Which Kia pro_cee'd will I buy?

Hi, I am thinking of updating my car to a 2008-2009 Kia pro_cee'd. I think it is a good looking car and the seven-year warranty a real plus point. Would you recommend this car or know if it's a nice drive? I do roughly 10,000km per year so wondering if the petrol engine might be better for me. Would there be much of a power/economy difference to the diesel model? Is there anything else to watch out for?

Thanks, Ciaran

Ciaran Reid (Dublin)

May 2011 Filed under: choosing used car

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Expert answer

Hi Ciaran,

Thank you for your query. The Kia pro_cee'd is a good car, but thankfully the only thing negative about it is the silly name. We really rate the car and it would make a great second-hand buy. It has been a while since we drove a pro_cee'd so we called Kia Ireland to get a reminder on the engines. We were told that very few 1.4-litre petrol models were sold in 2008 and practically none in 2009 after the road tax laws based on emissions were introduced.

The first thing to note then is that the petrol models are scarce, but quite a bit cheaper than the diesels. A petrol model will cost you €9,945 while a diesel from the same year could cost you €12,950 - more than €2,000 more. You certainly won't save €2,000 in fuel and road tax in a hurry, so it depends on how long you intend to keep your car. If you change your car quite often and residual values are a concern then you probably need to get the diesel, but if you will be keeping the car for a long time then you should get the petrol, especially given the relatively low mileage that you do.

In terms of what to look out for, there is nothing. There have been no recalls that we know of and the car has few real faults apart from the fact that visbility isn't great out of the small rear window, but then you can expect that with any coupé-like hatchback.

Anyway, I hope this helps and doesn't actually make it more confusing! If there is anything else don't hesitate to come back to us.

Complete Car Adviser