I bought a brand new Kia Picanto two months ago when my old Ford Ka started falling apart. I checked all of the usual small cars but this was way cheaper than anything else. I chose a Cobalt blue GS model (just the standard model). It cost just under £6,000 - but i managed to get £2,000 trade ... Read review
Advantages: Bigger than it looks-cheap-has everything you need from a small car! Disadvantages: Bit slow from starting but you soon get used to it
I bought a brand new Kia Picanto two months ago when my old Ford Ka started falling apart. I checked all of the usual small cars but this was way cheaper than anything else. I chose a Cobalt blue GS model (just the standard model). It cost just under £6,000 - but i managed to get £2,000 trade in. Some quick tips - its cheaper to buy an already registered car from the showroom than to have it delivered from the factory (nearly £1,000 cheaper) but ... ...the showroom. I got offered the free insurance but this was for factory cars only, and it worked out cheaper to get my own insurance, and a showroom car.
The interior is nothin fancy but it looks nice, there is plenty of leg room in both the front and back seats, the seats are comfy and are fully adjustable, and the front comes with driver and passenger air bags(you can switch the passenger bag off if your putting a child seat or dog ... more
I bought a brand new Kia Picanto two months ago when my old Ford Ka started falling apart. I checked all of the usual small cars but this was way cheaper than anything else. I chose a Cobalt blue GS model (just the standard model). It cost just under £6,000 - but i managed to get £2,000 trade in. Some quick tips - its cheaper to buy an already registered car from the showroom than to have it delivered from the factory (nearly £1,000 cheaper) but you are limited to whatever colours and models are in the showroom. I got offered the free insurance but this was for factory cars only, and it worked out cheaper to get my own insurance, and a showroom car.
The interior is nothin fancy but it looks nice, there is plenty of leg room in both the front and back seats, the seats are comfy and are fully adjustable, and the front comes with driver and passenger air bags(you can switch the passenger bag off if your putting a child seat or dog in the front). The boot space is very small but you can fit a couple of holdalls in there, and the floor of the boot lifts up and has space for tools ect. there is also a trye sealent kit under the boot where you can pump the sealent into the tyre to seal the puncture instead of changing the wheel - excellent (haven't used it yet tho!). The back seats also fold fully down flat if you have to carry a larger item - this provides so much more room. Comes with 5 seatbelts and fits 5 people comfortably. There are plenty of extra holding pockets for maps, documents on back of front seats, 3 cup holders, moderate glove compartment, side door pockets for CD's ect, space under steering wheel (i keep my wallet here cos its out of sight) a mobile/cigarette box holder at side of steering wheel, and space under CD player fot about 5 CD cases. The standard CD player is a JVC which has a detachable face so you can take it with you when you leave the car, it provides excellent quality sound and can play MP3 files - added bonus! All in all good interior space and excellent visibility as the wing mirrors are huge, as is the rear view mirror. The large dash board also gives extra visibility, and as far as i have found there are no extra blind spots.
My car is a 1.0 litre and is so easy to drive, it takes no effort at all as it has power steering, found it so easy to get used to - except the indicators are on the right hand side and the wipers on the left, takes a few days but you soon get used to it. The car takes a while to build up speed at lights and after you stop, but once your up the gears its no different to any other car, performs well in town, except slow take off - however, contrary to other rewiews, i find my car performs exceptionally well on the motorway. I was worried at first of overtaking incase i couldn't build up the speed but i was so surprized when it took off and accelerated even at 80 in 5th gear! Ended up in the fast lane most of the time after that!
Safety features include front air bags, and a steering wheel lock which has to be activated (by turning the wheel until it locks into place) when the keys are out of the ignition. All the doors and boot can be locked from the inside but putting down the drivers lock, or each can be locked/unlocked independently. From outside the drivers side has central locking(using the key in the lock) whick locks all doors and boot, or each can be locked/ unlocker independently. The front windows are electric whereas the back two are manual.
This model cost about £25 to fill up the tank (oh yeah, forgot to mention it has a petrol cap release button at drivers seat - no need to use your key to open tank!!) and it goes for just over 400 miles, depending on driving conditions. It also has a low tax code, £100 for the year and a low insurance bracket - what more can you ask for? - well it also comes with 3 years parts and labour warranty, 6 years body paint warranty, and 3 years RAC breakdown cover!
Think thats about it, so to sum up, apart from slow starting acceleration, this is a fantastic little car, affordable and has all you need as standard - very very impressed!!!!!
