Ford Ka 3 1.3i 

...a metallic black T-reg (1999) Ford Ka Collection - which I assumed to be a Ka2, but I'm told it's a Ka3 (which I always thought was the old name for the Luxury edition, not the Collection... Oh well, I don't know. Please accept my apologies if I've put my review in the wrong place. I'll stick with what my insurers are calling it). Power-steering, electric windows, air conditioning, CD player… What more can a girl ask for? Six years old - not too ...
...1998 Nissan Micra, a 1997 Ford Fiesta, a 1997 Citroen Saxo and a 1998 Vauxhall Corsa). The Ka is by far my favourite, not just to drive, but to manoeuvre. It's so easy to park and reverse. Steering is incredibly light and responsive (oh, the joys of power steering). I can't stress how much fun this car is to drive.

The Sport Ka, which I mentioned I'm having driving lessons in, is a great little car. It's sportier than mine and has ... more

Your first car. You remember it, don't you? Well, I just got mine and I love it. It's a metallic black T-reg (1999) Ford Ka Collection - which I assumed to be a Ka2, but I'm told it's a Ka3 (which I always thought was the old name for the Luxury edition, not the Collection... Oh well, I don't know. Please accept my apologies if I've put my review in the wrong place. I'll stick with what my insurers are calling it). Power-steering, electric windows, air conditioning, CD player… What more can a girl ask for? Six years old - not too bad for a first car. I had to consider the insurance, of course, as well as the parking problem in my street. I think I chose well and everyone seems to agree with me.

The fact that other people agree with me means a lot, because - and I'll be as frank as I can be - I don't know much about cars. (No, don't stop reading!) This is a new ball game to me and I'm eager to take heed of the advice of others who have far more knowledge and experience of motoring than I currently possess. I know what I like and what I don't like, but that's about it.

And boy, do I like my Ka! Make that, I love it. When they first hit our roads in 1996 or 1997, I didn't like them one bit. I thought they looked like eggs on wheels. A friend of mine had one (this was in 1998) and gave me a lift one day. I couldn't get over how spacious and modern the dashboard was. The dials really caught my eye, the windscreen felt huge for such a small car and it felt like my friend was enjoying driving it. My opinion had been altered in an instant. It was a smooth ride home in rush hour traffic with a lot of stopping and starting and I got home feeling quite impressed by the little egg on wheels with the space ship controls.

It was only when I did some research a few years later and discovered how cheap they are to buy, run and insure that I considered getting one myself. I'd been saving for a short time for a car and lessons and was quite a way off from buying, but it was something to consider. When I resumed driving lessons with a new instructor, I deliberately chose one who had a Ka. I figured that this would be a cunning way to test drive the car before deciding if I wanted to buy one, or if I should stick with the 1996 model Volkswagen Polo that I'd always fancied and knew would be a safe bet for my first car.

Well, now that I've made my decision and opted for a Ka, I'm pleased to say that I'm absolutely delighted with it. I'll tell you as much as I can about it in this review, which I hope some people will find helpful - particularly young drivers considering what to buy for their first vehicle. I'll also briefly touch upon insurance - which I have already written about in more detail - at the end.

First, let me differentiate between the Ka Collection and the other Kas that are out there. There are five models available in all, all pretty much the same in terms of shape, look and drive feel (I have driving lessons in a Sport Ka, so can compare it to my mid-range Ka - more on this later).

The five models are (in order of specifications and, therefore, price): the Ka, the Ka Style (this model is more colour co-ordinated than the standard Ka), the Ka Collection (like the Ka Style, but with metallic paint), the Ka Luxury (this has air conditioning, alloy wheels and leather seats) and the Sport Ka (this has a 1.6 eight-valve Duratec engine as compared with the standard 1.3 of the others). There is also, of course, the foxy convertible knows as the Street Ka. I'm not going to mention this, but rest assured, I do want one. Writing about it will only make me want one even more, so best to push it to the back of my mind for now.

So it seems that my Ka Collection is a bit 'better' than the Ka and Ka Style, but not as fancy as the Luxury Ka... I think. It's very much mid-range. It's more expensive than the bog standard Ka, and for the extra cash, you get body-coloured bumpers, chrome-effect kick-plates, branded Ka carpet mats and a leather steering wheel and gearknob.

