MacGuffin
Forum Addict
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
- Messages
- 8,329
- Location
- Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Car(s)
- '17 Ford Mustang GT Fastback
My second encounter with a modern day Ford took place over the last weekend. Again it was one of those "You can choose between..." things at the car rental. So I chose a Ford Kuga -- because I was curious about it.
A Ford Kuga TDCi with the 2 liter diesel engine, which has 136 HP. It came with a 6-speed manual, which makes it possible to compare it directly with the VW Tiguan, that I had a couple of weeks ago.
Videos are still uploading but I'll start with my review anyway.
I noticed some time ago, that it's actually a very nice looking car for a small SUV, or a "crossover", as they call it. I think it's the best looking of that kind at the moment.
Let me start with the things I didn't like so much and since those are mainly minor things, I'll simply make a list:
- The leg room at the front is too short for tall people like me.
- The leg room at the back is too short for tall people like me, if a tall person sits in the front, too. So the Tiguan clearly wins the space section.
- Build quality is not quite on the same level, as with the Tiguan. There are some fizzes and rattles on cobblestone, where the VW was rock solid. Also there was a constant whistle coming from the front window, which I wasn't able to locate but thankfully was not as annoying on long term, as I thought.
- Some of the plastics, especially the parts between the seats, where the cupholder and the ashtray are located, make a really cheap impression.
The overall quality impression, though, is very good. The dashboard and the door panels actually look and feel better, than in the VW. Also the Ford feels much more cosy and homely, than the rather cold and sterile VW. Right from the start I liked being in the Kuga. It is a really nice place to be in.
The plastic Ford used for the parts over the middle tunnel really looks and feels cheap but the rest of the interior seems to be good quality
The door panels for example make an excellent quality impression
That's the rear leg room you have left, when the driver's seat is pushed back to its maximum -- not enought for tall people
Boot space is no issue of course and the tailgate opens and closes without you having to throw all your body's weight into it
Strange thing is, that you sit on a heightened position on the back seats, effectively looking down at the folks in the front
This car is a very nice place to be in. I especially like the steering wheel, which is grippy and actually comes with stitches. Small but nice detail. What I still don't like so much, is the fake aluminium look-alike plastic parts in the middle, which Ford still manages to make look like plastic somehow
The seats are okay but not brilliant. Too short for my thighs for example but otherwise covenient enough and with enough side support.
This particular Kuga came with the very cool keyless engine start function, which means you simply have to keep the key (or rather the remote control to open the doors) in your pocket. You then simply press the "power" button on the dashboard to start the engine, while stepping on the clutch.
However, this system has a flaw, as the guy from the car rental told me: The engine won't stop, if you leave the car and take the key with you.
He said that another customer handed the car over to his wife, while the engine was running, and she drove away without the key. Of course that only went well as long as the engine kept running. But when she wanted to refill the car with diesel and shut it down, she ended up being marooned at a filling station far away from home :lol:
Anyway, back to my car review.
As I already said, I immediately felt very well in the Kuga. And that impression was emphasized by the fact, that driving it didn?t need getting used to very much. I immediately became friends with the clutch, which had some play and didn?t only know on or off (like the one in the Tiguan) and didn?t come down like a hammer every time I shifted down (like the one in the Tiguan).
So using the Ford Kuga as a machine for moving myself around, was much easier and more satisfying, than it was with the Tiguan. I immediately developed a fondness of the Kuga beyond any rational facts. Everything feels nicely in your hands: The steering wheel, the gear lever, the indicator stalk (the indicator actually makes a satsfying plopping noise, btw.).
The difference to the VW became even greater once the engine was running, thanks to a much better diesel engine in the Ford. On paper the Kuga has 4 HP less, than the Tiguan. But the Ford diesel engine is clearly torquier, smoother and quieter.
And there is no drone at all at lower revs!
As I already said in the Tiguan review, the VW 2.0 diesel is becoming old. And my experience with the Ford Kuga confirmed it. It?s the much better and more modern engine. Not really faster but simply better to drive and handle.
So the ?feel well? factor is clearly won by the Ford Kuga, by a huge margin. But how does it behave on the road, the point that made the Tiguan so great, that I forgot about its flaws?
