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.

Cee'd (2010 - )

Good: Facelifted Cee'd with a sharper look, improvements in economy and reductions in CO2, seven year warranty as standard, all engines chain cam.

Bad: 1.6 petrol model remains a bit low geared, some interior plastics feel a little cheap.

Cee'd (2012 - )

Good: All-new more attractive Cee'd, sister car to i30, will come with Kia's seven-year warranty as standard.

Bad: Not on sale in the UK until July 2012.

Cee'd SW (2012 - )

Good: Neatly styled estate version of the new Cee'd, should be good value for money and well equipped, gets Kia's seven-year warranty.

Bad: Not on sale until the summer.

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, good looking, 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.

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 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, centre diff lock means it's very capable off-road, much more premium feel than previous Sorento, great value for money.

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

Soul (2008 - )

Good: Oddball looks mean it stands out, plenty of room especially in the back, very comfortable seats, excellent 1.6 diesel and petrol engines, option of diesel automatic.

Bad: No sportscar to drive, CO2 emissions could be lower, baffling array of different versions and special editions.

Sportage (2010 - )

Good: Stylish and upmarket looks, high quality feel to the interior, seven-year warranty as standard, very low CO2 for an SUV.

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 )

Cerato (2004 - 2006 )

Clarus (2000 - 2001 )

Magentis (2000 - 2005 )

Magentis (2006 - 2009 )

Magentis (2009 - 2011 )

Mentor (1996 - 1999 )

Mentor (2001 - 2006 )

Mentor II/Shuma (1999 - 2002 )