Ford Kuga ST-Line Review

[@mjames2117]

Torque steer is not an issue, just hold the wheel and don't thrash your car.

[@ianmacleod6018]

I have had a 14 plate Kuga Titanium with Awd and powershift gearbox with a 180bhp 2.0 Diesel engine.I can honestly say this has been the best car I have had in 3 years and 35.000 miles and has never let me down once in 3 years. I am sixty and have had Volvo Discovery 3 Audi etc and more and of them are as good for reliability as the Kuga. I am waiting for a new one to come in for another 3 years Kuga st x model all the extras. Thank you and goodnight Ian macleod.

[@Kevin.Hearty]

I have a 2 ltr Diesel and it has torque steer too. Not a problem when you get used to it.

[@Youtube_deleted_my_favourites]

what never seems to get a mention is pound for pound the kuga is a good value awd suv, can tow a heavy caravan with ease. I've just upgraded a 13 plate manual to a 16 plate automatic. If you want a different badge you need to dig deep

[@thearousedeunuch]

Buttons are a good thing. They're less distracting, unless if awkwardly placed.

[@Skiantoss]

Everyone talks about the cheap plastic of the central console, but even the most expensive cars have some cheap plastics. This Kuga has many soft and leather materials on the most important areas. Anyway it has an excellent value for money.

[@CarObsession]

Hello Skiantoss, thanks for watching. I can see what you mean in regards to more expensive cars having cheap plastics, but in those sort of cars it's not as bad, and it's normally lower down in the cabin, where it's less visibile. Last year I drove the SEAT Ateca, which is a cheaper car, and I found the interior to be noticeably better. Has it still got plastics? Of course it has, but it just feels like a nicer place to be and it just feels more refined. The car tested here is closer to £30,000 than it is £20,000, so I would personally want a bit more quality to the inside.

[@Skiantoss]

Yep, I think it was a mistake to install a hard plastic on the central console. On Seat Ateca this has not been done, there is a cheap plastic on the clima control and a bit on the central tunnel but not on the screen. Personally, I prefer Kuga's design and I hope Ford will improve the interior in next restyling. Greetings from Italy!

[@CarObsession]

Yeah, I would have expected a bit more from Ford in this department, especially when you consider what the brand has done with the new Fiesta. Ford has done really well with the redesigned cabin for the new Fiesta and I have to give credit where credit's due. Sure, there are still a few hard plastics here, but it's nothing really out the ordinary and it's simply in a different league compared to the previous model. I think people must believe I have it in for Ford based on this review but I simply don't. I really like the new Fiesta and the Focus RS is one of my dream cars at the moment. I've always been a fan of Ford, particularly the fast ones ;)

[@chasinsunsets917]

We bought the Kuga ST in the spec we wanted, 180Ps engine, manual in Deep impact blue. Extras were Ambient lighting & Style pack. I kept the 18" rims as 19s seemed a bit too hard. So far so good, no issues, she is lovely to drive and the AWD system is awesome with the stiffened ARB's and 10mm drop over standard Kugas. The lights take gettignused to at nights with the adaptive cornering system ideal on our rural roads (very windy and narrow). Synch 3 works well, sometimes fiddly when linking up iPhones etc . Fuel consumption is not 50+mpg so don't be fooled on short runs, we use Vpower, around 40 ish MPG and a good 50+ pm may but if i give her a good ragging, 30 ish! (Wales and back). Overall a good car and as privilege customers, didn't pay anywhere list RRP! :)

[@CarObsession]

Glad you're enjoying it Ian, thanks for watching!

[@MaffTUK]

Best I ever gotten average came out at 42mpg over 4 years on a 2lt, found it a bit heavy during those icy mornings, got a new one ordered for the new year though I think the car is a fantastic drive..well I must do I suppose or I would not have another one :-) I Pay nothing for mine .......Company Vehicle ... woooohoooo

[@gavlatennis2824]

I think this is a great looking SUV. Thanks for the review!

[@CarObsession]

No problem Gavla Tennis, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching.

[@TheBmw1980]

I have a 2017 ford kuga ST Line X. it is the fully loaded model and i just want to say i disagree with most of the things said about the car in the video. before buying this car i had a 64 plate Audi Q3 S line and the kuga is no worse than the audi for wind and road nose also the audi had some shocking plastics in the cabin. also i have the 2L diesel engine and recently on a run from liverpool to Cardiff the car returned 55 mpg on the M way so i think it may be down to the way people drive there cars.

[@CarObsession]

Hiya TheBmw1980, thanks for watching. I'm currently testing the new Audi Q2 S Line and the interior is definitely better than the Ford although I've not sat in a Q3, so I can't pass judgement on that. In regards to fuel economy, yes, there are certainly many factors that can affect that, so that is an area that can of course vary.

