2001 Ford Ka Luxury review from UK and Ireland

The door seals have rusted.

The leather steering wheel has peeled.

One of the A-pillar trim panels didn't match the interior, so we had it replaced (for £7, heh!).

Some rust has appeared on the offside lower seam, to be sorted by Ford.

The above ratings are based on my expectations, not compared to all cars!

This Ka is the Luxury, with optional ABS, so he comes with the full cream-coloured leather interior. This one also has ventilated front disc brakes (from the factory) which are reputed to be a big improvement over the solid disc set up. If you're contemplating a Ka, try to get one with ventilated discs if you're a keen driver, since they don't fade anywhere near as much as the solids.

In terms of the engine, many people slate the Endura-E, but it provides a near-flat torque curve from under 2,000 rpm to over 4,000 rpm, and it's allied to nicely short gearing, so it goes well enough around town. At higher speeds, it can feel a bit breathless, however to be fair, this isn't the design remit. It'll cruise on the motorway at speeds likely to get you a ban if you're caught, it'll reach 70 indicated in third gear, and it's peppy and responsive about town. Running the air conditioning dents performance rather more so than many cars... but few 60 PS cars have air conditioning.

Handling wise, the Ka is still the best handling sub-supermini you can buy in the United Kingdom. It's very "pointable" - you point it where you want to go and it does it. A quick steering rack (powered, of course) helps matters. Push the Ka hard enough and it understeers, back off the throttle and it'll tilt towards oversteer, but it's very progressive (on standard wheels and tyres, at least). There is some body roll, but overall the handling is far in excess of available power - which is just the way I like it. A great roundabout tool.

In terms of ride, "excellent for the size" is a summary. It's remarkably smooth riding, especially considering the handling.

In terms of fuel consumption, I was expecting the Ka to average around 37 to 38 mpg given our city-bound life. As I write, we're averaging 39 mpg, so I'm happy with that.

For running costs, we get the oil and filter changed every 5,000 miles (at Ford Rapid Fit) and he's serviced every 10,000 miles. My dealership is excellent, although most Ford ones are not terribly good. To date, the bills have been par for the course. At 25K, we're on the original brakes and tyres, and these should last for another 10K (subject to track time), despite how he's driven on occasion! Insurance is very cheap.

Overall, he's not without his problems (cheap door seals being the most annoying), but the Ka matches the design remit with flair and brilliance. The fact that it handles as well as many 1990s hot hatches is a bonus!

For more Ka information, you can always check out my little site, www.dervman.com.