SecondHandSense: Ford StreetkaIt may be a tad late in the year to be looking at a convertible, but we seem to be an optimistic and resilient lot when it comes to buying into the concept of drop-top motoring. There are certainly plenty of convertibles to choose from, but among the smaller ones, there are few that really stand out.
My own view is that the Mini is the one to beat in terms of an overall package, but when it comes to driveability, the Ford Streetka comes a fairly close second.
The Streetka lacks the overall presence of the Mini and is not as refined in its design as a similar Peugeot, but it does have funky appeal and a very spirited engine.
The Streetka was only produced between 2003 and 2006 as Ford sought to extend the appeal of the standard Ka. Wisely, Ford got its Ghia studio in Italy to design the car and had it built by Pininfarina. The exterior design is certainly pleasing to the eye, but someone's insistence on using the original Ka dashboard and wads of black plastic was a big mistake. The result was that the inside almost negated the exterior concept to the point where it dragged it down.
That, and a fairly hefty price tag at the time, did not help to promote the Streetka among the smart young women it was aimed at. There are few enough of them around on the second-hand market, illustrating the car's lack of impact at the time. Perhaps the best thing about it was the engine, and its ride and handling. Although slightly dated then, and certainly so now, the Zetec engine - with a 1.6 litre capacity and producing 94 horsepower - is still peppy and very nippy around town. It is also good at cruising and motorway speeds. The ride is particularly good and handling is fine.
The other good thing about the Streetka, when compared to other small convertibles, is the boot space. Ford opted to limit the car to two seats and the resulting space in the rear makes it a practical choice if you have things to carry. Many other convertibles have their boot space swallowed up with stowing the roof. In this case, the roof is manual and can be dropped and raised in jig time, without any of the potentially troublesome electrics. Overall then, the interior space is good, but don't expect perfect visibility through a plastic rear screen. Also, in winter, no soft-top convertible can really keep out the chill wind.
The Streetka was produced with two trim levels, standard and luxury. The luxury version got leather seats and air conditioning but both have twin airbags, ABS brakes and power steering. The car does not have a EuroNCAP crash test result because it was not tested. Neither does it have a recall record for major faults.
A 2003 luxury version with 96,000 kilometres on the clock is on offer for €13,750. A 2004 model, also with the higher specification, and with 79,000 kilometres up, is on offer for €16,995. Both prices are high, reflecting the relative scarcity of the Streetka, and don't offer great value when compared with what else is on offer around the place.