KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles)

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Thu 25 Feb 2016 20:09
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - oldroverboy.

Took delivery of a "demo" Kia venga 2 from a Kia dealer, and pleasantly surprised. Nothing special to write home about, but driving position and hence comfort much superior to the Kia rio 2 1.2 it replaced after I got stuck in the car (difficulty getting out after a journey to Leeds and a friendly garage attendant offered over the tannoy to come out and fill it up for me)

Fuel economy not as good as the rio, but 1.4 instead of 1.2 and more sit up and beg and a bit heavier too. (Between 35-40MPG overall, not complaining)

Nice underfloor boot storage, even with a full size steel spare wheel. Boot big enough, and Importantly swmbo approves. Like the reversing sensors, Good big door mirrors too! good rear seats, (had 2 old friends in them up to Aldeburgh and Norwich on separate day trips.

Folding armrests a bit short, (therefore nearly useless) able to use a clip on phone holder in the centre right airvent to use a nokia 640 with here maps.

Good road view and almost all we could have got from a sportage without the size/fuel consumption penalties. easy to park too.

Lovely colour Infra red.. Nothing to complain about at all.

TBC..

ORB

Edited by oldroverboy. on 25/02/2016 at 20:11

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 25 Feb 2016 20:39
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - diddy1234

Glad someone posted about the Venga. I am very tempted

I am due to change my Rio (after 7 years and 80,000 miles) and am currently deciding between two cars :-

Kia Venga 3 1.6l Automatic (lots of toys and poor fuel economy)

or

Dacia Duster in Lauret trim with sat nav - Driven one and was impressed with the room and for a 1.5l Diesel the refinement (compared to my current Rio)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 25 Feb 2016 21:35
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - John Boy

The latter has a spectacular number of 1 out of 5 ratings by users:

www.honestjohn.co.uk/owner-reviews/dacia/duster-20...2

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 25 Feb 2016 21:40
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - diddy1234

I suspect most of those issues were related to rust and aparrently this was addressed when production was moved back to Romania (somewhere around 2013 I believe)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Feb 2016 06:17
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - oldroverboy.

Kia Venga 3 1.6l Automatic (lots of toys and poor fuel economy)

So it seems, but everything is against it. Lots of owners not happy with fuel consumption, but happy with the vehicle.

The price was helpful in making me decide.. £8999 with 6 years and 3 months warranty left, full size spare free and servicing pack for £299 for 3 years.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Feb 2016 18:10
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - daveyK_UK

The Dacia Duster is actually a good car

but its important you buy the facelift versions which only came out of the Romanian factory and not the original UK Duster which came out of the Indian factory.

The easy way to tell the difference is the front grille.

To further confuse matters, my neighbour has a duster on a 13 plate which is the Indian build, he found some rust and managed to get Renault (Dacia) UK to pay for an extensive re-spray and waxoil treatment - the car body will probably last 30 years now, it was a top quality job!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Feb 2016 18:45
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - John Boy
The easy way to tell the difference is the front grille.

Are you keeping it to yourself then?

:-)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Feb 2016 18:55
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - John Boy

Are you keeping it to yourself then?

:-)

Of course, you're not! It's in the Model History on here.

"New for 2015 is a more stylish chrome front grille made up of two layers of four small intakes surrounding the Dacia logo"

Edited by John Boy on 26/02/2016 at 18:56

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Feb 2016 18:47
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - oldroverboy.

The Dacia Duster is actually a good car

.

It is, but a basic Duster for £9000 or a 9 month old ex demo Venga 2 with a longer warranty and markedly better quality and way better equipped for the same money?

Edited by oldroverboy. on 26/02/2016 at 18:50

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 26 Feb 2016 23:56
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - Avant

I think you've got that one right, ORB. Dacias may well be long-lasting, but they haven't been around for long enough for us to know that, whereas Kias have been here for some time and have a fairly good reputation for reliability. Their lack of Renault electrics can only be an advantage.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 27 Feb 2016 12:59
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - diddy1234

Dacia must be doing something right in Europe.

They have been selling for a lot longer there and quite popular in France and Germany

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 27 Feb 2016 13:54
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - oldroverboy.

Dacia must be doing something right in Europe.

They have been selling for a lot longer there and quite popular in France and Germany

They are, and also seem to be avoiding the electrical gremlins that are alleged to love living in french built renaults.

My choice was personal, but could equally have been a stepway or duster, but don;t like the petrol engine choices in either of them. (and as I said earlier, what i got for the same money is what i wanted.

The Kia has a fairly modern 4 cyl conventional engine.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 27 Feb 2016 19:39
KIA Venga 2 - Almost a month (nearly a 1000 miles) - daveyK_UK
Dacia duster about to be offered in the UK with the brilliant 1.2 turbo petrol Renault engine, should be announced at Geneva.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

From choosing the right tyre to what to do when it goes wrong - we have the answers.

Tyre News And Advice