USED Kia Ceed Hatchback (07 - 12)

My car

Test drove the S Model and really liked it, the dealer offered me a Demonstator 1.6LS with 1100miles for less than the new one. Paid £10500. Full warranty and RAC. I looked at other cars Focus, C4, Megane but could not find anything else at this price with all the extras like climate control etc. The ride is a little firm not as good as the focus but the warranty swings it everytime. The problem I have now is stopping my wife taking it instead of her car.

My car

To tell you the truth. I had never really heard much about Kia. What attracted me was a diesel for the same price of petrol, as I'm a diesel fan - my last two cars have been Peugeots.

I went into the showroom to view one. It seemed very solid and well put-together, so the salesman invited me to have a test run. As soon as I let the clutch out, I found myself smiling - I knew imediatly that this was the car for me.

I've been driving now for a long time and owned (new cars) Ford, Rover, Triumph, Honda and Toyota, so I do know a bit about cars.

I have now owned this Cee'd S diesel for two months and done 2000 miles, and I love every minute I get it to drive it.

My car

hello well i have bought a ceed but not before driving almost everything all the other manufactures had to offer in size and price and i mean everything because this is my first brand new car so i tried the lot and to be honest very few cars where any better or did any thing any better the kia matched them all. i am a bit of a petrol so i think i have owned and worked on enough cars new ,old and classic over the years to be a fair judge.but to be honest the seven year warranty sold it to me . i see on the other reviews people have voiced little faults with it i agree with them ,but i would still recommend to any one if your after a new car you,ll find it hard to beat

My car

Like other reviewers I took advantage of the three-day test drive offer. First impressions of the Cee'd were very positive - it handles well and has responsive steering.

It's also pleasant enough inside, with plenty of room (access to the rear seats is particularly good - better than many cars in the size above) and decent equipment levels as standard. It generally feels well put together, and seems quite able to compete with more established models like the Focus and Astra.

However, its not without its faults. The gearing is a bit high, and it screams out for a sixth ratio, which would surely improve the fuel economy. The quality of the interior plastics, particularly the dashboard, is below par, which is a shame as it looks pleasant and has a nice shape. There are one or two items of equipment missing too, such as cruise control, which is increasingly expected on cars of this size.

The worst problem of all though, is the ride quality. On anything other than the smoothest road surfaces it feels somewhat unsettled, even 'bouncy' on occasions. The more people are in the car, the worse it gets. This is a great shame, as the other issues are quite minor, and could be lived with. The ride, though is just too hard for me. A rating of three seems a little harsh, but four would be too much considering the ride - three-and-a-half would be my overall rating.