What Car? says

2 out of 5 stars

For There's plenty of space and prices are cheap

Against The cabin could be more flexible and practical, and build quality is below par

Verdict It's a cheap six-seat MPV, but it's not as good as most of its rivals otherwise

Go for… 2.0 CRD GSX

Avoid… 1.6 EX

Kia Carens MPV
  • 1. In five-seat versions, the rear seats have decent knee- and headroom. But, in six-seat models, legroom is tight in the third row
  • 2. The rear suspension can develop creaks, but this is mostly on models with six seats. Watch out for ex-private hire cars
  • 3. The steering is very light, so check the front wheels for kerb damage, especially on models with alloy wheels
  • 4. All Carens suffer from a poor, vague gearshift
  • 5. The petrol engines aren't very refined, so we’d go for the turbodiesel
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