Does anyone drive a Kia Picanto?

[Lucky Rathen]

What's it like? How does it handle? How does it feel inside? How was the aftercare? Good mileage? Any problems with it? Give me as much info as you can please... They're selling them brand new from the showroom for 6k, I know they're only little 1.0 litre girly cars, but at that price I'm really tempted, especially as they are only like £35 a year for road tax cos of emissions. I'm going to test drive one tonight.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Elwood Cobra Kai

What's it like? How does it handle? How does it feel inside? How was the aftercare? Good mileage? Any problems with it? Give me as much info as you can please... They're selling them brand new from the showroom for 6k, I know they're only little 1.0 litre girly cars, but at that price I'm really tempted, especially as they are only like £35 a year for road tax cos of emissions. I'm going to test drive one tonight.

I sold mine after my balaclava went missing

[Norseman]

A girl I used to work beside had one and she really liked it, thought it was a sharp we handler and roomier than she was expecting at the size, she replaced an old VW Polo with it. I reckon for the cheapness of servicing/tax/insurance allied with great mileage and a very long warranty it certainly is piece of mind motoring and I haven't heard of any reliability issues. Can't say I would go down that route myself but I can see the common sense in it and it will be bloody easy to park!

[Lucky Rathen]

I only drive a Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec at the moment, I never imagined when I got rid of that I would be taking a step DOWN in engine size! I've heard they're really roomy, my fiesty quite happily holds guitars, amps, golf clubs etc. In fact, sad as it is to admit, I moved house in it last year and fit everything I own in it. But that's more due to my lack of stuff than the size of the car.

[Lucky Rathen]

Its a toss up between the Kia Picanto and the new Fiat Panda, they're just wee city cars, but I never drive anywhere except in the city anyway, my car hardly ever goes above 40mph, and I don't have any kids so I don't really have much need for a big 2l car.

Kia Picanto review, road test, prices - Fifth Gear
Kia review, road test, prices - Fifth Gear Picanto

Fiat review, road test, prices - Fifth Gear Panda
Fiat review, road test, prices - Fifth Gear Panda

[doobie]

a local taxi company me ma worked for used a few of the bigger kia cars, appearently they felt pretty cheap inside and the plastic bits few off regularly but they drove and handled well compaired to they're more expensive VW cars/busses. they broke down regularly but so did all the taxi's as they do crazy amouts of miles.

personally i'd keep a car that i know is reliable before i bought anything new and unknown, unless i was keeping the old one as well. plus i'm too tight to buy anything brand spanking from a main dealer anyway!!

[stuartmaxwell]

fiats are a disaster, all I have heard is bad things with stuff going wrong

surely if money is the issue here why not buy a nearly new car at 20k on clock etc, same money, same credit/hire purch agreements, a good warranty etc and you get a bigger/better built car than a kia and you will not have any problems for many many 000s of miles plu syou can always barter second hand!

[doobie]

oh aye, fiat panda's are permanant 4x4 are they not? i know someone who just took their new one back as it had such bad fuel economy, why a small town car would need 4 wheel drive is behond me, i do most of my offroading in 2 wheel drive and only switch to 4 when struggling for grip. plus the panda's road springs required replacement after 6 months!!

[JeanieStar]

Originally Posted by stuartmaxwell

fiats are a disaster, all I have heard is bad things with stuff going wrong

surely if money is the issue here why not buy a nearly new car at 20k on clock etc, same money, same credit/hire purch agreements, a good warranty etc and you get a bigger/better built car than a kia and you will not have any problems for many many 000s of miles plu syou can always barter second hand!

Yup. It would be cheaper all round to buy nearly new or used car... Buying the kia you're saving on car tax, but that's only once a year. Cheaper car = cheaper insurance etc. Just make sure its got a good service history etc.

Good luck in your car hunting.... My little Ka is on it's last legs, so this will come to me soon enough too!

[WoodyRATM]

Originally Posted by stuartmaxwell

fiats are a disaster, all I have heard is bad things with stuff going wrong

i agree. my sisters punto pretty much fell in half (Thank you arnold clark!).

My mums mate has a suburu juste (or how ever its spelt), 1.0L puddle jumper pretty much, she loves it. ace econmey ive been told and cheap road tax too. oh yeah she got it for pretty cheap new too.