Used Kia Ceed 2018-present review

The third-generation Kia Ceed (yes, it's sans apostrophe these days) competes in the family car sector against the likes of the Ford Focus and Skoda Octavia. It matches the vast majority of its rivals by offering plenty of room for a young family, a decent-size boot and lots of equipment for the money.

But it has a much longer warranty than anything else in the class, which could be the deciding factor for many used car buyers. In fact, any example that’s less than two years old and bought through Kia’s approved used programme gets a similar seven-year warranty to a brand new model. So, it could be argued that a nearly new Ceed is actually a better buy than a factory-fresh one.

There’s a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines, and all offerings are turbocharged. The petrol range kicks off with a 118bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine, while 138bhp 1.4-litre and 201bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinders are available in higher-spec models. The two 1.6-litre diesels make 114bhp and 134bhp

We reckon there’s no need to go higher than 2 trim because this comes with all the equipment you really need, such as 16in alloy wheels, air conditioning, cruise control, a 7in touchscreen infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring capabilities, plus a rear-view camera. Stepping up to 2 Nav gets you sat-nav with the larger (8.0in) infotainment touchscreen; 3 trim brings dual-zone climate control, automatic wipers and larger 17in alloys.

GT-Line gets heated front seats while GT-Line S adds heated rear seats, and electrically adjustable driver's seat and LED headlights. Range-topping GT and First Edition models come with additional safety aids.

To drive, the Ceed is very competent but hardly exciting. This won’t be a major concern for most buyers, though; it finds plenty of cornering grip and is a quiet cruiser at higher speeds, it’s just that rivals such as the Focus are noticeably more polished. The Ceed's brakes can be a bit grabby until you get used to them, the gearbox could do with being a touch slicker and the steering, while perfectly precise, isn’t as progressively weighted as the best around. Road noise is a little louder than in some rivals, too, but it never becomes intrusive, and wind rush is kept in check well.

The Ceed is nowhere near as practical as the cavernous Skoda Octavia, and the Ford Focus has a lot more rear leg room, but it's on par with most rivals. Taller rear passengers might find their head brushing the ceiling in GT-Line S models, due to the sunroof. The boot may not be as capacious as the Octavia (few are!) but you can still fit five carry-on suitcases into it, and there's a relatively low loading lip to ease loading. An adjustable boot floor is standard and means you can create a mostly flat floor when the rear seats are folded down.

The Ceed received some updates in 2020, mostly to its infotainment system. All cars came with a bigger 8in, with 2 Nav and above getting a 10.25in screen. It is also worth remembering that the standard Kia Ceed is carries only a four-star EuroNCAP car safety rating; many rivals score maximum points. To get a Ceed with a five-star safety rating, you'll need to find one with the advanced driving assistance pack, which adds traffic sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitoring and a more sophisticated automatic emergency braking system (AEB) that recognises pedestrians and cyclists.

If you're interested in buying a used Kia Ceed, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our used car classifieds site here.

Prices for the Kia Ceed start at £12,000 for an early 2018 car in 2 trim. If you fancy a better-equipped 3 then you'll need to up your budget to £13,000, while GT-Line and First Edition models can be found for closer to £15,000. Spend between £15,000 and £17,000 on good 2019 and 2020 cars. To keep up to date, use our free valuation tool to make sure you're getting the best deal.

Check the value of a used Kia Ceed with What Car? Valuations

MPG

Running costs for the Ceed are pretty reasonable for the class. The 1.0-litre petrol model has a WLTP combined fuel economy figure of 50.4mpg with the Eco Pack or 48.7mpg without it. The 1.4 petrol is a touch thirstier, at 45.6mpg, but the top-of-the-range 1.6 is the costliest to run, on 39.2mpg.

The diesels are obviously cheaper to run than the petrols. The most economical is the 114bhp 1.6-litre with the Eco Pack, having a combined figure of 58.9mpg, but even the regular versions gets 57.6mpg. The 134bhp engine isn’t far off, either, at 56.5mpg.

Road tax

Road tax for all models registered after 1 April 2017 will have the same flat rate fee for cars that cost less than £40,000 when new, currently £155 a year. To find out more about the current road tax costs, click here.

Servicing

Kia has a number of service packs, so it's worth finding out if your car has any services remaining with your local Kia dealer. Petrol models require a service every year or 10,000 miles, while diesels need an oil change annually or every 20,000 miles.

Engine

Unless you do lots of motorway miles, go for a petrol rather a diesel. The entry-level 118bhp 1.0-litre is perhaps the best compromise; both the 138bhp 1.4-litre and 201bhp 1.6-litre are available only on higher-spec models and therefore cost more to buy.

The 1.0-litre can be found with or without the Eco Pack. This brings a number of aerodynamic improvements and low-rolling resistance tyres to maximise fuel economy. However, because those changes are so small and annual road tax is no longer calculated on CO2 emissions, there’s very little reason to go for it.

Specification

We reckon there’s no need to go higher than 2 trim, which comes with all the standard equipment that most will really need. Range-topping GT-Line, GT-Line S, GT and First Edition models come with more kit and additional safety aids, but they're quite pricey and cost around the same amount as certain premium alternatives, such as the Audi A3 Sportback.

Our favourite Kia Ceed: 1.0 T-GDi 2

If you want maximum interior space, the Skoda Octavia is better than the Kia Ceed. It also offers a broader range of engines, from a tiny yet capable 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol to the 242bhp 2.0-litre unit found in the vRS hot hatch model, as well as a few fuel-sipping diesels. All versions are easy to drive and make very competent motorway cruisers.

The current Ford Focus improves on the weaknesses of its forebear, with much more interior room and a more intuitive infotainment system, even if the dowdy interior does it no favours. It’s excellent to drive, too, no matter which engine you choose.

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If you're interested in buying a used Kia Ceed, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to our used car classifieds site here.