We've spent a month on board our long-term Ford Puma, and having spent a few thousand kilometres abroad with the newcomer, we have a real-world fuel economy figure, meaning that we can do a running cost comparison with key rivals. Let's see how it compares with two other products, namely the Volkswagen Taigo and Nissan Qashqai, for which we also have real-world consumption figures.
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The figures
Ford Puma 1.0T Titanium | Nissan Qashqai 1.3T Visia | Volkswagen Taigo 1.0TSI R-Line | |
Engine size | 3-cyl, 1.0-litre turbo petrol | 4-cyl, 1.3-litre turbo petrol | 3-cyl, 1.0-litre turbo petrol |
Power/Torque | 92 kW/170Nm | 96 kW/240 Nm | 85 kW/200 Nm |
Gearbox | 7-speed dual-clutch auto | 6-speed manual | 7-speed dual-clutch auto |
Seats | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Airbags | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Kerb weight | 1 468kg | 1 331kg | 1 184kg |
Boot capacity | 458-litres | 353-litres | 392-litres |
Fuel capacity | 42-litres | 65-litres | 40-litres |
Claimed consumption* | 5.3 L/100 km | 6.4 L/100 km | 5.4 L/100 km |
Service plan | Optional | 3-year /90 000km | 3-yr/45 000km |
Price | R569 900 | R568 200 | R545 200 |
*Claimed fuel consumption
Comparing the trio
Purchase price
The models we have chosen for this comparison are competitors from a pricing and body-style perspective, with petrol engines and manual gearboxes. Monthly instalments are calculated throughout 72 months with a 10% deposit and no balloon or residual. The interest rate is set at 12%. Since the Puma's service plan is optional, we have added a 3-year/45 000 plan available from Ford, which was priced at R9 062 at the time of writing, making the Puma's total price R578 962.
Ford Puma 1.0T Titanium
The Puma will work out at R10 187 monthly with the instalment parameters over 72 months.
Nissan Qashqai 1.3T Visia
With the instalment parameters, the Nissan will work out R 9 998 monthly over 72 months.
Volkswagen Taigo 1.0TSI R-Line
The Sonet will work out at R9 593 monthly with the instalment parameters over 72 months.
Fuel consumption
Our contenders all feature turbocharged petrol engines, with the Volkswagen and Ford featuring dual-clutch automatic gearboxes and three-cylinder motors. In contrast, the Nissan features a manual gearbox and a four-cylinder engine. The real-world consumption of each model is telling, with the Nissan achieving 8.7 L/100km during our test, the Volkswagen coming in with 8.3 L/100km after our road trip, and the Puma, after four tanks of fuel, is sitting at an average of 6.4 L/100km.
Service plans
Only the Nissan and Volkswagen feature service plans as standard, with the Nissan's being short in relation to the distance it is valid for, at 3 years, or 90 000km, while the Volkswagen's 3-year/45 000km plan is more in line with industry standards, while the plan on the Puma is an option extra, listed R9 062.
Three-year cost
Total cost
Looking at the data, the total cost of the Ford and the Volkswagen, without variables such as insurance and total milage per annum, differed by less than R10 over the course of three years, with the Nissan coming in nearly R20 000 more during the same period. With our current parameters in place, we have to declare this a tie between the Puma and the Taigo, as the mobility costs are as close to identical as we have seen.
