New Volkswagen Taigo vs Ford Puma: costs
In a world of boxy small SUVs, the voluptuous new Volkswagen Taigo certainly stands out. But it will take a lot more than good looks to beat the class-leading Ford Puma...
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
Whichever way you’re planning to buy, the Ford Puma is the pricier option, although the differences aren’t huge.
If you’re a private buyer paying with cash, the gap is only about £850 once discounts have been taken into account. And when you factor in all the running costs you’re likely to face over three years of ownership, the difference is even smaller; the Puma’s higher price is offset by slightly cheaper insurance and better fuel economy, averaging 47.1mpg in our test to the Volkswagen Taigo’s 46.8mpg.
Head down the PCP finance route and, assuming a £2500 deposit on a three-year deal with a 12,000-mile annual limit, you’ll pay £355 per month for the Puma, compared with £316 for the Taigo.
Company car drivers will find that both our contenders occupy the same benefit-in-kind tax bracket of 29%, thanks to their similar official CO2 emissions. However, the Puma will cost a 40% tax payer an extra £168 per year, again due to its higher list price.
Each of our contenders is competitive when it comes to standard equipment, coming with alloy wheels, air conditioning, digital instrument panels and automatic headlights and wipers. However, there are some differences: the Puma adds a heated front windscreen and keyless start, while the Taigo has full LED headlights rather than old-school halogen bulbs, as well as having adaptive cruise control in place of the manual cruise control you get in the Puma.
Rather disappointingly, the Puma was found to be one of the least dependable small SUVs in the 2021 What Car Reliability Survey. Mind you, while the Taigo didn’t feature, the Volkswagen T-Cross, which is mechanically similar, suffered from even worse reliability. Both brands finished in the bottom half of the overall league table of 30 manufacturers, with Volkswagen in 20th place and Ford in 27th.
When it comes to safety, both cars hold a five-star Euro NCAP rating and come with automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance as standard. However, while a blindspot monitoring system is standard on the Taigo, you have to pay extra to get one in the Puma.
Best small SUVs 2024 and the ones to avoid – tried and tested
Thinking of buying a new small SUV? Then make sure you read our rundown of the top 10 cars in this booming sector – plus, find out which ones we'd avoid
