A Ka For A Kourier?

Kourier Ka

ord didn’t release a van derivative of the Ka until 2002 and most you’ll see wear the BT livery, but it’s possible to buy one yourself is you really wanted one! Think of the additional security over the passenger version. However, the Ka van differs from the passenger Ka in a few respects. The most significant difference is that it uses the Endura-E engine (renamed as the 60 PS Duratec 8v). It can also have rear seats put in if you want them...

The Ka doesn’t (at the time of writing) offer a diesel version, but the Endura-E is one of the cheaper engines to service over a reasonably big mileage. This is mainly because this donk uses a timing chain rather than a cam belt. Now timing chains get noisier as they age, and can occasionally fail, but generally they are long-lived. Cambelts, on the other hand, usually have a planned replacement interval. The 1·8 turbodiesel Mondeo’s cambelt should be replaced every 40,000 miles, and it costs just over £200 to get this done. Over the course of many thousands of miles, this cost can add up quite significantly.

As an easier example, comparing a 1998 Ka to a 1998 Fiesta diesel, over the first 120,000 miles, and assuming that regular servicing will cost the same, the Fiesta diesel will need three replacement cambelts, at a cost of approximately £700. The Ka’s Euromix fuel consumption is 42·2 mpg and the Fiesta diesel manages 46·3 mpg. Over 120,000 miles, the Ka will use 12,927 litres of fuel whereas the Fiesta will consume 11,782 litres - approximately 1,200 litres less. Now 1,200 litres at a price of 75p per litre equates to £900.

So, we’ll use £900 less of fuel, but pay £700 more in service costs.

However, to add to the equation we have things like the road fund. The 1·8 diesel will cost £50 more a year, so if we cover our 120,000 miles over four years, there is no cost advantage in electing for the Fiesta diesel. Cover that sort of mileage over two years, and you’re only saving £100 over the period.

We also have to add in insurance, and as most readers should know, the Ka has very reasonable insurance (amongst the lowest of the low).

Of course, I have deliberately used the 1998 Fiesta diesel, because it is not especially economical. A better option would be Ford’s 1·8 litre, direct injection, turbodiesel variant, which saw service in a few Fiestas before the model was dropped. This engine uses direct diesel injection, which is more efficient, and has a Euromix of 52·3 mpg. Of equal importance is the fact that it has a different cambelt design that needs replacing every 80,000 miles. This basically halves the cambelt replacement cost, and of course it is more economical.

Comparing the Fiesta TDi, it will use 10,431 litres of diesel during the period, which equates to a saving of approximately 2,500 litres, or almost £1,900 over the 120,000 miles - which is only eroded by £200 (one cambelt change) over the duration. Less another £100 if we manage to cover 60,000 miles a year, we’ll save a total of £1,600, before we assess the differences in insurance.

So is there an alternative? Well, yes - a Ka that doesn’t have the fuel-sucking power steering. These have a taller final drive ratio, which helps the model to a Euromix figure of 47·9 mpg. Therefore, we use 11,389 litres of fuel, approximately 960 more than the Fiesta TDi, or £720 more in terms of cash. Subtract the £300 for the Fiesta’s cambelt and we only need to find a £420 saving over two years to make the cost the same. . .