I think that the video from fifth gear is not a fair judgment as it was the stupid presenters fault that it got stuck. I'm not being bias because I like and have purchased a Kuga
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Some years ago I used to do a lot of driving off road in some very harsh conditions in a Land Rover which in my opinion is the best off road 4x4 and if I had to have a car that was going need to be good off road that's what I would get. But I chose the Kuga which I consider to be a SUV/MPV and not a true 4x4. Of which I think ford only dress it up to be an SUV with some small capabilities off road and not an out and out 4x4.
I would not have even considered trying to take a Land Rover with its off road tires, low ratio gear box and differential lock straight thought the middle of the track where the mud is like he did. Anyone with half a brain would have gone a lot slower and try to keep it on the higher ridges even in a Land Rover of which I thought would have also got stuck taking the same route.
So either that presenter is really stupid or he purposely went out of his was to find a place to get the Kuga stuck so as to try and make it look like its great show ""Look at us we have just proven that SUV's/MPV's are not the best cars off road""� well then thank you for telling me something I already know.
To be honest I have never been a lover of ford cars until now as I consider this to be a great car. Those people who put down its off road capabilities all I can say that is if I wanted to be off road all the time I would bought a tank or a tractor, which I would not pick up for any where near 20k and would probably have trouble parking it at work or Tesco's. Ford have got it right on this one as they could have increased it's off road capabilities but at cost to its on road handling and abilities
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It's an all round MPV that's good for most day to day things plus a bit more, like towing your boat and carrying five passengers, or taking your family camping where as your previous hatchback always used to get stuck in the mud after the slightest amount of rain. Those of us with young children will also appreciate the height when strapping the kids in the back (yes a C-Max will do the same but they look naff). Those off use with young kids will also appreciate the boot space as with only one child at the moment and with the buggy/pram in the boat of my current hatchback I always end up having to put some of the shopping on the back seat, which all ways gets attacked by the little fingers in the back and now with a second on the way there just wont be enough room for two kids and shopping on the back seat (yes an estate would do the job but I would have to break my back to strap the kids in and the estate looks even more naff that the C-max). After all this you can still go out for the night ( if you can get a baby sitter
)and when you pull up it will be in a car in a car that's got a bit class and style about it.