Alternatives

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/citigo/hatchback/used-review/n836">Skoda Citigo</a> is great to drive, with a comfy ride and agile handling. The interior’s well thought out and reasonably spacious, too, and its nifty size makes the car a delight in town, while still offering room for four.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/celerio/hatchback/used-review/n924">Suzuki Celerio</a> has a practical interior and its performance is surprisingly peppy for something so small. It also handles well&nbsp;and is excellent value on the used car market.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/dacia/sandero/hatchback/used-review/n852">Dacia Sandero</a> is a spacious and surprisingly practical car, and also the cheapest new car on the market. Used, the Sandero&nbsp;holds its value surprising well, which often means it makes more sense as a new car purchase.

<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here</a>

<h2><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/ford/ka+">Find a used Ford Ka+ with What Car? &gt;&gt;</a></h2>

Page 5 of 5

Ownership cost

Our recommendations

What is it like?

Reliability

<h3>Chafed battery wiring</h3>

A problem exists where the wiring for the battery monitoring system can be chafed on some examples made between 8 September 2017 and 15 May 2019. Find out if your car is a part of this recall&nbsp;by speaking with a Ford dealer because&nbsp;examples affected by this will need to be inspected by a technician&nbsp;and replaced if necessary.

The Ford Ka+ didn't feature in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey data, but Ford as a brand manage&nbsp;a middling 18th place position out of 31 manufacturers.

If you'd&nbsp;like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

Page 3 of 5

Hatchback

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

The Ford Ka+ is good to drive and has plenty of room for four adults, but the Dacia Sandero has a bigger boot and is available new for less money

Used Ford Ka+ 2016-2020

<h3>MPG</h3>

The more powerful 84bhp&nbsp;1.2 petrol engine actually has better running costs than the less powerful 69bhp version:&nbsp;56.5mpg versus&nbsp;55.4mpg, respectively.

The 1.5-litre diesel is quite the fuel sipper thanks to 76.3mpg fuel economy.

<h3>CO2 emissions</h3>

As with fuel economy, the 84bhp 1.2 has lower emissions of 114g/km compared with the least powerful 69bhp 1.2 that puts oft 117g/km.

The 1.5-litre diesel emits&nbsp;only 99g/km of CO2.&nbsp;

<h3>Car tax (VED)</h3>

Any example registered after 1 April 2017 will fall under the current flat rate system rather than the older version that was based on the CO2 emissions the car produced. <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">Find out more about road tax costs here</a>.

<h3>Servicing and insurance</h3>

Expect servicing costs to be reasonable. Once your Ka+ is outside of the manufacturer's warranty period, you can take advantage of lower-priced essential servicing starting from £169 at the time of writing. For comparison, the equivalent level of service for a Skoda would be £184.&nbsp;

The lower-powered Ka+ is placed in insurance group 1, whereas the higher-powered car is in group 5.

Page 2 of 5

The Ford Ka+ is good to drive and has plenty of room for four adults, but the Dacia Sandero has a bigger boot and is available new for less money

To find a decent early example,&nbsp;you'll need £6000 to get into a Ka+. If you increase the budget, £8000 will get you&nbsp;a 2018, post-facelift&nbsp;Ford Ka+, at the time of writing.&nbsp;

If you fancy the pseudo-SUV Active version that arrived in 2018, expect to spend&nbsp;£8500 or more.

Check the value of a used Ford Ka+ with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a>

<h3>Engine</h3>

The 1.2-litre engine is more palatable in its most powerful 84bhp&nbsp;form. The extra power means it doesn't have to be pushed as hard as the 69bhp&nbsp;version, which is why&nbsp;it's the one we’d choose.

<h3>Specification</h3>

We’d certainly recommend you track down Zetec trim cars rather than the entry-level Studio models, since Zetec comes with far more kit and won’t set you back that much more on the used market.

Our favourite Ford Ka+ 1.2 84bhp&nbsp;Zetec

Page 4 of 5

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Clever interior space </li> <li>Quiet and comfortable ride </li> <li>Good visibility </li> <li>Plenty of safety tech </li> <li>Low running costs </li> <li>Outstanding value for money</li></ul>

City cars are all about diminutive size and manoeuvrability because they invariably spend most of their time on our increasingly crowded urban streets.