Well, the Ford is almost as good. It?s not quite there, though, with the steering being a little too soft and imprecise and the turning into a corner being a little bit more sluggish. However, don?t think the Kuga is not handling well, because it corners just as well, as the Tiguan. It just needs to be grabbed by the horns a bit more -- only it doesn?t feel quite as tight and nimble, as the VW, and has a tendency to follow ruts in the road.
However, that slight disadvantage in handling is more than compensated by the quality of the ride. The Tiguan was already very comfortable but the Ford Kuga beats it by miles. It?s incredibly smooth, without being wobbly. In addition to that, they did a very good job in eliminating tire noises, so even on hard bumps, you hardly hear a thump from the rubbers. When you ride along in a high gear on a smooth road, everything you hear is the wind noise.
At high speeds on Autobahns the Kuga also is not quite as planted as the Tiguan and doesn?t go over 190 km/h on the speedo (while the Tiguan was scratching the needle at the 200 km/h mark) but it still feels very safe and firm.
Excellent job, Ford.
After three days in the Tiguan and three days in the Kuga something happened, that I thought would never happened: I, a declared VW/Audi fan, prefer a Ford over a Volkswagen. And not only just but by a huge margin.
Sorry, VW, but the Tiguan loses big time to the Kuga. Not on paper and not if you just compare the two cars in a strictly objective way. But subjectively the Ford Kuga is the more pleasant, more convenient and more homely car.
Driving the VW Tiguan always felt a little like being in a car, that was made only as a vehicle to meet practical demands.
The Ford Kuga, however, is a real pleasure to drive and even only with a 136 HP diesel turns every drive into a joy. I actually enjoyed driving around in it without a predetermined destination -- just for the fun of it. It?s that good. Make no mistake: The VW Tiguan is a really good car -- but the Ford Kuga is simply better.
In a completely subjective way of course but still?
Forget about the slightly worse build quality, the whistle noise and the lack of room for my legs. If I had to choose between the VW Tiguan and the Ford Kuga, there would be no hesitation: I would buy the Ford.
And I can?t believe I just said that?
Anyway, here come the first videos:
I took all vids as part of an ongoing Sunday drive through town, country and Autobahn. I think no further coment is needed
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfE9RcpLxvk[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMhNFHTW5rM[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFp-9Bval4Y[/YOUTUBE]
More to come, as uploading continues...
A Ford Kuga TDCi with the 2 liter diesel engine, which has 136 HP. It came with a 6-speed manual, which makes it possible to compare it directly with the VW Tiguan, that I had a couple of weeks ago.
Videos are still uploading but I'll start with my review anyway.
I noticed some time ago, that it's actually a very nice looking car for a small SUV, or a "crossover", as they call it. I think it's the best looking of that kind at the moment.
Let me start with the things I didn't like so much and since those are mainly minor things, I'll simply make a list:
- The leg room at the front is too short for tall people like me.
- The leg room at the back is too short for tall people like me, if a tall person sits in the front, too. So the Tiguan clearly wins the space section.
- Build quality is not quite on the same level, as with the Tiguan. There are some fizzes and rattles on cobblestone, where the VW was rock solid. Also there was a constant whistle coming from the front window, which I wasn't able to locate but thankfully was not as annoying on long term, as I thought.
- Some of the plastics, especially the parts between the seats, where the cupholder and the ashtray are located, make a really cheap impression.
The overall quality impression, though, is very good. The dashboard and the door panels actually look and feel better, than in the VW. Also the Ford feels much more cosy and homely, than the rather cold and sterile VW. Right from the start I liked being in the Kuga. It is a really nice place to be in.
The plastic Ford used for the parts over the middle tunnel really looks and feels cheap but the rest of the interior seems to be good quality
The door panels for example make an excellent quality impression
That's the rear leg room you have left, when the driver's seat is pushed back to its maximum -- not enought for tall people
Boot space is no issue of course and the tailgate opens and closes without you having to throw all your body's weight into it
Strange thing is, that you sit on a heightened position on the back seats, effectively looking down at the folks in the front
This car is a very nice place to be in. I especially like the steering wheel, which is grippy and actually comes with stitches. Small but nice detail. What I still don't like so much, is the fake aluminium look-alike plastic parts in the middle, which Ford still manages to make look like plastic somehow
The seats are okay but not brilliant. Too short for my thighs for example but otherwise covenient enough and with enough side support.
