1.6i 1 auto

Reliable auto

We bought this car in 2012 just prior to my retirement . It has been totally reliable and is used as daily transport by my wife. I ended up working part time as a collection and delivery driver for Kia and have driven every Kia made so I'm in a good position to judge this car.Quality wise the newer shape Ceeds are far superior. The plastics in the cabin get easily marked but are acceptable.This is a car that was made to a price so you get what you pay for. Its best feature is that it has a 7 year warranty so in the event that something goes wrong it gets fixed under warranty.Consumables are not included so don't expect to get your discs and pads replaced free if they wear prematurely. My wife's 2009 car has only done 16000 miles and has been religiously serviced every year regardless of mileage done. Its had new front discs and pads, but the Michelin tyres are all original and still good for a few more thousand miles albeit I'm keeping an eye on the rubber as its starting to show signs of cracking through age uv light etc.It was recalled for petrol tank straps as many Ceeds have been and these cars have a weakness in the auto transmission cooler rad which break up on the bottom edge but that was replaced gratis by Kia. Original Kia batteries are in my experience not great so ours was replaced with a long life Bosch battery when the original failed last winter. Drop links are also a weak point but again these were replaced under warranty this year. The auto transmission is strong and works seamlessly. The cloth seats have worn well but you need to keep them clean. Our car runs on steel wheels which have been fine but if you've never removed them they will bond to the hubsover time so best to place a little bit of copper grease on the surface of the wheel where it meets with the hub or you may have problems getting the wheel off when you have your first puncture. You don't want to be under the car kicking the wheel trying to remove it in the dark on a motorway for example. This car will carry four adults comfortably and quietly being a petrol engine. Its not a hot hatch by any means but will propel you along very adequately . The auto box picks up very quickly so you need to exercise restraint if you don't want to remove rubber from the front tyres. Its front wheel drive so quite good in the snow. Fuel economy is good on a long run in the mid 40s just don't expect great fuel economy in town on short runs. If you are a high mileage driver the diesel version is the car to go for, andif you like autos the diesel auto is a very economical hatchback. The manual cars are fine too all being very easy to drive. The boot is quite large and the rear seats drop down to provide a large load area, more than adequate for trips to the local dump .Its a nice and easy to live with car. If you want good value for money and reliable transport you won't go wrong with one of these. If your budget is up to it the newer Ceed has more of a quality feel to it and still has a class leading 7 year warranty. I may be biased as I work part time for a local Kia dealership but I can honestly say you won't go far wrong with a Ceed old like ours or a newer one.

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