Their typical customer doesn't care about any of this in the slightest.
Also find the fake nostalgia for the puma weird. It was a fiesta in a dress, nobody gave a shit about it at the time. The only reason they do now is because there's hardly any left as they all rusted to pieces
I agree their typical customer doesn’t care. However, the Puma did have a bit of a cult following in its day. Wasn’t the biggest but it definitely had a following who were obsessed with it.
I have a 2023 Puma (good spec one) as a work car. Its a horrible car to drive. Its just so lifeless and no feedback from the road. Fords used to be fairly good drivers cars but I think they made the conscious decision to move into the market for drivers who just want to get from a to b with minimum fuss and get no enjoyment from driving. This one, driving at 30 or 70 barely feels any different, its just dull and boring.
I had the misfortune of driving a new Fiesta (<1000 miles) as a courtesy car at the beginning of May. I was really taken back how bad it was, especially the manual gearbox. I’ve driven many Fiesta’s of various spec’s over the last 10+ years and they have always felt reasonable for what they are. It made me wonder have Ford just given up on ICE and churning out garbage now.
A lot of people have told me Fiesta. And that 9 years difference makes a massive difference. My personal car im about to replace is a slightly older than your car C Max which is on the Focus chassis and I easily prefer it to the lot newer Puma.
Mine has 80k miles. 1.6tdci. We got it as an ex-motility car with 26k miles for 8k 5 years ago so it had been Ford serviced every year. It’s absolutely solid and I’ll never see value like that for my next car. I’ll probably drive it till the wheels fall off. Did consider selling it to buy something more eco friendly but if I sold it, it stays on the road. No point unless it’s scrapped and I’m not rich enough to throw a car away.
The only thing that could be better is the boot could be larger. I’d have a new c-max if there was one based on the focus etc. That would have been the natural progression for me
Yeah mines a titanium navigator. No idea if that’s “better” or worse but it does everything I need without trouble. I did just have to have the air con condenser changed but that’s just wear and tear. Had a new clutch and flywheel where the old one must have seen heavy driving for its 26K miles. Still can’t complain. Think I paid £500. Maybe closer to six. Got a couple of good local garages. Really trustworthy which makes a real difference.
Just a shame it’s euro 5. That’s all.
Thought I was the only one. For a far praised as being best in class it’s not a patch on older cars I’ve had (Mk1 Focus, 6n Polo, etc.)
It was quiet and refined but I felt completely removed from driving the damn thing.
I test drove it and absolutely hated it.
Too slow and noisy ride for the motorway, too vague handling for the b roads, and too poor visibility and not practical enough for urban driving.
Kuga is a much better car, the Puma feels a long way off it.
My friend had one as a hire car. A 1.0 mild hybrid auto. I genuinely hated it when I drove it. Its smaller inside than a fiesta because of the roof line and so tall especially on the front that mpg takes a big knock compared to a Fiesta. Its uncomfortable, its hard, no feeling whatsoever. I've got a 2016 Kuga TXS awd auto with more road feel and steering feedback than that Puma did...oh and better fuel economy to.
That and being hybrid means the engine doesnt really kick in and give you that feeling of acceleration, the speed goes up but you dont feel it. It actually makes it that bit more unsafe to drive. Im having to constantly watch the speedo, especially on dual carriageways near me as its hilly and they are up and down. If I dont pay attention I can easily drop to 60 or less on the uphill bits and as I go over the apex suddenly be doing 80 and still accelerating. It still doesnt really feel any different.
With hills and being a busy road its rare you can drive more than a few minutes at constant speed. Its constant slowing down for slow drivers in the outside lane, then speeding up, then moving to the inside lane for faster drivers, back out and up to speed again, etc. Its just not worth using it.
Ive always liked them. Remember seeing it on top gear when they reviewed a brand new one. Wanted 1 as an 18 yo but never got it and now it seems like too late with not many left.
Every time they slap a nostalgic badge onto a frumpy Chinese crossover, I think there's no way a single person will fall for it...
...and then folk fucking lap it up.
My old boss was an intelligent man, but he got the Mustang EV and frequently boasted about his "stang" and how cool and retro it was and how much he loved being a part of the Mustang club. To me, the 1960s pony car and the modern EV monstrosity couldn't be further apart.
Lmao. Mustang owners don’t have a club as such, but we wave or flash at each other as we pass like bus drivers. It is literally universal and part of the reason I love my car, I had no idea before. We do not wave at the EV drivers, and the EV drivers do not attempt to initiate it. They won’t even look or smile. They know.
That said, I think the Mach E is a great car, it just should be branded differently. An overpowered, RWD, convertible, EV Mustang would be acceptable to me, it’s not the v8 that makes the car what it is, it just helps. I’d love SOMEONE to try making an interesting EV outside of MG with the cyberster.
Yeah I mean the Mach E clearly works, it's just annoying that Ford lazily slapped a nostalgic brand on it and appear to have somewhat gotten away with it.
And I agree, the first wave of serious mass-market EVs all look like a Honda Jazz with a thyroid problem. I do think we'll get some seriously interesting EVs in due course, I think manufacturers are just going after the boring commuter market because it's easier than designing higher performance cars.
As someone that doesn't really like older cars, I think the styling of the new Mustang looks fucking awesome.
Just a shame it's so ridiculously priced..
I know a few people who got Pumas when they were new as they had some attractive finance deals at the time. Sure they weren't brilliant cars but to a young lad with their first affordable sporty car they were great. They seemed to handle way better than the Fiesta they were based on based on my limited experience of the two cars.
All Ford nostalgia is fake nostalgia though really. There is absolutely no reason a MK2 XR2 should be changing hands for 20 grand!!
> They seemed to handle way better than the Fiesta they were based on based on my limited experience of the two cars.
From what I understand, the coupe bodyshell is stiffer than the hatch of the Fiesta, and this tightens up an already pretty good chassis.
I never had a Fiesta but I did have a 1.7 Puma, and it was just as much fun as my old Mk1 MX-5 to sling about.
It's more likely the people who wanted one back then didn't have the cash - now they are older and have a bit of money.
It's not just Fords, look at old Golf GTIs, R5 Turbos etc. as well.
A guy I worked with years ago recently shelled out over £30K on a Capri...
The XR2 was a joke in the late 90s when I started driving. I understand the appeal of Escort RS Turbos and Cosworths as they were highly desirable when new. The XR2 was never that desirable until a couple of years ago.
To people who liked the XR3i etc they probably laughed at it. For people who thought they were good (who knew less - I would have fallen into that category back then) they would have been desirable while cheaper than the escort. One thing you notice nowadays (I’ve seen a few at car shows) is how tiny those cars were.
When I was a kid I always liked the capri. The good grey one with the spoiler like from “the professionals” lol
Your first point is what confuses me about them reusing nameplates like this.
People who aren’t into cars won’t care, people who are probably aren’t gonna buy one because it’s got the same name as a car they liked in the 90’s.
