Faults:

O2 sensors needed replacing, but they were original!

Tailgate parcel shelf broken.

Heating only works on highest setting (resistor shot).

Clutch cable snapped.

New cambelt and water pump fitted at 104000 miles.

Needed a new radiator and temp sensor at 109000 miles.

Brake pedal switch replaced at 110400 miles.

Replaced a worn and faulty thermostat housing at 112000 miles

General Comments:

Was surprised by this! So many people described them as gutless granny cars, but mine is very nippy, and more than capable at sensible motorway speeds (have easily hit 90 mph with 3 adults in the car!). Surprisingly refined inside, with a very nice CD radio and electric front windows. Also has airbags, ESP and power steering. The gearbox is smooth as silk, which is a blessing, as you will be up and down it quite a bit around town!

Even has a display on the odometer suggesting which gear you should be using, which I find quite quirky. Dash is very nice, with just a speedo, and fuel gauge the same size as your speedometer! Nice big glovebox, and plenty of cupholders and cubby holes. A 12v socket is also there for your portable sat navs and phones. It is incredibly easy to drive and park, and the seats are half leather and very comfortable. The road tax is only £30 pa and insurance is very cheap.

If you just need a nice A to B runaround, don't look any further! These cars came with a 100,000 mile/ 160000km warranty when new, so they are built to last.

It has a few annoying downsides:

The boot space is absolutely tiny!

Five doors with no central locking, so each one has to be opened individually! Rear doors cannot be unlocked from the outside!

It has an annoying beeping warning if you are not wearing a seatbelt, but nothing to tell you that you have left your lights on!

First and second gear are very low! Will really need 3rd for anything over 25 mph.

These really are just minor niggles of mine, all in all it is a superb runabout.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Wanted to change my 2008 Kia Cee'd for the new shape Picanto, but financially it wasn't possible, as the new shape Picanto is a much more pricey car than the previous shape model. The money needed to change would be around £4,500 AND my Cee'd as part exchange.

Upon looking around dealers; I discovered I could easily purchase the older shape 2011 model for a mere £500 cash and my Cee'd (ie: so about 6k in total). Just 6k people for a 2011 decent spec car!!

What a fab car and fab deal. The car is loaded with electric windows, power steering, air con, ABS brakes with brake assist, ESP (anti skid), airbags, and even 'flare red' inserts in the seats to add a bit of colour.

Love the double DIN stereo unit with decent clarity sound, and with MP3 ability. Also the

small icon that tells me when to change gear comes in really useful.

So far it seems a really solid and reliable motor; and for just £500, then I'm really happy.

The performance for a one litre engine is really very acceptable, and feels more like a 1.2 in reality. I have no issues on acceleration from a start, nor its ability to hold pace on the motorway in 5th gear. Economy is okay too, averaging out at about 46 MPG (should be a lot more; but Kia's tend to never do what they advertise on the spec sheets).

Space in the car is decent too, with similar room to that of a Mazda 2; though the boot is much smaller (though the rear seats do split and fold as 60/40).

If you don't mind buying the older shape, then you can get a seriously good bargain on a 2011 plate motor - which comes with the 7 year warranty till 2018.

I will keep the car for the usual 'two to three years', then perhaps change to the new shape once it's lowered in price.