FORD KA HATCHBACK READER REVIEWS

My car

I find the KA adequate for my needs, I do short journies and usually by myself. It is well equipped but there are some omissions. There is no rheostat for the panel lights and they are way too bright at night. The instrument panel is also so deeply set in the dash that one needs to use side lights to be able read it when it is a bit overcast. There is a useful lane change flasher which gives 3 flashes when the stalk is moved slightly - this is not enough and should be 5 or 6 IMO. There is no spare wheel and I am not prepared to rely on a pump and some goo so I spent £150 on a full size spare, a jack and a wheel brace. They fitted in the boot OK as there is a space for a full size spare. A rain-sensing screen would be more useful, to me, than MP3 connectivity. Heated screen is really useful.

The heater warms up in about 2 miles and the air con is good; however, the air coming out of the dash vents is mostly fron the centre and very little from the ones that could be used to demist the 1/4 lights.

I get about 50mpg in the Winter and 55 to 60 in the Summer. Routine servicing is easy with all filler caps and level checks easily accessible and visible. The seat adjustment is good and the steering wheel can be adjusted. With the rear seat backs folded forward it is possible to get a wheel chair in, easily.

Road noise is high and the engine sounds "busy" at 70 on a motorway. Low tax, low insurance for me, and overall a satisfactory car for 2 people and their luggage.

My car

My decision to buy a Ka was based on the saving of £3000 I made by buying pre-reg, plus a trade-in which was £1000 more than I'd been offered by another local dealer. The spec of the Titanium is very good, with climate control and heated windscreen as well as alloys. It's a car with lots of adjustment for the seats, so you do get an ideal driving position. My last car, a Citroen C1, was diesel so the Ka's fuel consumption isn't as good, but the price of diesel is so high now that my annual mileage didn't really justify the extra cost. I've only had one problem with the Ka when the car died in my garage. I contacted the dealer who gave me the number for Ford Assist who sent an AA patrolman to sort out what turned out to be a loose battery connection. Fixed in five minutes, so the entire operation took well under an hour including travelling. Since then, it hasn't missed a beat. Although the Titanium spec is excellent, I might install a DAB radio when they become available for the Ka range. The car has a CD player which, to be honest, I rarely use. To sum up, the Ka is a well-built, well specced car that does all I need. OK, it's just a Fiat 500 with a blue oval badge, but had I gone for the Fiat I'd have paid a lot more for a similar spec.

My car

I passed my test in June 2011, Needed a well built, reliable, cheap to own/run but nice quirky car. After looking at several options from Vauxhall, Renault and Fiat, I decided that the KA offered the best all round driving experience. Although the Blush paint was on the pricey, side I feel it adds character to the car. They are fairly exclusive, especially in the higher spec and pearlescent paint colours. The car is easy to drive, the clutch is light,the steering is direct, however the engine needs to be worked when accelerating, but the car is comfortable at any legal speed. There is minimal wind noise, and the supplied Michelin tyres are fantastic. I think the car is very girly, and suits a vibrant, outgoing, and unique personality. This is a massive step forward for Ford, who with the previous KA brought back the super-mini, but with the 2nd iteration have redefined the standard. In my experience, I have not seen or driven anything close to this. The cabin is well laid out, everything is where you'd expect it to be and the alloy wheels, that come with the Zetec trim, add that bit of extra flair that really finishes the car off well. The Blush metallic paint job is also very feminine, and really makes a statement. People often comment on how nice the car looks, and are very complimentary. Everyone who has been inside the car has said how spacious it is (for a small car) and how adequate the boot is. Overall, I feel the car is economical, practical and well made.

My car

I had this little car as a courtesy car whilst our Ford C-Max was in for servicing. I arrived to find this little green Ka parked outside and fist impressions were poor but I grew to like it. I found the little KA to be pretty fun around bends and having put £15 worth of fuel into it, I managed 200 miles which isn't bad. Obviously quality of our C-Max is far superior to the KA but I must say the Ford KA is a much better car than the Fiat 500 on which it's based on. All the switches etc... Are all from Fiat because the car is built by Fiat in Poland.

All in all it was a lovely little car and I would recommend one but the rear seat accomodation isn't very nice, so if someone is going to travel in the back of the car, this isn't the car for you because of the limited light and firm suspension in the rear. Up front it's lovely but if you're a rear passenger it's awful, so I advise that if you live alone or live with 1 other person, buy the KA. But if there are 3 or 4 people in the house hold, buy a Fiesta. I drove a Fiesta (1.25 style 2009) last year when our C-Max went in and found it to be a lot of fun aswell.