USED Kia Picanto Hatchback (04 - 11)

My car

i passed my test 5 months ago and this is the 2nd car i have driven. although i havent got much experience there are many probles which can be see from the car. for example many people have said about the fuel consumption and getting 300 miles out of a tank. ive got just over 200 miles which equals around 33 miles per gallon which is rubbish to say the least.another problem is that there is very little frontal grip which i lost the other day which worried me quite alot. im 6ft4 and i can squeez myself into the drivers seat just but find that the wheel does get in the way.

however the good points are that i fit in the back well with planty of head room and LEG ROOM!

My car

overall I'm very pleased with it. The SE+ version provides 4 electric windows, leather trim and part leather seats. The cabin feels well put together and equipment levels are already quite generous. To drive the 1.1 is a bit sluggish and runs out of puff on hills but maintains good progress on the motorway. The brakes are fierce, the ride is quite hard and the indicator stalk is on the wrong side.

Room in the cabin is good but the boot is tiny with the rear seats up.

When I took delivery there was the wrong manual for the stereo which the dealer corrected quickly and after a couple of weeks the brake lights stuck on. Again the dealer fixed this quickly and there have been no other problems since.

I have just paid £255 for the main service at the Kia dealership which I feel is steep for a small car. This was just the basic service, nothing additional was required apart from swapping round the front and rear tyres.

The cost of servicing and spares does concern me and has made me think twice about buying a Kia Ceed to replace our other car. In June I was hit in the rear whilst waiting at traffic lights and pushed into the back of the car in front. The Kia was off the road for nearly 8 weeks - some of which was insurance company delays but mostly problems in getting replacement front and rear bumpers.

I do like this car and would certainly buy another but Kia - why don't you make a diesel version? That would be a great small car

My car

Test drove a picanto 3 today as im looking for a car to beat the credit crunch and high fuel costs, i was quite impressed at how solid it felt. its no pocket rocket but in the 3 trim level it looks the part, had smart alloy wheels, spoiler, bodykit, chrome exterior and interior door handles and fog lights oh and indicators on the wing mirrors! which are electric and heated.

the dashboard looks well put together with leather steering wheel and gearstick, alloy pedals along with mp3 conection, aircon, remote locking alarm, all round electric windows the gauges are silver which turn orange in the dark very nice! just waiting for the dealer to get to me with the best deal and im having one in white, and will have no problems with my 20k a year milage as it does 55mpg and petrol is nearly 10p a litre cheaper than diesel. and comes with 3 year unlimited milage warranty! fantastic, the what car verdict is a bit harsh i think as i was impressed with the car and the helpfulness of the dealer. i will write another report in a while to update. i think anyone who wants a budget car which does not look or feel like one and get 50+mpg should go to visit there local kia dealer!

My car

I've just been given this car as a courtesy car, and I think that is all it's good for.

The clutch is spongy, the brakes are too harsh, and the light/wiper stalks are on the wrong side of the steering wheel. The outside styling is also bland.

The dash is basic and doesn't look attractive, even though you do get electrics all round and air con... I tend to go for looks.

I really hope my C2 is fixed quickly!!!