Ford Ka - any good?

NO

The Panda would definately be a front runner if I had a bit more money to play with but £5k is the absolute max I would spend on a city runabout. I'd rather spend far far less!

Is the newer Ka engine as gutless as the old one?

Ford Ka - any good?

NO

LOL

Short and sweet.

my girlfriend has one and i cant stand driving it, when you go round a corner you feel like you will roll even doing 20 mph

for 5k you could get a decent fabia or even a new shape fiesta which i have driven and it feels very good!

Is the newer Ka engine as gutless as the old one?

The newer engine is noticeably improved over the old one and also feels smoother. I think the newer one is around 70bhp and the old is around 60bhp. According to Parkers the switch over was 31st Oct 2002 so there should be plenty approaching the £1k mark

How about this one?

Chris

Nice honest desription there, makes a change from a trader.

I guess I'll just have to get my lazy hairy butt down to the dealer and drive one sometime soon to put myself out of my misery. In all honesty I'm hoping I'll hate it and will get the rocket up my **** I need to get my old Polo fixed up. Unfortunately I'm incredibly short of time at the moment owing to a sick Mother :nurse: .

Ford certainly got good value out of the french curve kit they had lying around the drawing office when they designed the Ka, particulalry the inside.

I had always thought they were a reasonable small car, though I think I'd be more tempted by a Panda (straightforward use of a set square and ruler for that one) .

my girlfriend has one and i cant stand driving it, when you go round a corner you feel like you will roll even doing 20 mph

Then there's something seriously wrong with it , as the Ka should handle very well indeed.

All the reviews praised it's handling and mine was great fun to drive.

Quite possibly. I'm not up to date with fords engine line up. What do they use now?

something with a Duratec badge, but the way they chuck their branding about (both the mk1 RS and ST170 were badged Duratec) who knows what it actually is :confused:

Ford Duratec engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prepare to adopt the fetal position if your're over 5'6 " - knees round your neck of what ? I thought my fab was bad enough.

Definitely one for the diminuitive ladies or mates of Noel Edmonds !

Nick

My mate has one, and I have driven it and tbh, it does exactly what you expect. The later engine is much better than the earlier one. It is no speed machine, but for nipping around town it really does the job and you can park it in really small gaps. If you can, get yourself a KA Lux, full leather etc. very nice.

What does your budget get you in terms of a 107/C1/Aygo?

I think they are a very nice city car , surprisingly spacious and good fun to drive.

Very economical too,

I'd agree with the fun to drive bit, but spacious isn't a term I'd use to describe them

Spacious?? Suppose they are ok for driver and passenger.

Can't be very safe, not very good on fuel, not quick. I can think of better ways of spending £5k

Spacious?? Suppose they are ok for driver and passenger.

Can't be very safe, not very good on fuel, not quick. I can think of better ways of spending £5k

uh oh, if tom's taking the **** out of a "budget motoring" choice then you know it's probably a bad move...

Can't be very safe, not very good on fuel, not quick. I can think of better ways of spending £5k

If you like your EuroNCAP stats, the C1 is 4* for crash testing and 4* for pedestrian safety. The 1.0l engine will easily crack 60mpg and it's quicker to 60 than the Ka. In fact, when you drive it, you tend to forget about the fact it's not going fast because it's got a very willing revvy engine and is incredibly chuckable. Yes, the interior is pretty spartan and it still has a key to lock/unlock it (:eek:) but it is pretty spacious inside considering its size and excellent value for money imho.

Chris

Yep, C1 is a better way to spend £5k for sure.

A used Panda would get my money.

Prepare to adopt the fetal position if your're over 5'6 " - knees round your neck of what ? I thought my fab was bad enough.

Definitely one for the diminuitive ladies or mates of Noel Edmonds !

Nick

Odd that I'm 6ft1 and fitted in one with plenty of headroom.

It's a very spacious car in the front - bit pants in the back though

I'd agree with the fun to drive bit, but spacious isn't a term I'd use to describe them

As I've just mentioned , I'm 6ft1 and I can sit in the drivers seat in a comfortable position and there's room in the back for another person of my size.

It's clearly not going to have the same legroom as a Superb , but the passenger accommodation is more than adequate for what they are used for.

The boot is pants though as a result

something with a Duratec badge, but the way they chuck their branding about (both the mk1 RS and ST170 were badged Duratec) who knows what it actually is :confused:

Even the engine in the ST is branded Duratec..

Another vote for the Panda here. 5K will almost get a brand new base model, so you should be able to get a decent spec 1-2yr old for less than that. Otherwise I would consider the C1/107/Aygo.

Fiat!! No No Nooooo NO! Dont do it to yourself, the cars are great but dont leave yourself chance to be a victim of the dealer network.

It would have to be an Aygo or Panda for me.

Fiat!! No No Nooooo NO! Dont do it to yourself, the cars are great but dont leave yourself chance to be a victim of the dealer network.

As with all marques, it is down to the individual dealer and there are good and bad ones out there. Had my 12k service last month and the dealer experience was excellent, the price was good and they bent over backwards to have my car ready for when I'd asked. Suffice it to say, they will be getting my custom for the next service

Wish I could be as positive about my last encounter with a Skoda dealer!!!

Chris

I have driven a Ka, it's quite nippy and handles well but it is tinny.

A mate of mine bought a new one for £5500 or less.