In partnership with Auto Trader
New Ford Puma vs used Audi Q2: interiors
These two small SUVs are class leaders with similar price tags, but is it a new Ford Puma or used Audi Q2 that best justifies the money?...
Interiors
Driving position, visibility, build quality
When it comes to small SUV, some people prefer cars that place them high and upright, while others would rather be cocooned. The Ford Puma and Audi Q2 are more likely to please those in the latter camp, although they do still place you higher from the road than a conventional family hatchback, and both have highly adjustable, natural-feeling driving positions.
Visibility isn't a strong point of the Puma, though. Its aggressively angled windscreen pillars make it the harder to see out of when approaching junctions, and it lacks modern LED headlights like the Q2. The latter has relatively thin front pillars, giving you a better view out front. Both suffer from chunky rear pillars that restrict rearward visibility.
A rear-view camera is an optional extra on both cars. For the Puma, it will set you back £450 (as part of the Parking Pack). As for the Q2, it would have cost its original owner a hefty £1195 (as part of the Comfort and Sound Pack). Thankfully, both cars come with rear parking sensors as standard.
You might think the Q2 would be streets ahead of the Puma when it comes to interior quality, but you wouldn't be entirely right. The Puma features some great soft-touch materials, and it's really only when you start poking around the less frequently touched areas of the interior that you start to identify some cheap plastics.
That said, the Q2 does feel more premium overall, with build quality that's truly superb. Sure, the Puma feels solid, but not to the same degree.
Infotainment systems
Ford Puma
The graphics on the Puma’s Sync 3 system look relatively basic and the 8.0in touchscreen isn’t super-sharp. The system isn’t particularly responsive, either, but in the main the menus are easy to navigate. Wireless phone charging costs £300, and that outlay also gets you climate control. There’s no option to upgrade the sound system with ST-Line trim, but going for range-topping ST-Line X gets you a more powerful Bang & Olufsen system.
Audi Q2
Although the Q2 doesn’t feature Audi’s latest touchscreen infotainment system, that’s actually a good thing. The older system in the Q2, with its standard 7.0in screen and rotary controller between the front seats, is easier to use on the move, responds quickly to inputs and benefits from decent graphics. We’d recommend finding an example featuring the larger, 8.3in screen (pictured) that came as part of Audi’s £1495 Technology Pack.