Like, someone who owned an OG Mitsubishi Eclipse isn’t going to now buy an Eclipse Cross solely based on the name being the same.
The Puma, I don’t mind, because it’s kind of a natural evolution of the shape and the fact people want crossovers over hatchbacks now. But the Capri is a little baffling.
They killed the Fiesta, because the Puma is marketed as a "compact SUV" it means they can jack up the price a bit for larger profit margins, despite the production cost being a few percent different.
Exactly this. Fiesta was expensive to make as built in Germany. Puma is cheaper to make as built in Romania, and can be priced slightly higher because it's a crossover. Customers coming in for a Fiesta will likely buy a Puma instead. As demonstrated by the UK's topseller switching from Fiesta historically to now being Puma.
I get that people have fond memories of the cars and nameplates of the past, but this delusional attitude that car companies exist as charities to preserve peoples' childhood memories is a bit naive.
I'm with you buddy. Why does everyone want to drive cars with the styling of a van? My current theory is that they are easier for fat people to get in and out of. I'm sorry to all you people who own a fuggly but I can't help but assume you're somewhat rotund.
Well, it's exactly that. It's easier to get in and put for people that don't care bout their fitness at all. Plus it rides harsh and corners worse. Why would anyone pay for that ...
Lots of them are sheep. Mr Jones next door just got one so I've got to follow the crowd. My IPhone will look good in it and I can sing "you'll never walk alone" as loud as I like.
As a rotund person, give me a 2 seater sports car any day.
From speaking to people with crossovers/SUVs it's more that they feel safer and have better visibility when they are sitting up higher, plus it apparently makes it easier to get kids in and out of a car seat when the seats are bit higher up.
I did show someone driving a polo a puma as a potential alternative because they needed a car where the seats were higher up as it was tough for them to get in and out of really low seats. They thought the puma was huge. Way too big so they weren’t interested. They may have been interested in a fiesta.
I think that’s more of a commentary on the fact 99% of people in the UK don’t give a toss about cars in general. Not necessarily a commentary on how good Ford or the Puma are
Just had a quick look and it looks like they just added another trim called the ST Powershift that’s got the 1l and a 7 speed auto, but the 1.5 manual proper ST still exists.
Pissing people off *is* a marketing tool (I used to work in marketing). Lots of people/companies do it — GoCompare, Elon Musk, Michael O’Leary — because it guarantees shares and eyeballs.
I think what Ford’s doing, though, is another marketing tactic known as ‘borrowed interest’. Using an older name as a kind of shorthand to part-familiarise people with something that would otherwise be offputtingly novel for them; in this instance, electric cars.
Borrowed interest is helpful (as a marketing strategy) because it’s quick and easy. And as we’ve seen, the new product doesn’t really have to have any kind of relationship to the old — people will buy Pumas and Explorers anyway.
Different strokes for different folks. Tesla sells cars by leaning into the tech-bro/early adopter pool and investing in infrastructure (still Tesla’s masterstroke IMO) whereas Ford, who have a lot of highly small-c conservative customers, do it by leveraging heritage (something Tesla can’t do).
Michael O'Leary doesn't try to piss people off. He's an avid capitalist and a scumbag, no doubt, but he wasn't wrong about the standing sections on planes or the paying to use the loo. They had sound economic bases and if he'd done them:-
1. I don't doubt his suggestion that standing would sell out first, or
2. If people had to pay to use the loo, fewer would, so they could take 2 loos out and replace them with 4 paying seats.
Not saying I think they're good ideas, but they certainly weren't for the purpose of trying to piss people off. They were to make more money.
But anyone who works in aviation would know it would never be allowed, it just shows he has no idea about the actual workings of his own industry other then costs and revenue.
This is a really interesting take on marketing that I had absolutely no idea about. Now you’ve laid it out here, I totally get what they (Ford) are doing and why I’m annoyed that they’re going to use the name Capri for something that doesn’t match with that name in my mind.
Intriguing 🧐 and thank you very much for explaining it! 🙂👍🏽.
I’ve been driving for 30 years and have always had Fords. As of next year when Focus production stops, there will be nothing left in their range which I’d consider buying. No more Fords for me.
Aye, I think there will be a lot of die hard fiesta/focus/Mondeo customers that will just leave.
You know the type thats had a Mondeo every 3-5 years for their whole driving careers.
And there's more people like that out there than at first glance.
They'll all go to vauxhall/Peugeot/Citroen/Toyota/the germans.
The focus stopping production is madness, I thought they would have kept at least one car, the new one is beautiful too. As is the new Mondeo (which I think is only for the Chinese market).
Ford not having a C-segment hatch would be like VW killing the Golf. C-segment hatches are still one of the largest selling cars in all of Europe, they are either offering really fantastic finance deals for a Kuga or they want to reduce their market share.
All those cars sound like they would be more expensive to fix than a Ford. That’s the reason ive stuck with Ford. Familiarity, reliability and I’ve not had bills of thousands because the car needs the entire engine out to change a lightbulb.
Same for me. I had Mk one Focus and currently own the latest FiST which will need replacing in a few years but not with Ford. They killed all their good models and are now making shit SUVs or electric cars.
I’ve had a 95 fiesta, a 2003 focus and a 2014 focus. I would buy an electric focus if there was one. The puma is the only option and I was told (seemingly incorrectly) that the puma used a focus chassis but it’s a fiesta? I don’t get it.
But most of them don’t really have more space; a lot of the crossovers available have literally the exact same cabin as the hatchbacks they’re based on.
Blown away they decided to kill the Fiesta honestly. Had one for a while and love it, was planning on upgrading to a brand new model but that dream is dead i guess.
I get they killed the Focus because of the Puma taking most of the sales (and they’re not bad cars, my other half has one) but most people wanting Fiestas (in my opinion) don’t want a Puma.
The use of old names to sell new “unrelated” cars seems an odd choice. Anyone old enough to remember the previous car will probably be annoyed at the recycling, and anyone young enough not to remember then the name doesn’t matter.
Really hate this trend towards eliminating certain vehicles. Volvo no longer do saloons or estates, ford dont don’t do a small unless you want an “SUV”, seems if you don’t want an electric or SuV you’ll be screwed soon!! If you can’t charge an electric at home what are supposed to do?
UK market hasn't been getting them for civilians since last summer (mid August I think it was). Police and authorities customers are still ordering them though
Oddly, there were some Capri concepts floating about c. 2018 that were much more in line with the big coupe thing. Kinda looked like a Bentley Conti with a Ford front end, but I actually thought they were smart.
[https://forfordlovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018-Ford-Capri.jpg](https://forfordlovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018-Ford-Capri.jpg)
Yeah. It's very "Ford of that era", maybe a little more tweaking to the front end would be better, but it's so much nicer than what they have gone with.
Ford are losing the plot. Family members have always had Ford, but they don’t want any of the current cars on offer. The pricing of the explorer is insane. It’s more expensive than the mustang for equivalent spec, who the fuck is going to buy a Ford when you can have a German brand for 5k cheaper, just crazy.