They do need to be big enough for a couple of adults, with back seats that’ll suffice for occasional use by people – or as a dumping ground for a couple of large shopping bags – but they must also be small enough to nip in and out of traffic, and squeeze into tight parking spaces.

Out-and-out acceleration isn’t crucial, but there must be enough oomph in the lower gears to scoot into gaps that appear in the traffic. Running costs should be low, too.

Fortunately there’s never been a better line-up of city cars on offer. Kia's Picanto mixes a neat, functional interior with tidy handling and a surprisingly big boot, while the Skoda Citigo and Suzuki Celerio are cheaper and even more frugal.

City

The car will have been used in tight urban areas mostly, so check the bodywork for scuffs and make sure those seats slide and fold as they should. Check interior plastics for any permanent scratches.

Reported mechanical problems with the Ka+ are few, so far, and the car is based on proven and tough – if slightly unrefined – Ford oily bits.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Sadly, the Ford Ka+ is no more because&nbsp;people are&nbsp;drifting more towards small SUVs such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/review/n20838">Puma</a>. However, used car buyers looking for an inexpensive and&nbsp;practical five-door&nbsp;town driver that's easy to park, while also being&nbsp;remarkably capable beyond&nbsp;city limits, should find plenty to like in the Ka+.

Engine choices are limited to just three options. Early cars come with a&nbsp;1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with&nbsp;either 69bhp or 84bhp, while facelifted examples have a revised 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine (again in 69bhp or 84bhp forms) or a 94bhp 1.5-litre diesel. All versions of&nbsp;the Ka+ come with a five-speed gearbox

Trim levels are&nbsp;limited to&nbsp;the ultra-cheap Studio or&nbsp;better-equipped Zetec,&nbsp;which gets desirable features such&nbsp;as alloy wheels, air-con and an infotainment system.&nbsp;In 2018, the Ka+ Active was unveiled, which provides&nbsp;a raised ride height and other off-roader-inspired trinkets to make it look tougher, but the suspension changes ruin the ride and make it wallow in the bends, so is&nbsp;worth avoiding.

On the flip side, standard cars&nbsp;ride&nbsp;extremely well and deal&nbsp;with bigger&nbsp;bumps better than many larger vehicles. It steers nicely, too, and, pushed hard, it corners neatly, just like the first-generation Ka. However, none of the engines are&nbsp;particularly brilliant out on the open road. All petrol versions are&nbsp;a little disappointing because they're&nbsp;unrefined and can feel laboured, and both these and the diesel&nbsp;version will&nbsp;need&nbsp;revving hard to get the best from it and doesn’t sound pleasant when you do.&nbsp;If you can ignore the engine, though, this is a fine driver’s car.

Inside,&nbsp;there’s plenty of space for a six-footer to sit behind a six-footer in front, and the boot’s a reasonable size for this class, with 60/40 folding rear seats as standard. All the controls are logically placed and easy to locate, and feel pleasant enough to use. However, some of the materials used are a little low-rent and there are plenty of hard, scratchy plastics on view.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/ford/ka+">used Ka+</a>, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Page 1 of 5

Used Ford Ka+ 2016-2020 reliability

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Used Ford Ka+ 2016-2020 review

The car will have been used in tight urban areas mostly, so check the bodywork for scuffs and make sure those seats slide and fold as they should. Check interior plastics for any permanent scratches.,Reported mechanical problems with the Ka+ are few, so far, and the car is based on proven and tough – if slightly unrefined – Ford oily bits., ,Chafed battery wiringA problem exists where the wiring for the battery monitoring system can be chafed on some examples made between 8 September 2017 and 15 May 2019. Find out if your car is a part of this recall by speaking with a Ford dealer because examples affected by this will need to be inspected by a technician and replaced if necessary.,The Ford Ka+ didn't feature in our latest What Car? Reliability Survey data, but Ford as a brand manage a middling 18th place position out of 31 manufacturers.If you'd like to see the full reliability list, head to the What Car? Reliability Survey pages for more information.,,

What to look for when buying a Ford Ka+ 2016 - 2020, covering common problems to check for and overall vehicle reliability.

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Used Ford Ka+ 2016-2020 reliability

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