Best Ford cars: our favourite new Fords and all-time greats
Want to know which new Fords are worth your attention when you head to the showroom? Read on to find out
While there’s no longer a Ford dealer on just about every corner like they used to be, the brand is still popular in the UK, with the Puma small SUV consistently topping the UK’s best-selling car charts just as the Focus, Fiesta, and Escort used to in the past.
The brand’s lineup has changed quite a bit in recent years, with a move away from conventional cars and towards SUVs; today there are four electric SUVs alone, then you have all the combustion models. The changes have made Fords less accessible than they used to be, but quality and equipment has gone up accordingly.
Which Ford should you buy though? Below, we’ve selected the ten best models from the maker’s lineup, and cast an eye over five all-time Ford greats, too.
What makes Ford’s cars special?
Think Ford and these days, you probably think of popular, accessible cars that probably drive better than they have any right to. That hasn’t always been the case though. While Fords have always sold well in the UK, it was only after harsh criticism of some of its 1980s and early 1990s models that the brand got its act together and began offering its customers more than just the bare minimum.
Led by talented engineer, the late Richard Parry-Jones, Fords went from also-rans in the driving stakes to some of the best in their class, with ride and handling that few rivals could match. The company made big strides in both design and perceived quality at the same time – best illustrated by cars like 1998’s Ford Focus.
Ford has long had a knack for accessible performance cars as well, invariably offering hotted-up versions of its humblest models, often at a price that undercut rivals. A Fiesta XR2 may not have driven as well as a Peugeot 205 GTI, but it looked great with its spoilers and stripes, and cost far less to buy.
Then there’s the sheer breadth of the company. While its modern UK range is a bit SUV-heavy, this is still a company with everything from hot hatchbacks to multi-million selling pick-up trucks, a V8 pony car with a manual gearbox, chunky off-road cars, electric cars, and vans in its portfolio, as well as a healthy global motorsports programme. Ford really does do it all.
The best new Fords on sale
Here are our favourite new Ford models ranked into a top 10...
1. Ford Explorer
- Prices from £39,875
| Pros | Cons |
| Good mix of pace and comfort | Fidgety ride at lower speeds |
| Clever tech in the cabin | Heat pump is only an option |
| Long driving range | Pricey in higher Premium spec |
Of all Ford’s recent name revivals (including Puma, Capri, and the Mustang badge on the Mach-E) the Explorer perhaps fits the best, since its predecessor was also an SUV. The modern one’s considerably sleeker, though at the same time its chunky, squared-off styling is more handsome than most cars on the MEB platform it sits on – that’s right, underneath, the new Explorer is related to much of the current Volkswagen range.
That endows it with some usefully long-range battery options (up to 389 miles in Extended Range RWD form), while performance isn’t bad either, if not as brisk as the Mach-E. It drives better than many of its VW counterparts and the cabin is airy and comfortable, with easy-to-fathom in-car tech. The best-equipped models get a little pricey though, making another grand for a heat pump seem a bit mean when some cheaper rivals make it standard.
2. Ford Puma
- Prices from £26,350
| Pros | Cons |
| Great-handling small SUV | Sluggish auto gearbox |
| Practical boot space | Pricey base model |
| Tech-laden cabin | Narrow engine range |
Ford’s compact SUV remains a UK-top seller, and has no doubt gained a little boost from the brand yanking the Fiesta off the market too. That’s no consolation for entry-level Fiesta buyers, since more than £26k for the cheapest Puma means the bottom rung on the Ford ladder needs a bit of a leap to grab onto, but the Puma certainly has plenty of the Fiesta’s talents.
Those include a chassis that outshines all its rivals, being nimble and genuinely engaging, though it does ride firmer than several rivals as a result. The Ecoboost powertrains are peppy (provided you avoid the slothful auto gearbox) and it’s refined at a cruise, too. A recent facelift gave the Puma a heavy-handed but more usable interior redesign, and useful features like a heated windscreen remain standard. The 465-litre boot’s not bad for a relatively compact car either.
3. Ford Capri
- Prices from £42,075
| Pros | Cons |
| Refinement | Expensive |
| Smooth powertrains | Not particularly engaging to drive |
| Nice interior | Discontenting looks from Capri lovers |
Like it or lump it, this is what a Ford Capri looks like these days. The supermarket own-brand Polestar 2 styling isn’t entirely convincing but essentially it’s a more rakish Ford Explorer, which in turn is related to various Volkswagen EVs sitting on the brand’s MEB platform, such as the ID.4. As you’d expect from Ford it’s better to drive than most of the VWs too, though there’s perhaps not as much handling finesse as we’re used to from the brand.
In terms of performance and range, it’s predictably similar to the Explorer – its farthest-reaching variant goes 369 miles, 20 fewer than the Explorer, and the quickest dispatches 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds, identical to the boxier car. The interior is basically identical, too, which is no bad thing. There’s generous space, especially in the 572-litre boot – 102 litres more than the Explorer, thanks to the Capri’s longer tail.
