After 3 years the finance on my Mazda 3 has come to an end and it’s time to keep it or sell it. I was always going to do the letter but it was whether I upgraded to the latest model or move on. After much thought, I’m moving on.

Whenever I’m due to buy a car, I think about what my priorities are, whether it’s going to be new or used. Last time, there were 2 things that were important to me…

1. A good “drivers” car. As I now work from home, I don’t get out in the car much so, when I did, I wanted something was fun to drive.
2. A good built. I was tired of rattles and bangs due to low built quality.

When you think of the latter, you think of makes such as Audi, but they often don’t fit it into the first category. The Mazda 3, based on reviews, fitted the bill for both.

Except it didn’t. As I mentioned in my review, I’ve had numerous build quality issues with it and have actually been a lot less impressed with the drive than I’d hoped. Maybe I expected too much.

Also, I don’t get out in the car as much and certainly not have a chance to “enjoy” the drive (too much slow traffic in towns for that).

So now, it’s time to think again.

My wife drives a small car (a Fiesta) and wouldn’t want anything bigger. The only reason I drive a larger one is for those times when we need a bigger boot. And that’s it. I’m lugging about in a large car for the boot. Shouldn’t it be possible to find a small car that also has a big boot? And is fun to drive too.

That’s why I’ve opted for the new Ford Puma. It’s based on a Fiesta but has a boot twice the size of my current Mazda 3. It’s a lot more spartan inside (although it’s bristling with more gadgets than ever before) and the build quality is lower.

But it drives nicely, has a nice high seating position and unlike the vagueness of my “wants” for the Mazda 3, I know I’m getting what I want this time as the car DOES have a bigger boot and IS smaller. So, I can’t be disappointed as anything above that is a bonus!

And I’ve learnt from the last time I had a Ford with an ecoboost engine – I’ve bought the new, more powerful, 155PS engine model. This is both recommended in online reviews as well as my local dealership (although they could just trying to be selling me a more expensive model, if I’m honest).

The Puma is ordered (pictured at the top), complete with panoramic roof. The only thing I wasn’t able to get (well, I could have but would probably have had to wait until October for a custom model from the factory) was one with the comfort pack, so I’m forgoing the heated seats and wheel that I currently enjoy in the Mazda.

Right now, my car is stuck in a depot in Dagenham and thanks to the lockdown no-one there is answering the phone to my local dealer so, for now, that’s where it remains.