This particular Kuga came with the very cool keyless engine start function, which means you simply have to keep the key (or rather the remote control to open the doors) in your pocket. You then simply press the "power" button on the dashboard to start the engine, while stepping on the clutch.
However, this system has a flaw, as the guy from the car rental told me: The engine won't stop, if you leave the car and take the key with you.
He said that another customer handed the car over to his wife, while the engine was running, and she drove away without the key. Of course that only went well as long as the engine kept running. But when she wanted to refill the car with diesel and shut it down, she ended up being marooned at a filling station far away from home :lol:
Anyway, back to my car review.
As I already said, I immediately felt very well in the Kuga. And that impression was emphasized by the fact, that driving it didn?t need getting used to very much. I immediately became friends with the clutch, which had some play and didn?t only know on or off (like the one in the Tiguan) and didn?t come down like a hammer every time I shifted down (like the one in the Tiguan).
So using the Ford Kuga as a machine for moving myself around, was much easier and more satisfying, than it was with the Tiguan. I immediately developed a fondness of the Kuga beyond any rational facts. Everything feels nicely in your hands: The steering wheel, the gear lever, the indicator stalk (the indicator actually makes a satsfying plopping noise, btw.).
The difference to the VW became even greater once the engine was running, thanks to a much better diesel engine in the Ford. On paper the Kuga has 4 HP less, than the Tiguan. But the Ford diesel engine is clearly torquier, smoother and quieter.
And there is no drone at all at lower revs!
As I already said in the Tiguan review, the VW 2.0 diesel is becoming old. And my experience with the Ford Kuga confirmed it. It?s the much better and more modern engine. Not really faster but simply better to drive and handle.
So the ?feel well? factor is clearly won by the Ford Kuga, by a huge margin. But how does it behave on the road, the point that made the Tiguan so great, that I forgot about its flaws?
Well, the Ford is almost as good. It?s not quite there, though, with the steering being a little too soft and imprecise and the turning into a corner being a little bit more sluggish. However, don?t think the Kuga is not handling well, because it corners just as well, as the Tiguan. It just needs to be grabbed by the horns a bit more -- only it doesn?t feel quite as tight and nimble, as the VW, and has a tendency to follow ruts in the road.
However, that slight disadvantage in handling is more than compensated by the quality of the ride. The Tiguan was already very comfortable but the Ford Kuga beats it by miles. It?s incredibly smooth, without being wobbly. In addition to that, they did a very good job in eliminating tire noises, so even on hard bumps, you hardly hear a thump from the rubbers. When you ride along in a high gear on a smooth road, everything you hear is the wind noise.
At high speeds on Autobahns the Kuga also is not quite as planted as the Tiguan and doesn?t go over 190 km/h on the speedo (while the Tiguan was scratching the needle at the 200 km/h mark) but it still feels very safe and firm.
Excellent job, Ford.
After three days in the Tiguan and three days in the Kuga something happened, that I thought would never happened: I, a declared VW/Audi fan, prefer a Ford over a Volkswagen. And not only just but by a huge margin.
Sorry, VW, but the Tiguan loses big time to the Kuga. Not on paper and not if you just compare the two cars in a strictly objective way. But subjectively the Ford Kuga is the more pleasant, more convenient and more homely car.
Driving the VW Tiguan always felt a little like being in a car, that was made only as a vehicle to meet practical demands.
The Ford Kuga, however, is a real pleasure to drive and even only with a 136 HP diesel turns every drive into a joy. I actually enjoyed driving around in it without a predetermined destination -- just for the fun of it. It?s that good. Make no mistake: The VW Tiguan is a really good car -- but the Ford Kuga is simply better.
In a completely subjective way of course but still?
Forget about the slightly worse build quality, the whistle noise and the lack of room for my legs. If I had to choose between the VW Tiguan and the Ford Kuga, there would be no hesitation: I would buy the Ford.
And I can?t believe I just said that?
Anyway, here come the first videos:
I took all vids as part of an ongoing Sunday drive through town, country and Autobahn. I think no further coment is needed
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfE9RcpLxvk[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMhNFHTW5rM[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFp-9Bval4Y[/YOUTUBE]
More to come, as uploading continues...
Last edited:
