These two small SUVs are class leaders with similar price tags, but is it a new Ford Puma or used Audi Q2 that best justifies the money?...
- NEW Ford Puma 1.0 Ecoboost mHEV 155 ST-Line
- USED Audi Q2 35 TFSI S line
- Performance, ride, handling, refinement
NEW Ford Puma 1.0 Ecoboost mHEV 155 ST-Line
List Price £25,355
Target Price £24,289
Fun to drive and economical, but is the Puma better than the Q2 in day-to-day use?
USED Audi Q2 35 TFSI S line
Price new £28,520
Price today £22,000*
The Q2 exudes class and quality, particularly from within its suave interior
*Price today is based on a 2019 model with average mileage and a full service history and is correct at the time of writing
The Ford Puma first strutted onto the small SUV scene three years ago, and it wasn’t long after that it was crowned our 2020 What Car? Car of the Year. That’s the equivalent of winning an Oscar for your first starring role.
Maybe that success wasn’t so surprising, though. Because it shares many parts with the agile Ford Fiesta small car, the Puma is great fun to drive and impressively economical, too.
But despite such critical acclaim, a premium rival is always going to be a tempting proposition, especially if you can buy one used for similar money. For example, one of our favourite small SUVs is the Audi Q2. Its prestigious badge alone might be enough to have you more in love than Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, and fortunately the rest of the package is just as classy and refined as the Audi name would suggest. Buy one at a three years old and it’ll set you back slightly less than the Puma.
So, is a used Audi Q2 a better all-round bet, or does a new Ford Puma hold up as our champion? Read on to find out how they compare.
Driving
Performance, ride, handling, refinement
Both cars drink petrol and are turbocharged, but the Q2 has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine under its bonnet, whereas the Puma features a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit. Based on that sentence alone, would you be able to guess that the smaller-engined Puma is the more powerful car? Well, it is – its 153bhp trumping the Q2’s 148bhp.
The Puma does have a trick up its sleeve, mind you. Its range-topping engine has technology that makes the model a mild hybrid (that’s the mHEV part of its name). In other words, it uses some electrification to save fuel and give it a minor – not particularly noticeable – boost when you plant your right foot.
The Q2’s engine doesn’t get such tech, but it remains suitably punchy nonetheless. In our tests it managed 0-60mph in 8.9sec, which isn’t far off the Puma’s 8.4sec effort. Both cars pull well from low down in the rev range, too.
If comfort is your top priority, there are better trims to opt for. Our test cars get sports suspension, so they ride rather firmly. Composure is impressive in each car, though, and the upside of these firmer set-ups comes in the form of confidence-inspiring handling.
The Puma is a particular standout. It isn’t just competent and composed in bends like the Q2; it’s also fun and engaging, feeling more eager to change direction and having more precise controls.
Being a premium product, you’d expect the Q2 to be refined, and for the most part it is. Wind noise is minimal, although there is some road noise (not helped by its hefty 18in wheels). This is also an issue in the Puma, plus its engine has more of a rasp to it under acceleration, but it’s still a pretty quiet cruiser.
Keyword: New Ford Puma vs used Audi Q2