Thinking of buying Kia PIACANTO

jjames_3

As I have said, IMO the best car in this class is a Honda Jazz. The Skoda Fabia is a good car as well, better-built than the VW equivalent. Also consider things like the Toyota Yaris, Mitsubishi Colt (which is a similar car to the latest Smart) and the aforementioned Getz.

The problem here though is that the Picanto is not a supermini -- it's a city car. The competitors to it are not things like the Polo, more the Lupo. And you'll find that the Lupo has the same kind of drawbacks as the Picanto.

Kia's answer to the Polo is the Rio, the new version of which is getting some very good reviews (the previous model was weak, albeit cheap and mechanically sound).

Of course if you're after the bargain of the year, there is an internet company selling the Nissan Almera, an excellent and very underrated vehicle, with superb reliability and build quality, for under 6 grand. I'm sorely tempted at that price myself -- with a list price of over 9 grand it should fetch £4000 after 3 years easily which makes it one of the best value new cars I've seen in a good long while.

Peter_Griffin

jjames think ignorance/snobbery is a bit harsh

But you may well be right about Kia since they were acquired by Hyundai, i bought a renault clio a while ago so went to family friend/mechanic and it was suggested Kia were terrible, but they've obviously started to turn a corner.

However i do still stand by my main points on safety

http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/ncap/ncap_category.jsp

this shows the ncap tests and the picanto does not score well, there are worse on the list, but some in this class do manage to get 5 stars - the peugeot does very well but has been ridiculed for its other features.

jjames_3

OK maybe a bit harsh but you see where I'm coming from

As I say though, look at the size of the Picanto and really you can't judge it to be in the supermini class -- Kia has its supermini and this is the smaller one. In the city car category, the NCAP result is on par with the car's peers.

Kia were pretty bad in the 90s. Mechanically they've always been sound enough (Mazda-based mechanicals before the Hyundai takeover, Hyundai themselves use more developed Mitsubishi-derived drivetrains and engines which are now in use by Kia as well). But they were very cheaply made; the interiors fell to bits within a few years.

I have to say though that I myself own a Hyundai which is four years old and has never given a moment's trouble, and know of several others who report the same.

manhattan

theres certainly no snobbery coming from here!

i dont even own a vehicle at the minute,and i have a company works van. lol

i was referring the polos build quality to the fiestas, NOT the kias!!!

seaniboy

get an MG ZR http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARS_popup.asp?modelexact=1&lid=search_used_cars_full&make=MG&model=ZR&min_pr=75&max_pr=0&mileage=0&agerange=6&postcode=dd1+4le&miles=1500&max_records=200&source=0&photo=1&sort=3&ukcarsearch_full=SEARCH&start=3&distance=238&adcategory=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200542211511056

I picked up a 03 MG ZS 1.8i for 4 grand

seaniboy

or Picanto sized Rover City http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARS_popup.asp?modelexact=1&lid=search_used_cars_full&make=ROVER&model=CITY+ROVER&min_pr=75&max_pr=0&mileage=0&agerange=6&postcode=dd1+4le&miles=1500&max_records=200&source=0&photo=1&sort=3&ukcarsearch_full=SEARCH&start=2&distance=226&adcategory=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200542211138329

N9eav

I bought a Kia sedona. It's a very usefull and excellent vaue for money car in it's range. Merc designed engine, Mitsubishi electrics. No problems with it. The only thing I would suggest about these brands is not to buy new. The depreciation from new is too much at the moment. You would be better finding a nearly new and avoid that huge drop in value.

wazza

seaniboy wrote:

or Picanto sized Rover City http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARS_popup.asp?modelexact=1&lid=search_used_cars_full&make=ROVER&model=CITY+ROVER&min_pr=75&max_pr=0&mileage=0&agerange=6&postcode=dd1+4le&miles=1500&max_records=200&source=0&photo=1&sort=3&ukcarsearch_full=SEARCH&start=2&distance=226&adcategory=CARS&channel=CARS&id=200542211138329

i stay clear of rover city. it started as an indian car and remodified for rover to sell in uk. test reports has not been excellent. but remember it is a budget priced car so dont expect luxuries. take one for a drive.

got nothing against indian built cars. they built good cars and also remanufacture 'older' models no longer built in uk. for example they have produced montego and rover sd1. whether they are still in production now i dont know. the cars are mainly built at a low cost to cater for the local market.

arrowsmith

Peter_Griffin wrote:

jjames think ignorance/snobbery is a bit harsh

But you may well be right about Kia since they were acquired by Hyundai, i bought a renault clio a while ago so went to family friend/mechanic and it was suggested Kia were terrible, but they've obviously started to turn a corner.

I don't think a person that bought a Renault :rotfl: should be critical of other brands.

Kia's are totally different now to years ago, if you look at the latest UK JD power survey KIA has best 4x4 and the worst. Kia's crash test, well not great but the same as the Fiat Panda.

I would buy a Panto its a fantastic car at a great price, those that tell you otherwise are very badly informed.

jjames_3

The CityRover, being an Indian design, isn't a car I'd be looking at -- yet.

Tata, the manufacturers, are behind the Koreans in terms of design and manufacturing quality. They're in much the same position Kia were 10-15 years ago. In another ten years, they'll be a force to be reckoned with I'm sure, but not just yet.

Maruti (the Indian firm which makes the Suzuki Alto) is in a similar boat. Decent mechanically, but backwards in design and flimsy interiors etc.

For all those who sneer at Korean cars, just look at the Japanese. They were exactly the same in the 70s; mechanically very very good in their case, but rusted to powder in 6-7 years. But look at them now -- no-one comes close to Toyota or Honda (apart from other Japanese brands!) unless you're prepared to pay twice as much.