I picked up my KA Style+ a month ago and have done 600 miles since then. 200 Miles M way to get home and then local A/B/unlass road ,local running about, mostly to work and back.
GOOD
1. Handling , good grip and reasonably roll free cornering
2. Excellent heater, worthwhile output after 1 mile. Typical Ford!
3. Heated front screen
4. Connection to play ipod thru ICE
5. Fusebox easily accessible in glove pocket
6. Seats comfortable
7. Engine access for checks and top ups is good
8. 3 years servicing and years 2 & 3 of breakdown service available for £440 up front
BAD
1. No spare wheel. Bought one for £155
2. Inability to dim dash lights at night. White dials = too bright for an old pilot!
3 Female fitting of seat belt well buried between seat and centre console, would be better with an extension to lift it up a bit
4. Dipped beam a bit dim on country roads
5. Poor fuel consumption, getting about 48 mpg on the computer, mimsing around!
6. Dashboard air vents give a good volume of air thru the centre vents but very little to the ones at the outer ends which would deal with the 1/4 lights
7. Probably a bit underpowered with more than me in it but it is only 1240cc!
8. Glove pocket is a strange shape, tall but with no fore and aft depth
Happy to add more if people want to ask via my e mail - see profile
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I'm surprised you don't list "poor rearward visibility" under BAD.
My wife sat in both a Fiesta and Ka in a showroom and complained about poor rear vision in both of them. Actually I found the word "atrocious" probably more appropriate than "poor". She's not confident reversing at the best of times and this problem instantly removed both cars from the list of potential purchases. A shame because otherwise she liked them.
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Trust you also bought a jack and wheel wrench AS ;-)
Are you sure there is no dash light dimmer?
Reckon mpg will improve as it loosens up.
Only 600 miles though AS, I have done over 2000 since I got the FocuST three weeks ago.
Went to look at a new Fiesta a few weeks ago, I liked the look of the Ka though the wife prefers the Fiesta or Clio (or a 6 year old TT though that is another story), the Ford salesman did say that the Fiat based Ka is missing some Ford practicality, detail features, perhaps he meant things like dash dimming and glove box size.
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Bagpuss maybe I haven't done enough reversing! Cheddar I have read the handbook re dash dimming - maybe I will find it if I look again. I thought it was only diesels that got better mpg as they aged? I was getting 55+ out of my 110 bhp 1.6 Hdi 307! Yes I got all the spare wheel tackle!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 14/11/2009 at 16:33
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Another recently noted + point
As it is a 3 door the 'B' pillar is well aft of the front seats thus improving left/right visibility at 'T' junctions. I notice the difference from my 5 door hatchback plus having arthritic neck makes looking a bit harder anyway so anything helps!
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Thanks for that, AS.
It is interesting to me partly because I drive the old KA, and partly because I was reading a review of the new one just the other day. The writer of that review agreed with you on at least a couple of points - he found the seats very comfortable, and found the dipped beam to be poor.
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Armitage:- I was walking into supermarket when a new Ka pulled in and parked right in front o me. My initial thoughts were it looks a bit of a stunner actually. Looks a bit bigger than old model. I thought all cars now would have had a dashboard dimmer. Something i seem to have noticed recently is most manufacturers try to offer a deal on servicing in one way or another. Not many offer it free nowadays. So no spare wheel , i would have thought all cars come with something, didnt you get anything. Looked a nice car to me. Good luck anyhow.
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. Looks a bit bigger than old model
>>
>>>>> you probably saw a fiesta then as a ka disappears if you look at it front on :-)
Edited by bell boy on 16/11/2009 at 23:24
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They've got loads of new Ka and Fiesta models as rental cars on the Channel Islands, very tidy looking cars. I'd image they will soon be sold here as "Nearly New" (they will have brand new 5th gears at least). Look out for lots of orange KAs at your local dealer soon!
Edited by carl_a on 17/11/2009 at 22:39
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Thanks Brentus. As someone else mentioned, you may have seen a Fiesta. It looks like the KA but usually has 5 doors and is that bit bigger overall. The car came with space in the boot for a spare but none supplied. Just an air compressor and a canister of sealant. Can't find an instrument light dimmer in the car or in the hand book.As an ex-pilot I have strong views on instrument lighting and these are way too bright AND have red needles on white dials which adds to the brightness! Service deal is 3 services and years 2 & 3 of a Europe wide breakdown and recovery service, for £440, paid up front any time before the first service is due. As I was paying £85 a year for breakdown alone this looks like a good deal overall.
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As, your comments re instrument lighting. Is that something to do with preserving night vision ? I tend to leave mine on brightly for no reason I can really think of. Is there a good reason not to ? Just curious !
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Night vision - a dimmed out cabin and instrument lights are less "wearing" on the eye - something to do with pupils having to continuously adjust between internal and external lighting sources. Lotus fiddled with illuminating instruments from a low level floodlight aimed at the dash - which is an aviation solution to reduce glare from the instruments at night - my dash lights are usually down to the lowest settings.
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I'll try that. Now if I get nicked 'cos I can't see the speedo I'll be round to see you, I'll need a Brief !
;-)
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Is it a Ka pronounced Kar, or is it a Ka pronounced as per Kat without the "t"?
I use the latter.
Edited by L'escargot on 18/11/2009 at 12:40
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Another one used is Kay Ay. Spell out the letters as in the alphabet!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 18/11/2009 at 12:49
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No - no salt on the roads - yet!
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"Any rust on it yet ?"
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I wouldn't have thought rust would be an issue with the new Ka compared with the older model which was made in a different factory.
New Ka is built alongside the Fiat Panda (2nd generation) and 500 in Poland and I would imagine it's made to a higher standard.
Let's face it, the 2nd generation Panda has been around for a number of years and I've yet to see a rusty one.
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There was a ;-) at the end of the question so it was tongue in cheek..
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