Still a Ford Ka

• Coffee Count: 0
• Tea Count: 5

What I didn't mention in yesterday's post was why I was quite so upset about the Ford Ka. Sure, I whinged about the looks and the insides - and even the condition of the engine - but to be honest, that's what I expected from a courtesy car. Not everyone is as nice to their vehicle as I am...

The real problem though, is that it's been 3 years since I drove one of these. I remembered it being fast, responsive and easy to drive... so either my memory is faulty, my expectations have increased, or this specific car is a bit rubbish.

Probably a bit of each, to be honest.

When I got in the Ka to begin with, I thought, "Oh, this will be easy - I learnt to drive in one of these." Then I remembered all the little quirks of my new car, that I've just spent 3 years getting used to. Now, of course, it's the Ka that seems quirky.

Still, I figured out the very long movement on the clutch, the soft brakes, and the tiny steering wheel, and all seemed good. Except that I still wasn't comfortable in it. Oh, and I had no holder for my GPS device. So when it told me "Turn right", I went left - and spent 15 minutes going round in circles trying to join the rush hour traffic.

It's also got a lot less power than my current car, as I found out (the hard way) overtaking on a dual carriageway. I've always screamed at people who pull into the fast lane, then proceed at the same speed - now, I'm one of them.

The good news is that my car's supposedly fixed now. I just have to wait until 4pm to go and pick it up - when I'll also get a price for taking the scratches out, and check if they've really fixed the boot.

I doubt it.