Used Kia Carens MPV 2000 - 2006 review

What's the used Kia Carens like?

There's nothing fancy about the Kia Carens - it's simply a low-cost way of transporting five or six people in reasonable comfort. The 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrol engines are not especially refined, particularly when compared with a lot of the European and Japanese competition, and the 2.0-litre turbodiesel is not the most powerful or frugal.

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Overview

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

Pros

• There's plenty of space and prices are cheap

Cons

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

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£899

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£1,490

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£1,500

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There's also plenty of noise in the cabin courtesy of the engine, wind and road, so longer trips can be a trial of endurance.

At least, the cabin has plenty of space for those in the front and, in five-seat form, the rear seats have decent knee- and headroom. If you choose the six-seater there are three rows of two seats, and the third row has limited legroom. It's also a little tricky to reach the rearmost row, so these seats are best reserved for children.

Our recommendations

Which used Kia Carens should I buy?

The petrol engines aren't very refined, so we'd go for the turbodiesel. It's not as quick or as frugal as much of its competition, but it does a better job of pulling the Carens along when it's loaded with people and luggage.

And, whether you choose a petrol or a diesel, stick to the five-speed manual gearbox, as the four-speed auto is sluggish and has a drastic effect on fuel economy.

The SX models come with electric windows and mirrors, but to gain air-con as standard you need to go for the GSX, which also includes anti-lock brakes, alloy wheels, roof rails and metallic paint.

The six seat Carens is a useful people carrier if you need the extra place over the five-seat model, but the five-seater has more usable boot space. Kia dealers will be the best places to start your search for a Carens.