Kia Picanto vs Fiat 500

eMundey
eMundey Posts: 11 Forumite
in Motoring
Hi,
I've booked in my second attempt of my driving test and I'm looking at cars for lease to own on a particular website that helps lower young driver's insurance.
I'm looking at two particular cars: the Fiat 500 1.2 pop 3dr (or the 1.2 Pop Star Eco - advise?) and the Kia Picanto 1.0 2 5dr. They are similar prices to lease; I believe the kia is around £5 a month more. I'm looking for a car that would be easy to drive as a young first time driver and with the best MPG (Given this factors into amount of times I'd have to fuel up - I'm not very car savy!) and something that I could use for a long, long time (the kia comes to mind?)
My thinking is that I actually prefer the aesthetics of the kia, the 7 year warranty is appealing, the safety ratings are very good and I've heard the MPG is good? But the fiat's size is desirable for manuvers and such, it is less to lease - not by much but it adds up, the kia's clutch is allegedly quite difficult to handle whereas the Fiat seems easier to dive and the insurance is around £200 - £300 cheaper than the kia

Any help would be fantastic :) If I've made any car boo-boo's please excuse me!
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Comments

  • LandyAndy
    LandyAndy Posts: 26,377 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Don't buy new.
  • eMundey
    eMundey Posts: 11 Forumite
    They'd be 18 plates; it's a lot cheaper to ensure a new car and it would last longer
  • bigisi
    bigisi Posts: 925 Forumite
    edited 15 May 2018 at 10:31AM
    eMundey wrote: »
    the kia's clutch is allegedly quite difficult to handle whereas the Fiat seems easier to dive[sic] and the insurance is around £200 - £300 cheaper than the kia

    Don't base any sort of decision on information like this. I take it you've read this on the internet? As a new driver you won't have any real idea of what this actually means and different people will have different opinions on which is "easier to drive". You need to test drive each one and see which you prefer.

    eMundey wrote: »
    They'd be 18 plates; it's a lot cheaper to ensure[sic] a new car

    They're also more expensive to get repairs done when you bump it (which you almost certainly will) whereas with an older, second hand car you may not be fussed for getting minor knocks fixed.
    eMundey wrote: »
    and it would last longer

    Really? That's certainly not a given.
    LandyAndy wrote: »
    Don't buy new.

    Is the best advice.
  • wgl2014
    wgl2014 Posts: 1,144 Forumite
    How much are the deals you are considering?
    Bear in mind a 2 year old Fiat 500 can be had for £6k and will still be under warranty. If you took a loan over 3 years you would pay £175ish per month and will own the car at the end with no balloon payment.
  • eMundey
    eMundey Posts: 11 Forumite
    bigisi wrote: »
    Don't base any sort of decision on information like this. I take it you've read this on the internet? As a new driver you won't have any real idea of what this actually means and different people will have different opinions on which is "easier to drive". You need to test drive each one and see which you prefer.

    Good point - I'll have a go at testing both

    They're also more expensive to get repairs done when you bump it (which you almost certainly will) whereas with an older, second hand car you may not be fussed for getting minor knocks fixed.

    I didn't think about that - I like to think of myself as a very overcautious driver (as many young drivers are), however, the company I have decided to lease on (I've done my research and I feel like the company is the best option) only offers new cars.
  • RichardD1970
    RichardD1970 Posts: 3,795 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    We bought a Picanto as a little runaround for the wife just before Christmas.

    It was the best of the bunch of City cars IMHO,and we tried them all.

    Surprised the insurance is that much more.

    Who alleges that the clutch is "more difficult" and what does that actually mean? Every car you drive the clutch will feel different but you should adjust after a few minutes.

    Size wise they are about the same so maneuverability should be comparable. I will use it to nip to the shops as it is so much easier to park then my "tank" (as the misses has take to calling my car, Grand C-Max)

    We get 40-45 mpg used predominantly for journeys of around a mile.

    Having owned a Kia a few years ago, 55 reg Rio, from new, for 7 years with absolutely no issues I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them and my next car will probably be one as well.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 5,186 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    The Kia Picanto is based on the older (1st generation) Hyundai i10 (not the superior 2nd gen one) and is a decent little car. Manoeuvrability will be very similar to the Fiat 500.

    I'd be gobsmacked given the respective prices though if the Kia is dearer. I had the original i10 from launch for 6 years and switched to the 2nd gen i10 3 or 4 years back and they're excellent cars but given a straight choice between your two choices I'd plump for the Fiat.

    That said for your first car you might want to consider the advice given earlier about not buying new.
  • eMundey
    eMundey Posts: 11 Forumite
    Surprised the insurance is that much more.

    Yes - I was as well. However it's all relative, the insurance for the kia is around £1,600 for myself and £200 is 12.5% of that. Say your insurance is £150 per year, 12.5% of that is just short of £19 which doesn't seem like a large variance in insurance.

    Size wise they are about the same so maneuverability should be comparable. I will use it to nip to the shops as it is so much easier to park then my "tank" (as the misses has take to calling my car, Grand C-Max)

    Great to hear!

    Having owned a Kia a few years ago, 55 reg Rio, from new, for 7 years with absolutely no issues I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them and my next car will probably be one as well.[/QUOTE]

    Did you prefer the Rio or the Picanto?
  • RichardD1970
    RichardD1970 Posts: 3,795 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    eMundey wrote: »
    Did you prefer the Rio or the Picanto?

    Different class of car.

    The "New" Rio was Kia's first "European standard" car and was so much cheaper than the competition (3-4 grand less than the equivalent Fiesta). The price differential is much less now.

    It was a great small family car which served us well and took us on holiday all round the country. We only changed it because we needed a 7 seater. I wouldn't really fancy a 3-4 hundred mile journey in the Picanto (not impossible, but used to something bigger and a bit more refined now :D ) but it is a fantastic city car.
  • vansboy
    vansboy Posts: 6,483 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    Assuming you are looking at PCP leases.
    If you lease new, the warranty and longivity is not an issues, as you will be handing it back in three years time.
    You will need to give it back in a good condition, which will cost you to have any bumps and grazes repaired to a standard the lease company accepts.
    As mentioned, see how YOU like the way each model drives, then choose.

    Buying used means...
    Kia have a good reputation for value for money and reliability.
    Fiat 500 can be bought in lots of levels of trim, depending on how the original owner chose it to be specified. It is also a more of a younger persons choice.

    Have a look in https://www.honestjohn.co.uk and the reviews and actual good AND bad points of these two cars, plus loads more models.

    VB
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