Discussion
Apologies, i'm sure this has been covered but the search facility is down.
I'm considering getting a SportKa as a simple runaround, that also is a bit of fun. What i'm looking for is reasonable mpg, reliable, some element of practicality and some fun.
Would a Sportka tick the boxes?
Can anyone with experience of these little hatchs give me, or point me in the direction of, some info on them that'll help me?
Ta,
J
I'm considering getting a SportKa as a simple runaround, that also is a bit of fun. What i'm looking for is reasonable mpg, reliable, some element of practicality and some fun.
Would a Sportka tick the boxes?
Can anyone with experience of these little hatchs give me, or point me in the direction of, some info on them that'll help me?
Ta,
J
Hello...
Got one last October.
I do half the week through London and half the week to Portsmouth and back down the A3 (120 round trip).
It will sit at 70 all day, bit noisy but just turn the radio up!!
Fuel economy is OK, but no where near a more modern power unit - I get about 230 miles out of a £35 tank (based on unleaded at about £1.01 ish).
Great fun on small As and Bs however, well ballanced, quite pointy, large amounts of grip for a small car - think overtyred original mini with a better ride and a comfy seating position and you are close.
One thing to watch for is rust. They are very prone. Mine is a 2003 with 60K (paid 2900 in Oct last year) and the drivers sill will need to be looked at this year. I have heard many reports of this so keep an eye out.
If you can, go for the SE and you get Aircon and leather as well.
An alternative is the VW Lupo GTI which is a little more £, a bit quicker but no rust probs.
Giz a shout if you need more detail.
Tata
Steve
Got one last October.
I do half the week through London and half the week to Portsmouth and back down the A3 (120 round trip).
It will sit at 70 all day, bit noisy but just turn the radio up!!
Fuel economy is OK, but no where near a more modern power unit - I get about 230 miles out of a £35 tank (based on unleaded at about £1.01 ish).
Great fun on small As and Bs however, well ballanced, quite pointy, large amounts of grip for a small car - think overtyred original mini with a better ride and a comfy seating position and you are close.
One thing to watch for is rust. They are very prone. Mine is a 2003 with 60K (paid 2900 in Oct last year) and the drivers sill will need to be looked at this year. I have heard many reports of this so keep an eye out.
If you can, go for the SE and you get Aircon and leather as well.
An alternative is the VW Lupo GTI which is a little more £, a bit quicker but no rust probs.
Giz a shout if you need more detail.
Tata
Steve
Ford's claimed consumption figures for the Sport Ka are at best optomistic. Depends how you drive it but the little things beg to be thrashed so you will be lucky to see above mid 30's.
Depending on your budget other options include stuff like the Panda 100hp (my fave in this car bracket), the Swift Sport or if you want lower priced fun, Lupo GTi, MK4/5 fiesta zetec s (finding a standard one could be tricky), a ford puma or a saxo vtr could do a similar job to the KA for you.
Depending on your budget other options include stuff like the Panda 100hp (my fave in this car bracket), the Swift Sport or if you want lower priced fun, Lupo GTi, MK4/5 fiesta zetec s (finding a standard one could be tricky), a ford puma or a saxo vtr could do a similar job to the KA for you.
I have had one for the last 18 months. Very cheap for what they are. Mine (SE spec) was £4,500 at 2 years old with 17,000 miles and FSH, better value then any of the competitors, given it cost its first owner £12,000! I saw the other week one of the car supermarkets had virtually new ones for about £6,500.
Saying it is not a Motorway / A road car is misleading, for what it is, it's fairly quick from 70 to 90 or so, although as said it is fairly noisy at this speed and the fuel consumption is shocking. Has the kind of feel though where you just turn the (quality) stereo up and go! I do find though that for long journeys the seats aren't the best. Engine is okay, good large engine (relatively speaking) in small car feeling, it is quite torquey but can sometimes feel quite constrained.
Completely subjective but I also really like the looks. In SportKa form the Ka looks quite squat, especially from the rear, which I like.
I have an Audi A4 2.0 TDI as a company car and would choose to drive the SportKa for its chuckability and general sense of fun over it anyday!
Saying it is not a Motorway / A road car is misleading, for what it is, it's fairly quick from 70 to 90 or so, although as said it is fairly noisy at this speed and the fuel consumption is shocking. Has the kind of feel though where you just turn the (quality) stereo up and go! I do find though that for long journeys the seats aren't the best. Engine is okay, good large engine (relatively speaking) in small car feeling, it is quite torquey but can sometimes feel quite constrained.
Completely subjective but I also really like the looks. In SportKa form the Ka looks quite squat, especially from the rear, which I like.
I have an Audi A4 2.0 TDI as a company car and would choose to drive the SportKa for its chuckability and general sense of fun over it anyday!
king d said:
forget sportka feista zetec s beat it in every department owned both examples mpg power steering lock brakes all much better in feista
i too have owned a fiesta zetec-s and my sister has a sportka.although in my opinion the fiesta looks better and has a better interior layout, the seats are better in the sportka and it is a quicker car even by fords own claims.
handling is near identical as are the brakes, so not sure what areas you are saying the fiesta is better in.
I have had my SportKa for just over two years ('04 with 44k) and bought it because it cute (some think too cute and dare I say girlie) looks, the way it handles and the way it can make you smile when you find a good stretch of empty, twisty tarmac. I also brought it with a view of keeping it for 6 months and moving on.....and I am still enjoying it.
I have to say the mpg isnt great given the size, (currently £15 quid @ £1.05/litre will do about 100-130 miles depending how many good stretches of road you find), it doesn't go as quick as you think it will and they do seem to have the odd spot of rust here and there, not that it is bad im my experience.
As I say it will make you smile on a blast, it is reasonably practical (if you need that sort of thing), servicing is reasonable, insurance is reasonable, road tax takes the piss but that's not the cars fault and it is a comfy car to run around in.
Would I recommend one, yes, I am toying with changing mine for something else but I having a hell of a job finding a replacement, MX-5, Corsa VXR, etc but nothing else so far quite does all the things the SportKa does. If you don't expect a rocketship I don't think you will be too disappointed.
I have to say the mpg isnt great given the size, (currently £15 quid @ £1.05/litre will do about 100-130 miles depending how many good stretches of road you find), it doesn't go as quick as you think it will and they do seem to have the odd spot of rust here and there, not that it is bad im my experience.
As I say it will make you smile on a blast, it is reasonably practical (if you need that sort of thing), servicing is reasonable, insurance is reasonable, road tax takes the piss but that's not the cars fault and it is a comfy car to run around in.
Would I recommend one, yes, I am toying with changing mine for something else but I having a hell of a job finding a replacement, MX-5, Corsa VXR, etc but nothing else so far quite does all the things the SportKa does. If you don't expect a rocketship I don't think you will be too disappointed.
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