Category: City Cars 
Price Range: £7,395 to £11,195
Sharp drive, supple ride, cute looks.
Stingy on kit, limited space for adults in rear, lacks charm of Fiat 500.
The Ka out-drives the 500, but loses out on value and desirability.
A tall adult sitting in the rear of the Ford Ka will struggle behind another tall adult for both head and legroom. It's also strictly a four-seater, with only two rear seatbelts fitted. Something to bear in mind if you have small children.
Where kit is concerned, the Ka pales beside the 500. The Ka loses out on standard knee bags, side and curtain bags, remote central locking and electric windows.
Base Studio models have the shortest list of standard equipment, with just two airbags, MP3 connection and a six-speaker stereo fitted as standard. You have to spend another £500 for the Style model, which adds electric windows, a height adjustable seat and heated electric mirrors.
Add £1,000 over the base for the Style+ model and you get air conditioning and the Ford-centric front windscreen with heating elements. Or add £1,500 for the top-of-the-range Zetec and get 15" alloys, front fogs, remote locking and trip computer.
The option list is long. Want bigger alloys on your Zetec model? Then be prepared to spend £650. Bluetooth costs £250, side airbags £150, curtain 'bags £200 and a two-tone leather interior £1,000. There's also plenty of ways to individualise the Ka exterior graphics.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Ford Ka
wrote on 14 08 2006