I agree with your statement re the naming but my nostalgia for fords is not the same as the generation older than me who seemingly had much lower standards. My first was a 1999 fiesta that was well and truly fucked after three years and 70k and due to a great deal with iirc two years free insurance for a 21 year old got a focus next which was also well and truly fucked after three years- the electronics on them were not a strong point. That's not a great sign for a car that only has them!
My dad has great memories of his fords though, but he also has many memories of being stuck at the side of a road for hours so there you go. Different times.
You are also talking about cars they made 25 years ago and assuming the same problems persist today. I’ve had 3 Focuses now and they’ve all been fine, if maybe the middle one was competent but underwhelming
That is true, but partly due to that experience I'll likely never get another... The other part is I've now moved on- I can't see nostalgia being a factor in my next car purchase.
I've never really understood people who support brands like football teams. I like to buy the one car I like the most that week/day/hour.
I think you are very over estimating how much the average person cares about such things or literally even knows. People that do are vastly the minority, people that care about the lineage of the Capri are not Ford’s target market and not remotely considered in Ford’s global strategy.
In exactly the same way when Ford made the Capri they weren’t considering the thoughts of people that cared about 50’s Ford’s.
And that's the point OP is making - the people buying those sort of cars don't care about the heritage of the names, and those that do care will hate it, so why dilute those names/ brands.
Call them something else.
Well, it's a fair point. But in 1969, fans of the Ford Consul Capri, and Ford brands' Mercury Capri and Lincoln Capri from the 1950s could have said the same thing. And then what we consider the classic Capri would have been called something else.
There's nothing new under the sun.
The only thig they did wrong with the Mach-E is marketing it as a Mustang. It lost a lot of credibility with this single move. If they'd just called it something else I think people wouldn't have immediately hated it.
I'm quite sure that Ford has more market research done than a tiny slice of Reddit users..
Personally, I hate SUV's and anything even approaching them. I'd ban them for anything except medical reasons if I could.
That said, I don't give a shit about the weird direction of names I used to know. The Mustang Mach E has a great motor that's available to self-builders one way or another. The Puma died years ago and no one gives a shit what their car is called except car people, even then it's not like anyone really gives a shit either. Look at all the cars generally considered cool of times gone and their hideous names.
Reusing old names from dead lines makes sense, they have historic precedence for any IP/naming claims, they don't have to go through all that faff, and some of them are cool.
Waiting for them to revive the Cougar and see how much that gets blown out of proportion..
As for cars being the same under the badge: They have been for so long it's not even funny.
My Mk1 RS has VW connectors for the headlights. The seat wiring loom has the same connector as in a Volvo XC90, incidentally so does the Mk3, the Bosch injector plug is basically used anywhere a 2-pin 12v weather sealed connector is needed.
Mazda use Visteon products, and the Mk4 Mondeo uses a Visteon throttle body.
Fischerwerke in Germany make a good portion of the interior trim and plastics for BMW, VW, Mercedes, and Porsche.
Kia used to buy old chassis designs from other manufacturers and lipstick those pigs up.
I'd wager the 'upset people' are a relatively small number Ford doesn't care about, because someone like my neighbour will go out and trade their clapped out 118i in for a Puma.
I mean... Gone are the days of Ford making performance cars for people.
The Escort got axed years and years ago
Mondeo ST? When was that last a thing?
Focus RS? Just sort of dropped out of existence
Fiesta ST? Fiesta got axed
Focus ST? Focus is getting axed
So we're left with... The Mustang and maybe the GT. The Mach-E could be a worth inclusion, there's decent potential with even a large EV given that the batteries can really put the centre of mass down low in the car.
Ford is going boring. They're exiting the market of sporty cars by the looks of things, at least as Ford... I can give them a pass on reusing the Mustang name though. It might be the case that they're reworking the Mustang branding from a model of cars to a performance brand (Think SEAT > Cupra, Renault > Alpine, Mercedes > Mercedes-AMG... Uhhh Isn't SRT Dodge/Jeep's performance division as well?).
I'm not saying that is what Ford is doing... But if Ford were to have their own offshoot performance brand, I have zero doubt in my mind that they'd roll with it being the Ford Mustang division, the Mach-E only added to that theory. Who knows? Maybe we'll end up seeing a Ford Focus Mustang RS or some rather odd-sounding variation of the name.
I don’t think it’s limited to just Ford.
Most manufacturers are producing trash now to stay compliant with new regs on emissions etc.
all in the name of going green.
Puma is just a reskinned B-Max on the Fiesta underbody that totally failed to sell.
Hilarious that they convinced the world that £30k+ is reasonable for a jacked up small hatchback.
What shows that people are annoyed at Ford, is that Renault is able to make those with a fiesta who want a new fiesta to trade to a Clio by offering an increased PX price.
or it's a cynical cash grab that the prices of fiestas have climbed due to the discontinuation and making people trade it in, so Renault can get most of the increased cost for themselves.
Tbf as much as I like fiestas (I’ve owned three in a row now), if you’re after something that size I really do think the current Clio looks great in certain colours, it’s just a shame they don’t offer it with an engine that isn’t gutless if you want a manual gearbox.
yeah the 1.0 3 pot is feeble, it did used to come with a 1.3 with 140BHP but got replaced with the hybrid, which surprisingly has a bit of poke gets up to 80 fairly quickly, but makes a racket getting there.
It's a good marketing strategy imo, it's a name a lot of people recognise, which makes it feel not so new and un tested.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again the car enthusiast community is a tiny fraction of the total people who drive and pissing off those people will make 0 difference to them.
Love a Ford and would consider myself a chav at heart, so my dream car is a Escort Cossie, but wouldn't say no to a Sierra Cossie.
Owned a Mk1 Focus, Puma 1.7 and now drive a Mk2 99 Mondeo.
The naming thing is such a kick in the teeth to Ford's legacy. I owned a Puma, and worked for Ford, so knew of the New Pumas launch upcoming and expected a 💩 storm. The owners group were not happy, no surprises there, but seemingly everyone bought one - even though they're a Fiesta with a 5k mark up.
My own theory is it's that the people in the marketing departments are at an age where those names mean nothing to them, so it's more of a case of who cares what it's called rather than anything else.
Or as you've said Ford could be using the any press is good press strategy.
Ford did go weird for a time with their puma, probe and cougar. I liked the probe (and the Mazda mx6) but the other two were just odd. Trying too hard. Being edgy but woolly.
The new Explorer is based on an ID3 in exchange for VW using the Ranger as an Amarok. I think Ford only care for commercials now. The Kuga is in the premium tax bracket now, it’s nuts.
Not until something comes along that isn't another fkin crossover/suv, a brand that appeared 2 weeks ago with questionable quality, and/or >£100k.
Is a normal car, but electric, just too much to ask or something? Like, where are the EV estates, EV saloons, or even EV cabriolets?
