• Summary

    4 out of 5 4.0

    What does this car say about you?

    Don't care too much about my image. It isn't a cool car for a bloke.

    What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

    Bit of a girls car really... Also a bit small.

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    Not now. I am doing a lot of motorway/long distance driving so need something more appropriate for that. I also want something a bit bigger.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    Just bought a Ford Focus. I love the Ford handling and drive, but wanted something a bit bigger and more powerful.

  • Buying experience

    4 out of 5 4.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Franchise

    Did you buy this car new?

    No

    What price did you pay?

    £5,000

    When did you buy the car?

    May 2003

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    Not a spectacular deal, but I was happy with the quality of the car for the money.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    I was learning to drive at the time, so a small car was great! It was good value for money, giving good equipment compared to other options.

    What was the dealer like?

    Dealer was OK. All issues were fixed under warrenty.

  • Driving it

    3 out of 5 3.0

    What's it like to drive?

    Great around town, but not so good on motorway and A roads. Whilst it is nippy through the lower gears around town, it is slow and noisy at higher speeds and the mpg really suffers through having to work so hard. It is great fun on the B roads. It has great grip through the corners - though there is a fair bit of body roll. Large blind spot due to the size of the rear pillars can be irritating on the motorway.

    What's it like to park?

    Easy peasy. Small size and great manouverability.

  • Living with it

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    Was fine for the first few years, but have since had to replace the front suspension a couple of times due to corrosion. Had a new clutch after it failed at 60,000 miles (not awful..). Bad rust around the doors and underbody, apparently this is a common feature of KA's - but it will reduce the resale value a lot.

    What's most practical about your car?

    Can park in very small spaces due to it's size and manouverability.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    Heated front windscreen is fantastic in winter.