Used Ford Ka - Part of the Family?

Remember that recent advert from a French car manufacturer that basically showed that buying their people carrier was to buy a new family pet? The car tore around the gravel driveway, opening and closing its windows to the sound of a dog whining and flapping its rear windscreen wiper ferociously as if it was a tail. I uttered one word the first time I saw it: "stupid". Yet the marketing bods knew what they were on about as I had a similar experience when a used Ford Ka entered my family's lives.

Isn't it always the way that when your expectations are at their lowest that the reality is always a nice surprise? For example, going to see the Matrix under duress turned out to be not only a great film but a favourite film of all time, watching Lincoln City against Hull in the bottom tier of English football on a wet and cold Saturday afternoon turned into a wonderful win for the Lincoln underdogs and having the wrong guitar delivered turned from disappointment to my most prized possession.

The little used Ford Ka was met with similar scepticism at first. At the time it was bought it was two years old, but the design was a whopping decade old and in car years that's enough to qualify for a pension. Yes it still had the curvy features that made it a hit in the first place but it cost just £3995 and for that money you can't expect anything decent surely. Regardless of this off we trotted to the dealership much to my dismay for a test drive. Behind the wheel things instantly got better, with white dials and chunky steering wheel giving a sporty impression, green neon lights illuminating everything in a clubbers guide to Ibiza style and all the switches on the dashboard fell easily to hand.

All Ka's came with a 1.3 litre petrol engine as standard and in a car this light it proved surprisingly speedy, particularly when driving in and out of tight spaces in the city. The gear-change was light and responsive and the handling was sublime. The handling was so good in fact that after we'd bought the car, I'd often find myself leaving the coupe at home and going for a mad dash around town in the Ka.

Ok, before I go too overboard, yes this was a two-year old car that cost a mere £3995 so the interior plastics for example were very cheap. The insides of the door panels were bare metal in places rather than plush cloth and although the gear stick was well positioned and easy to use, it stuck out of the floor with no hint of an aesthetically pleasing surround. The boot was tiny, the road noise howling at motorway speeds and the engine was a little harsh when pushed. But to criticise the Ford on these points is to say Cindy Crawford is ugly because of her mole. It's a tiny imperfection on an otherwise great package.

So why am I reminiscing about the Ka? Well after a couple of years of fun-filled and repair free driving it was traded in for a younger model from a rival. Yet by this time the little used Ford had become more than just a car, it was part of the family. I'd argue it was ahead of the dog in the pecking order, although the parents just about kept their noses in front. Needless to say the replacement is no-where near as good and my coupe is happy to have me back.

So this week I found myself glued to the television again when this time an advert came on that seemed very cool. Lo and behold it was for the all new 2009 Ford Ka. In a society obsessed with having the latest gadgets - PlayStation 3, iPhone I'm looking at you - it seems sensible to assume that those who have kept hold of their used Ford Ka's may very well consider trading in for a younger model. Knowing first hand the range of emotions I went through saying goodbye to the little one, there's going to be a lot of upset people this year, and not just because of the credit crunch.

The burning question will of course be "Is the new model any good?" It certainly looks far more grown up, whilst maintaining the sense of fun from its predecessor, so only time will tell. Problem is, expectations have been raised sky high, leaving the new Ka with a mountain to climb. On the plus side, expect to see a dramatic rise in the number of used Ford Ka's in the marketplace at credit crunch busting prices.