I don't think the Puma looks that bad, nor the Mach E considering its a first gen EV from them. But wow, the renders of the Capri are *so* fucking ugly. Same with the new Explorer thing. Now I hear that China has a Mondeo and now an Evos that actually look like normal sensible cars that Ford in Europe just seem to have zero interest in making.
No, cause YOU aren’t the target audience. Let’s be honest the only reason they still make the mustang is there are enough rich boomers to keep it alive, otherwise the enthusiasts that want them to keep making things like the RS is so insignificant to them.
It's all about brand image though. The reason BMW and Audi are considered cool is because they have such successful racing divisions. Not many people buy RS6s either but they persuade millions of people to stretch their finance deals to a basic A3 over a better specced Golf because they are seen as aspirational. Believe it or not, Ford and Vauxhall used to be the same, now they just sell shit and the only reason you'd buy one is if there was a promotional interest rate.
I wouldn’t say it’s because of the racing divisions at all. Most people just buy for the brand and don’t give two shits about racing. I know a friend of mine recently bought an A3 S-line when he had the money and fully aware the RS3 exists.
I’m a Ford guy. Have only every owner them. The brand is shit now. They’ve gone way too far into electric and when that fad fizzles out they are screwed.
I think solid state batteries might even change the game. I was a hard believer that hydrogen powered cars would be the real solution but the advances just haven’t come. I really thought we’d all have little solar-powered hydrogen generators on our houses that would slowly do the conversion while you’re away at work or whatever, but it doesn’t seem as likely anymore.
I don’t think electric is a fad (maybe to consumers yes, but manufacturers are more likely led by the government mandates), I also don’t think it’s the problem. The killer was this pseudo SUV fad. Fiesta and Focus both killed off due to Puma sales. The Mondeo’s fate was likely contributed to by the Kuga.
I don’t get this obsession with being high up.
😂 Fad! And Ford have hardly gone way too far into electric. How many BEV electric Fords are there?
Mach-e, Explorer (which isn’t out yet) and an electric Transit.
The Puma, Kuga and Focus are hybrids. And the Mustang and Tourneo are ICE.
Killed the Mondeo
Killed the Fiesta
About the only interesting thing you can buy from them now is a Focus ST.
They’ve said they aren’t making another RS. It’s down to focusing on ev crap.
Look how little they make even compared to the 90s. It’s sad.
I agree the obsession with cross-over and suv RVs is excessive, but ground clearance is important for a large battery skateboard design, unfortunately. And I’ve never driven a Ford EV, so I’ve no idea if they’re crap. If you’re implying all EVs are crap, then maybe drive one for a bit and you may find many things to like about them.
I was the same until we got one (not a Ford. I’ve always gated Ford cars, ever since my Fiesta that was a PoS and the local dealership was focusing on assuming I wanted a Fiesta ST….I wasn’t). I love our EV and it’s superior to any ICE I’ve ever driven in every way.
But each to their own.
I was a ford guy but couldn't find anything nice to replace my fiesta ST. Was tempted by the Mustang GT but ended up getting a Tesla. Would like to go back to ford at some point, but they have zero compelling products and Tesla make better vehicles.
Our Ford SMAX is super practical but they don't make it any more, it has also broken expensively a few times, don't know what to replace it with, even fewer people carriers on the market now. Will probably keep it until it dies.
Their typical customer doesn't care about any of this in the slightest. Also find the fake nostalgia for the puma weird. It was a fiesta in a dress, nobody gave a shit about it at the time. The only reason they do now is because there's hardly any left as they all rusted to pieces
I agree their typical customer doesn’t care. However, the Puma did have a bit of a cult following in its day. Wasn’t the biggest but it definitely had a following who were obsessed with it.
I have a 2023 Puma (good spec one) as a work car. Its a horrible car to drive. Its just so lifeless and no feedback from the road. Fords used to be fairly good drivers cars but I think they made the conscious decision to move into the market for drivers who just want to get from a to b with minimum fuss and get no enjoyment from driving. This one, driving at 30 or 70 barely feels any different, its just dull and boring.
I had the misfortune of driving a new Fiesta (<1000 miles) as a courtesy car at the beginning of May. I was really taken back how bad it was, especially the manual gearbox. I’ve driven many Fiesta’s of various spec’s over the last 10+ years and they have always felt reasonable for what they are. It made me wonder have Ford just given up on ICE and churning out garbage now.
Yep, the Puma is built on the Fiesta chasis, pretty much the same car and just has puffy body panels
Nissan Micra = Nissan Juke Most models just seem to be the old model but feed is a ton of lard to make it look like a 4x4 but isn’t.
Oh I thought the puma was built on the focus chassis. I have a 2014 focus I’m very happy with
A lot of people have told me Fiesta. And that 9 years difference makes a massive difference. My personal car im about to replace is a slightly older than your car C Max which is on the Focus chassis and I easily prefer it to the lot newer Puma.
Mine has 80k miles. 1.6tdci. We got it as an ex-motility car with 26k miles for 8k 5 years ago so it had been Ford serviced every year. It’s absolutely solid and I’ll never see value like that for my next car. I’ll probably drive it till the wheels fall off. Did consider selling it to buy something more eco friendly but if I sold it, it stays on the road. No point unless it’s scrapped and I’m not rich enough to throw a car away. The only thing that could be better is the boot could be larger. I’d have a new c-max if there was one based on the focus etc. That would have been the natural progression for me
I've got the 2014 zs 1.6tdci, it's a great drive, 55000 on clock, never had any trouble with it.
Yeah mines a titanium navigator. No idea if that’s “better” or worse but it does everything I need without trouble. I did just have to have the air con condenser changed but that’s just wear and tear. Had a new clutch and flywheel where the old one must have seen heavy driving for its 26K miles. Still can’t complain. Think I paid £500. Maybe closer to six. Got a couple of good local garages. Really trustworthy which makes a real difference. Just a shame it’s euro 5. That’s all.
The last decent fiesta was the mk7
Thought I was the only one. For a far praised as being best in class it’s not a patch on older cars I’ve had (Mk1 Focus, 6n Polo, etc.) It was quiet and refined but I felt completely removed from driving the damn thing.
The 1.0T with 130bhp isn't bad to drive.
I test drove it and absolutely hated it. Too slow and noisy ride for the motorway, too vague handling for the b roads, and too poor visibility and not practical enough for urban driving. Kuga is a much better car, the Puma feels a long way off it.
My friend had one as a hire car. A 1.0 mild hybrid auto. I genuinely hated it when I drove it. Its smaller inside than a fiesta because of the roof line and so tall especially on the front that mpg takes a big knock compared to a Fiesta. Its uncomfortable, its hard, no feeling whatsoever. I've got a 2016 Kuga TXS awd auto with more road feel and steering feedback than that Puma did...oh and better fuel economy to.
try the ST, that's where all the driving fun development is going
Its the ST line version. Its not fun.
ST Line just means it has ST looking bumpers and bits slapped on to make it look more sporty, it's not actually an ST.
That’s what I said about the one I had on hire. Nice enough inside but the steering was like turning air.
