2020 Renault Captur vs Ford Puma: What's the Best Small Crossover

Coincidentally, the arrival of a second-generation model happens at the same time as the launch of a hot rival, the Ford Puma. We've already compared the two statically a few months back. However, Rebecca Jackson's review reveals the differences between these two in the dynamic department as well.

And even though the focus of the review is put on practicality and looks, we'll start with the handling. Apparently, Renault took the stilettos off the Captur and fitted sports shoes. It's no Megane RS, but it feels more direct and stable in the corners.

This is one of the major complaints we have with the original Captur, which didn't feel safe taking sharper corners above 80 km/h. As for the Puma, it's pretty sporty, as you'd expect from anything made by Ford.

We've always preferred cars with slightly bigger engines, and in this case, that's the Captur. The new generation is available with the 1.3-liter turbo fitted to some Mercedes models. Fingers crossed, it's more reliable than the old 1.2-liter. Its Ford Puma equivalent is the 1.0-liter EcoBoost, which was also plagued by gremlins and will now be offered a mild-hybrid setup.

But Rebecca says the Ford is much more enjoyable to fling into the corners and comes with a precise manual gearbox. Real-world fuel consumption is about the same for both cars, so there really isn't an advantage to downsizing.

As for the interiors, the design and quality favor the French car as well, which has also become more spacious than before. It's not perfect, but that floating center console and orange faux leather wrap will lift the spirits of most people on a rainy day.