[@TheBmw1980]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. i must just say i went back to ford from audi as i got a lot more for my money. also i was not paying the premium price for what is essentially a Volkswagen in a party frock. you basically pay for that badge on the front. people seem to have a lot of negativity towards the likes of ford and vauxhall and other such brands which seems to stem from motor journalist always putting out negative reviews . also the seat ateca is again just a Volkswagen but base more on the audi Q range but a bit cheaper with out the options list. as i look at it before buying my Kuga but found i got a hell of a lot more for my money then with seat. also the deals at ford were more helpful and friendly. thank you again for your reply.

[@CarObsession]

No worries pal, I try and respond to all comments left by viewers. Me personally, I'm a fan of Ford, but I think for the money, the interior could be better. Especially when you bear in mind the price of the model tested. Personally, I'd rather have the SEAT Ateca, it's a better looking car, offers a nicer drive and is better value for money. Even the range-topping model is cheaper than this Kuga, and it has a nicer interior. But like anything in life, it's personal choice.

[@TheBmw1980]

Car Obsession in that case buy a Volkswagen MPV

[@English-Sparta]

Is the st line purely cosmetic in and out. Does the performance change?

[@kyorin6526]

The button comment is a little odd, your fingers naturally rest on the plastic immediately in front of the screen, which if anything makes for a better experience as your fingers are resting on something solid not just hanging in the air, making it less likely that you'll accidentally hit the wrong thing if the road is a bit bumpy. Other people have mentioned this too though, I don't know what the Car-Wow guy was up to, but he went out of his way to try and paint this in a negative light.

[@HitmanPeTeY]

Decent review, the exterior styling is nice I'll give them that.

[@thomasrenia]

Beauty car !

[@mackem49]

Good review, I'm picking up a 2019 ST Line 1.5 Eco Boost with 8k miles. Looking for reliability and looks also a boot big enough for buggy as I'm going to be a grandad for the 1st time 😄

[@CarObsession]

Hi there, thanks for watching, and thanks for the comment.

[@Clock_end_tom]

Any issues with yours mate, I got an Ecosport 69 plate 34,000 miles turbo blew after 2 days of having it so swapped it for a 20 TDCI 69 plate Kuga ST-line manual should be getting it next weekend

[@mackem49]

@@Clock_end_tom no issues so far

[@dwayneblenkinsopp1095]

i have this car an it is brill

[@dwayneblenkinsopp1095]

my kuga is 19 plate tho

[@andrewh5457]

Does your heater take ages to warm up.?

[@onepunch9]

37mpg in the petrol version lol....you`ll struggle to get 40 mpg in 2.0 150hp 2wd manual. The sync 3 system is voice activated so only 1 button you need to reach for and that's on the steering wheel.

[@CarObsession]

True, but voice recognition systems can be more hassle than they're worth some times!

[@onepunch9]

Car Obsession yeah some systems are but the sync 3 system is very good. obviously you didn't try it.

[@CarObsession]

I have tried the voice recognition in the Ford Mondeo which had the same system and it was ok, not outstanding. In all honesty I'm not really a big fan of voice recognition anyway.

[@stephenplumb4136]

I average 45.6 in my 2.0 diesel on my 30ml work run which for an suv is pretty good in my view

[@qasimansari7540]

Great review once again. I really enjoy your videos. One question, if it was your money which would you buy: Kuga, CX-5 or Ateca?

[@CarObsession]

Hi Qasim, thanks for watching. I've not driven a CX-5, but what I will say, is that I'd have the Ateca over the Kuga every day.

[@qasimansari7540]

@@CarObsession Thank you for the quick reply. What if I threw the Kia Sportage into the mix?

[@CarObsession]

@@qasimansari7540 Sportage is a decent car but I'd still go for the Ateca.

[@qasimansari7540]

@@CarObsession Thank you once again for a quick reply. Seat Ateca will be my next test drive. You have made me curious.

[@MaffTUK]

Why does nobody ever mention the fact there is no lock on the fuel cap or housing. its supposed to be anti siphon but it isn't anti stick crap in the filler pipe.... what a dumb idea not to put a lock on the fuel housing Duh! apart from that I love the car just ordered my second for the new year longest trip 680 miles in 24 hours fantastic drive, dont want any other car. oh and the boot is great for all my gear long live the Kuga huraaa!

[@CarObsession]

Hello Matt, I think the reason why it's not really mentioned is because A) there are only so many things you can squeeze in to a review B) it may not be relevant to everyone and C) I imagine a lot of the people that review have no need to re-fuel it as it's on loan for just a week.Thanks for watching Matt.

