The Ford Puma is not the prettiest coupé you can buy, nor the most powerful. And the fact that it sits on Fiesta underpinnings does not sound glamorous. But get behind the wheel, find a twisty road, and few cars give you as much fun for your money, thanks to an agile chassis, precise steering and sharp suspension.

Introduced to the UK in June 1997 the Puma was initially available only with a 1.7 litre engine. Developed with Yamaha the free-revving and torquey engine uses variable camshaft timing to produce 123bhp.

A smaller 1.4 litre unit producing 89bhp arrived the following January and despite being a full two seconds slower to 60mph than the 1.7 litre it never feels sluggish.

To take advantage of a chassis that could clearly handle more power the Puma Racing edition with 152bhp arrived in October 1999. Grippy sports seats, tuned suspension and larger wheels added to the driving dynamics and several owners took them along to track days, where they embarrassed more exotic marques.

The deletion of the 1.4 engine in October 2000 saw the introduction of a new 101bhp 1.6 litre, the extra power most noticeable if you are carrying passengers.

Get inside the Puma and you’ll recognise the Fiesta in its dashboard, although Ford livens it up with chromed plastic trim and a polished aluminium gearshift. The standard sports seats are supportive and necessary — push a Puma hard and it corners with the aplomb of cars costing twice as much.

Front and rear headroom is pretty good considering the car’s size, though it’s easy to bump your head getting in and out. A reasonable-sized boot is complemented by useful stowage space in the large door bins.

Despite a relatively short production run the car enjoys good residual values. Even so, decent 1997 1.7s can be bought for around £3,500, though careful checking is necessary as the car is not without its vices.

Special cylinder linings on the 1.7 litre Zetec engine means the car must use the correct oil or wear can be heavy. Many owners advocate a 5,000-mile oil change as opposed to Ford’s original 10,000-mile service interval. Short journeys and cold starts accelerate the wear. As a result it is often better to buy a car with reasonable mileage rather than one that has low miles and has been standing for most of its life.

On the 1.7 litre engine some owners report misfires, often due to weeping core plugs leaking coolant on to spark plugs, an easy and inexpensive job to put right. Inspect the alloy wheels carefully for scuffs as this can signal problems with front suspension alignment.

Also be sure to take the car through some slow, sharp turns on both left and right lock to listen for “clonking” from the front suspension, a sign that the bushes need replacing.

The good news is that most problems are relatively cheap to remedy. Check out www.pumapeople.com for lots of good advice and contacts.

With the last of the Pumas produced now being nearly three years old they are less common on Ford dealer forecourts so your search for a good one may take some time. But buy a good one, with proper history, and you’ll have a car that you’ll enjoy driving more than you would ever have expected.

VITAL STATISTICS

Model: Ford Puma 1.7i three-door coupé
Engine type: Four-cylinder, 1679cc
Power: 123bhp
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 38.2mpg (combined)
Acceleration: 0-62mph: 8.8sec
Top speed: 126mph

Air-conditioning: An option on all but the limited-edition models; system needs recharging every year

Steering wheel: No adjustment for reach or rake

Engine: Check oil regularly and ideally replace it every 5,000 miles to avoid cylinder wear on 1.7 litre models

Racing Puma: Limited-edition Racing Puma has 152bhp engine, racing seats and upgraded brakes

Lumpy idle: Cleaning the idle control valve can solve the problem

Stereo: 330-watt Platinum sound pack is a rare but desirable option; standard system is a radio-cassette with removable fascia

Wheels: Scuffed alloys and uneven tyre wear can signal suspension damage

Safety: Passenger airbag an option

Rear seat: Seat folds flat but only in a single piece

Seats: 1997/8 cars had electric height-adjustment but became manually adjusted to allow lower seating

Tailgate: Opening a wet tailgate will lead to water running into the boot

Spare wheel: Sited in boot and made of steel rather than aluminium alloy

Wet footwell: Usually caused by perished rubber grommet under the bonnet behind the fusebox, or a blocked breather pipe for the heater unit

Low mileage: Short journeys and cold starts can dramatically increase engine wear

THE ONE TO BUY

Ford Puma 1.7i coupé with air-conditioning, five-speed manual, 1999 V-reg with 40,000 miles. Pay £6,225 at a dealer with 12-month warranty, or £5,500 privately.


OR FOR SIMILAR MONEY...

2001 Y-reg Renault Mégane 1.6 16v Dynamique coupé
2001 X-reg Vauxhall Tigra 1.6i 16v coupé
1999 T-reg Fiat 20v Turbo Coupé
1998 S-reg Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0TS Coupé
1998 R-reg Toyota Celica GT Coupé

VALUES



Retail £6,995 £6,750 £6,250 Equivalent 1.4i worth £600 less than 1.7i. Millennium edition with leather upholstery, air-conditioning and yellow paintwork produced 1999/2000 worth £500 more than standard 1.7i. Source: CAP black book. ‘Trade’ is what a dealer would pay to buy your car, ‘Retail’ is what you would pay a dealer.