1.6 LS GRDi

Very ecconomical

Bought this to replace my ageing VW golf GTI 1.8T.

Surprisingly despite being a much lower group the cost of insurance is somewhat higher than similarly aged Golf TSi I was considering before buying this.

The ride is great and everything feels solid even if there are a few rattles. Handling is obviously not up with the golf but it's not that bad.

The 1.6 diesel engine easily matches the GTI for mid range pull and overtaking is effortless. Engine pulls well from about 1200rpm but runs out of steam well before the redline; it still feels strange to change up to get faster progress.

Still can't get used to the very low 1st gear (as is the case with all diesels) which makes town driving a bit of a lurching affair and second gear synchromesh is not particularly good.

The car came from a local dealer with a FSH so I could see that servicing is far from cheap, however it's simple enough to work on so I am now servicing it myself.

Not sure about the long term reliability since I've had a few electrical gremlins: radio turning off by itself, seatbelt warning lights have a mind of their own and surprisingly the rear wiper motor required new motor brushes.

Best bit with the Kiad Cee'd though is the fuel consumption. With my commute being a mix of fast A roads, a bit of motorway and often a spell in a traffic jam I am getting a constant 60mpg week in week out. Well pleased with that.

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