KIA...............on an MOT check does not seem to have been particularly bad.. the broken corroded coil springs cold be due to having been driven over speed bumps in london, but i think if you check the history this is an ex kia lease vehicle,

still a better bet than the ford, but get it checked for corrosion underneath,

Ford, will have emissions problems see mot check

www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/ adding in reg number and make..

run a mile

IIs that a common problem with the focus? I'm glad you said run, my gut instinct has always been to do just that but I have friends who swear by them so I keep coming back to look out of curiosity.

I'm currently on my third astra although it's an 03 and I've never had any problems with them but I'm not sure I would as lucky with the newer ones...... back to search a bit more and see what else I can find although it would be nice to get my hands on a ceed with CC due to my poor worn out knee......

BTW I had no idea I could check mot's so thanks for that!

Of the two I would go for a ceed. Heard lots of good things about them from people in the know

Tbh that was always my first choice but it's moving away from what is familiar and I don't know anyone that owns one so a bit of a leap of faith really. Scary when you know stuff all about cars. I've found another that looks a better option although it has tow bar...... passed all MOT with no advisories though.

www.we-sell-any-car.com/used-KIA-CEED-Peterborough...4

We had a Focus 5 years totally trouble free.

It was followed by a Ceed which we had 5 years trouble free.

In some respects the Ceed was better, in other respects the Focus.

The Seat Leon is a better car all round.

Neither the 1.8 diesel Focus or the pre 2012 Kia Cee'd has a DPF to worry about. It's such a common problem area that I won't recommend a used diesel with one fitted at all. The Focus is by far the nicer of the two to drive but the Cee'd will be better on fuel and is likely to be more reliable. It's also a chain driven engine and thus there's no costly timing belt change to sting your bank account unlike the Focus which is due at 10yrs or 120k whichever comes first and I'd say that's too long for a rubber belt and it really should be done at 6-7yrs so budget on it being done right away if you bought it. It's well known for DMF issues so expect a bill for £1,000 - £1,200 at some point to change it as it's on borrowed time after 70k. They can last into six figures with luck and a gentle driver but it's a very common failure. The big negative on the Kia however is rust. While the body resists well it does rot underneath so get under it and look for rot in subframes and crossmembers which is very common and far worse than the Ford. Be wary of the 1.6 TDCi Focus which is a costly money pit and should be avoided at all costs!

I had heard that about the 1.6 focus which is why I was looking at the 1.8. Someone I work with had a dmf failure on a focus 7 years ago (in a previous workplace) and I knew it was an issue then, would have been nice if they'd resolved that but I guess it was expecting too much. I'm seriously considering whether I would be better off sticking to what I know and getting another astra as none of the ones I've had have cause me any trouble at all :-/

If you have £5k-then there are plenty of Kia Ceeds around at that price which are STILL coming some of the 7 year gurantee.?

Not that I can find? Unless I'm looking in the wrong place?

There are none that close to me showing on auto trader. The closest is 48 miles away and listed as just under £6000. Most of the cars I've looked at are around 80 miles away and none have kia warranty. I guess it depends where you are? I'm in south Worcestershire near the border of Warwickshire and Gloucestershire :-/