Alternatives to Ford Puma for guys

shunterbaby

Hello everyone, are there any alternatives to Ford Puma's for guys. I really love everything about this car, i'm in the UK and the price is good, insurance is reasonable, and i've heard nothing but good reports about how it drives.

Trouble is I don't really want to get rinsed for driving a so called "girls car" Now this won't actually stop me buying the car, and i'm happy to buy it, and secure enough to buy it:cool:

Just wondered though if there are any other alternatives to it. Don't want anything to heavy on insurance, but want quite a cool looking car. It's my first one.

peasant

Yeah ...grow a pair and just buy one regardless

EPM

Screw what other people think. Buy the Puma. Came close a while back but didnt for the same reason. Been kicking myself ever since

FutureGuy

I have a number of mates that have a Puma (4 men, 1 woman). Never heard of it being labelled as a "girls car".

If you like it, buy it.

colm_mcm

Just buy it. they're a class car, and anyone who says it's a girls car just is't comfortable within themselves


Make sure it's a Racing Puma though
The 1.4 is for girls

JHMEG

Alternatively if you don't want to take the risk, consider a Celica or maybe even some sort of small Merc coupe.

dizzydave10

JHMEG wrote: »

Alternatively if you don't want to take the risk, consider a Celica or maybe even some sort of small Merc coupe.

Yeah Celica definately your best bet

smash

Buy a racing edition puma!

Cuddlesworth

JHMEG wrote: »

Alternatively if you don't want to take the risk, consider a Celica or maybe even some sort of small Merc coupe.

He said less girly, not hairdresser and middle aged women with a rich husband.

Anan1

How about a Clio 172/182?

Dublin Chick

Go for the Puma I love them, what colour is it tho????

bogmanfan

Go for the Puma man. Too many guys driving ****ty old Vectras and Corollas because they won't drive a 'small car'.

zilog_jones

Mazda MX-3/AZ-3 maybe, but it's not as modern and those tiny V6s could cause trouble in their old age.
Honda Civic Coupe?
Not really much else that size I can think (Opel Tigra is rubbish) of unless you want to step into roadster territory, and then you're looking at "gay" cars instead of "girly"

bazz26

I would not let other people influence my choice. If you want a Puma then buy a Puma, sod the others.

Rowley Birkin QC

steve06 wrote: »

Buy a racing edition puma!

Great looking car, saw one in the metal lately and they really have a presence.

shunterbaby

steve06 wrote: »

Buy a racing edition puma!

is that the 1.7l one??

chick - i think i'm gonna get a grey or a black one, they are my favourite colours on cars i think.

Anan1

shunterbaby wrote: »

is that the 1.7l one??

chick - i think i'm gonna get a grey or a black one, they are my favourite colours on cars i think.

The Puma Racing was a special low-volume model, AFAIK only available in blue. It's the most desirable production Puma - there is also a normal 1.7.

colm_mcm

the Racing Puma is a 1.7 the others are 1.4 or 1.6.

IMO they look best in blue, black makes them look very small.

Anan1

colm_mcm wrote: »

the Racing Puma is a 1.7 the others are 1.4 or 1.6.

IMO they look best in blue, black makes them look very small.

The Racing is 1.7, but i'm pretty sure the others were available in 1.4, 1.6 and 1.7.

Dublin Chick

shunterbaby wrote: »

is that the 1.7l one??

chick - i think i'm gonna get a grey or a black one, they are my favourite colours on cars i think.

So I am chick now am I

Ok a black one or a grey one would be lovely, for some reason I am totally against red cars....although I like the colour red just not in a car. Anywho buy buy buy. My flatmate drives a Porche, some people say it is a girls / hairdressers car but I think it is a great looking car and suits him!!!

colm_mcm

There was a non-racing 1.7 alright but it had 30hp less - forgot about that one

Henry Ford III

Puma Racing has very hard suspension. Good on a track but not for everyone.

