2001 Ford Ka Luxury 1.3 petrol from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Fun, and cheap to run stylish runabout

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This car needs more power!

Cornering abilities on this car are amazing, and the suspension remains supple at the same time. Steering is direct and has good feel, also ironing out the worst of the roads imperfections.

The engine is the fly in the ointment. It is weak, unresponsive, and sounds like a diesel. It has decent torque though!

The luxury specification is good. With an interior that has a nice airy feel to it, but rear leg room is poor for long distances with passengers.

The gearbox is a delight to use, feeling very sporty and easy to use, helping the driver forget about the horrible engine.

Another gripe is the driving position for taller drivers. The seat remains to high (even on lowest setting). This causes the wheel to be to low down.

Being a male driver, the image of the car did not suit me to well, and people laughed at me, and said "it's a girls car". I love the styling, but image is important.

The car was new when I bought it, so reliability has been excellent, but the dealer was useless. They were unhelpful, and unprofessional.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th September, 2002

2001 Ford Ka Silver 1.3 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

The most fun on four wheels for under £10,000

Faults:

So far, I've been lucky with my little Silver. The only fault was the back bumper having been tightened too much thus causing a fault in the plastic moulding. This showed as a dent on the driver's side and almost gave me a heart attack when I saw it.

Other than that, the interior scratches too easily and there is a mark on the inside of the drivers door that won't come off no matter what I do.

General Comments:

I saw the car outside the main ford dealership while getting a replacement strap for the jack in my Fiesta Finesse. It had been ordered and then cancelled by a driving school, and was at a slightly reduced price.

The silver is a special edition model that sports a ton of extras including great leather seats, air con, CD player, Alloys etc and it is a beautiful little luxury model.

The car surprised me with it's handling and response, it's a great car to drive, handles like it's on rails and just begs to be driven hard. If this little girl can see off 1.6 astra's in it, then she's happy.

The trouble with the dealer actually came from Ford Credit. They were slow in cancelling the former credit agreement and this delayed my receiving the car. However, it hasn't put me off and the salesman actually talked to me rather than my father who accompanied me. This is the first salesman who has ever done that, and I have been into a lot of dealerships. Thanks Lee!

I love this car so much, and would recommend anyone looking for a cheap, but fun car to at least have a go. I'm already sure that whenever my little "Squall-Ka" goes, I will miss him dearly.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th May, 2002

18th Sep 2002, 15:05

1.6 Astras, I don't think so. Maybe broken ones with no wheels.

Nextdoor has one with the 1.3 pushrod engine (same as yours) and it is the most gutless piece of crap going.

Noisy, un-refined and dated.

Lets look at the facts. Astra 1.6 90-110 BHP.

Ford Ka 1.3 Endura 55 BHP.

I would bet my house that a 1.6 Astra would clear your Ka by miles in a straight race.

It's a pity that Ford never put the engine in the KA that they intended. With a decent engine this could be a fun car.

19th Sep 2002, 16:39

Well, I'm a demon on four wheels. And I live in a town so there aren't many straights to practice on and I do not give way in a drag race. The car handles like on rails and the Astra's I've driven are no where near as great to handle.

Now the StreetKa has been officially announced with the 1.6 Zetec engine, and the SportKa with the same, I'm saving my cash.

23rd Sep 2002, 04:54

The Ka is a great looking little car, I thought that Ford were going in the right direction with it and the Puma.

However, they coped out and put in an engine that's been around since the 60s. This engine was great in the mark 2 Escort, but the KA needed a radical engine to go with the shape and overall concept.

Now Ford have gone back to dull with the new Fiesta and Mondeo and Focus. They all look the same.

As for Astra handling, have you driven one of the latest Astras? (98 onwards). They are one of the best handling cars you can buy at the price.

My 1.7 DTI works van murders next doors Ka2 on acceleration and handling every morning.

Put in an engine with 150 HP + in the KA and I may be convinced.

Best Regards.