KIA CEE'D HATCHBACK REVIEW

My car

I bought this unassuming star a year and 14000 miles ago. It was up against the Golf and Polo (dull, average reliability, arrogant dealerships), Mazda 3 (very reliable but don’t like the latest 3’s styling), Focus (ok but uninspiring). The Ceed was several thousand pounds cheaper than all these and feels just as good or better in several respects.

Mine has a fabulous 115hp diesel engine mated to a six speed gearbox giving me quiet effortless pull throughout the rev range, around 60mpg cruising, 45-50 around town. I enjoy a smooth compliant ride and confident handling on twisty country lanes. The car feels well put together. It has a neat and comfortable interior, intuitive dash, reasonable materials. I still feel fresh after 4/5 hour cross-country dashes. It’s well spec’d with ipod connectivity, chillable glove box etc.

My purchase and service experiences at the dealership have been good : friendly, straight up, no arrogance, eager to please and gain feedback. This is a brand that is fighting hard to build its profile which can only be a good thing for the consumer. I haven’t always had that feeling from more established names. Residuals may in theory be weaker than VW etc but I think secondhand buyers will appreciate its growing reputation and the remainder of the 7year warranty that is passed on to them. If I do lose a larger percentage – fine, I didn’t spend so much in the first place !

The car’s been 100% reliable. Try one and enjoy the surprises.

My car

I have owned my Ceed for about 8 months and in all that time it has been reliable, and has never let me down.It has no problem starting on the recent cold mornings (-7 degrees).

The only problem I find is that it is not the most quiet of cars.There is some engine noise between 55 and 75 mph and some droning noise which I assume is either wind or road noise.Below or above these speeds, it's pretty quiet.The car has been back to the dealer and they reckoned it was fine.The only thing that has needed fixing is a dodgy petrol release cable which was done free of charge.

Overall,the car is very economical (avg 45mpg) and it runs fine,including a 600 mile return motorway journey to Scotland recently which we did in one day. I have a bad back and the seat proved during a 15 hour trip to be comfortable with good support.

For a mid range model,its well spec'd with electric windows and mirrors,CD, alloys,trip computer,air con,ABS,PAS,5 headrests,internal leather and chrome trim.The wife particularly likes how she can plug her MP3 in with the USB slot and it even displays the song title on the radio.

The 7 year warranty gives good piece of mind, although living in a rural area the nearest dealer is 30 miles away

Apart from some of the noise,it's a good car to drive,with a good turn of speed for easy overtaking.Its a big car for Corsa money,and offers a lot of equipment. If only the refinement was better,and the dash didn't rattle a bit this car would be perfect

My car

This is my first Kia and I am impressed. I describe it as 95% as good as a Honda, which is pretty good, especially as it costs more than 5% less than a Honda.

My Kia is good to drive, ride can be a little firm but I like that as it allows for sharp handling and cornering without too much roll.

The 1.4 is a great little engine and performs well, even fully laden but under those circumstances it must be worked hard which hammers the economy. Tax and fuel costs make the diesel a better option for many now.

Equipment is a good level and its all still working well, recently did a 3 day 900 mile tour of Europe with no hiccups. I have had one warranty claim after the radio locked up after being parked in a very hot location all day. It was changed without quibble.

Other cars are starting to take over it in looks and high-tech options but the new cee'd is only a couple of years off. It will certainly be on my shopping list again.

My car

What attracted me first was the 7 year warranty which would provide considerable peace of mind. At that stage I had no appreciation of how good a car it was.

With lumbar support and lots of seat steering wheel adjustment options I quickly found a comfortable driving position and I could drive without back pain - something that was never possible on the Mercedes A160.

There is an old true-ism “you only get one chance to make a first impression” and that seems to have been central to Kia's German design team when they were developing the vehicle. The immediate impact is great – it feels right. The doors with a satisfying “thunk” while the steering wheel and all the controls are lovely to touch and use

I love driving it and I have not had that feeling about a vehicle since I got my first car more than forty years ago.

After 2 Audis, a BMW and 2 Mercs the main downside is the Kia badge at the front. That will change as Kia Ceed gets better known