KIA Cars - any good?

Lum

So basically you're saying they're both good at what they're intended to do. Ford go for the fleet market, Hyundai/Kia go for the cost conscious private buyer. Everyone comes away happy apart from the poor sod who buys a 4 year old focus with 200,000 miles on the clock that falls apart in 2 years.

jase1 wrote: »

Engine design reached its zenith with the late 1990s large Japanese petrol-engined car IMO. Bulletproof. While they're still very good, when they do go bang it hurts these days!

Agree with this, (see my post in the Peugeot thread for details). That said my car has the Nissan RB20DET engine and most folk can't give those away. They all want to remove it from their cars and swap it for a 25 or a 26. I intend to stick with the little 20 on the grounds that they're unwanted and unloved and therefore finding one for cheap shouldn't be too hard.

I think, when all is said and done, most cars are white goods now. Run em for 5 years and throw away.

Which is pretty wasteful really, and bad for the environment. Probably worse in fact than the extra emissions I chuck out running my 90s Japanese gas guzzler.

dmcclymont

If it helps anyone I now have 82,000 miles on a two year old Ceed.

Drivers seat is starting the fray :-(

Reliability has been superb :-), despite Wiltshire's awful roads (and I really do mean that!), it has had a steering rack under warranty at 75K and a track rod end last week - also under warranty.

Second set of brakes, its thirsty on front tyres even through I do not maul it about (too much!)

Breakdowns = 1 (brake pad went bald 8K after a main dealer service, hmmmm, not using that dealer again!!!) Other than that 100% fine.

As brand new cars (company) I have had a Merc A Class - several breakdowns in the first year :-(, do not ever get me started about VW's 'reliability' either :-(

I would purchase another one, its a 1.6 diesel and quick enough.

Would like a newer one however with the Bluetooth etc built in.

Kilty_2

I had a 1.6 petrol Cee'd hire car and it was good apart from a slightly knackered clutch (20k of hire car abuse ). Just as economical as other cars in the class I've hired and quite a bit better than the 1.6 Focus which was the worst out of focus, ceed, golf, astra, leon, etc.

Just ordered a brand new Picanto.

HappyMJ

Cheap...awful fuel economy but they are cheap I drive my friends newish Kia Picanto 1.1. It's fine.

Is the service aspect good you ask? No but you take it elsewhere.

Kilty_2

HappyMJ wrote: »

Cheap...awful fuel economy but they are cheap I drive my friends newish Kia Picanto 1.1. It's fine.

Is the service aspect good you ask? No but you take it elsewhere.

OP said it's a company car - you take it where the company tell you to take it because it'll be fully expensed, usually.

bigjl

Lum wrote: »

The only good French car manufacturer was Citroen, before they got taken over by Peugeot.

I had a Ren21 that refused to die, and a 405 GLXTD that went past the 300k mark with the original engine and gearbox, did have two sets of driveshafts and a clutch though! But was last seen being minicabbed on the Old Kent Rd.

If only the new stuff was as good as the old XUD.

Fairly impressed with the wifes 2006 Clio DCi, I was prepared for it to fall to pieces, but so far no problems. Doesn't rattle, the interior has no signs of wear at 50k.

Very glad I managed to convince the wife not to buy a Megane, but couldn't convince her into my fav choice which was a Mitsubishi Colt. Better a DCi Clio without any electronics gimmicks, just A/C, than a Megane with all the whistles.........


ON the subject of the C'eed, not heard any bad things about them, the Koreans car companies are in the same position as Skoda and Seat where a few years ago, this is the time to buy, when bage snobbery is keeping the orices down a bit.

I like the look of the new Sportage and liked the value for money that the C'eed Estate presented when I looked round one. The Soul looked nice, but the boot is too small, could never have a car with such a small boot, gutted as I liked the look of it.

NeverAgain_2

Relation had a C'eed.

Slightly plasticky interior, but as well-made as most other mass produced cars.

Check you're OK with the gearstick position, it's high and quite far forward.

Handling is dull, but competent.

Nice, smooth 1.6 diesel with plenty of poke from the higher output version.

The C'eed I drove had a harsh ride, but I read somewhere that's been improved in the newer ones.

Lum

HappyMJ wrote: »

Cheap...awful fuel economy but they are cheap I drive my friends newish Kia Picanto 1.1.

There's your problem. A tiny engine is not going to save you fuel, quite the opposite. The sole reason to go for an engine that small is if you have problems getting insured on anything bigger (young male, etc.)

Kilty_2

Lum wrote: »

There's your problem. A tiny engine is not going to save you fuel, quite the opposite. The sole reason to go for an engine that small is if you have problems getting insured on anything bigger (young male, etc.)

Depends how you drive it of course - if you expect it to go like a 2.0 and drive it hard then it'll be awful.

Lum

Even for pootling around town, a modern, heavy, car isn't going to run well with a 1.1 engine though.