Used Ford Ka Hatchback 1996 - 2009 review

No way. This is low-cost motoring at its most entertaining. The Ka was cheap even when it was new.

It has been around since 1996, so there are plenty of second-hand ones around to suit every budget, from cheap to extremely cheap. There's always likely to be a willing market for them, too, so you should have little trouble off-loading one.

It loses value fairly slowly, which keeps whole-life costs down, but the real clinchers are the remarkably low service and maintenance costs, and the group 2 insurance for most versions - ideal for those who have just passed their test.

Mind you, none are expensive. Luxury trim slots into group 4 (hardly wallet-sapping) and the SportKa is group 6.

The only complaint you'll hear from owners is the amount they spend on fuel. It's all relative, though, because 1.3-litre cars offer a reasonable official average of 42-46mpg and the 1.6 is good for just over 35mpg.