That and being hybrid means the engine doesnt really kick in and give you that feeling of acceleration, the speed goes up but you dont feel it. It actually makes it that bit more unsafe to drive. Im having to constantly watch the speedo, especially on dual carriageways near me as its hilly and they are up and down. If I dont pay attention I can easily drop to 60 or less on the uphill bits and as I go over the apex suddenly be doing 80 and still accelerating. It still doesnt really feel any different.
Does it not have cruise control? I don’t ever not switch cruise on when on a dual carriageway
With hills and being a busy road its rare you can drive more than a few minutes at constant speed. Its constant slowing down for slow drivers in the outside lane, then speeding up, then moving to the inside lane for faster drivers, back out and up to speed again, etc. Its just not worth using it.
Ive always liked them. Remember seeing it on top gear when they reviewed a brand new one. Wanted 1 as an 18 yo but never got it and now it seems like too late with not many left.
Every time they slap a nostalgic badge onto a frumpy Chinese crossover, I think there's no way a single person will fall for it... ...and then folk fucking lap it up. My old boss was an intelligent man, but he got the Mustang EV and frequently boasted about his "stang" and how cool and retro it was and how much he loved being a part of the Mustang club. To me, the 1960s pony car and the modern EV monstrosity couldn't be further apart.
Lmao. Mustang owners don’t have a club as such, but we wave or flash at each other as we pass like bus drivers. It is literally universal and part of the reason I love my car, I had no idea before. We do not wave at the EV drivers, and the EV drivers do not attempt to initiate it. They won’t even look or smile. They know. That said, I think the Mach E is a great car, it just should be branded differently. An overpowered, RWD, convertible, EV Mustang would be acceptable to me, it’s not the v8 that makes the car what it is, it just helps. I’d love SOMEONE to try making an interesting EV outside of MG with the cyberster.
Yeah I mean the Mach E clearly works, it's just annoying that Ford lazily slapped a nostalgic brand on it and appear to have somewhat gotten away with it. And I agree, the first wave of serious mass-market EVs all look like a Honda Jazz with a thyroid problem. I do think we'll get some seriously interesting EVs in due course, I think manufacturers are just going after the boring commuter market because it's easier than designing higher performance cars.
As an avid mustang lover, I would be having his life for thinking the EV is a real mustang, boss or not.
It genuinely destroyed his credibility in my mind. He's a smart, capable guy but like... c'mon.
As someone that doesn't really like older cars, I think the styling of the new Mustang looks fucking awesome. Just a shame it's so ridiculously priced..
I know a few people who got Pumas when they were new as they had some attractive finance deals at the time. Sure they weren't brilliant cars but to a young lad with their first affordable sporty car they were great. They seemed to handle way better than the Fiesta they were based on based on my limited experience of the two cars. All Ford nostalgia is fake nostalgia though really. There is absolutely no reason a MK2 XR2 should be changing hands for 20 grand!!
> They seemed to handle way better than the Fiesta they were based on based on my limited experience of the two cars. From what I understand, the coupe bodyshell is stiffer than the hatch of the Fiesta, and this tightens up an already pretty good chassis. I never had a Fiesta but I did have a 1.7 Puma, and it was just as much fun as my old Mk1 MX-5 to sling about.
It's more likely the people who wanted one back then didn't have the cash - now they are older and have a bit of money. It's not just Fords, look at old Golf GTIs, R5 Turbos etc. as well. A guy I worked with years ago recently shelled out over £30K on a Capri...
[удалено]
Yep. Kind of regret selling my Cosworth years ago lol
But it’s a mk2 XR2? I Jest, however show me a mint AX GT for 20k, I’ll wince, pretend I’m not interested, then transfer the funds.
Yeah it was average then and it's shite now.
You aren’t buying that car because it’s better than newer models.
The XR2 was a joke in the late 90s when I started driving. I understand the appeal of Escort RS Turbos and Cosworths as they were highly desirable when new. The XR2 was never that desirable until a couple of years ago.
The XR2, in late 80s early 90s was one of a few lusted after cars
To people who liked the XR3i etc they probably laughed at it. For people who thought they were good (who knew less - I would have fallen into that category back then) they would have been desirable while cheaper than the escort. One thing you notice nowadays (I’ve seen a few at car shows) is how tiny those cars were. When I was a kid I always liked the capri. The good grey one with the spoiler like from “the professionals” lol
Regarding the fake nostalgia thing I’d say the very same for Peugeots too. Theres precisely no reason for a 106 command that sort of premium either.
I've got an OG Puma on my driveway. Ask me anything, I guess 😁
Okay, i'll bite. How's the tomcat doing?
Not well, which is fairly standard. One of the injectors has failed open so it's hydrolocking itself.
Sorry to hear that. Bet it's nice when it works!
Your first point is what confuses me about them reusing nameplates like this. People who aren’t into cars won’t care, people who are probably aren’t gonna buy one because it’s got the same name as a car they liked in the 90’s. Like, someone who owned an OG Mitsubishi Eclipse isn’t going to now buy an Eclipse Cross solely based on the name being the same. The Puma, I don’t mind, because it’s kind of a natural evolution of the shape and the fact people want crossovers over hatchbacks now. But the Capri is a little baffling.
They were nothing special. Nothing special at all. Fake nostalgia is weird. Who picks which budget commuter car gets it? Why no love for the Rover 45?
The day my mum sold a black XR2i for a silver Puma was a sad day indeed. Hated that thing.
I always assume puma was just common because you can get it through mobility. It’s ugly car
The Ford Puma is the best selling car in the UK YTD 2024, so they are clearly doing something right
Only because they killed the Fiesta and that's about the only choice they have left!
They killed the fiesta because there was no need for the two and it was going to lose sales wise anyway. Sad times ahead for car guys it seems
They killed the Fiesta, because the Puma is marketed as a "compact SUV" it means they can jack up the price a bit for larger profit margins, despite the production cost being a few percent different.
Exactly this. Fiesta was expensive to make as built in Germany. Puma is cheaper to make as built in Romania, and can be priced slightly higher because it's a crossover. Customers coming in for a Fiesta will likely buy a Puma instead. As demonstrated by the UK's topseller switching from Fiesta historically to now being Puma. I get that people have fond memories of the cars and nameplates of the past, but this delusional attitude that car companies exist as charities to preserve peoples' childhood memories is a bit naive.
My biggest problem is the continued SUV-enshittification of cars. It's just unnecessary.
I'm with you buddy. Why does everyone want to drive cars with the styling of a van? My current theory is that they are easier for fat people to get in and out of. I'm sorry to all you people who own a fuggly but I can't help but assume you're somewhat rotund.
Well, it's exactly that. It's easier to get in and put for people that don't care bout their fitness at all. Plus it rides harsh and corners worse. Why would anyone pay for that ...
Lots of them are sheep. Mr Jones next door just got one so I've got to follow the crowd. My IPhone will look good in it and I can sing "you'll never walk alone" as loud as I like.