The normal 1.7 would be my choice. Some of the limited editions were very well equipped too.

shunterbaby

Dublin Chick wrote: »

So I am chick now am I

Ok a black one or a grey one would be lovely, for some reason I am totally against red cars....although I like the colour red just not in a car. Anywho buy buy buy. My flatmate drives a Porche, some people say it is a girls / hairdressers car but I think it is a great looking car and suits him!!!

Sorry, I wanted to quote you as well, then it didn't give me the option, and just remembered chick was in your name:D

Yeh I think I will go for it, the racing was very limited, and are a lot more expensive, so don't think i will go for one of them. Think i'l just go for a 1.7

Dublin Chick

Nice one Shunter, well enjoy car shopping and safe driving

I don't mind being called chick

robtri

Friend has a Puma racing.... defo not a girlie car....
great great car....

mind you he is on his second engine rebuild in two years :eek:

had one of the 1.7's - amazing handling and quite nippy (8.3 sec 0-60). v-tec engine still has pull even in higher gears. would recommend it. back seats a bit cramped. and true about the metal gearstick being freezing on cold mornings. black is a good colour. racing puma is a bit cooler but much higher insurance and too expensive.

JHMEG

LostInDaHack wrote: »

had one of the 1.7's - amazing handling and quite nippy (8.3 sec 0-60). v-tec engine still has pull even in higher gears.

I presume you meant zetec as Honda don't supply engines to Ford. zetec is a marketing thing, nothing to do with engine technology.

JHMEG

Racing Puma is a special limited edition, only 1,000 were made. I'd imagine there are at least as many Pumas again with the Racing badge stuck on.

Interesting review here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2iONXaChfg

JHMEG

JHMEG wrote: »

I presume you meant zetec as Honda don't supply engines to Ford. zetec is a marketing thing, nothing to do with engine technology.

you're correct - the engines are not Honda, but they are Japanese - from Yamaha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Puma

STForSale

There a great wee car, lively enough and good handlers. Don't get the chicks car label they have.
Clean one's are getting harder to come by, looked at a few recently as the brother was in the market, wouldn't keep chickens in some of the one's I looked at .

zilog_jones

LostInDaHack wrote: »

you're correct - the engines are not Honda, but they are Japanese - from Yamaha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Puma

That is incorrect, they are Ford engines made by Ford, which were designed with some unknown quantity of input from Yamaha. That's like saying Mk. I Seat Ibizas had Porsche engines.

JHMEG wrote: »

I presume you meant zetec as Honda don't supply engines to Ford. zetec is a marketing thing, nothing to do with engine technology.

The 1.7 has VCT (Variable Cam Timing), which does some of the same kind of thing as VTEC.

shunterbaby

STForSale wrote: »

There a great wee car, lively enough and good handlers. Don't get the chicks car label they have.
Clean one's are getting harder to come by, looked at a few recently as the brother was in the market, wouldn't keep chickens in some of the one's I looked at .

What do you mean by "clean" ones?? Do you mean like hygeine clean, or clean as in things have gone wrong with the car

Henry Ford III

zilog_jones wrote: »

That is incorrect, they are Ford engines made by Ford, which were designed with some unknown quantity of input from Yamaha. That's like saying Mk. I Seat Ibizas had Porsche engines.



The 1.7 has VCT (Variable Cam Timing), which does some of the same kind of thing as VTEC.

The 1.7 engines were actually finished in Japan by Yamaha. They had considerable input.

The VCT system used by Ford in the 1.7 was designed for more pull or mid range. The Honda VTEC is all about top end afaik.

JHMEG

zilog_jones wrote: »

The 1.7 has VCT (Variable Cam Timing), which does some of the same kind of thing as VTEC.

It may or may not have. Point is 'zetec' has nothing to do with variable valve timing or anything engine related.

(VCT and VTEC are pretty much unrelated. VCT is cam phasing, something which classic DOHC VTEC can't do. Newer i-VTEC implementations can)

Anan1

shunterbaby wrote: »

What do you mean by "clean" ones?? Do you mean like hygeine clean, or clean as in things have gone wrong with the car

'Clean' means well cared for and original.

colm_mcm

I'd associate VTEC (or MIVEC or VVTLI) with a cam changeover and nutty rev limits, I think VCT is closer to VVT-i

zilog_jones

Henry Ford III wrote: »

The 1.7 engines were actually finished in Japan by Yamaha. They had considerable input.