[@Mogsy28uk]

probably due to the easy-fuel sealed system, you need to use the supplied hard plastic funnel to access the tank (spring closed seal is tough to move without it).

[@Mikeyp1054]

They’ve now put the st line wing badges in the plastic thing on the wings and it looks stupid as you can’t really see it...why oh why

[@jonnyb4362]

I agree, I have ST Line Edition and that is one thing, I'm looking to change lol

[@samsonsmith113]

A shame most manufacturers are intent on fitting electric handbrakes to vehicles now. Not a problem when new but unreliable long term.

[@ahsanjourney]

which colour is better

[@CarObsession]

Hello Mohammed, well I suppose that's down to personal taste, so that's a difficult question to answer.

[@chasinsunsets917]

Deep Impact Blue..

[@Mogsy28uk]

magnetic or shadow black for me, but it is subjective to each personal taste.

[@mjames2117]

Good review and good car for the money and now better equipment. Ford should change the UK model name to be Escape now as this is better. I personally find my own Garmin SatNav is better than most factory fitted units. A reversing camera is more useful. 180HP diesels are a touch thirsty

[@CarObsession]

Hi M James, thanks for the feedback, and thanks for watching.

[@mjames2117]

@@CarObsession Subscribed.

[@CarObsession]

@@mjames2117 Thank you very much 👍

[@pauldarby8398]

I like the exterior design of the kuga but the only thing that would put me off is the interior. It just looks ghastly compared to the icockpit in the 3008. Ford need to wipe the slate clean with its design language for the interior it hasn't really moved on since I had my Ford ecsort lol! Any chance of a review of the new Kia Sportage 2018 model?

[@CarObsession]

Hello Paul, thanks for watching. Yes, even though this is a new car, the interior does look a bit old hat when you compare it to the 3008. I reckon Ford will address this on the next generation of Kuga though, as the new Fiesta and the new Focus have received a much improved interior. In regards to the new Sportage, I've been working on it, but I'm not able to get my hands on one just yet. I've got the Stonic coming next week though.

[@Harray97]

Host sounds a bit biased against this car. Picking out really petty things 😂

[@CarObsession]

What would you class as petty? Also, I always give my fair and honest opinion, I have no reason to be biased.

[@Harray97]

Car Obsession For one any complaints about an SUVs performance are grasping at straws. Granted the car is an ST line but that is due to the design of the car and not the performance. Nobody buys an SUV for performance reasons, and yet you spent the entire Performance section of this video bashing the car Second is why take your hands of the wheel to show a problem? Which isn't there when both hands are on the wheel... one would be drawn to think that this problem is therefore irrelevant. Complaints about the steering column and also the chair design are subjectve as everyone has a different frame. I know you mention this briefly but I'm not sure you balance your complaints as you have to admit complaining about banging your knee does sound petty. You say at lower speeds the car is rickety yet I have not heard this claim elsewhere, I can also say from experience this isn't the case. Might have been the country roads. All in all I watched your review and I thought it was a bit biased compared to Carbuyers who they themselves did make complaints also, but I think the difference was the way it came across, and it seems like there are a few comments here which agree with me.

[@CarObsession]

Hello Harray, thank you so much for writing such detailed feedback. Point 1, performance: I did not make a complaint about the car's performance, I was merely stating that the ST-Line was more about the sportly looks, rather than extra power. I quite liked the performance, in fact at 5:17 I said that the car feels "pretty nippy" before continuing to say that the car "pulls well". A few moments after that, I said it was a pretty decent engine. Point 2, torque steer: The reason the hands were off the wheel was to demonstrate the torque steer in action. When the hands are holding the wheel it would be very difficult to get an idea of bad it is. In fact, I saw a test with the new Civic Type R where they did a similar thing but they seemed to get no flack for doing it. Was my point exaggerated? Probably, but I feel it was a valid one all the same. Point 3, steering column: Agreed, it's subjective, that's why I followed on from that criticism by stating that it won't be the same problem for everyone. I just wanted that to point that as that had been one of my frustrations with living with the car. Point 4, rickety: By that I'm guessing you mean the bumpy ride? With the sports suspension the ride is on the jiggly side, and not just on the roads where I filmed the review. In regards to the claim not being made elsewhere, WhatCar? stated: On the other hand, ST-Line models with their sports suspension makes things even more jittery, so are best avoided. In regards to the ST-Line, Auto Express said: "The trade-off for this agility is a firm ride. The Kuga settles down at speed, but around town it follows bumps and potholes" Once again thanks for watching Harray, I really appreciate the time you gave to give such detailed and honest feedback.

