Ford Ka

Ford KA perfect for a first car

2010 (10)

The Ford KA 2010 model is a 3 door hatchback in which you can get a basic car, and then by paying a few more thousand you get a few more extras thrown in. The KA i have is the basic car which comes with power steering and a drivers seat seatbelt alarm.

The gearstick is in quite a high location compared to the majority of cars and this can initially take a bit of getting used to. The steering is very light and therefore perfect for a first driver who won't want a car they have to wrench around corners.

It comes with a cd player and radio already tuned into several stations and you can also tune in your own faves. The boot is pretty small which is a shame but it's okay for a pre family person. As a small car it's easy to park and get into small spaces.

I've had no problems with this car and it has been incredibly reliable in the 2 years i've had it from new. I do feel the petrol economy could be better though, although generally average at 37mpg.

Prices range from around £7k upwards.

Miss K Cakebread

Ford Ka - Nippy Town Car

2003 (03)

Really good town car
-good turning circle
-very fuel efficient
-small and easily parked
-good acceleration when only occupied by the driver

I would say overall it is a very good all round town car.
However:

-for longer car journeys an estate car is clearly more suitable

-the car can get quite loud when exceeding 70mph


Mr Peter Cram

Ford KA, a great (and fun) first car

2005 (55)

I have owned 2 Ford KAs, having shared my first with my brother to learn to drive in. If you are looking for a car that is cheap to insure, run and maintain, and is fun to drive, there's no better car.

People often have misconceptions about the KA, but there are some great deals out there, and the fact production began in 96 and ran til 08 shows how easy parts etc are to access. Also, it was produced before maintaining cars was put second to safety, so changing a light bulb is mega-simple.

I love driving the car, it is nippy around town. But if you want a good engine with sufficient power, choose one after 2005 with the Duratec engine, rather than the outdated Endura-E which struggles to pull up to dual carriageway speeds. However, the Duratec engine is much better and I recommend buying one of this age.
Whilst interior comforts are sometimes a little scarce in the KA, plenty of aftermarket CD/MP3 players are available for relatively little cost and can be fitted incredibly easy. Don't let a tape player put you off, there are solutions around using one!

Interior comfort is pretty good, with good seating and legroom. However, performance can be affected, especially on an incline, of having 4 passengers and luggage, so this is probably best as a runabout car as opposed to a long trip car!


Mr James Smee