Of course, as with the standard Ka, you also get power steering, central locking, an immobiliser, electric windows (the back windows push out to open - they don't wind down - but these are perfect for hanging things on, ladies, such as air fresheners and the like), a decent stereo (mine has a CD player) and tinted glass. You can adjust the height of the driver's seat, which is great for a little short arse like me. There's a driver's airbag, an electric odometer, a low fuel warning light and a rev counter. Add to this painted bumpers and door mirrors, split rear seats and rear head rests (doesn't every car have these?), not to mention the smooth metallic finish that complements your motor greatly.

You can also get some tasty extras if you're prepared to pay extra. These include alloy wheels, air conditioning, an electric sunroof and/or a second airbag.

It's 3620mm long and 1827mm wide (that's including the mirrors). Inside, there's plenty of space in the front (headroom 992mm, leg room 1036mm, shoulder room 1307mm).

The back is a different thing, however. Headroom is, of course, the same at 922mm, but leg and shoulder room are restricted (839mm and 1279mm respectively). You have two sculpted seats in the rear, so I can't imagine it being comfortable - or particularly safe - to have three people in the back (there's no seat belt in the middle). There's no sun roof on mine, but I'm quite glad as I prefer the windows open and feel that that's one less thing to worry about leaking!

The engine is 1300cc (or 1299cc, to be precise). You don't need to rev much. It really is like a little tiger cub, waiting to shoot off and explore its surroundings. It's a very easy car to drive. Again, I stress that I'm a learner, but I have driven a few other cars (a 1998 Nissan Micra, a 1997 Ford Fiesta, a 1997 Citroen Saxo and a 1998 Vauxhall Corsa). The Ka is by far my favourite, not just to drive, but to manoeuvre. It's so easy to park and reverse. Steering is incredibly light and responsive (oh, the joys of power steering). I can't stress how much fun this car is to drive.

The Sport Ka, which I mentioned I'm having driving lessons in, is a great little car. It's sportier than mine and has more nip, but it's more expensive and more expensive to insure… Best to push that to the back of my mind, too.

I think few would argue that the Ka ages very well indeed. When you consider that the first one hit our roads in 1997, it's still looking sporty and cute. I can't stop looking at mine.

Yes, the back seat is cramped and I don't have much of a boot at all, due to a gas engine being housed in there. The back seats, I believe, fold flat.

As a learner only, I haven't driven any faster than 70 mph, but driving at this speed felt fine to me (I am a learner, so take that with a pinch of salt if you want to).

The metal inside (back to the Ka Collection) feels a bit flimsy and I imagine it could dent easily if road rage ever demanded an irrational bang of the fist. There's nice paint work and for a car of six years old, there's only one teeny insignificant scratch, so I'd say it's a sturdy little thing on the whole.

The dashboard is curvaceous, the glove box a bit on the cheap side (there's a handle that you pull and the top just comes away in your hand - a hinge would be nice, Ford). The seat behind the driver's has an additional compartment, which is perfect for your log book and maps.

The two doors are quite heavy, but I know of many three-door hatchbacks that have heavier ones. The doors on the Ka Collection have a beautiful and practical interior design, so you can hold a can or bottle in there comfortably. There are other handy cubby holes, too (to the right of the steering wheel and just behind the hand brake).

There's plenty of space in the front (including headroom if, unlike me, you're tall), but you do have quite a squeeze to get in the back without bumping your head or tripping over the seatbelts.

Still, these are minor criticisms.

To sum up, it's good to look at, it's cheap to run and very nice to drive. It's sporty, nifty, funky and cute… There are just so many words to describe this little gem of a car. I love the way the front bonnet dips down with its smooth curves, the way lights are oh-so beautifully positioned and the fact that the wheels are right in each corner so it feels like you're driving a go-kart. Sure, there's limited space in the rear, but it is a super-mini after all. What do you expect? A great choice for your first car, if I do say so myself, and also well-worthy of your consideration if you don't need the boot/rear space, if you're childless, if you live in town and need something that's easy on the shoulders and the bank balance.

Just time for some brief details on insurance, if it's of any interest. I chose Prudential. Their quote wasn't the cheapest (that was Norwich Union Direct), but £620 isn't bad for a provisional licence holder - and that includes breakdown cover. My Ka has been converted to run on LPG, which gave several insurers - namely Tesco and Ford Insure - an opportunity to charge me some £50 extra. I wasn't happy with this. My advice to new drivers is to ring around for quotes (online quotes are not accurate, so be wary). I ended up with about 20 quotes, but it was worth it. My quotes ranged from £547 to £1,270. Please have a look at my Prudential review for a comparison with other major insurers and what they quoted me for this car very recently.

I hope I've been of some help to you. Thank you for reading. 

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