Should you buy a Ford Kuga?

If you’re looking for a safe, sensible used family SUV that’ll prove easy to sell on in the future, the Kuga is a safe bet. It was a strong seller when new, and with good reason. It’s large inside, good to drive, and well equipped. It was also very affordable on PCP and lease deals, representing excellent value – something which is less applicable when buying second hand, particularly when using finance during high interest rates.

When buying a used family SUV, the Kuga’s price is much closer to some accomplished alternatives. The SEAT Ateca are Skoda Karoq are better all-rounders, while the Renault Kadjar and Nissan Qashqai are cheaper and just as popular. This means that whether you want the Ford comes down to the local dealer’s reputation, the spec of the car you want, and if the Ford Kuga’s style and driving experience makes you happy.

If it does, we’d go for a 1.5-litre TDCI manual in Titanium trim for the best overall value and running costs, or an ST-Line 2.0 TDCI AWD for the ‘best Kuga’ or if you want to tow a caravan or trailer. In all cases we’d try and avoid anything pre-facelift, and definitely pre-2015, as the diesels are unlikely to be ULEZ compliant and the petrol models have weaknesses that were corrected later.

What we like about the Ford Kuga Mk2

Tidy, secure handling that’s enjoyable too, like a Focus. Lots of user-friendly options and Ford’s inherent skill at making a good family car. Economical diesel, when maintained well, and reasonable servicing and insurance costs. Readily-available AWD models that are more robust than previous 4×4 Ford cars.

What we don’t like

Patchy service quality, meaning neglected specialist maintenance even with Ford main dealer history, the tendency for early Kuga Mk2s to have problems due to the design of the cooling system, the clever, but fragile, Powershift automatic.