Ford Ka 2012 Zetec

[ph9]

I've seen one of these advertised. I've not driven a Fiat 500 either, so have no idea what they're like.

Are they prone to rusting?

Also, what's reliability like?

Are they comfy/quiet/stable/economical/good-handling... or not...?

I'd be using it for a bit of daily driving - probably around 20,000 miles a year on A and B roads, and the occasional longer venture (eg 900 miles in a day).

I'm thinking about replacing a Mk1 Yaris which I've found surprisingly comfortable and frugal, but which has sadly been condemned due to serious rust!

This age and model of Ka seems to sell for £3,000-3,500. Other options I'm considering are another MK1 Yaris, a Mk2 Yaris and some of the other odd-balls available at the cheaper end of the market. I've poked my head under a couple of even newer cars, and the rust is putting me off buying anything!

[catman]

Did you really mean 900 miles in one day? As much as I like my Mondeo, the thought of doing that would be insanity.

[ph9]

Yes, I usually end up doing something like that once or twice a year. I'm in the north of Scotland, so it's been to places like Harrogate. The furthest has been Mansfield - that was in a Defender, and towing a caravan on the way back, so it was quite a long day!

The little Mk1 Yaris is really comfortable on long trips. It's obviously not the quietest or sportiest of cars, but there's something about its spongey seats that help the miles pass!

[Fastpedeller]

Unless you're particularly averse to larger cars, it may be worth widening your choice......... Small cars (thought to be, or actually more frugal) tend to be priced higher than others, likewise, ones with lower RFL charge tend to be more pricey. With the mileage you quote it may not be the case, but it's worth considering the total annual cost - that larger (but maybe £500 cheaper than the small) car may have similar economy (or even better if you do long journeys) and be cheaper in total.

[Rozzers]

The only real rust on an F500 is on the sump and rear beam, most get painted up before it gets a hold and assume the Ford uses their own engine. Both bolt on/ off anyway.

Corrosion is nothing like the rampant rust on the original Ka

[ph9]

Yes, I'm a bit all-over-the-place thinking about what to replace the Yaris with. My main car has been the Defender for many years, and I only got a 'second car' when I was given the Yaris.

Looking on Gumtree has shown alternatives such as a 2007, 100,000 mile Jaguar X-type 2 litre diesel. Apparently, sills can rust, and it might be expensive to maintain (maybe not if it uses a lot of Mondeo parts). The official figures make it appear economical, and I presume it's fairly refined and comfy.

Edited by ph9 on Thursday 5th November 18:42

[ZX10R NIN]

There are lot of comfortable reliable cars for your budget & rust shouldn't be an issue on any of them:

C Coupe 200 SE now these & the other Mercedes below are pretty much bulletproof when it comes to reliability & they have the ability to make long journeys a breeze, running costs are on Golf levels so for me they're the pick:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009063...

Mercedes CLC200 Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010245...

CLK220 Avantgarde

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010124...

[ph9]

Thanks very much!

I'll try to find out a bit more about the Mercs. They're obviously a bit different from the little cars I was originally thinking of, so I'll have to mull things over and consider the potential running costs.

The Xtype I've seen advertised also seems quite good on paper, but might be expensive to maintain. Other than rusty sills, it sounds like mechanicals could be the usual diesel turbo things, such as EGR valves, turbos, clutch and DMF.

[ZX10R NIN]

Running costs are sensible & on comparison with a Golf for example.

[AdamIndy]

Gearboxes. It’s not a matter of if it dies, it’s when.

That’s not actually fair. The gearboxes themselves are ok, it’s one certain bearing. The actual bearing costs less than £10, its the removal and stripping of the box that costs a lot. If the box comes out you might as well put a clutch in etc etc and costs spiral.

They’re not bad to drive but ultimately, they’re a city car. Doing 20k a year in one would be torture, nobody deserves that!

I’d seriously consider something different, even a decent mk6/7 fiesta would be a much better car for that mileage.