4. Ford Mustang
- Prices from £55,725
| Pros | Cons |
| Iconic styling | Auto ‘box saps the life from the V8 |
| Only manual, V8 car you can buy new | Feels big on the road |
| Rewarding to drive | Greenpeace-baiting economy and emissions |
The Mustang is an American legend, having sold well over ten million units since its 1964 debut, and it remains pretty much the go-to performance car in the US market today. In the UK, it’s more of a halo model – Ford doesn’t sell many, but simply having one in the showroom makes the rest of the range look a lot more interesting.
That’s not all it does though, as the latest seventh generation Mustang, launched in 2024, is one of the most enjoyable and likeable cars you can currently buy. It’s bursting with character, thanks to its muscle-car styling and 5.0-litre V8 engine (which you can pair with a manual gearbox, something no other modern car lets you do), brawls to 62mph in little more than five seconds and even handles well despite its weight. There’s nothing else like it, and it makes the roads a more interesting place.
5. Ford Kuga
- Prices from £32,095
| Pros | Cons |
| Handling | Cheap-feeling interior |
| Infotainment tech | Firm ride on sports suspension and big wheels |
| Plug-in hybrid version | Seats could be more comfortable |
As Puma is to Fiesta, Kuga is to Focus. The current model is the best one yet, being yet another Ford that leads the class dynamically, and proving that family SUVs don’t have to be dull to drive. The tradeoff is a firm ride in some of the sportier variants, so stay away from the ST-Line X and you’ll have a car that won’t jiggle the family on every journey.
Mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains motivate the Kuga, and all do a pretty good job of it – the 42-mile EV range of the plug-in is certainly welcome, as is the 240bhp car’s eager acceleration. The Focus-style interior keeps things simple, though you may be less enamoured with the cheap-feeling plastics and unsupportive seats.
6. Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Prices from £43,330
| Pros | Cons |
| Good to drive | Smaller boot than rivals |
| Range | Not particularly quick |
| Generous kit | Dubious Mustang connection |
There’s no shortage of electric family SUVs from Ford right now: the Mustang Mach-E sits right alongside the newer Explorer and Capri, and it’s even priced similarly at the bottom of the range. The Mach-E’s lineup does extend much further than its more sensible siblings though, right up to the playful Mach-E Rally, which comes in at nearly £77,000.
Even at the bottom of the range though the Mach-E is stylish, with a more dynamic look than even the Capri, and it’s good to drive, too. Even the slowest one comfortably outpaces the other two Ford EV SUVs, while the longest-legged model does a claimed 379 miles on a charge, just ten short of the rangiest Explorer. Interior space is great, the 402-litre boot a little less so for the car’s size.
Latest Ford Mustang Mach-E deals
7. Ford Transit/Tourneo Custom
- Prices from £38,820
| Pros | Cons |
| Lots of configurations to choose from | Pricey compared with rivals |
| Very easy to drive | Dashboard layout can be confusing |
| Plenty of Ford service centres | Odd steering wheel shape |
Transit is one of the best-recognised brand names in the UK, and it just so happens it’s still one of the best vans too – and along with its passenger-carrying Tourneo counterpart, one of our favourite Fords. The van segment continues to make big strides in quality and driveability, and the latest Transit and Tourneo really are getting quite car-like, with impressive refinement.
While you obviously wouldn’t expect hot hatchback-style handling, the Transit/Tourneo is easy to drive, with responsive steering and good visibility that take the sting out of its size, though the steering wheel’s a bit of an odd shape. It’s expensive too (our figures above include VAT), but at least being a Ford, you can get them serviced nearly anywhere.
8. Ford Focus
- Prices from £28,500
| Pros | Cons |
| Agile and involving chassis | Hesitant auto gearbox |
| Comfortable ride quality | Smaller boot than class best |
| Efficient engine range | Lack of plug-in hybrid option |
The Ford Focus is soon to bow out of the Ford range, with production ending in November 2025. That’s a shame, because although it’s getting a little long in the tooth, the Focus remains a great car. It has a ride and handling balance that most cars in the class still struggle to match, and without a chunky SUV body to haul along, its engines offer both brisk performance and frugal economy.
Swap ‘brisk’ for ‘rampant’ in the range-topping Focus ST hot hatch too, which is hugely entertaining to drive thanks to a 276bhp engine and amusingly lurid handling. The Focus’s interior is nothing to write home about but Ford has improved its quality over the years, and the touchscreen is decent as well – all it really lacks is the outright space of some rivals.
9. Ford Ranger
- Prices from £34,315
| Pros | Cons |
| Upmarket cabin | Feels big on UK roads |
| Wide model range | Thirsty engines |
| Imposing looks | Slow auto gearbox |
The Ford Ranger isn’t just one of our favourite pickup trucks, it’s also a best-seller, so buyers clearly love it too. The chunky looks, which have echoes of some of the trucks Ford sells in the US market, play a part, as does the presence of a hugely entertaining Ranger Raptor, with its 282bhp V6 and Baja styling. But fundamentally the Ranger is just a useful truck, offered in a wide range of variants to cover most needs.