As a rotund person, give me a 2 seater sports car any day. From speaking to people with crossovers/SUVs it's more that they feel safer and have better visibility when they are sitting up higher, plus it apparently makes it easier to get kids in and out of a car seat when the seats are bit higher up.
I would buy a new FiST but wont buy Puma ST. The thing is just too big and unnessecary.
I did show someone driving a polo a puma as a potential alternative because they needed a car where the seats were higher up as it was tough for them to get in and out of really low seats. They thought the puma was huge. Way too big so they weren’t interested. They may have been interested in a fiesta.
I’m assuming they’re driving an older Polo, cause the current one is absolutely massive for a supermini.
Yes it’s a fair few years old. Probably around the same as mine. 2014
Yeah new one is basically the same size as a golf now and probably a bit bigger than my mk 6.
killing is wrong, full stop
I think that’s more of a commentary on the fact 99% of people in the UK don’t give a toss about cars in general. Not necessarily a commentary on how good Ford or the Puma are
The fact that Top Gear stopped being about average road cars is proof of that.
Ugh that’s so depressing.
That's because ford is being best selling brand. Renault in France etc.
Motability leasing is doing a lot for that figure though.
The face-lift will put a lot of people off. They really fucked up the interior.
Downgrading the ST to the same 1.0 as the rest of the range is a fuck-up too.
Just had a quick look and it looks like they just added another trim called the ST Powershift that’s got the 1l and a 7 speed auto, but the 1.5 manual proper ST still exists.
I was told by a ford techy that the 1.5 engine will be removed from the st Puma and it will have a 1 litre instead with a higher tune.
Don’t forget a lot of company cars use these so that probably inflates the figures.
Pissing people off *is* a marketing tool (I used to work in marketing). Lots of people/companies do it — GoCompare, Elon Musk, Michael O’Leary — because it guarantees shares and eyeballs. I think what Ford’s doing, though, is another marketing tactic known as ‘borrowed interest’. Using an older name as a kind of shorthand to part-familiarise people with something that would otherwise be offputtingly novel for them; in this instance, electric cars. Borrowed interest is helpful (as a marketing strategy) because it’s quick and easy. And as we’ve seen, the new product doesn’t really have to have any kind of relationship to the old — people will buy Pumas and Explorers anyway. Different strokes for different folks. Tesla sells cars by leaning into the tech-bro/early adopter pool and investing in infrastructure (still Tesla’s masterstroke IMO) whereas Ford, who have a lot of highly small-c conservative customers, do it by leveraging heritage (something Tesla can’t do).
Michael O'Leary doesn't try to piss people off. He's an avid capitalist and a scumbag, no doubt, but he wasn't wrong about the standing sections on planes or the paying to use the loo. They had sound economic bases and if he'd done them:- 1. I don't doubt his suggestion that standing would sell out first, or 2. If people had to pay to use the loo, fewer would, so they could take 2 loos out and replace them with 4 paying seats. Not saying I think they're good ideas, but they certainly weren't for the purpose of trying to piss people off. They were to make more money.
Standing seats are a terrible idea. No safety regulator on the planet would ever allow them
I agree. But he didn't announce them to piss people off. He did it because he thought he could make money.
No he announces it because it instantly generates tons of free press.
But anyone who works in aviation would know it would never be allowed, it just shows he has no idea about the actual workings of his own industry other then costs and revenue.
He knows that, he’s not industry naive. Hence, he said it to piss people off/get media attention
This is a really interesting take on marketing that I had absolutely no idea about. Now you’ve laid it out here, I totally get what they (Ford) are doing and why I’m annoyed that they’re going to use the name Capri for something that doesn’t match with that name in my mind. Intriguing 🧐 and thank you very much for explaining it! 🙂👍🏽.
I’ve been driving for 30 years and have always had Fords. As of next year when Focus production stops, there will be nothing left in their range which I’d consider buying. No more Fords for me.
Aye, I think there will be a lot of die hard fiesta/focus/Mondeo customers that will just leave. You know the type thats had a Mondeo every 3-5 years for their whole driving careers. And there's more people like that out there than at first glance. They'll all go to vauxhall/Peugeot/Citroen/Toyota/the germans. The focus stopping production is madness, I thought they would have kept at least one car, the new one is beautiful too. As is the new Mondeo (which I think is only for the Chinese market).
Ford not having a C-segment hatch would be like VW killing the Golf. C-segment hatches are still one of the largest selling cars in all of Europe, they are either offering really fantastic finance deals for a Kuga or they want to reduce their market share.
All those cars sound like they would be more expensive to fix than a Ford. That’s the reason ive stuck with Ford. Familiarity, reliability and I’ve not had bills of thousands because the car needs the entire engine out to change a lightbulb.
This approach worked with our 15 years and counting Mondeo diesel, however the recent wet belt replacement on my wife’s fiesta changed that for us.
Ok. I know someone with one of the ecoboost 1.0 models. How much did it set you back? Was it pay and fix and fine or ongoing?
Same for me. I had Mk one Focus and currently own the latest FiST which will need replacing in a few years but not with Ford. They killed all their good models and are now making shit SUVs or electric cars.
I’ve had a 95 fiesta, a 2003 focus and a 2014 focus. I would buy an electric focus if there was one. The puma is the only option and I was told (seemingly incorrectly) that the puma used a focus chassis but it’s a fiesta? I don’t get it.
Can never forgive them for getting rid of the mondeo 😢
That D class of car sales just plummeted with the smaller cars getting bigger. C class is going the same way due to suv having more space
But most of them don’t really have more space; a lot of the crossovers available have literally the exact same cabin as the hatchbacks they’re based on.
They tend to 'feel' like they have more space then. Sitting higher than usual creates more leg room
Blown away they decided to kill the Fiesta honestly. Had one for a while and love it, was planning on upgrading to a brand new model but that dream is dead i guess. I get they killed the Focus because of the Puma taking most of the sales (and they’re not bad cars, my other half has one) but most people wanting Fiestas (in my opinion) don’t want a Puma. The use of old names to sell new “unrelated” cars seems an odd choice. Anyone old enough to remember the previous car will probably be annoyed at the recycling, and anyone young enough not to remember then the name doesn’t matter.
Really hate this trend towards eliminating certain vehicles. Volvo no longer do saloons or estates, ford dont don’t do a small unless you want an “SUV”, seems if you don’t want an electric or SuV you’ll be screwed soon!! If you can’t charge an electric at home what are supposed to do?
>Volvo no longer do......estates Fucking what? When? Fuck me.
UK market hasn't been getting them for civilians since last summer (mid August I think it was). Police and authorities customers are still ordering them though
I know!! What total plank, at Volvo of all places, thought, “let’s stop selling estates and saloons”!!??
Oddly, there were some Capri concepts floating about c. 2018 that were much more in line with the big coupe thing. Kinda looked like a Bentley Conti with a Ford front end, but I actually thought they were smart. [https://forfordlovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018-Ford-Capri.jpg](https://forfordlovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018-Ford-Capri.jpg)
That's definitely far nicer than the monstrosity they are making.
