Ford Ka

[giant_mtb]

Well...seeing as I just got home from England, I got to see many new cars.  One that seems to be pretty popular over there is the Ford Ka. (KA? Ka?)  I'm guessing it's completely underpowered but probably gets upwards of 50 mpg (gas is extremely expensive over there).

So...can you tell me anything about it?

[shayslay]

It was released there in 96 I think and it was built on the Fiesta platform.

[shayslay]

OMG, I just got reminded of the SportKa commerical with the decapitated cat. Not a great visual...

[Tom]

Google  

[giant_mtb]

Foundn an article...the top speed is 96 mph.  <_<  Get's about 50 mpg.

Model: Ford Ka3
Engine: Four-cylinder, 1299cc
Power: 60bhp
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 47.9mpg (combined)
Acceleration: 0 to 60mph: 13.8sec
Top speed: 96mph

[shayslay]

The SportKa uses a 1.6L rather than the 1.3 that the standard uses.

[footoflead]

Foundn an article...the top speed is 96 mph.? <_<? Get's about 50 mpg.

Model: Ford Ka3
Engine: Four-cylinder, 1299cc
Power: 60bhp
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 47.9mpg (combined)
Acceleration: 0 to 60mph: 13.8sec
Top speed: 96mph

0-60...13.8......

60 hp...most people can out run that.........

until it gets up to speed

[giant_mtb]

Foundn an article...the top speed is 96 mph.  <_<  Get's about 50 mpg.

Model: Ford Ka3
Engine: Four-cylinder, 1299cc
Power: 60bhp
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 47.9mpg (combined)
Acceleration: 0 to 60mph: 13.8sec
Top speed: 96mph

0-60...13.8......

60 hp...most people can out run that.........

until it gets up to speed

 

[BMWDave]

Its basically a cute little roadster for soccer mom types, from what I hear.  They all think its cute.

[TBR]

I believe it was a replacement for the Aspire and Ford wisely decided that us Americans had no interest in sub-compact cars.  

[R33 GT-R]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.    

[TBR]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.  

Wouldn't want to have to drive something that slow, even in a little town of 5000 you sometimes need a bit of get up and go. I suppose traffic in Europe is really different than our's.  

[BMWDave]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.  

0-60 times like that can get positively dangerous, if you cant merge onto a highway with enough oomph.

[giant_mtb]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.   

Wouldn't want to have to drive something that slow, even in a little town of 5000 you sometimes need a bit of get up and go. I suppose traffic in Europe is really different than our's.

Well where this car is used (in Europe) the roads are all very small and the speed limit doesn't seem exceed 40 kmh on most roads.  It's fast enough to be one of the cars I saw most while in Europe...  <_<  

[BMWDave]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.? 

Wouldn't want to have to drive something that slow, even in a little town of 5000 you sometimes need a bit of get up and go. I suppose traffic in Europe is really different than our's.

Well where this car is used (in Europe) the roads are all very small and the speed limit doesn't seem exceed 40 kmh on most roads.  It's fast enough to be one of the cars I saw most while in Europe...  <_<

I'm sure once it gets up to speed it ownt have a problem, but getting up to speed is the big problem.

[TBR]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.   

Wouldn't want to have to drive something that slow, even in a little town of 5000 you sometimes need a bit of get up and go. I suppose traffic in Europe is really different than our's.

Well where this car is used (in Europe) the roads are all very small and the speed limit doesn't seem exceed 40 kmh on most roads.  It's fast enough to be one of the cars I saw most while in Europe...  <_<

I'm sure once it gets up to speed it ownt have a problem, but getting up to speed is the big problem.

Europe's streets and highways are much different than ours, so over there it probably has enough power for most folks.  

[R33 GT-R]

Some of the onramps here only give you a very short distance, it would be a lot of shoulder action for this car.  

[BMWDave]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.? 

Wouldn't want to have to drive something that slow, even in a little town of 5000 you sometimes need a bit of get up and go. I suppose traffic in Europe is really different than our's.

Well where this car is used (in Europe) the roads are all very small and the speed limit doesn't seem exceed 40 kmh on most roads.  It's fast enough to be one of the cars I saw most while in Europe...  <_<

I'm sure once it gets up to speed it ownt have a problem, but getting up to speed is the big problem.

Europe's streets and highways are much different than ours, so over there it probably has enough power for most folks.

It definitely doesnt have enough power to merge on to the autobahn    

[TBR]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.   

