• Competitive fuel and tax bills
• Fords in general are cheap to run
• Resale values could prove problematic

The cheapest Kugas to run will be the ones with diesel engines – the 1.5-litre with 120hp promises between 44.1-46.3mpg. Even the 2.0-litre diesel engines in the Kuga aren’t too expensive either, and even adding all-wheel drive and an automatic gearbox to highest power 180hp version results in a claimed 35.3-37.7mpg.

Petrol models fare worse when it comes to fuel, but you might find that in the real world they perform better if you’re only doing very short journeys. Insurance costs should be low too because there’s lots of safety kit on offer here, and Ford is known for its low servicing, parts and maintenance costs.

The biggest drawback here is in resale value. The Kuga struggles relative to many of its rivals – presumably because it sells so well – so if you’re buying outright it might prove challenging to justify the shortfall.

Is it eco friendly?

The greenest engine in the Ford Kuga range is the 120hp 1.5-litre diesel mated to the six-speed manual gearbox, emitting 137g/km of CO2. Adding all-wheel drive or an automatic gearbox boosts CO2 output by varying amounts depending on the individual spec of the car. The 176hp version is one to avoid though thanks to 208g/km of CO2.

Is it reliable?

• Barely any recalls for the Kuga
• Shares oily bits with other Ford cars
• Don’t expect massive repair bills

The Ford Kuga has an enviable reliability record. The only recall was back in 2008 (on the first generation car) and even that was for a relatively trivial matter of a hard brake pedal developing during engine warm-up. Not the sort of thing to lose sleep over, and it was fixed anyway.

More tellingly, the platform it’s built on and the engines and gearboxes it uses are employed on the incredibly popular Focus, C-Max and Mondeo models so they’re tried and tested to an extensive degree. Should parts fail, Ford also has a reputation for some of the cheapest replacements in the industry.