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I've got about £10-11k to spend, enough for a nearly new Puma 1.7 or 2001 Leon 20VT. Any suggestions on which to go for? Puma cheaper on insurance/fuel etc but Leon quicker and better equipped. Any other suggestions?
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Hi Davie
I have a Leon (1.6) and have owned a Puma (1.4). The Puma was much more rewarding to drive than the Leon but owning it was a depressing experience, the paint quality was awful and the car was covered in stone chips after 20K miles. It drank oil and generally had a feeling that it would not be lasting very long. It was sold at 55K miles as the oil consumption was getting worse and had so many rattles I didn't know where to start.
Be warned of the Nickasil issues with the 1.7 puma see website below.
The Leon is 18 months old and has not aged significantly in 33K miles. The paint quality is excellent (flash red) and nothing creaks bangs or knocks. With the 20VT engine it must be great but it probable can't give the buzz of the smaller Puma.
Have a look at www.pumapeople.com
and www.seatcupra.net
HTH
Tim
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Thanks.
Anyone else had similar problems with their Pumas? Also, anyone with ownership experience of Leon 20VT? Any problems or anything to look out for?
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How about a brand new Astra for under 11k? The Astra Active (limited edition) comes with ABS, CD player, alloys & air con. IIRC nearly a grands worth of extras thrown in for free. Something to do with Vaux celebrating celebrating being 100 yrs old.
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Didn't HJ buy a Leon at auction a while back? Did you sell it on?
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No disrespect, but how can you compare a bog standard Astra with either a Puma or Leon 20VT? It maybe OK to drive and reasonably well equipped, but Astras have zero image and depreciation would be catastrophic - my £11k would rpaidly be turned into £6.5k. If I wanted an Astra I'd head for an auction/supersite and buy a nearly new.
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No disrespect, but how can you compare a bog standard Astra with either a Puma or Leon 20VT?
None taken. But a Puma is only a Fiesta in drag. I've also wiped the floor of one with a 1.6litre 16v Astra Automatic. The Puma interior as mentioned by someone else here is cramped. Also the Puma is getting quite dated now, so I imagine the depreciation would be equally catastrophic.
You mentioned that you could buy a "nearly" new Leon 20VT. I was simply trying to point out that you could have a brand new car for similar money, and have several toys to play with. Come to think of it, isn't the Leon a poor mans VW?
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Hmmm, I wouldn't think depreciation on a Puma would be too bad; worth about 50-55% after 3 years so that's approx £6.5 as a trade in (with average mileage). Looking at prices just now, 99V's tend to be priced at about £7.5-8k from dealers so that would tie in with my estimation. Incidentally, this week Autocar reported that used values for Pumas are up by about 6% such is their continued popularity.
An Astra? Worth about about 30% after 3 years or 50% after 1 year so a very poor investment. So, even if I had wanted an Astra it would be ruled out on financial grounds.
Leon is a bit more of an unknown quantity. Again, guides suggest about 50-55% after 3 years, but HJ's auction bargain suggests this may be a tad optimistic. Maybe it was in a less popular colour?
However, it was really other readers' experiences of living with both cars (particularly the Leon 20VT) I was after as I can work out the economics myself....
Cheers
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<<<<
What is this mysterious thing called "image"?? They're all just boggo mass-produced cars aren't they? Please explain!
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davie
Consider how often you might wish to cary more than one passenger. The Puma is much smaller and has no space in the back, even for one normal adult. Consider it a two seater to all intents and purposes. The Leon certainly takes four, though.
Regards
John S
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I have 98 Puma 1.7 with abs+a/c and covered 33000m.
I have no squicks or rattles and it doesn`t use any oil(not a drop)
Breakdowns: Zero,None
Always starts first time.
New battery two years ago.
One set of tyres all around.
Rear silencer becoming rusty now.
New disks and pads.
Intermediate service at Fords £99
Never misfired and still got the all original bulbs!
