KIA | Car Reviews | Honest John

Carens (2006 - )

Good: Option of seven usable seats, all rear seats fold into the boot floor, spacious interior, five-year warranty on models sold since September 2006.

Bad: Foot-operated parking brake is old fashioned, poor turning circle.

Carens (2013 - )

Good: Successful Peter Schreyer KIA family styling. Probably the best looking compact 7-seater MPV. 7 year warranty.

Bad: Handling not up to the standards of the Mazda 5 and Ford Grand C-Max

Cee'd (2012 - )

Good: All-new more attractive Cee'd, sister car to i30, comes with Kia's seven-year warranty as standard. Steers, grips, rides and handles very well indeed on standard 195/65 R15 Hankook Kinergy Eco tyres.

Bad: Far better on 15" wheels with 195/65 R15 tyres than on 17" wheels with 225/45s or on 16" wheels with 205/55s. Diesel is a bit too long geared at 37.5mph/1,000rpm in 6th.

Cee'd Sportswagon (2012 - )

Good: Great looking estate car that really does deserve 5 stars for its winning combination of good looks, excellent ride quality, decent handling and useful economy.

Bad: No collision mitigation system like the latest Fords, Vauxhalls, Volvos and Hondas.

Optima (2012 - )

Good: Handsome saloon, diesel only with 1.7-litre CRDi that emits just 128g/km meaning low BIK tax, priced from less than £20k, seven-year warranty as standard.

Bad: Only one engine, and not in lowest tax bracket. Satnav does not take 7 digit UK postcodes.

Picanto (2011 - )

Good: Excellent small car for the money, high quality and neatly designed interior, spacious, great to drive, cheap to run, one of the best small cars around.

Bad: Noisy on the motorway, three-door 'Halo' automatic is pricey at £12,295.

Pro_Cee'd (2008 - )

Good: More 'sporty' three-door version of the Cee'd. Excellent chain cam 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines. Seven year warranty. Facelifted in 2011 with sharper look.

Bad: Rear vision not great for reversing. Easy but not exciting to drive.

Proceed (2013 - )

Good: Beautifully styled coupe version of the KIA cee'd. Performance version in the pipeline with 204PS turbocharged 1.6-litre engine.

Bad: Not cheap.

Rio (2011 - )

Good: Much more stylish than previous Rio. Upmarket interior. New 1.1-litre chain cam diesel emits just 85g/km of CO2. 3-door from £9,995.

Bad: Refined with excellent gearshift, but not as much fun to drive as other hatchbacks this size.

Sedona (2006 - )

Good: Seven adult-friendly seats as standard, huge boot as a five-seater, twin sliding side doors, well equipped and easy to drive, comfortable ride.

Bad: Rear seats don't fold into the floor and are quite heavy to lift out, not an especially dynamic design.

Sorento (2010 - )

Good: Strong diesels including impressive new 2.2-litre engine, comes with seven seats, new six-speed automatic available, much more premium feel than previous Sorento, great value for money.

Bad: Entry level model is two-wheel drive and five seats, 4WD automatic models only tow 2,000kg.

Soul (2014 - )

Good: New KIA Soul.

Bad: Looks very like the previous Soul. Does not share the Peter Schryer look of the rest of the KIA range.

Sportage (2010 - )

Good: Stylish and upmarket looks. Good quality feel to the interior. Seven-year warranty as standard. Very low CO2 for an SUV. Well equipped.

Bad: Ride could be better. A little noisy at speed. Warranty is limited to 100,000 miles so the similar Hyundai ix35 may be better for higher mileage drivers.

Venga (2010 - )

Good: Space-efficient and compact people carrier, large boot and flat-folding rear seat, available with a four-speed automatic 1.6 petrol, easy to park, good visibility.

Bad: Not cheap but price competitive.

Carens (2000 - 2002 )

Carens (2003 - 2006 )

cee'd (2007 - 2010 )

Cee'd (2010 - 2012 )

Cerato (2004 - 2006 )

Clarus (2000 - 2001 )

Magentis (2000 - 2005 )

Magentis (2006 - 2009 )

Magentis (2009 - 2011 )

Mentor (1996 - 1999 )

Mentor (2001 - 2006 )