Hi All

Now that Fiesta production has gone to that great carpark in the sky I am looking towards my next new car. I am looking towards a Puma as it is the same width as a Fiesta as my garage is not very wide. Length and height no problem. Now comes my problem that I would like advice on. The titanium model would suit me fine, automatic gearbox and all extras I want available. The big problem for me is on this model it has the black plastic edging on the wheel arches which I absolutly detest. This leads me towards the ST line, no plastic wheel arches on this model and all the extras I need. This throws up my next problem, the ST version has sport suspension. How much does this affect ride comfort and noise level? Being in my, shall I say, later years my normal driving is just local trips and a few motorway trips a year at 60 mph in adaptive cruise control. So your opinions on would I really notice much difference between the two types of suspension be that drastic.

Always been fond of Ford cars so don't want to move to a different brand if it can be avoided.

Buy the Titanium, and get a body shop to professionally paint the plastic wheel arch trims. Or buy a black car and you will hardly notice them. 

The ST-Line does have the plastic arches, they're just painted body colour rather than left black, as Unofix says. They're hard to spot on the darker colours anyway, and suit Magnetic pretty well imo. Might cope better with parking scuffs too!

The Titanium is the only version without sports suspension and big wheels/low profile tyres so would probably be my choice if looking for a comfortable ride. 

I've only managed to get test drives in ST-Lines (125 and 155) and they weren't particularly uncomfortable compared to the ST-Line Fiesta I had at the time, but not outstandingly comfortable either. 

What Car said this about ride:

"If ride comfort is a priority, you’d be better off looking at the Kamiq or T-Roc. Both have softer suspension, which means you feel less impact from lumps and bumps as they pass beneath the car. In fact, if you want the most comfortable Puma, Titanium trim is your best bet as it’s the only version to come without the even firmer sport suspension fitted to all ST-Line variants.

Even so, the Puma is far from a bone-shaker and never gets uncomfortable – it just follows the contours of the road more closely than the Kamiq or T-Roc. There's a positive trade-off too: better body control equals less bouncing along undulating country lanes. We think most buyers will quite like the compromise. The jiggly Juke jostles you around in your seat far more."

Friends of mine tried the Puma (they managed to find a Titanium demo) but still ended up with a T-Roc.

No real substitute for trying both specs for yourself if at all possible. and see what you think. We all have different preferences/ priorities when it comes to the trade off between ride versus handling.

 

 

Thank you both for that. It looks like I shall have to bite the bullet. As I would be going for the Magnetic I think it will be back to the Titanium. I am lucky that I have an excellent body shop close at hand to get an estimate from to get the wheel aches done. Must be cheaper going that way rather than an ST.

Just worked it out that I would have £845 to spare going the Titanium way. Might be pushing it to get a decent job done for that price at a good body shop. So might be easier to go the ST after all.

Presume you're not making the change imminently as your Fiesta is a 2023? I believe the Puma is in line for a facelift in 2024 so that might change the looks somewhat. 

If you want ultimate comfort and a smallish car then the Lexus UX250h is unbeatable. 

Oh and £845 buys a half car respray almost. That body shop of yours. Is it called 'we saw you coming' by any chance?

25 minutes ago, tazzman600 said:

If you want ultimate comfort and a smallish car then the Lexus UX250h is unbeatable. 

Oh and £845 buys a half car respray almost. That body shop of yours. Is it called 'we saw you coming' by any chance?

When was the last time you got a quote for a half car respray? Not in the last 6-12 months I'm guessing.

It really doesn't buy that much anymore, it's why insurance has gone up so much.

It cost me £600 for a rear bumper repair and respray.

Domestic heating bills are bad enough...don't envy those heating a spray booth. 😮 

1 hour ago, alexp999 said:

It cost me £600 for a rear bumper repair and respray.

Last quote I had (from a trusted repairer who've done excellent work for me previously) was to respray a front wing and door which had suffered extensive chipping and that was about £400 a few years back.

I imagine preparing and painting the "bare" black plastic areas we're talking about would be quite labour intensive and I'd doubt it's durability even then. I'd either live with the Titanium as it is (or go for the ST- L if the ride is acceptable) or look further afield.

 

It would have been around 2017 that I got half my deep impact blue mk3 focus perfectly colour matched car resprayed.

3 years ago got a Lexus is250 fully paint corrected as it was totally covered in scratches of all types. Cost £200. 

I suppose Manchester area is quite cheap compared to other areas but quality none better.

Well it looks like I started a bit of a paint argument here. Will probably be mid 2025 that I will be looking to purchase a Puma. So it will be about the end of next year for ordering, anticipating a six months delivery. Titanium may not have the unpainted wheel arches then. I think I will duck out before anymore paint comes heading my way.

1 hour ago, jsk said:

Will probably be mid 2025 that I will be looking to purchase a Puma. So it will be about the end of next year for ordering, anticipating a six months delivery. 

Silly though it seems, I'll probably need to be doing something about that time too, if I only keep the present one to the end of the PCP deal. 

And the Puma should have had its facelift!