2005 Ford Ka Base review from UK and Ireland

Nothing actually failed, but...

The coolant level needed to be regularly topped up from new and this was never resolved, despite a couple of attempts to fix it.

Needed new discs and pads at 25,000 miles - discs corroded.

Surface rust started to appear quicker than I would have liked.

I really enjoyed driving and owning my Ka. I bought it pre-registered with 2 miles on the clock for £4795. It was a fantastic bargain. I sold it 2 years later for just over £3300 - £750/year depreciation is outstanding!

The 1.3 litre engine was smooth, nippy and economical, regularly returning 40mpg even when driven hard. Easily capable of long journeys and would cruise at motorway speeds quietly and comfortably.

Handling was fantastic. The Ka really is like a grown-up go kart! The power steering was well weighted, very direct and body roll was minimal. Great fun to throw about on country roads!

Servicing costs were reasonable (for a main dealer) and I found a dealer that did the first two scheduled services for £103. OK, pretty much just an oil and filter change each time, but that's all you get from most dealers and they'd charge a lot more.

I bought it with the intention of keeping it for a year, but kept it for two years because I enjoyed driving it. You can't say that about many so-called budget cars.

The only slight niggles were the things listed above - persistent coolant 'leak', brake discs at 25,000 miles (which I thought was a bit too early) and most worryingly, surface rust starting to appear in several places. If a stone chip was left for even a short time during winter (salty roads), it would start to rust. Also, the lip under the sill and the painted metal areas in the engine bay and boot were starting to rust. Also, the curved area just behind the bottom of the doors is a magnet for stones thrown from the front wheels. Get stone chip protectors for this area or it WILL rust.

All in all, one of the best cars I've owned. Cheap, reliable motoring. If the dealer had fixed the coolant leak, Ford had galvanised the bodywork and the brake discs had lasted a bit longer, it would have been close to perfection! (:o)

If you're looking for a cheap car that doesn't feel or drive like a cheap car, look no further - buy a Ka!!!