Advantages: A wonderfull nippy, well designed and comfortable car with surprisingly a lot of room Disadvantages: Small boot (but it has storage under it)
...year I purchased a new Kia Picanto GS as I needed a small comfortable, reliable and fuel economic 5 door vehicle as I was beginning to do lots of miles for work.
Before I bought a vehicle i knew i would find it difficult finding one i liked as i had a long wish list of things i wanted the car to have, and it had to be disability friendly as i have got arthritis, even though i'm only 25 years old. In order to buy the correct vehicle I test drove ... ...at other makes/models, including the Kia Picanto. At first i was sceptable about the Kia brand, as i knew nothing about it. But the attitude, honesty and helpfulness of the sales reps and other staff at my local Kia dealership instantly won me over.
Driving the Kia Picanto compaired to the others i looked at, some of which are over twice the price of the Picanto, i found it a world apart from any of the other vehicle i had driven. Unusually it is ...
allybm 23.11.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Kia Picanto 1.0
Advantages: Very Cheap, Economical, Stylish, Small Disadvantages: Small
...chance to see what the kia garage had to offer.
Thankfully she had found a car she liked and seem to fit all of the criteria.
Comfort and Equipment:-
The equipment levels are high, we opted for the LX which gives you air con, remote central locking on both keys, colour coded bumper and wing mirrors, alarm and immobiliser, electric windows, leather steering wheel and gear shift, it also comes with a very tidy stereo system combining MP3 CD and ... ...although if you are over six foot tall I would advise against trying to get into the back seat, it's defiantly designed for the smaller more petite person. The seats are extremely comfortable and reasonable firm, with a sporty feel. The Picanto does not come with a spare wheel as there is just not any room for it, instead you get a can of gel which you use to spray into the valve on the tyre should you get a puncture. This will last long enough to ...
daz7035 17.10.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Kia Picanto 1.0
Advantages: Nippy, light on fuel and super sound system!!! Disadvantages: No spare wheel!
...them all I chose a Kia Picanto.
Introducing Henry - wait for the photos!!!
Henry is a beautiful specimen, dressed in Cobalt blue metallic paint. He is fully automatic and has arrived with electric windows, electric door mirrors and air conditioning as standard.
He drives like a dream(I have just returned from a 400 mile round trip for a training course) - zips through both town and motorway traffic without a care. He has a full 3 year manufacturers ... ...on fuel usage and low on road fund licence. My fully comp insurance remains very low at £166 a year - well I am an old git, and although he is a very small car, he is perfectly formed - bless him.
He is a five door hatchback - though the boot area is really tiny. The TV ads for this car promote it as being able to carry 4 people with ease - I haven't tried that but I would imagine the people in the back would need short legs.
His interior is very ...
Hippychick54 31.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Kia Picanto 1.0
Advantages: Amazing Fuel Economy, and its really cool Disadvantages: Its not a Ferrari or Lamborghini
...on accessories that your given, KIA don't seem to believe in pick 'n' mix, however this is only to reduce price, and I think this is worth the trade off. There is the option to have either manual or automatic transmission, which ever your happier with.
Performance:
If your looking for some sort of super car you should stop reading now, but if your looking for a good town car then this is perfect. It gets you from 0 to 60mph in a yawnable 15 seconds, ... ...stones).
Interesting Quirks:
The KIA is a interesting car that I love, but it has a few interesting quirks that you might want to know about. Firstly the indicator selector is on the right hand side, which always promises for an interesting first couple of drives. There's no spare tire as standard (largely because of space considerations in the little boot), instead you get a gel that seals the puncture for about 50 miles, although you can purchase ...
cfcamm 08.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Kia Picanto 1.0
...handed a key with a Kia stamp on it, how could I live this down? This reaction was because only a few weeks ago I'd been watching Top Gear and laughing along with Jeremy Clarkson as he proceeded to slate Kia and other Korean manufacturers. As I took the keys and picked up our weekend bag I couldn't help thinking that we wouldn't get far down the road - let alone to our destination of Derry.
We couldn't help but laugh as we got to the pick up point ... ...to apreciate the quality that Kia are starting to bring into their new cars. First impression, silly i know, the doors shut nicely, they didn't have that cheap car rattle that many small cars have. Simply put, the interior was clean, spacious and fresh. I'm an average height guy (5'9) and felt very comfortable in my driving position.
As you would expect with a new car it started well and immediately and ran nicely. The engine purred as we deposited ...
lm4amf 15.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Kia Picanto 1.0