Oh, that's interesting to know. I always see this association of Yamaha with Zetec-S/SE engines, but have never heard any useful information as to what actual contribution they made with them. Do you know much more about it?

JHMEG wrote: »

Point is 'zetec' has nothing to do with variable valve timing or anything engine related.

The fact there's at least 4 completely different engine series labelled "Zetec" doesn't help things either, and then there's the Zetec trim level, the renaming of most the engines to Duratec, etc.

VCT and VTEC are pretty much unrelated. VCT is cam phasing, something which classic DOHC VTEC can't do. Newer i-VTEC implementations can)

Ah it's something to do with camshafts, close enough

Ghost Rider

I have a 1.4 Puma. I also have thigh-high boots, my own hair curler and a uterus - so draw your own conclusions.

Only joking. I have none of those girly appendages. Get a Puma - women will gaze at you admiringly, men will gaze at you enviously. Either way, to any nay-sayers you will exude the confidence of someone who made a decision because he wanted to, not because what of others thought.

Roy-Keane-esque personal philosophy aside, Pumas rock. The suspension is firm for Irish roads, but they feel great cornering. Even my 1.4 feels like it has quite a bit of pep. Fuel economy is pretty good, engine parts are easy to come by... and check out those headlights!!

shunterbaby

Ok i'm going to look at one tommorow, the only problem is I don't know anyone really that good with cars, and don't want to be ripped off.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201004351322158/sort/priceasc/usedcars/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles/model/puma/make/ford/radius/30/page/1/postcode/cm159ps?previous=/search/used/cars/ford/puma/postcode/cm159ps/radius/30/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles/sort/priceasc/page/1&logcode=p

This is the link to the car, and it looks good for the price imo. Any suggestions when i go, like what price should i look to get it down too.

shunterbaby

Anyone with a puma, recommend anything I should check out when I go visit the car today??

hi5

Steve McQueen drove a Puma,when he wasn't in his 68 Mustang fastback

How manly do you need to be?:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAlklV5TZrE

Ghost Rider

Check for rust under the wheel arches. Check the heater goes from cold to warm and back. (The heater control valve is a famous problem on Pumas - they often get stuck on hot or cold.) Check the electric windows will close properly without the rubber seals folding in on themselves. Check there are no knocks from the suspension when you drive it. Can't think of anything else. Your own judgement should guide you anyway.

shunterbaby wrote: »

Anyone with a puma, recommend anything I should check out when I go visit the car today??

Ghost Rider

Ah yes. Best car ad of all time? It's a contender anyway.

hi5 wrote: »

Steve McQueen drove a Puma,when he wasn't in his 68 Mustang fastback

How manly do you need to be?:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAlklV5TZrE

Bonito

Cougar?

shunterbaby

Just want to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, you helped me make my decision a lot.

Went and bought the deposit on a car today, and pick it up on Monday.

Benny Cake

typo

colm_mcm

Glad to hear you got a car, what engine size did you end up with?

corktina

Bonito wrote: »

Cougar?

would be my choice....V6, fully loaded, leather, cheap as chips ...

Bonito

corktina wrote: »

would be my choice....V6, fully loaded, leather, cheap as chips ...

Surprised I was 1st to mention it TBH

Price difference is astonoshing though!
1.
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Cougar/201007196915035/advert?channel=CARS
2.
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Cougar/2.5-V6-2/201007196945649/advert?channel=CARS

Henry Ford III

I never really rated the Cougar. It was not ugly but beyond that....

Bonito

Henry Ford III wrote: »

I never really rated the Cougar. It was not ugly but beyond that....

Well there's a point where you should stop with modifying a Ford.
http://www.carzone.ie/search/Ford/Mustang/3.8-%28Cus/201006196855044/advert?channel=CARS

http://www.gumtree.ie/dublin/29/53243829.html