i need a new car.....again.....

[greengartside]

Hey peeps,My big BMW is costing a small fortune to run - so I'm on the lookout for a cheaper solution.Ok so basically I travel 50 miles a day to work, so it must be good on fuel, but then must be quite nippy as well. Smaller car the better, not too bothered if its old or new. Have had my eye on the Ford Ka, dunno if they are any good for what I need?I seriously need to sort this out so I'm welcome to suggestions from you lot. Thank you!

[Pete-M]

Ka's are ace as long as they're not too badly rotten, good on fuel too, in my experience much better than a Micra or similar as you don't need to thrash a Ka to get decentish progress from 'em.

[pogweasel]

How much £££'s?

[Owain-328i]

a 318i is costing you a fortune? try a 6 banger, or better still an 8 pot, you'l know about OMG rubbish mpg then

[Lankytim]

Pug 106, diesels do 1786 MPG but petrols are excellent too. Cheap as chips also.

[MrDuke]

Pug 106, diesels do 1786 MPG but petrols are excellent too. Cheap as chips also.

106 diesels aren't exactly 'nippy' though. 205 diesel (or even td if you can find one) would be a better option.

[M'coli]

What about that cracking little Charade diesel in the eBay thread?

[BrianDamaged]

Pug 106, diesels do 1786 MPG but petrols are excellent too. Cheap as chips also.

106 diesels aren't exactly 'nippy' though. 205 diesel (or even td if you can find one) would be a better option.

Agreed.....non-turbo 205 diseasels are legendary. I've had 3 and am looking out for another...

Expect 55mpg with normal driving, 48 if you absolutely thrash one, and 60-65 if you drive like a granny. Even without the turbo expect 100+ mph motorway performance, should you want it. Turbo models are genuinely rapid motors but in my experience not as good on fuel. 50mpg is about as much as you'll get if it's got a turdblower strapped to it.

The only caveat? Get one with PAS, as the earlier 205 diesels had keep-fit steering which will give you arms like Charles Atlas at parking speeds.

[greengartside]

How much £££'s?

More of a case of How much £swap and a little bit of £££'s. I want to punt the BMW on as a swap or p/x - there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, it's just costing a bit to run given the mileage I'm doing. Have tried looking for Ka's but they all seem to be overpriced or NEED DA SEEALS DUIN 4 MOT BRUV.Dizzler Charades aren't my cup of tea I'm afraid

[greengartside]

Well after much searching about I have stumbled across this little beauty.

 

 

It's a couple of hours away in Brum so will be a nice long roadtrip for me tomorrow! It's got a bit of grot around the filler cap, the dent in the tailgate and a knackered p/s door handle but the guy says it drives well. I shall obviously be the judge of that when I slip behind the wheel for a test-run!

[scooters]

great wee car - ka's are great cars - they have a big car feel - use tap all gas and are fun to drive and cheap to fix

[Lord Sterling]

KA's have some serious fun factor to drive. I've had several and I loved them. Alot more fun to drive than most cars that size.

[greengartside]

Good stuff, I have always had a soft spot for them ever since they debuted in 1996. If they use naff-all fuel then that's exactly what I want, plus they have a decent amount of poke in them. You could fix them with a screwdriver and a 13mm spanner too!

[maxpower]

i have a ford ka... great for zipping about town.. only fault i can find is the glove box is just that... for a pair of gloves ... they are prone to rust around the filler cap and the rear wiper... apart from being constantly told it's a girls car i like mine

[greengartside]

Well......I went to have a look at it and it was a PUP!The sills were crispier than a lorryload of Quavers, tyres were not that good and the engine rattled a fair old bit, even though its a HCS unit. Done 112,000 miles too. So I walked away and that was a whole day wasted. Great.So I have recomissioned my lil Fiesta and the BMW is up for grabs, if anybody fancies it. Taxed until end of July and M.o.T until November, 187k with BMW and independent garage service history. Just serviced it myself two weeks ago. Has just had new(ish) starter, radiator, thermostat, o2 sensor and rocker cover gasket as well as service parts. 18" M3 alloys and a nice (not too loud) Peco exhaust. Lovely to drive really PM me if you are interested

[Cavcraft]

Surely the best way to modify a Ka is with a fucking big magnet and a crushing machine?Greengartside:Bosch a full advert up for the Beemer on a new thread, should get more air time doing it that way and hopefully increase chance of quick sale.