Ford Ka (09 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 27 January 2010
The original Ford Ka was a hugely popular model, especially among those wanting a cheap to run and easy to drive small car. Its replacement builds on those strong foundations, but offers better comfort, refinement and fuel economy. It is certainly a much more grown up car, particularly inside thanks to the well built and neatly laid out cabin. Of course it retains those cheeky looks of the original and is easy and enjoyable to drive, especially in town, while the supple ride means it's incredibly comfortable. The Ka was actually developed alongside the Fiat 500 and uses the same petrol and diesel engines as the Italian hatch. Both are smooth and economical, but offer enough pace to make motorway journeys relaxing. Cheap to run, well built and fun to drive, the Ka is a superb small hatchback.
4.5 out of 5

Other Ford reviews

5 out of 5

Running costs

Thanks to affordable prices and decent equipment levels on most models (apart from the base level Studio), there's little need to spend much money on options. Both engines are cheap to tax and economical too - the popular 1.2-litre is capable of 55mpg, while servicing, parts and insurance costs are all low. Ford says it won't sell the Ka to rental firms, which should help keep residual values healthy.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,077 - £1,116 *

Diesel

£943 - £943 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12,500 miles or 12 months.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£20.00 - £30.00

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

4 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
    109
  • C
    119
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • 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 is very eco-friendly and both engines emit less than 120g/km of CO2, making them cheap to tax. The diesel is the cleanest engine, plus it is can return 67mpg but the 1.2-litre petrol isn't far behind with an economy figure of 55mpg. An ECOnetic version - which emits less than 100g/km of CO2 and will be free to tax - is in the pipeline.

Find the exact engine and CO2