So I'm sick of looking at Daddsy-practical cars. None of them interest me. Plus the Passat estate feels seriously dull as a drivers car 🙄

I've always been a big fan of the Puma design. Thing is, can you fit a towbar onto the subframe? (for a bike rack).

How reliable are they?

A Puma?

A Fiesta that has been pimped for hair dressers.

Why not get a Tigra while you're at it.

A Tigra cannot be compared with a Puma….

We've just sold our 1.7 and I'm sad to see it go.
It is a crazy car car to drive. Not very economical or comfortable but quick, rev happy & turn-in like nothing else on the road. A real go kart.

I used to compete at rallying & one of my mates who I was doing a rally with (as navi) borrowed the Puma for the pace note recce. He drives an EVO8 but was still happy to admit that he found the Puma hilarious to drive.

We had it for 5 years and hd no problems with it during that time (and I certainly gave it some some abuse)

I don't know about tow-bar but I've got a roof rack sitting the garage for one…

You will get the hairdresser comments but don't listen to anyone, usually those who have never driven one.

I had a 1.7 Puma about 8 years ago and it is one of the best handling and most fun cars I have ever owned. Great little cars at bargain prices now.

You can't fit towbars to them from what i remember.

Puma not a hairdressers car at all, in fact the limited run Racing Puma was a cracking car to drive.

btw did some work on the 4wd Puma, really funny to see it go. Full hit WRC performance in a wide arch shell, a real head turner with the anti-lag on!

A Puma?

A Fiesta that has been pimped for hair dressers.

I remember renting a Fiesta on the Isle of Man to be used as the recce car for the Manx National. It was only 1.25 engine & got absolutely thrashed for the recce. Despite the weak as a kitten engine the chassis & gearbox was quite excellent. (brakes also gave up)

My Puma was great and I cursed the kids who torched it.

According to the Witter website the Puma is 'not homologated for towing' so probably 'no' to a tow-bar.

I repeat the statement I've made on numerous occasions Hora: You drive like my gran.

All this talk oof 'drivers cars' and other such twoddle just disguises the fact that the natural partner to your driving style is a Rover 25! With a trilby on the back shelf and a tartan blanket on the back seat 😛

If the bore lining did go – how much would you be looking at??

Looks like it'd have to be a roofrack!

binners….in speaking truth-shocker 🙂

Hora – if you'll be transporting a baby in a car you're looking to buy now you really ought to consider something a little larger.

You'l struggle to get a decent pushchair plus a changing bag in a puma let alone any shopping or a childseat in the back.

the 1.7 engine was developed with yamaha (hence why its quite so rev happy).

Fiesta's are looking like the new sierra for kit cars (with the whole engine etc mounted back to front) so a puma may well hold its value as IIRC the 1.7 wasnt available in normal fiestas (too see what I mean, look at 2.0 pinto sierra's compared to other 80's cars).

Hora, should you not be looking for something like, say, a Vauxhall Zafira 200 Turbo?
Satisfies the family car requirement, and the Connolly glove wearing side of yourself?

Baby Jogger 3 is a very small (and light) push chair (7kg in weight) and folds down very small.

Its rare that both bike and baby would be carried at the sametime.

I want fun, the kid wont begrudge me that 😉

Zafira? Steering/feel is key to me. I'd drive a 600cc car if it felt right but did 20sec's 0-60. Power means nothing. After all – I drive a tank at the moment with a slow engine!

What do you think? A tad overpriced but a good un:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201006352082550/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/puma/make/ford/radius/30/keywords/cambelt/postcode/m154ld/page/1?previous=%2Fsearch%2Fused%2Fcars%2Fford%2Fpuma%2Fpostcode%2Fm154ld%2Fradius%2F30%2Fkeywords%2Fcambelt%2Fsort%2Fpriceasc%2Fpage%2F1&logcode=p

"I want fun, the kid wont begrudge me that"

you'll learn.

Babies are the most selfish people you'll ever deal with. You having fun won't even register until they're at least three.

I am rubbing my hands with glee at the propsect of Hora with a child. I'm sure social services would be too if they were reading his posts.

You really really haven't got a clue whats about to happen to your life. You numpty!!! 😀

They are a great car – you must get the 1.7 (Yamaha-designed) engine though. I had mine for 4 years without a fault.

Mr brother used to have a Puma 1.7, and at the same time I had a 1.4 Fiesta. You really couldn't tell much between them in how they drove. So I'd get a 1.4 Fiesta which is much more practical.

If you want a fun, good handling car get an MX5 instead.

Are you in complete denial?

I'm as keen on toys as the next man, but I suspect that you (& myself) may have less time to devote to them in the next couple of years…

A small coupé is not useful for carting things about, as you well know and an elderly hot hatch is for a keen spannerman.

I had a Puma you can get two bikes in the back with not too much trouble.

Absolutely hilarious car to drive with a great little engine. I reckon it will take a tow bar best ask a specialist.

Just read you're having a baby though. It's an estate car for you laddie.

You really couldn't tell much between them in how they drove.

Utter rubbish – do you know how to drive a car properly?????

We carried our kids ok in the Puma. The sculpted rear seats helps locate the baby seats better if anything.
The buggy also just squeezed in the boot too.