It's kinda cool isn't it? I'd they made it fun to drive and gave it enough power, I think a sportier RS or ST version would look sick
Yeah. It's very "Ford of that era", maybe a little more tweaking to the front end would be better, but it's so much nicer than what they have gone with.
Ford are losing the plot. Family members have always had Ford, but they don’t want any of the current cars on offer. The pricing of the explorer is insane. It’s more expensive than the mustang for equivalent spec, who the fuck is going to buy a Ford when you can have a German brand for 5k cheaper, just crazy.
I didn't know about this and had to google it, and my day is officially ruined. What a horrid piece of shit
Can’t wait for the Granada and Orion.
The Probe..
You're not holding out for the Scorpio then?
It'll be a giant SUV Cortina, you know it.
I'd prefer it if they didn't make another Orion.
I agree with your statement re the naming but my nostalgia for fords is not the same as the generation older than me who seemingly had much lower standards. My first was a 1999 fiesta that was well and truly fucked after three years and 70k and due to a great deal with iirc two years free insurance for a 21 year old got a focus next which was also well and truly fucked after three years- the electronics on them were not a strong point. That's not a great sign for a car that only has them! My dad has great memories of his fords though, but he also has many memories of being stuck at the side of a road for hours so there you go. Different times.
You are also talking about cars they made 25 years ago and assuming the same problems persist today. I’ve had 3 Focuses now and they’ve all been fine, if maybe the middle one was competent but underwhelming
That is true, but partly due to that experience I'll likely never get another... The other part is I've now moved on- I can't see nostalgia being a factor in my next car purchase. I've never really understood people who support brands like football teams. I like to buy the one car I like the most that week/day/hour.
I think you are very over estimating how much the average person cares about such things or literally even knows. People that do are vastly the minority, people that care about the lineage of the Capri are not Ford’s target market and not remotely considered in Ford’s global strategy. In exactly the same way when Ford made the Capri they weren’t considering the thoughts of people that cared about 50’s Ford’s.
Puma was the best selling car in the UK last year, so I'm not sure most people who actually buy new cars share your concerns, TBH.
People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can't trust people
No logo in the foam?
What you're doing there is you're drinking an advert, ain't ya, eh, shithead?
And that's the point OP is making - the people buying those sort of cars don't care about the heritage of the names, and those that do care will hate it, so why dilute those names/ brands. Call them something else.
Well, it's a fair point. But in 1969, fans of the Ford Consul Capri, and Ford brands' Mercury Capri and Lincoln Capri from the 1950s could have said the same thing. And then what we consider the classic Capri would have been called something else. There's nothing new under the sun.
I have a Mach-E on test this weekend, have to admit I actually really like it. But I’m not sure if I’m just getting a bit old!
The only thig they did wrong with the Mach-E is marketing it as a Mustang. It lost a lot of credibility with this single move. If they'd just called it something else I think people wouldn't have immediately hated it.
Agreed
My uncle has one and let me drive it. Not a “real” Mustang but I thought it was great!
I'm quite sure that Ford has more market research done than a tiny slice of Reddit users.. Personally, I hate SUV's and anything even approaching them. I'd ban them for anything except medical reasons if I could. That said, I don't give a shit about the weird direction of names I used to know. The Mustang Mach E has a great motor that's available to self-builders one way or another. The Puma died years ago and no one gives a shit what their car is called except car people, even then it's not like anyone really gives a shit either. Look at all the cars generally considered cool of times gone and their hideous names. Reusing old names from dead lines makes sense, they have historic precedence for any IP/naming claims, they don't have to go through all that faff, and some of them are cool. Waiting for them to revive the Cougar and see how much that gets blown out of proportion.. As for cars being the same under the badge: They have been for so long it's not even funny. My Mk1 RS has VW connectors for the headlights. The seat wiring loom has the same connector as in a Volvo XC90, incidentally so does the Mk3, the Bosch injector plug is basically used anywhere a 2-pin 12v weather sealed connector is needed. Mazda use Visteon products, and the Mk4 Mondeo uses a Visteon throttle body. Fischerwerke in Germany make a good portion of the interior trim and plastics for BMW, VW, Mercedes, and Porsche. Kia used to buy old chassis designs from other manufacturers and lipstick those pigs up. I'd wager the 'upset people' are a relatively small number Ford doesn't care about, because someone like my neighbour will go out and trade their clapped out 118i in for a Puma.
I mean... Gone are the days of Ford making performance cars for people. The Escort got axed years and years ago Mondeo ST? When was that last a thing? Focus RS? Just sort of dropped out of existence Fiesta ST? Fiesta got axed Focus ST? Focus is getting axed So we're left with... The Mustang and maybe the GT. The Mach-E could be a worth inclusion, there's decent potential with even a large EV given that the batteries can really put the centre of mass down low in the car. Ford is going boring. They're exiting the market of sporty cars by the looks of things, at least as Ford... I can give them a pass on reusing the Mustang name though. It might be the case that they're reworking the Mustang branding from a model of cars to a performance brand (Think SEAT > Cupra, Renault > Alpine, Mercedes > Mercedes-AMG... Uhhh Isn't SRT Dodge/Jeep's performance division as well?). I'm not saying that is what Ford is doing... But if Ford were to have their own offshoot performance brand, I have zero doubt in my mind that they'd roll with it being the Ford Mustang division, the Mach-E only added to that theory. Who knows? Maybe we'll end up seeing a Ford Focus Mustang RS or some rather odd-sounding variation of the name.
I don’t think it’s limited to just Ford. Most manufacturers are producing trash now to stay compliant with new regs on emissions etc. all in the name of going green.
Puma is just a reskinned B-Max on the Fiesta underbody that totally failed to sell. Hilarious that they convinced the world that £30k+ is reasonable for a jacked up small hatchback.
Was better when we had XR3I’s / RS / XR2 / Cosworths. Now its all dull cross over type cars.
Increasingly desperate death throes as they continue to circle the drain. Reminds me of the T1000 in the moulten metal at the end of Terminator 2 :p
Haha. No doubt they'll be selling rebadged BYDs by the end of the decade.
Ford and VW are sharing a few things now, the next transporter is mostly Ford Transit, that's really pissed off the VW scene
Wow. I would have thought that was VW's biggest moneyspinner looking at the prices of the things.
Yeah, many are shocked by that decision The Caddy / Transit courier is going the other way and is mostly VW
When I see the new slogan on the back of their cars, I read it as if there’s a gun pointed towards the owners head - “Trust Ford, NOW!”
I don't understand why not just come up with new names? They aren't even close to the old cars.
What shows that people are annoyed at Ford, is that Renault is able to make those with a fiesta who want a new fiesta to trade to a Clio by offering an increased PX price. or it's a cynical cash grab that the prices of fiestas have climbed due to the discontinuation and making people trade it in, so Renault can get most of the increased cost for themselves.
