Ford Puma vs. VW Taigo: two crossovers for the beach and more

Which of the two cool crossovers offers the better work-life balance and will be our summer hit?

The VW Taigo drives in everyday life in front

Beach sailors: Taigo and Puma are great fun, cylinder deactivation and the sailing function keep consumption low.

The Puma, which is eight centimeters shorter and narrower on the inside, pinches earlier than the Taigo in all places. Two bodyguard guys up front or three in the back? The shoulders rub against each other in every curve like sardines in a can. The Cologne kid is also stingy with the air above the crown in the second row.

In front of the VW can hardly burn anything

You have to be careful when boarding, otherwise there is a risk of headbutts. Inside, the blow-dried hairstyle of tall guests gently touches the headliner. We sit more relaxed in the Taigo, it’s not princely on the back seat here either, but we would dare to go a longer distance with the four of us. Even though …

Like the Puma, the Wolfsburg makes the bad habit of not completely lowering the rear side windows – about 10.5 (Ford about 9.5) centimeters of glass remain and spoil us the casual arm hanging out.

The central monitor in the Puma is not exactly huge at 8 inches. There are real buttons for volume, station selection and climate control.

At the front, however, the VW hardly leaves anything to burn. The seats are sufficiently large and well contoured, and also have much more comfortable padding than the delicate and hardly supportive pads in the Puma.

It grants us grab handles on the front seats (coat hooks have to suffice in the back), while the Taigo actually dispenses with the practical exit aids entirely. So if you miss something while driving, you can fiddle with the height adjustment for the front belts – which in turn Ford saves completely.

We also miss a really modern multimedia system in the Puma. The climate cannot be influenced at all with language (but that is not possible in the VW either), navigation destinations require a sophisticated choice of words.

The city, street and house number must follow the request “Search for address”, then press the button on the steering wheel again and say “Set as destination” – then off you go. At VW, “go to sample town, sample street” is enough, “Hey, Volkswagen” can replace the push of a button for voice activation.

The Navi Discover Pro (9.2 inches) is available in the Taigo for 1670 euros. The smartphone pairing works wirelessly. The steering wheel comes with real buttons.

With active route guidance, both show disruptions in real time, but free routes are not specially marked. In the VW, the navigation map can also be displayed and zoomed in the digital instruments.

Ford Puma (2021): Garage – Introduction – Crossover – Engine – Info

Ford Puma in AUTO BILD “garage check”

At the very end, i.e. with the trunks, there is almost a tie from the sheer number of liters to the folding configurations. If the rear backrest, which can be folded down, remains standing, the Puma holds 16 liters more, if it is folded down and every niche is used from the roof to under the false floor, the Taigo swallows six liters more. But Ford still has two clever details ready.

In the basement of the suitcase compartment, a waterproof tub with a floor drain is waiting for dirty rubber boots or crushed ice to cool drinks, Easy Fuel saves us screwing on a tank cap.

How to ride: The Puma is more fun

Pretty bold, this Ford – and now that’s quite a compliment. With a likeable three-cylinder chatter, the one-liter 155 hp unleashes on the front wheels and cracks the 100 km/h mark in 8.6 seconds, appears lively and full of relish.

Thanks to cylinder deactivation, both engines temporarily run as two-cylinders, the Puma also saves with a 48-volt belt starter generator (16 hp, mild hybrid with mini battery). With success, the Ford needs 0.4 l/100 km less than the VW.

The beach at St. Peter-Ording served as the photo location, the relaxed holiday atmosphere suits the VW Taigo and Ford Puma.

The sportier appearance of the Puma is matched by the neat manual transmission, the higher forces on the binding steering and the firm chassis. The load is hardly fickle even when wildly cornering, swallows transverse joints short and dry. The guests feel that too, but it’s never unfair.

The Taigo can do all of this a bit more comfortably, always exuding relaxed composure rather than energetic enthusiasm. The balanced steering, the inconspicuous and only sometimes stubborn DSG when maneuvering, the firm suspension with great tolerance for unkempt roads – everything fits perfectly with the character of the Taigo as a family friend and leisure companion.

VW Taigo vs. Hyundai Bayon (2021): Test – Comparison – Crossover

Will the new Taigo threaten the Bayon?

The defensive, very safe and completely fun-free ESP design is no exception. Here Ford affords the touch of a hip swing and a little more life in the rear – but the Puma never takes a risk either.

They cost: Puma closer to the people at the checkout

The basic price is only 375 euros between Puma and Taigo, in the test trim this results in a price advantage of almost 4000 euros for Ford. Otherwise there is a draw, despite the poorer resale, the Puma is a price-performance winner. The summer with celebrations and holidays can come.

1. VW Taigo 1.5 TSI: 558 points

Balanced and quite brisk mini crossover with good comfort and a decent space concept. More expensive than Ford.

2. Ford Puma 1.0 EcoBoost: 540 points

Lively hatchback SUV with slight comfort weaknesses, feels more like a small car. Fairly priced.