For reasons related elsewhere, I have an 04 Ka Collection as a courtesy car. It's pleasant enough to drive but seems a more basic car than I expected. There's no manual in it, so to reduce the risk of danger/embarrassment, I wonder if anyone familiar with Kas would be able to answer the following questions.
- Is the speed of the windscreen wipers adjustable? I can only find two settings: a bit too fast and fairly intermittent.
- Is the car likely to have ABS? The owner of a brand new Ka tells me this is a recent addition. I find the braking to be far less keen than I'm used to (I'd been warned that this is a Ka trait) but I don't suppose that's any indication.
- Can the car be locked from the inside?
- Is the boot permanently locked? I can't find a way to leave it unlocked and it doesn't seem to unlock with the central locking. Not exactly important, just a bit odd.
- Is the steering wheel really not adjustable? The bonnet release is where I'd expect the catch for this to be.
- Is it likely to have power steering? Strange question I know, but I can't really tell. It seems heavy for a car with power steering and light for one without. On my own car it's very obvious because the wheel becomes hard to turn with the engine off.
Thanks in advance.
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1. Maybe. Try going into intermittant then off again then back to intermittant. The length of time between you switching the wipers off and bringing them back to intermittant might change the delay, certainly does with other Fords but not sure with these dinosaurs.
2. ABS fitting is now a legal requirement, but for an 04 plate it would be model/option specific. If you get an ABS light on the dash then it has ABS. If you don't then it doesn't.
3. Push the door handle in.
4. I believe so. Not that odd, plenty of cars are like this.
5. I believe not...
6. It will have power steering, whether it's still effective or not is another matter!
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Mike Farrow
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My wife has an '02 model Style, which would be the basic model with colour-coded bumpers.
The wipers are 2-speed plus intermittent.
The brakes are....soft, and need a good shove for max retardation! Although ours is non-ABS. I think all '03 cars on are ABS,no?
Push in the door handle with the door shut. The passenger door can be locked before shutting.
The boot is always locked, typical Ford feature.
Steering wheel non-adjustable on ours.
Yes, it has power steering. A bit heavier than a lot of newer cars with speed related assistance.
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These features that you're expecting are luxuries IMHO, and a lot of cheap cars don't have them as standard. I used to drive an 02 reg KA a few years back, and the steering wasn't at all heavy, personally I like some weight in the steering wheel.
The boot on my car is permenantly locked, but I find it very convenient like this.
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For the ABS, when the ignition goes on, check that the ABS light lights up and then extinguishes, if not then it doesn't have ABS. June 2004 onwards i believe cars had to have ABS, so it may or may not.
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Thanks all, especially for the tip about the ABS light. I'll check for that.
I'd sort of assumed that my not quite bottom-of-the range Fabia was about as basic as cars get nowadays, so I was surprised by some things on the Ka. I realise it's a 10-year-old design now.
I actually quite like the steering. I find it easier to manouevre a car when there's an obvious connection between the steering wheel and the tyres.
Re the boot: on my Fabia (which doesn't have a keyhole on the hatchback) it locks with the doors. I'd assumed that was the norm for cars with central locking. I can see the benefits of having a permanently locked boot but it does mean it's possible to lock your keys in.
Thanks again for the pointers.
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3 years ago I bought my wife a new Ka1 for £4995, I was disappointed to find no alloy wheels,electric windows,central locking,air conditioning,sun roof or fog lights. The only good points I can think of is that it always does 40mpg and has been completly reliable, to whom may I complain ?
p.s. it does'nt even play c.d.'s !
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3 years ago I bought my wife a new Ka1 for £4995, I was disappointed to find no alloy wheels,electric windows,central locking,air conditioning,sun roof or fog lights. The only good points I can think of is that it always does 40mpg and has been completly reliable, to whom may I complain ? p.s. it does'nt even play c.d.'s !
We looked at one, but thought the ommission of those essential items was just ridiculous, so we bought a Mondeo Ghia X instead.
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3 years ago I bought my wife a new Ka1 for £4995, I was disappointed to find no alloy wheels,electric windows,central locking,air conditioning,sun roof or fog lights. . . .
I take it you mean "front fog lights" I believe there is one at the rear . . .
You failed to mention the absence of leather seats, sat nav, cruise control, in-car DVD system, 4-wheel drive with low ratio gear box, ESP, MP3 player, spoiler, and horn that plays Colonel Bogey.
How Ford can persuade anyone to part with over £4000 for such poverty spec is more than I can understand.
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Is thecar likely to have ABS? The owner of a brand new Ka tells me this is a recent addition. I find the braking to be far less keen than I'm used to (I'd been warned that this is a Ka trait) but I don't suppose that's any indication.
The brakes on the 4 KAs I've driven have been quite
variable in feel.
All were less than 2 years old at the time of use.
2 were quite keen - almost over servo-ed.
2 needed more of a push than I was comfortable with.
In both cases one had ABS and the other didn't.
The sharp ones were working cars, and the others were
demonstrators/used awaiting sale.
Either there are some significant differences in the
brake specifications, or they're better for being used.
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ABS came as an optional extra on the KA2 or Collection versions, its standard on Luxuary versions.
I think only the older basic models had no power steering, if mine that has power steering still has excellent handling as the lock ratio shorter then the PAS versions (with the PAS you don't need to turn the wheel as much as non-PAS).
Top Gear magazine suggests you should the basic versions for value for money!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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If I gave the impression that I was whinging about the car, it wasn't intentional. I only have to live with it for a few days anyway.
If I'd bought one of these new for less than £5000, I'd be perfectly happy. The lack of steering wheel adjustment seems far less of an annoyance than it did in the old model Fiesta. I used to end each driving lesson with a mark on my trousers where the steering wheel had rubbed against my leg.
I learned last night that a friend has bought a brand new Ka after getting rid of her nearly new Mini. I'm not sure what problems with the Mini prompted her to do this. She's delighted with the Ka.
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If I gave the impression that I was whinging about the car . . .
Don't worry - I don't imagine you did!
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