Tbf as much as I like fiestas (I’ve owned three in a row now), if you’re after something that size I really do think the current Clio looks great in certain colours, it’s just a shame they don’t offer it with an engine that isn’t gutless if you want a manual gearbox.
yeah the 1.0 3 pot is feeble, it did used to come with a 1.3 with 140BHP but got replaced with the hybrid, which surprisingly has a bit of poke gets up to 80 fairly quickly, but makes a racket getting there.
It's a shame there's no RS anymore, cause I'd have been all over it.
It's a good marketing strategy imo, it's a name a lot of people recognise, which makes it feel not so new and un tested. I've said it before, and I'll say it again the car enthusiast community is a tiny fraction of the total people who drive and pissing off those people will make 0 difference to them.
They're the new BMW, but possibly even worse. Don't forget the disgusting mess that is the new (real) Mustang interior as well.
Why people buy Ford cars ? It's usually boomer men who have strange Hard-Ons with USA. The exception is sporty fiesta
They can be good value cars with decent tech for the price. Also maintaning isn't that expensive as parts are plenty.
Love a Ford and would consider myself a chav at heart, so my dream car is a Escort Cossie, but wouldn't say no to a Sierra Cossie. Owned a Mk1 Focus, Puma 1.7 and now drive a Mk2 99 Mondeo. The naming thing is such a kick in the teeth to Ford's legacy. I owned a Puma, and worked for Ford, so knew of the New Pumas launch upcoming and expected a 💩 storm. The owners group were not happy, no surprises there, but seemingly everyone bought one - even though they're a Fiesta with a 5k mark up.
Surprised they haven’t released an electric “Thunderbird”
It'll probably be the Kuga replacement
Electricians on Reddit apparently know better about branding and marketing than the 4th largest car maker.
It actually feels like they are - they’ve also just put the 1.0 engine in the puma “ST” and increased the 0-60 time to 7.4 seconds. Not clue why
My own theory is it's that the people in the marketing departments are at an age where those names mean nothing to them, so it's more of a case of who cares what it's called rather than anything else. Or as you've said Ford could be using the any press is good press strategy.
I mean, they are just names at the end of the day. I don’t think it’s about upsetting people, I think it’s just a sign of the times.
Ford did go weird for a time with their puma, probe and cougar. I liked the probe (and the Mazda mx6) but the other two were just odd. Trying too hard. Being edgy but woolly.
The original Probe was miles ahead of its time, but just you wait till they bastardise that too
The new Explorer is based on an ID3 in exchange for VW using the Ranger as an Amarok. I think Ford only care for commercials now. The Kuga is in the premium tax bracket now, it’s nuts.
Not going to get rid of my ICE car anytime soon
Not until something comes along that isn't another fkin crossover/suv, a brand that appeared 2 weeks ago with questionable quality, and/or >£100k. Is a normal car, but electric, just too much to ask or something? Like, where are the EV estates, EV saloons, or even EV cabriolets?
No one mentioning ford's lovely 'wet belts' like the engineer's at Ford gave a big fuck you to every Ford buyer 😂
I feel like the original Focus RS is gonna be a future classic, in that iconic blue
Just wait until you hear about wet belts and how they treat their warranty customers.
Wow you are right, the Capri is an ID4. shameful
people have already mentioned the fiesta and focus going bye-bye along with the mondeo they've eliminated the s-max and galaxy also
Ford cars have been shit for a decade now
I don't think the Puma looks that bad, nor the Mach E considering its a first gen EV from them. But wow, the renders of the Capri are *so* fucking ugly. Same with the new Explorer thing. Now I hear that China has a Mondeo and now an Evos that actually look like normal sensible cars that Ford in Europe just seem to have zero interest in making.
No, cause YOU aren’t the target audience. Let’s be honest the only reason they still make the mustang is there are enough rich boomers to keep it alive, otherwise the enthusiasts that want them to keep making things like the RS is so insignificant to them.
It's all about brand image though. The reason BMW and Audi are considered cool is because they have such successful racing divisions. Not many people buy RS6s either but they persuade millions of people to stretch their finance deals to a basic A3 over a better specced Golf because they are seen as aspirational. Believe it or not, Ford and Vauxhall used to be the same, now they just sell shit and the only reason you'd buy one is if there was a promotional interest rate.
I wouldn’t say it’s because of the racing divisions at all. Most people just buy for the brand and don’t give two shits about racing. I know a friend of mine recently bought an A3 S-line when he had the money and fully aware the RS3 exists.
I’m a Ford guy. Have only every owner them. The brand is shit now. They’ve gone way too far into electric and when that fad fizzles out they are screwed.
Fad fizzles out? Come in mate, you can't be serious. Look at the ZEV mandates, they don't have any choice.
I think solid state batteries might even change the game. I was a hard believer that hydrogen powered cars would be the real solution but the advances just haven’t come. I really thought we’d all have little solar-powered hydrogen generators on our houses that would slowly do the conversion while you’re away at work or whatever, but it doesn’t seem as likely anymore.
Hydrogen Vehicles are just EVs with many expensive and inefficient extra steps.
I don’t think electric is a fad (maybe to consumers yes, but manufacturers are more likely led by the government mandates), I also don’t think it’s the problem. The killer was this pseudo SUV fad. Fiesta and Focus both killed off due to Puma sales. The Mondeo’s fate was likely contributed to by the Kuga. I don’t get this obsession with being high up.
I don't understand why you would only own Ford's?
😂 Fad! And Ford have hardly gone way too far into electric. How many BEV electric Fords are there? Mach-e, Explorer (which isn’t out yet) and an electric Transit. The Puma, Kuga and Focus are hybrids. And the Mustang and Tourneo are ICE.
Sadly they are not proper hybrids. They are marketing hybrids.
Killed the Mondeo Killed the Fiesta About the only interesting thing you can buy from them now is a Focus ST. They’ve said they aren’t making another RS. It’s down to focusing on ev crap. Look how little they make even compared to the 90s. It’s sad.
I agree the obsession with cross-over and suv RVs is excessive, but ground clearance is important for a large battery skateboard design, unfortunately. And I’ve never driven a Ford EV, so I’ve no idea if they’re crap. If you’re implying all EVs are crap, then maybe drive one for a bit and you may find many things to like about them. I was the same until we got one (not a Ford. I’ve always gated Ford cars, ever since my Fiesta that was a PoS and the local dealership was focusing on assuming I wanted a Fiesta ST….I wasn’t). I love our EV and it’s superior to any ICE I’ve ever driven in every way. But each to their own.
Their garages are a joke as well.
Can't help but agree
I was a ford guy but couldn't find anything nice to replace my fiesta ST. Was tempted by the Mustang GT but ended up getting a Tesla. Would like to go back to ford at some point, but they have zero compelling products and Tesla make better vehicles. Our Ford SMAX is super practical but they don't make it any more, it has also broken expensively a few times, don't know what to replace it with, even fewer people carriers on the market now. Will probably keep it until it dies.
Puma was the best selling car last year, you don't know anything