That means everything from a simple single-cab model for tradespeople, right the way up to that dune-hopping Raptor. Most will go for the double-cab diesels in between, which drive well despite their imposing size (this isn’t a vehicle for narrow streets), and feel upmarket compared to most rivals.
10. Ford Tourneo Courier
- Prices from £25,140
| Pros | Cons |
| Surprisingly fun to drive | Unsettled ride |
| Compact but practical | Interior plastics still van-like |
| Good on-board tech | Ecoboost struggles when loaded |
The Tourneo Courier is Ford’s smallest van-based people mover, but it packs a heck of a lot of practicality into its compact footprint. While there’s no seven-seat model, for five it’s very accommodating indeed and gives you a 570-litre boot which is deep, wide, tall and square, and extends up to 2,160 litres, so you’ll have to try hard to find something that won’t fit.
It also looks pretty smart, with a hint of Land Rover in the styling and some bright colour options to liven things up a bit. Being based on the same platform as the Puma, it even drives well – there’s some jiggle from suspension designed to cope with plenty of weight on board, but it’s not far off being as nimble as a supermini.
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The best Fords of all time
Choosing the best Fords of all time is no easy task, given the company’s long history and the sheer variety of models it has produced. We’ve had to leave out such luminaries as the Le Mans-winning GT40 and the USA’s favourite vehicle, the F-Series pickup, for instance – but the talents and significance of the five cars below can’t be overlooked.
Ford Model T
Few cars of any sort are more historically significant than the Ford Model T. More than 15 million were sold between 1908 and 1927, thanks in no small part to the rapid pace at which Ford’s assembly line production – novel for automobiles at the time – could crank out cars. Efficient production actually led to the car’s price going down over time, and the Model T sold better in its final few full years (peaking at more than 2 million units in 1923) than in its first few.
The T evolved significantly during its 19-year run though it retained details such as the clutch, transmission brake and reverse pedal layout, which seems so odd today. Its ubiquity means plenty survive today, and are surprisingly easy to run by vintage car standards.
Ford Mustang
The Mustang was conceived as little more than a sporty version of Ford’s smallest American offering at the time, the Falcon. Designed to appeal to both men and women, and with a significant emphasis on options and personalisation, it became a phenomenon from the moment it launched; Ford took orders for more than 20,000 on the first day alone, and sold more than 400,000 in its first year.
Straight six and V8 engines were offered, and many more variations quickly joined the range. In 1965 a fastback body style arrived in Shelby form and joined the existing coupe and convertible, and the options list was long enough to make a modern MINI look like a Model T. More than 60 years later, the Mustang name is still revered.
Ford Focus RS (Mk1)
If you remember early road tests, the Ford Focus RS had a bit of a rocky start when it arrived in 2002. With deep airdams, pumped-up arches, five-spoke alloys and Imperial Blue paint, it was (and still is) one of the best-looking hot hatchbacks ever. But quality control perhaps wasn’t what it should be, and it was pot luck whether customers (and the press) got a car that simply couldn’t control the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine’s 212bhp and 229lb ft, or not.
Today, most have been sorted, and a Mk1 RS is a sublime car to drive – all the finesse of the Mk1 Focus chassis but with real pace, huge grip, and even more feedback. No wonder good ones go for comfortably more than £20,000 today.
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Nothing gets an enthusiast’s blood racing like a homologation special, and the Ford Sierra Cosworth is one of the most recognisable – in no small part due to that enormous ‘whale tail’ spoiler sitting on the tailgate.
The Sierra RS Cosworth was conceived to pick up Ford’s fortunes in saloon car racing, and it did just that. While the car was developed by Ford Motorsport, it’s named for the company that built its turbocharged 2.0-litre twin-cam ‘YB’ engine, which was good for 204bhp out of the box (with the potential for more). It launched in 1986, a year before Ford homologated and launched the even more potent RS500, which went on to dominate Group A touring car racing in the late 1980s – and it wasn’t a bad rally car either.
Ford Escort
Ford used the Escort badge globally, but it’s most recognisable as the six generations of European family car that bore the name – from the characterful and rally-winning rear-wheel drive models of the late 1960s, to the occasionally maligned but enormously popular front-drive car that ended production in 2002, having crossed over with the Focus for a few years.
Along the way, it spent several years as Britain’s best-selling car, often only ousted by the smaller and cheaper Fiesta. The first two generations are considered true classic cars today, not just for their rallying successes but also the huge nostalgia among those who remember seeing them everywhere. But the Escort really had range, sold as everything from hatchbacks and saloons to convertibles, vans, and of course, as 1992’s rallying-inspired Escort RS Cosworth.
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