[@mikedavies4387]

you don't get the power tail gate on st line it's extra

[@CarObsession]

Good Afternoon Mike, thanks for watching. I'm pretty sure the spec sheet I had from Ford said it was standard feature but I've checked their website and your statement rings true, thanks for letting us know.

[@mikedavies4387]

Car Obsession good afternoon it led me to believe it was standard when I put my order In other month same spec sale guy said was extra like lot of things lately ford doing good review

[@CarObsession]

Hey Mike, I've contacted the Ford team as the online brochure does state that it's an optional extra, but the option does not appear to be there on the online configurator... It will let you select the handsfree option, but not the standard power tailgate... I will report back here once I have an accurate answer.

[@CarObsession]

Hello Mike. Right has Ford got back to me and confirmed that the power tailgate comes as standard on the ST Line X, but not the ST Line, apologies for the confusion.

[@mikedavies4387]

Car Obsession it's ok mate

[@Mikeyp1054]

how can you say flimsy plastic on the screens roof. its solid and you cant put soft touches all over that it would look stupid. Jesus why dont you just say i hate this car

[@CarObsession]

On the contrary, I do not hate this car, I would just expect a bit more quality for this price. There were areas of this car that I did praise, so it would be difficult for me to praise something that I hate. I'm not saying that everything should be soft touch, but at the same time, there are far too many plastics in there, especially for a car that is getting on for £28,000. Mind you, it wouldn't be so bad if they felt sturdy - did you not see that flex on the panel below the climate control? Definitely disappointing if you ask me. Thanks for watching Michael, and thanks for commenting.

[@CarObsession]

It's also worth noting that I am not the only one that has picked up on the cheap interior, read some of the reviews from the major publications and they will tell you a similar story: Auto Express: Cheap and dated interior WhatCar?: low-rent Ford Kuga which, frankly, looks and feels like a £15,000 car inside rather than one with an asking price starting at well over £20k. There are far too many hard and scratchy plastics on the dashboard, and some of the buttons and switches feel rather lightweight. CarWow: The Ford Kuga’s dashboard looks a little dated - the huge number of buttons can overwhelm you at first - and the scratchy plastics used for lots of the dashboard don’t feel very high quality. So as you can see, it's not just me giving the Kuga's inside a pasting, I'm giving it a fair review, and the interior just isn't up to scratch I'm afraid.

[@CarObsession]

Hello everyone, thank you so much for watching the Car Obsession review of the new Kuga ST-Line. Just a bit of housekeeping; the power tailgate is actually an option unfortunately. It appeared to be a standard on the spec sheet I was given but this feature does actually come at an additional cost. However, I can confirm that it IS standard on the ST Line X.

[@ahsanjourney]

nice review of the car top man.

[@CarObsession]

Thank you! :)

[@Chris-ff1xr]

Too many buttons?! Are you new to reviewing or did you just forget about the old Sony system? 😂

[@CarObsession]

Hello Chris, no I'm not new to reviewing and I completely understand where you are coming from in regards to the old Sony system. However, even with the new system, there are too many buttons in my opinion.

[@roberthorton9599]

Are you friggin serious with the torque steer? you would take your hands off the wheel and give it full beans in first? What a joke... You only have to hold the wheel with just one hand and it is controllable; it doesn't pull it out of your hands. Poor review - I turned off after that.

[@CarObsession]

Hello Robert, sorry that you found this to be a poor review, I just felt it was something worth noting as I've not had this happen in any other SUVs I've tested. Maybe if you had watched the review all the way through your opinion may have changed.

[@AeroMad91]

Probably down to the fact the Kuga has asymmetrical drive shafts...

[@TheSportsman1977]

that torque steer test is in no way realistic. im fairly sure 99% of drivers wouldnt mash the go pedal with no hands on the wheels.

[@CarObsession]

TheSportsman1977 Hello TheSportsman1977, thanks for watching. This point has been raised already and I completely agree with what you're saying - this was an extreme example. The torque steer appears through normal driving but it's harder to demonstate.

[@petergrisdale6797]

If you don’t think the st suspension adds anything to the handling of the car then you simply don’t know how to drive 🤷‍♂️

[@CarObsession]

Thank you for the expert analysis of my driving ability.

[@matthewbuchan7846]

Take it he doesn't like this car.... awful review

[@CarObsession]

Hi Matthew, what makes you say that?

[@CarObsession]

At the end of the day, the fact that I'm not overly keen on the car does not mean it's automatically an awful review.

[@TheLondonForever00]

Useless review, most of it is complete bullcrap.

[@CarObsession]

Hello TheLondonForever00, thanks for watching. I think to call the review 'useless' would be rather unfair, but that's your opinion of course. It has received over 81,000 views and has a pretty good like to dislike ratio, so I must be doing something right. What makes you say that most of it is absolute bullcrap?