Ford Ka (96-08) - Review

Review by Parkers on
Last Updated: 30 July 2008
The Ford Ka may not be the newest small car on the market but it still has plenty to offer. Cheap to buy and run, it's once unusual styling has stood the test of time well and it's great fun to drive - especially the peppy SportKa version. It's fairly spacious too given it's small dimensions but the cabin is starting to look dated, especially with large amounts of exposed metal on show. The 1.3-litre engine in the standard Ka is fine around town but noisy at higher speeds and the Ford lacks the refinement of newer small hatchbacks.
3.5 out of 5

Other Ford reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

Thanks to the frugal engine, low insurance groups and affordable Ford servicing and parts, the Ka is predictably inexpensive to run. There is good fuel economy on the 1.3-litre, though the SportKa likes a little drink if you're overly enthusiastic with it. Depreciation is reasonably good on all but the top-spec models.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Every 10,000 miles.

Warranty

Mechanical one year, bodywork six years

Road tax (12 months)

£135.00 - £215.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

3.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
    141
  • G
  • H
  • I
    182
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Ka's 1.3-litre is getting on now and this shows in its green credentials. It emits 147g/km of C02 (154g/km in models with air con) which is above average compared to most rivals. The Ka is fairly economical though and averages around 45mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2