15th Dec 2006, 16:25
Pikachu had his first service last week - £170! Things werent done, I was billed for stuff that didn't exist, and the customer service was atrocious in dealing with my query. After all, if the car holds 2.9 litres of oil, why am I being billed for 4.5 litres? Or have you put 4.5 litres in the motor? Hmmm, the oil level on the stick looks a bit high... sorted now after creating a scene in showroom, but it has left a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. THIS WAS A MAIN DEALER!! Car superb though, although economy rarely goes over 35mpg. Still can't imagine buying anything else although the hunt is on for a good local dealer for future services!
20th Jan 2007, 02:58
I've had my Picanto for about 2 years and 4 months and still rate the car strongly. I do agree with the poor fuel economy though, and to achieve 42 mpg, then I really have to run the car dry before fuel stops. I'm intersted in the 99 octane fuel though, and will start giving that a try. Servicing does seems to be pricey with Kia, and keep your eye on the part prices to, as a quote for front brake pads was a high £60 (for supply only). I think I'll be trading in for something different when I reach the three year mark (at this is the point where things will need replacing). Still - great car.
23rd Jul 2007, 08:14
Pikachu has just gone through the 12000 mile barrier, running well with no problems. Slight rattle from the exhaust on pulling away, but other than that, no issues. Next service due in three months and it will be a pricey one or so I am told - brake fluid needs changing so unlikely to get much change out of £250 apparently. A friend has just bought a Kia Sorento on my recommendation and he is very impressed with it, and the new Ceed looks good so Kia seem to be going places. Would definitely continue to recommend the Picanto though, still a cracking little car which really only needs a bigger engine option to be even better.
22nd Oct 2007, 07:18
Second service due next week - quite a difference in servicing charges! If I head to the dealer five miles west, the service will be £310, yet if I go five miles east, the cost falls to £205. Definitely worth shopping around if possible as I'm not too worried if my car is serviced at the shiny new dealer, or the smaller one that has been running 20 years, but doesn't have a plasma screen in the waiting area...
Other than that, all good, no problems at the 16000 mile mark. Fuel economy averaging around 38mpg which I am still a little disappointed with to be fair. However, I recommend all UK Picanto owners to use super unleaded wherever possible as the economy on regular unleaded is very poor. Tankful of 95 octane gives 240 miles on a tank - 31mpg! Tankful of 98 octane gives 290 miles on a tank so I find it is worth spending the extra three or four pence a litre to get the better economy. And performance too, as the car is much less peppy on 95 octane!
1st Nov 2007, 06:01
Second service came in at £236 all inclusive although that did include a new pollen filter as the old one was quite disgusting! Fairly happy with that all in all so the replacement dealer will get all my sales and service business going forward! Am sure I can't mention names or advertise on this site, but the Kia Dealer in Southend is very good. Little tip for those of you who live in the area.
8th Feb 2008, 10:23
Well after two years, two months, and 17000 miles, Pikachu became a little too small for the family and was replaced with a Seat Leon. In two years, I had two services, no issues with reliability, and I would happily recommend one to anyone. In fact when I was driving him to the part exchange, a lady stopped me at a petrol station asking me about the car as she was looking to replace an unreliable VW Polo so she looks like getting one now. All in all, my opening comment of "I think this is an excellent town car" holds true, and it didn't do too badly on a 350 mile trip to Cornwall! Adios Pikachu, and well done to you. And well done Kia!
16th Jul 2008, 11:09
To "PIKACHU", Was wondering if your good old Pika and your new LEON share the same dealer??? Thks for the good Kia service tip!
13th Nov 2008, 07:16
Re the above comment - no, the Seat came from a different dealer to Pikachu. I'm getting on OK with my Leon but do miss the Picanto, especially considering whats happened to fuel prices this year! Pika used to cost me around £40 per month tops. Raoul (sorry, all my cars get names and I'm a bloke in my mid thirties!) generally hoovers twice that. Economy in the 1600 Leon is atrocious but the rest of the car is pretty good. On reflection, I wish I had stuck to my guns and upgraded to a Kia Ce'ed Diesel, but as usual my wife won that argument...
2nd Feb 2009, 12:05
We have had our 1.1LX Auto for 3.5 years now and have averaged 36 mpg over that time which is not too bad considering the car does quite a few short trips. Our best was 45 mpg on a longish trip. I always deduct 15% from manufacturers consumption figures and the result closely matches reality.
As for servicing, I have always taken the car to our local independent garage, the three services we have had thus far came to £77, £110 & £121 respectively!
There have been absolutely no problems with the car at all.
5th Feb 2009, 11:43
Does no one have any comments about the suspension on Kia Picantos? Mine is atrocious and every tiny bump or hollow in the road sounds and feels as if the car is about to break up. I had it checked at a dealers under warranty and they said all was fine. I have only talked to one other owner and he confirms what I say - that it is a very hard ride and the noise from some road surfaces is very high also.
It feels as if it has the wrong shock absorbers fitted but the Kia dealer denied this.
My car is now out of warranty and although I like the looks the economy is not what they claim. I do not think I would have another.
23rd Sep 2010, 08:52
My 2006 Picanto 1.1 has done 10k, and now the engine has loosened, it averages 53 mpg, although this is in North Wales, which has mainly free flowing roads, and most runs are 20 miles or so at least.
Yes, the suspension doesn't absorb poor surfaces too well, but, hey it's a £6k car, if you want Rolls Royce ride quality, then buy a Roller!
Overall, really pleased; don't expect the earth, and the reliability and cost efficiency will leave a smile on your face, but the biggest asset, is nipping into the tiny parking spaces, which most other cars can't.
2nd Nov 2006, 06:49
And its me again! Car is due for its first service in a couple of weeks, but is behaving faultlessly. No problems whatsoever, but the fuel economy still bugs me a bit. In the recent summer, we had the aircon on a lot, and we were struggling to get 200 miles out of a tank of fuel. Now its cooling off, we haven't used the aircon at all and this month we have driven 250 miles and still have a quarter of a tank showing - so we could be up for a 320 mile range on one tank. That equates to 40mpg which is better than it has been, perhaps it is because the engine is loosening up?
I still recommend using the highest octane fuel you can get. At a recent fill up I had to use standard UK 95 ron unleaded and the car felt like it had lost 10 horsepower - and with a little motor, you can't afford to lose any! I still stick to 97 or 99 if I can get it as the car is so much peppier, and economy improves too.
As for the rest of the car, the bodywork and interior show no signs of wear. I am beginning to think this little thing will have a much longer lifespan than I first thought! My wife adores it, as does my daughter. it must be good as I thought about buying another car for myself, and the first thing I thought of was a Picanto! It has certainly drawn me into the KIA range of cars and would definitely look at one of their cars first if I buy another new car.