Wouldn't want to have to drive something that slow, even in a little town of 5000 you sometimes need a bit of get up and go. I suppose traffic in Europe is really different than our's.

Well where this car is used (in Europe) the roads are all very small and the speed limit doesn't seem exceed 40 kmh on most roads.  It's fast enough to be one of the cars I saw most while in Europe...  <_<

I'm sure once it gets up to speed it ownt have a problem, but getting up to speed is the big problem.

Europe's streets and highways are much different than ours, so over there it probably has enough power for most folks.

It definitely doesnt have enough power to merge on to the autobahn  

I believe there are speed limits around on and off ramps, plus on ramps might get new lanes.  

[ifcar]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.   

0-60 times like that can get positively dangerous, if you cant merge onto a highway with enough oomph.

A 14-second 0-60 would be on par with most older small-car models, and they're not necessarily dangerous, just annoying. I think it would have done fine as an Aspire replacement, it could have gone after the New Beetle crowd who just wanted something cute.

[CaseyNPham]

It was designed by the ALMIGHTY *drumroll*

Pininfarina ^_^

[shayslay]

OMG, I just got reminded of the SportKa commerical with the decapitated cat. Not a great visual...

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/sportka.html

In case people want to indulge themselves.

[TBR]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.   

0-60 times like that can get positively dangerous, if you cant merge onto a highway with enough oomph.

A 14-second 0-60 would be on par with most older small-car models, and they're not necessarily dangerous, just annoying. I think it would have done fine as an Aspire replacement, it could have gone after the New Beetle crowd who just wanted something cute.

My parents complained that our '96 626 I4 5-spd didn't have enough power to get on to the highway that runs through our town, and it probably could have managed a 10.5 second or so 0-60 run. My dad has even commented that it would be nice if the Subaru had a bit more juice, in fact, he said that if we were to buy one now we would probably get the XT model.

[ifcar]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.   

0-60 times like that can get positively dangerous, if you cant merge onto a highway with enough oomph.

A 14-second 0-60 would be on par with most older small-car models, and they're not necessarily dangerous, just annoying. I think it would have done fine as an Aspire replacement, it could have gone after the New Beetle crowd who just wanted something cute.

My parents complained that our '96 626 I4 5-spd didn't have enough power to get on to the highway that runs through our town, and it probably could have managed a 10.5 second or so 0-60 run. My dad has even commented that it would be nice if the Subaru had a bit more juice, in fact, he said that if we were to buy one now we would probably get the XT model.

Expect a 12-14 second 0-60 run if you get a $1,500 early-90s compact, especially with an automatic.  <_<  

[Raza]

Small, reliable, cheap.  Quentin from Fifth Gear called it the best car for starting drivers.  It's basic town car transportation--not a weekend racer.  There's also a convertible version, the StreetKa that goes to 60 in about 14 seconds, looks like a Focus roadster (2 seats) and is soft and plush (ride wise).  

[TBR]

It sure gets to 60 in a hurry.   

0-60 times like that can get positively dangerous, if you cant merge onto a highway with enough oomph.

A 14-second 0-60 would be on par with most older small-car models, and they're not necessarily dangerous, just annoying. I think it would have done fine as an Aspire replacement, it could have gone after the New Beetle crowd who just wanted something cute.

My parents complained that our '96 626 I4 5-spd didn't have enough power to get on to the highway that runs through our town, and it probably could have managed a 10.5 second or so 0-60 run. My dad has even commented that it would be nice if the Subaru had a bit more juice, in fact, he said that if we were to buy one now we would probably get the XT model.

Expect a 12-14 second 0-60 run if you get a $1,500 early-90s compact, especially with an automatic.  <_<

I know that, those cars are really too slow for at least the rural USA, you would have to do a lot of waiting to find a big enough gap.  

[93JC]

I know it was the last use of the Ford "Kent" engine, an overhead valve unit with pushrod valve actuation, one of the last OHV engines on the UK market. It dates all the way back to 1959, when the Ford Anglia used a 997cc version (the Ka's version was 1.3L). It was given an OHC head in '02.

[Laconian]

The SportKa is a favorite sub-subcompact of Evo magazine because of its excellent handling.

[thewizard16]

I think the Ford Ka, after seeing them nearly everywhere in Germany, is one of the ugliest vehicles on the road. The StreetKa (the 95hp convertible) looks surprisingly good, considering the car it was derived from.




Not surprisingly, they don't look too good in crashes.  :blink:

[BMWDave]

No car looks good in crashes