the new ones. Either way. these interiors looked just fine to me, better than my mx5/rx7 and it's not really something I ever pay much attention to.
Mrs Rotary drives the kids around in it. It's ideal for all the speed bumps and flooded roads where I live and gets around 40mpg for mostly 3-10 mile runs.
The bit I have trouble with it is how slowly you have to change gear to get it to take off smoothly. I find myself taking an age to go from 1st to 2nd.
RVVUNM said:
Dapster said:
I went from an Audi A4 to an SMAX when kid #3 arrived. Compared to the Audi, the SMAX is rather cheaply finished and there is a very tangible depth of quality to the Audi - the carpets covering areas you won't normally see, the durability of everything, the fact that it felt LIKE NEW even after 8 years of pretty tough use etc. However the SMAX is now 5 years old (2.5 years in my possession) and nothing has broken or fallen off. It comes across as a far more honest car, not pretending to be anything it isn't and for what it sets out to do, it exceeds every requirement.
It's not some pseudo "premium" brand - it's a fantastic family car, handles brilliantly, is well thought out and is easy to drive and live with. The kids love it and my wife thinks it's brilliant.
In fact when thinking about what I'd buy when my numbers come in, I'd imagine that next to the Bentley Mulsanne, 991 Turbo S and '85 288 GTO, there'll be a dark grey 10 plate SMAX.
Couldn't agree more, we're on our second S-Max because the first one was so good.It's not some pseudo "premium" brand - it's a fantastic family car, handles brilliantly, is well thought out and is easy to drive and live with. The kids love it and my wife thinks it's brilliant.
In fact when thinking about what I'd buy when my numbers come in, I'd imagine that next to the Bentley Mulsanne, 991 Turbo S and '85 288 GTO, there'll be a dark grey 10 plate SMAX.
The Smax is just an honest car that does everything well and takes all the considerable abuse the wife and kids throw at it. Even my wife who really does not see cars as anything other than a white good stated she wanted an smax over the cheaper citroen.
But quality wise I aM sure it is not up to the standards of an audi, but then we didn't pay audi prices.
austinsmirk said:
well who buys a 30k car new ? Just to watch your money vanish ???
buy it 6/12 mths old for feasibly half the price.
at that point you have a bargain !
The asking price for 6/12 month old Kugas still seem very high. buy it 6/12 mths old for feasibly half the price.
at that point you have a bargain !
RobM77 said:
Isn't it simply the case that Ford have a much bigger profit margin than the other manufacturers mentioned above, so a £30k Ford is not the same as a £30k Toyota, VW etc? The discounts available on new Fords compared to other manufacturers would certainly hint at that (note to PH pedants: I said "hint", not "proves").
Doesn't Ford Europe make a massive loss? I would argue that the reason they do is that that the quality/ambience issue that I've raised is that no-one will pay the asking price for these cars and so they have to discount them like hell and shift stock through less profitable channels. If they make the cars that people would actually aspire to then they'd probably command a selling price closer to the asking price and sell in greater volumes. Building cheaply in order to make more profit doesn't work if the associated compromises mean that nobody wants your products. Look at the German companies for examples of how building a better quality product means that people aspire to own such....
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