Originally Posted by
badj
Doesn't justify it though - they're awful because they don't make profit?
It's a faultless car (Endura E engined at least) if you exclude the faults that are inherited and shared across the ford range (HCV, rear bushes, rot).
People forget that it was designed to be a light, low cost, reliable car. It does all of that and doesn't suffer from any of the issues that rivals do. Never hear of engine failure from the endura, handles well due to the fiesta chassis and light weight, insurance is cheap and the economy is great, especially considering wear and tear into running costs.
Slating a Ka is like supporting Man Utd. Most people do it without really having any justification or reason
You asked on what basis and if I'd owned one, my experience is owning two and having family that fix them and also family that have sold them. I didn't mention profit as I wouldn't ever base my knowledge of a car on something like profit?
Rust on these is probably worse than any other same aged vehicle, sparkplugs like to weld themselves to the heads, noisy engine rattles caused by Ford not case hardening the tappets on the 1.3 engine, over time that means that they wear and become a loose fit in the engine block making it ovalled on the face which runs on the camshaft. That happens eventually regardless of mileage and oil quality, usually anywhere from 30-50k.
They're a cheap car, and like anything, you pay for quality.
Aside the above facts and my own experiences with them, my dislike is only my opinion, as is your own!
Jordan