A couple of queries on car tech and wheels before placing an order!

All Ford Puma related discussions
TommyCockles
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2021 10:55 am

Post by TommyCockles »

Hi all

I'm on the verge of joining the ever growing ranks of Puma owners as I think its one lovely looking and practical car but was hoping that some of you may be able to answer one or two questions I have before I pull the trigger!

I'm currently still in the midst of rejection of my 3 month old VW Golf Mark 8 which has been just the biggest nitemare imaginable. I've been having no end of problems with it which if I listed them all we'd be here all day but one of the key issues is that the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) not only doesn't work properly but is actually dangerous to use. Having the car slam on the brakes when travelling at 70mph on a motorway for no reason whatsoever is just a complete and utter joke!

One of the features that I loved on my Mark 7.5 Golf before I changed to the Mark 8 was ACC as it just made motorway cruising a doddle. On the Mk 7.5 ACC worked perfectly so to go from that to a system that was dangerous to use was a major disappointment. My first question is what's the Adaptive Cruise Control in the Ford Puma like? Does it work as it should or has anyone had any issues with it? How would you say the the tech works in general in the car?

I'm looking at going for the ST Line Vignale as from what I can see it's the only trim level that offers the combination of transmission and engine that I'm looking for - namely the auto transmission married to the 155PS MHEV powertrain.

Also looking at speccing the following:-

Magnetic Paint
Panorama Roof
Drivers Assistance Pack
Handsfree Power Tailgate
Mini Spare Steel wheel
19" Five Spoke Alloy Wheels

I'm really torn between whether to go for 18" or 19" wheels. I think the 18" alloys actually look nicer (apart for the additional rubber!) but then I imagine that the handling would be improved with the 19's, but then less noise and better comfort from the 18's?

If anyone can offer their thoughts on 18" or 19" wheels I'd be extremely grateful.

The biggest issue will be that it's looking like a 5 month wait but I'm pretty confident it'll be worth waiting for!

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can offer.
Last edited by TommyCockles on Sat Sep 25, 2021 11:50 pm, edited 2 times in total.

alanp
Posts: 609
Joined: Sat Mar 21, 2020 6:24 pm
Location: York

Post by alanp »

I’ve got acc on mine, it works brilliantly, there are a few issues with the battery, but tbh, I’ve learned to live with it, so far it hasn’t really caused any issues for me, traffic sign recognition is a bit hit and miss, but it seemed to work ok when I went on holiday back in June, I have ‘18 in wheels which give a firmish ride, but it doesn’t bother me, but you might notice it more if your golf was fairly soft, good spec choice on your potential purchase, I have the auto tailgate which is fantastic but the kick activation has you doing the hokey kokey a bit and again, is a bit hit and miss, might be to do with the battery sleep mode???
St line x 1st edition, it has nearly everything
MagneticGrey
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Aug 24, 2021 9:37 pm
Location: Denbighshire

Post by MagneticGrey »

I test drove an ST-Line X with 19 inch wheels. The ride seemed comfortable enough, but then I was only able to try it on decent roads so it's hard to tell. Didn't seem too noisy at 70mph either. If I remember correctly, the first year VED is higher if you go for the 19 inch wheels.

My own car has 18 inch wheels and I am very pleased with the way that it rides and handles on these. They are also easy to clean!
Puma ST-Line X 155 Magnetic (previous)
Nissan Qashqai Tekna E-Power (present)
asl3312
Posts: 186
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 3:27 pm

Post by asl3312 »

Can't comment on the 18s but on the 19s, the tyre sidewall protrudes the actual rim by amount 1/2" meaning they're virtually impossible to kerb damage..
***NOW SOLD*** 2020 ST Line X 7DCT Auto 125PS - Magnetic Grey - DAP - LED - HFPT - Panoramic Roof - 19" Alloys
Alan321
Posts: 80
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:45 pm

Post by Alan321 »

I have a Vignale 125ps auto with 19" wheels, I like the looks but I find the ride harsh and wish it had 18's. It's really noisy on any roads that are anything less than perfect too, although maybe 18’s would also be, since I haven't been in another Puma to compare.
I've had no problems with my adaptive cruise, it works as expected.
Similarly the automatic boot, it seems to work for me every time - maybe there's a knack I've somehow mastered? It's not a thing I was bothered about when buying, but it turns out I really like it.
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NeilS
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 7:17 pm
Location: Essex

Post by NeilS »

I have the 19’s and have no issues.

For me it came down to the design of the alloy more than the ride or size.

I’m more than happy with mine.
Magnetic ST Line X FE. HFPT, Panoramic roof, DAP, Fixed LED, 19” Alloys,
cianpars
Posts: 375
Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2020 2:21 pm

Post by cianpars »

I have the 18 inch wheels. The ride feels good and they are fairly easy to clean. I haven't tried thr 19 inch ones but am told yhat they do give a slightly harder ride.

I doubt that an extra inch will make a huge amount of difference TBH.
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NeilS
Posts: 833
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2021 7:17 pm
Location: Essex

Post by NeilS »

cianpars wrote: Sat Sep 25, 2021 4:58 pm

I doubt that an extra inch will make a huge amount of difference TBH.
That’s debatable 😆
Magnetic ST Line X FE. HFPT, Panoramic roof, DAP, Fixed LED, 19” Alloys,
paulcurtis
Posts: 231
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2020 9:02 pm

Post by paulcurtis »

As others have said, I have found the ACC faultless in operation. But I have three issues with it:

1) When you come to a complete stop because the car in front is stopped, you need to press the 'RESUME' button when it detects the car in front has moved off again. Why? Why doesn't it just do it?

2) I have a very light right foot, and approaching a stationary car, I would start braking well before the ACC does. It brakes a bit more firmly that I would.

3) I find that the speed limit recognition works very well indeed, but it brakes going from a say 50 to 30, whereas I would let the speed bleed off.

However, for normal Dual Carriageway operations, it's fine.

I have 18" wheels, and they are a smidgen too firm for me. I surely wouldn't want 19".
2020 Puma ST-Line X Vignale 1.0L Ecoboost 125PS 7 Speed Auto - Black
JFDIT
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2021 12:02 pm

Post by JFDIT »

I had the 18" rims on an ST-LINE X 155. They gave a better ride and less noise than the 19 inchers on the test car. I would recommend the 18s over the 19". However, more choice of tyre brands for the 225-45 tyres used on the bigger rim. The 215-50 tyres used on the 18" rim is a less popular size
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