We swapped it for another 3 door coupe, so life can't be so hard carrying kids around in such a vehicle (or we just like trouble)…

Psssssst. Hora. This is what you'll be driving within 12 months. Why? Because she'll be telling you too. Just bite the bullet and go out and buy one now

"I reckon it will take a tow bar best ask a specialist"

it would be illegal to fit a tow bar to a car not homologated for it.

Get a honda Civic Type R loads of room, big boot and goes like stink.

I really really miss mine 😥

Wife said she wanted something practical —–

Get a honda Civic Type R loads of room, big boot and goes like stink.

But the OP likes the Puma design and the Type R looks like it was designed for old people then had red badges fitted.

At least with the Puma they took a normal boring car and put it in some nice clothes.

I had a lovely Triumph Herald soft-top when our little un came along. The phrase "well that's got to go" cropped up fairly shortly afterwards 🙁

me too binners 🙁

I was told to get a 4 door saloon. Fortunately, a 1961 Volvo Amazon came up for sale locally at about the same time 🙂

Great car – handling is fantastic – fold the seat down and you can get two bikes in the back of a Puma without too much bother… Bit of a tight squeeze though and the interior of mine is taking some punishment – it's currently sporting a healthy coat of the Peak District's finest filth after Saturday's pootle 😀

Reckon you would have to be double-jointed to get kids out of the back seat mind…

I got two bikes and all the kit for a weekend riding and camping at SSMM in mine as well as a passenger!

Owned a puma – agree great fun.
Had mine on a V reg. in Silver 1.7 engine.
Was lethal in the wet, real light back end that would give over steer if you came off the throttle to quick on the limit.
Tiff Needel rated it car of the year when it first came out.

That said, its not a "dad's" car and you'd be slightly mental to buy this when your expecting a child* (*congrats). I had a 3 door Golf GTI as my car when our first child came along, that wasn't bad sizewise but a Puma would have been sold instantly remembering how small that was.
The Focus 170ST (original Focus ST) would be a fun motor, if your after reasonable performance and some practical space for baby stuff.
My wife sister has a Puma – wife now says its mainly a girls car!!

I must confess to now driving a Vauxhall Vectra – so feel free to ignore all car related advice!
Am ex-1000cc motorbike track day addict, but long ago memories – pre-children.

Thanks Marge. I don't understand why people 'think' you need a big estate just because you have a child?

How often in an average week do you carry said-child, bike and lots of kit?

Ok, rewind. Mrshora sits in our car once a week normally. The rest of the time its just me, or just me and a bike. The bike can go on the outside. So I dont see the 'need' for a big estate. IF I had two children and a big dog then that I can understand.

We purposely bought the small pushchair as my girlfriend isnt Amazonian and the likes of iCandy and Quinny are just over-bulk IMO.

I look at the likes of most secondhand Estates, 'that' Citreon above and TBH ..I'd rather catch a bus.

My parent never owned 'give-up/iron your underpant-cars' either.
Anyone, minor rantette over.

My wife HAS to have a four door car and it makes sense with kids. It's a faff putting a baby in the back of a three door. Also you need a suprisingly large boot for most buggies.

Hora. I love your philosophy on the upcoming arrival. Which seems to consist of you sticking your fingers in your ears and saying "LA-LA-LA-I'M-NOT-LISTENING" repeatedly

You really are a complete lemon!

You can get some quite nippy family cars – My first one was a Saab 9-5 Aero estate and it was OK.

However you best option is to ask the missus what she wants!!

my parents didnt get an estate untill I was in secondary school, I had a little brother, and a dog, and a boat, and a guitar, and we all had bikes.

You can take 2 kids, the wife and 4 bikes in a fiat tipo, not sure why you need an estate to carry a baby?

joolsburger, mrshora doesn't drive so the pushchair was chosen with that in mind as well.

I also don't want anything like a Subaru Impreza (they are nice) but we do live in central Manchester and I dont own any woolly hats to drive around in 🙄

I like small, yet fun cars.

I do like the look of this, although I 'doubt' its mileage:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201006352336422/sort/priceasc/usedcars/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/maximum-mileage/up_to_80000_miles/price-to/5000/quantity-of-doors/5/model/focus/make/ford/radius/40/page/2/postcode/m320dq?previous=%2Fsearch%2Fused%2Fcars%2Fford%2Ffocus%2Fpostcode%2Fm320dq%2Fradius%2F40%2Fengine-size-cars%2F2l_to_2-5l%2Fmaximum-mileage%2Fup_to_80000_miles%2Fprice-to%2F5000%2Fquantity-of-doors%2F5%2Fpage%2F2%2Fsort%2Fpriceasc&logcode=p

join the forums on pumapeople. lots of helpfull advice and friendly banter.
The cars are great to drive a dodle to work on and parts are cheap with it sharing platform with the fiesta. 1.7 is the one to go for or if your feeling flush or can find one the racing puma.

Problem areas to check

Rear arches are prone to rust especialy on the earlier models.
Left front foot well likes to fill with water on some early cars due to a problem with sealant around the polen filter.
Rear suspension bushes wear car feels a bit way ward at the back end + clunks. pain to fix but not out of reach of a determind home spanner monkey.
Heater control valves were a comon problem most have been replaced now i should think.

Get a good one and youl love it.

Also check the air-con works!