Oh,Yes it`s made in Germany
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I have 98 Puma 1.7 with abs+a/c and covered 33000m. I have no squicks or rattles and it doesn`t use any oil(not a drop) Breakdowns: Zero,None Always starts first time. New battery two years ago.
Pedantic question.
If it need a new battery 2 years ago, was that because the other one had failed? If so, then the tally of breakdowns can't be zero, and it wouldn't have started first time.
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I have a 97 Puma. It is nearly 5 1/2 years old, FSH, 53K Motorway/A roads driven carefully.
The clutch is slipping now.
Speedometer needle flickers.
Will need new pads and discs next service (2nd time)
Door lock cylinders are stiff and falling out of the door handles. Have fixed the drivers side which involved stripping the whole door down, removing glass and top frame.
Numerous rattles and squeeks
Paintwork is awful due to being very thin with no resistance to stone chips.
My conclusion is that they are not a durable car long term.
Charles
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I bought a 98 Puma 1.7VCT last summer for fun.
Agree with previous comments regarding space in the rear, but with two child seats fitted to the rear of ours, our 4 year old and 15 month old kids never complain! Dog goes in the boot, and we've even been away for the weekend fitting in two adults (I'm 6 foot 5) and the kids and our bags without difficulty. But I wouldn't like to have it as an "only" car (The other one is a new shape Mondeo - loads of room)
Buy the Leon with your sensible head on. Buy the Puma with your heart. I drive ours every chance I get, and I've never driven a car that encourages you to take the long, twisty way home as much as this one does. It just slaps a great big smile on your face.
1.7 engine essential. Aircon essential. CD player essential.
Apart from that, buy a good 'un and have some fun.
regards
Anthony
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I had a Leon TDi 110 as a hire car for a couple of weeks. What a hoot! Went like stink, handled like a dream. Suspension was a bit hard for my liking, but not too bad. My brother in law has got an Asta 1.6 - it's heinously uncomfortable if your posterior is anything other than minute - the seat bolsters are really high, and the base is very narrow. I'd never touch a Puma because of the Blue Oval, but then I'm prejudiced....
Richard
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FWIW, isn't the Puma going the same way as the Prowler (image dropping like a stone)? Now they're a bit passe I have found they're starting to fall from favour. Certainly you don't seem to have people raving about them quite as much these days now that the likes of the Leon are around to provide a reasonable comparison.
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I'd never touch a Puma because of the Blue Oval
Awww, poor lad, what did he ever do to you? ;-)
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I've only ever been nice to people in the BR and I just get personally attacked. Shocking. :(
Thanks for your support Dave :)
Blue
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Ok, we all know this is an unanswerable question.
There will be as many opinions as there are contributors. For heavens sake, somebody suggested an Astra, so he must like it - and that is a valid opinion..
All we can do is pass on personal snippets.
I've an X reg 1.7 Puma, 42,000 miles since new, all mine.
No mechanical problems in that time. Yes the nose paint does chip easily, and Ford gave me 90% of the cost of a new steering wheel when the cover melted (!)
The main point is that even my tedious 23 mile slog to work each day across the back lanes of East Anglia leaves me with a smile on my face.
Any car depreciates. The Puma probably will too, but all this "They aren't popular anymore" stuff leaves me cold. I don't give a fig. It's popular with me, it's my money. If I was worried about that sort of stuff I'd be driving a volvo or something.
Looking at a car for my wife at the weekend, I tested the quick diesel Ibiza. That could well be the successor to the Puma now that Ford has dropped it.
The Seat seems a great little car, but I will always be glad I had the Puma.
Rob
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That prompted me to re-read my earlier contribution and it did sound a bit "handbag"....
What I was trying to get across is that you may find yourelf still paying "fashionable" Puma prices, only to have it drop like mad in the next 18 months.
It's looking like a toss of the coin is the only answer.
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