Used Ford Ka Streetka 2003-2005 review

If a little, cute, excitable puppy was a car, it'd be the Ford Streetka. This mini used sports car takes the already good standard Ford Ka and then throws in open-top motoring. It's great recipe for affordable fun.

In creating the model, Ford worked hard to make the Streetka's body as stiff as possible. Of course, with convertibles prone to flex – that's their lack of a solid roof acting against them – mechanical changes over its city car sibling were needed. The brand's efforts paid off, because this little soft-top deals with bumpy roads in a way many more expensive cabriolets cannot. The standard Ka's excellent handling, precise steering and tenacious grip have also been preserved.

However, the Streetka only uses the same 94bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine as the little Sportka hot hatch, and we're not sure that was the right call. You see, the regular Ka has a great, zippy 1.3-litre engine and its not present here. Instead, the 1.6 sounds wheezy and, despite its extra power, it doesn't feel much faster than its smaller sibling. Still, the gearshift is precise and you should see decent fuel economy.

If you're interested in finding a used Ford Streetka, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

A cool £1500 will get you into Streetka ownership. And the best part is you'll only need £3000 (at most) to access the best examples. Mileages tend to waver around 50,000 and conditions are generally respectable.

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MPG

Although the 1.6-litre engine in the Streetka may not be as fuel efficient as more modern units, it still comes with a decent 35.8mpg average figure.

Road tax

Again, this engine isn't a cutting-edge one. Its CO2 output is high for what it is, putting road tax at £330 per year.

Insurance and servicing

Insurance will likely be pricier than the regular Ka, due to its higher insurance group – that being 15. Servicing a Streetka costs the same as a Sportka, and neither model will break the bank if you use a Ford dealer. Go to an independent garage and the price comes down even further.

There are a few different Streetkas to choose from, and all come with remote central locking, alloy wheels, electric windows and a CD player, so you're not short-changed on equipment. However, we'd recommend the Luxury version, because it includes leather seats which add that touch of, well, luxury.

The ICE model has an upgraded stereo, while the Winter version comes with a hard-top to keep the elements at bay. However, we'd stick with the normal hood, because it's quick and easy to use manually and seals out all that Mother Nature can throw at it.

There's also the Streetka Pink. This is vivid, to say the least, and came out around the time Ford was helping to promote the Thunderbirds film, copying the paint scheme of Lady Penelope's FAB 1.

As we've mentioned, the standard Ford Ka city car and its Sportka counterpart are obvious alternatives. The Renault Wind is a similar proposition to the Streetka. It's slightly more expensive but still very cheap.

If you're interested in finding a used Ford Streetka, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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