First car help! Kia picanto or Hyundai i20

AdrianC

devils_vixen wrote: »

I don't have a clue about cars and always thought you need fog lights for fog?

Didn't realise the were not on all cars

Rear fogs have been a legal requirement in the UK since 1980.
Front fogs are, mostly, a bit of upper-trim-level spec-sheet-willy-waving.

They CAN come in useful on occasion - I use them frequently on my current car, but I live in the back end of nowhere, five miles from the nearest streetlight, with roughly zero other traffic down single-track lanes, and they fill in the verges nicely under and beside main beam. In an urban environment, they're useless. Their primary purpose is to provide adequate illumination when the fog is thick enough that dip beam bounces back and blinds you - and you'd otherwise be down to sidelights - and when did you last drive in those conditions?

bigadaj

Though fog lights are rarely used appropriately in my experience.

peachyprice

Having looked at both recently the Kia is even more plasticy than the Hyundai, it feels pretty flimsy.

We're going for the VW Up instead, feels a much more solid car and much more spacious than the Picanto.

peachyprice

AdrianC wrote: »

They CAN come in useful on occasion - I use them frequently on my current car, but I live in the back end of nowhere, five miles from the nearest streetlight, with roughly zero other traffic down single-track lanes, and they fill in the verges nicely under and beside main beam.

Yes, I find them useful where there's no street lighting too, better than having to remember to switch your full beams off if anything comes the other way.

AdrianC

peachyprice wrote: »

Yes, I find them useful where there's no street lighting too, better than having to remember to switch your full beams off if anything comes the other way.

Additional to, rather than instead of. The light shape they cast is VERY different.

Main beam are long-distance, and a fairly narrow beam, with no real upper cut-off.
Dips are medium-distance, and much wider to the kerb side than the offside, with a strict upper cut-off.
Front fogs are short-distance, VERY wide, and even lower cut-off than dip.

mr_accountant

As had been said the Picanto is a city car more comparable to the Hyundai i10, whilst the hyundai i20 is comparable to the Kia Rio as it's in the supermini class. The i20 is almost 4 metres long so it's a big supermini!

I have owned an 2014 i20 1.2 Active for a couple of months now, that's the old model but facelifted, you can tell the facelift ones easily as the front and rear is more modern, than the original 2009 model.

I mention the updated versions as they are much nicer than the original ones, lots of small improvements which have made a really big difference.

if you go for active they are loaded. If the one that you are viewing don't have fog lights at the front then it'll probably be the basic classic version although it's still decent specs.

The updated ones have much nicer soft touch materials, blue lighting, better centre console better seats and generally quite a nice place to be, whilst the original ones in my opinion are a bit cheap and plastic looking.

The active edition is loaded, electric everything airbags everywhere abs ESP VSM, everything you need Bluetooth air con nice stereo etc etc leather wheel even the mirrors fold and yes the all-important front fog lamps!

It's not all perfect as I think its a little noisy on poor roads, but it does grip to the road like you know what grips to a blanket! Also everytime I press the clutch it makes a clicking noise which bizarrely is normal as I've checked a couple of i20s and they both did that.

Overall it is a good qualty car, but not perfect

BeenThroughItAll

devils_vixen wrote: »

I don't have a clue about cars and always thought you need fog lights for fog?


Didn't realise the were not on all cars

Did you not think if they were *needed* or *required*, Hyundai would have been forced to fit them to legally sell the car?

silverwhistle

I've got a 2009 i20 which I purchased privately second hand when I returned to the UK and it's done me fine. The last sunny day we had I put on the snow tyres (and rims) as it'll be taking me skiing in the Alps again this year. Not as comfortable as a big expensive motor but it carries a fair load (of wine!) on the way home, and I've done the trip to Italy in it in a long day on my own. Reasonable miles per gallon on a long run too.

There is no comparison to what I had as a first car - electric mirrors, what are they?! ;-)

Mercdriver

peachyprice wrote: »

Yes, I find them useful where there's no street lighting too, better than having to remember to switch your full beams off if anything comes the other way.

You do realise it is illegal to use fog lights when there is no fog, right? I bet you're one of those that uses rear fogs in heavy rain too...

peachyprice

Mercdriver wrote: »

You do realise it is illegal to use fog lights when there is no fog, right? I bet you're one of those that uses rear fogs in heavy rain too...

No, I don't use rear fogs in heavy rain, why would I do that? Although is that any worse than the tw@ts who drive in thick fog on motorways with no lights at all? I doubt it.

Front fogs serve a purpose in areas where there are no street lights, they turn ours off here between 1am and 5am, it's pitch black, I'd rather take my chances using front fogs than full beam blinding a car coming the opposite way.