Have been helping a friend buy a normal Ka as they are cheap on insurance for younger drivers.

It's amazing really, just like buying a classic car, you have to look for rust. So much rust, it's like they galvanised the car and then cut the openings for the petrol filler car and rear wiper blade as they all bubble up round the edges. Door bottoms, sills etc also go. And then you open the bonnet and see the sticker telling you what the tappet clearances are. Amazing.

I find the standard ones very difficult to drive. The steering is all gloopy and 'orrible (like there is some force which doesn't want you to turn the wheel quickly) and the driving position was pretty bad, I felt perched on top of the car, with the header rail low down and the door tops high. It felt very claustrophobic as I tired to peer down the road. I also found the car very twitchy and unstable which took the fun out of driving it somewhat, and 90% of the throttle travel is in the first inch of pedal movement. The white backs to the dials and the steering wheel obscuring their view made the instruments practically impossible to read. Nice gearbox and brakes though.

This is all coming from a SIII Land Rover owner by the way, I thought if I could drive that I could drive anything and any modern car would be easy.

I assume some of these things will be different on the 'sport' but I struggle to believe it's a good car given what it's based on. I really do admire anyone who drives one on a regular basis, hats ff to you I'm not sure I could do it. Go for a Puma instead, they're really good fun.

Evemn the basic Ka is a great car to drive and the sport Ka adds to this with more power and slighly more masculine looks. Well worth considering.

We have had several Ka's over the years and whilst they are not quick they do handle well and are a blast to drive.
A couple of months ago I began to look for a snotter car to leave parked at the station car park (hated leaving the 1M there at 4am) and for me the Ka was the only choice. It costs pennies to run and if something goes wrong mechanically the usual problems are a cheap easy fix. Do check for rust as mentioned though.

SWMBO has had hers now for three years and still loves it.

As others have alluded to rust is the major enemy for Sportkas, especially around the filler cap. Check carefully and be picky.

When searching, make sure you look out a 56 or later model as these come with the facelifted dash and it is all the better for it. Leather and heated windscreens started to come as standard too at that point, but double check that the particular vehicle has it and it works fully.

Fuel costs are pretty horrendous for such a small car, and the engine is really buzzy and noisy at motorway speeds. Wheel and tyre sizes are fairly uncommon and can be quite expensive to source.

The boot is suprisingly useful and it can thrown around like a go-kart with gusto.
The killer is the road tax which is around 240 quid a year.

Do not lumber yourself with an old pre-56 plate model for 1500 quid, pay more to get a decent model.

If you can live with those points, it's a cracking car!

And a different shape body?

Sport Ka should have been great as the base Ka is a cracking chassis but ford gave it a real dud of an engine and it's over tyred running on 16 inch 45 series tyres which ruined the ride and has too much grip.

Your fiesta zerec is actually better to drive.

As well as all previous advice look out for.

Anti roll bar bushes and top mounts needing replaced
Air con not working - common faults

You work 3 miles away from work

Wasn't it originally designed for a 2 stroke?

The air-con fix is usually the heater control valve - £45 and skinned knuckles sees to that. They go so frequently your dealer should have a pile of them by the counter

Lack of wheel arch liner is what makes the filler surround rust. If you find one that is okay get up under there quickly and clean it up, rust proof it etc.

Echoing everyone else, sills and suspension mounts rust, it handles like a go kart (been driving my mum's this morning) and you can fit a stupendous amount of stuff in it with the seats folded.

Big smile factor driving it on twisties where it's all about momentum!

Yes, it did. Many apologies. It's an SOHC conversion of the Endura-E, developed in Brazil. the original Ka was supposed to have a two stroke thing that got banned for emissions if memory serves, and the only other thing they had that would fit was the ropey old Kent engine, which later became the Endura-E.

I think one of the criteria for the OHC conversion was to fit under the Ka bonnet. Here's a video of that engine with an appalling trance backing track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsvDcUG_eo4