Years built: 2007 to 2012
Bodystyles: Three- and five-door hatchback and compact estate
It was, realistically, the first notice that Kia could make not just a decent car, not just a competitive car, but a car that could actually, on its day, be better than the best from Europe and Japan. The original Cee’d may, stylistically, now look a little dated compared to its sharp-suited successor (which has just been updated with a new 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine) but under the skin it’s still a hugely impressive family hatchback.
What made the Cee’d such a success was not that it was surprisingly nice to drive, nor that its interior was well made, spacious and comfortable, not even that it came with the then-novel seven year warranty. It was all of those things combined, and when they all joined forced in the SW estate version, which had an even bigger boot and conspired to look even better on the outside than the too-quietly-styled hatchback, you had one of the best all-round family cars of the past decade.
Your choices are pretty simple. Hatchback or estate bodies, with the subset choice of the slightly sporty-looking Pro_cee’d which pretended to be a coupe but was really just a three-door hatch. The five-door hatch is the most populous, but we’d recommend tracking down a well-cared for SW estate – the extra space in the boot is hugely useful and it’s as practical as a car from the next class up when it comes to lugging around family detritus.
Engine choice was 1.4 or 1.6 petrol or Kia’s excellent 1.6 diesel with either 90 or 115hp. The diesel can be a bit noisy at times, but it’s very punchy and should easily better 50mpg in daily driving. The 1.4 petrol is only really OK, while the 1.6 petrol is a bit pointless against the 1.6 diesel. There is also a 1.4 diesel but it’s less frugal than the 1.6, so best left alone.
How much should I spend? Around €12,000 for a 2010 1.6 diesel SW estate
Here’s one we found:
2010 Kia Cee’d SW estate 1.6 Diesel. 112,000km, one owner, FSH, €11,395 from a main dealer.
Reliability-wise, all you need to keep an eye on fragile gearboxes, and check the Michelin Energy tyres for premature wear. Listen carefully to the steering and rear suspension for any untoward noises. Stereos can also suffer niggling trouble.
Also, later models will still carry some of their original warranty, as long as the previous owners kept to the terms and conditions.
If you’re considering a Cee’d, it’s also worth looking at a Hyundai i30 – they’re basically the same car under the skin. The only palpable difference is that the Kia feels a fraction more sporting to drive, while the Hyundai was always tuned a little more for comfort. There’s also no three-door i30 equivalent to the Pro_cee’d if that’s what you’re after.
And when you’ve found your perfect Kia Cee’d don’t forget to get hit history checked by motorcheck.ie.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
It’s one of the biggest costs in motoring and regularly cited by Irish drivers as a serious concern when it comes to keeping their cars on the road.
We have all become drearily used to the grind of paying for our cars, and indeed paying the tax needed to keep them running.
There are so many bad stories in the press about diesel cars right now that you’d seriously start to wonder why anyone still buys one?
How far away, exactly, is the self-driving car?
Years built: 2009 to date
Bodystyles: Four-door saloon
What is it?
Years built: 2005 to 2013
Bodystyles: Sports saloon and convertible
What is it?
Years built: 2008 to 2012
Bodystyles: Five door crossover SUV
What is it?
Years built: 2002 to 2010
Bodystyles: Large SUV
What is it?
We have long since suffered a pothole epidemic on Irish roads, so much so that it has become a running joke, and even lead to an outbreak of people ‘helpfully’ drawing attention to potholes by drawing, um, shall we say ‘male members’ around them.
The recent events in Donegal will have left so many of us numbed with shock, and most will be simply unable, even unwilling, to imagine the terrible emotions being experienced by those close to the tragedy.
This past week, PSA Group, which basically means Peugeot and Citroen, released what it calls ‘Real World’ fuel economy figures for three of its key models.
It’s an oft-asked question when it comes time to shop for a second hand car.
Years built: 2007 to 2013
Bodystyles: Five-door hatchback, five-door seven-seat estate
What is it?
Years built: 2006 to 2015
Bodystyles: Four-door executive saloons
What is it?
Santa’s sleigh luggage space is the real selling point – room for toys & treats for every child, plus some space for a few lumps of coal.
In 2008, when the motor tax system was changed from the old by-engine-capacity rates to the current Co2-based rates, we became a diesel society.
The number of dangerous cars on our roads are a serious risk to all road users. NCT stats & research on write-offs cars highlight the problem
There is new high-tech safety equipment out there for our cars which can save lives, and yet we’re being charged huge amounts extra every time we fit it to our cars.
With more than 50,000 Irish cars about to be recalled to have defective airbags replaced, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re about to get a recall notice in through the letterbox, asking you to visit your local franchised dealer to have a repair and replacement carried out.
If you haven’t yet heard of Big Data, then hello and welcome to the 21st Century – was it a pleasant trip in your time machine?
New Car Sales for Q1 2015 continue to increase, but a worrying trend has emerged in with a Used Car Sales decrease for the same period
Figures released today show new car sales January 2015 are up 25.4% on 2014 but used imports have declined for the first time since 2008
Years built: 2006 to 2014
Bodystyles: three-and-five-door hatchback
Opel Corsa - What is it?
What have car sales and the economic recovery got in common?
June and December are now the ideal months for new car buyers seeking the best bargains to get out and spend their cash, according to research by Motorcheck.
The user car guide is the Audi A4. The perfect car for saying you’ve arrived, but it’s subtle enough to say it softly.
New Car Sales figures released today show that 2014 has delivered the highest New Car Sales in six years. The figures show an increase of 24% against the same period last year with almost 66,000 units sold to the end of June this year
If you want to pass your NCT there are some very quick visual checks that you can make before attending the test that will dramatically increase your chances of passing first time.
Irish drivers are fully in agreement with the recently introduced legislation on texting while driving, a fifth say they frequently use their phones behind the wheel and there is still confusion over what the legislation actually covers.
Need for an official mandatory car write-offs database, fed by the insurance industry. This would afford Irish used car buyers more comfort.
Clockers thought to cost car buyers up to €60m in inflated car values annually are to be criminalised under Irish law
Leo Varadkar the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is today set to propose an amendment to the Road Traffic (No.
This morning we were invited into the Ireland AM studios at TV3 to chat with Mark Cagney about some of the more common problems we come across daily. Car clocking, insurance write off’s, outstanding finance and a variety of other important pieces of information we report on for Irish car buyers were all featured.
Today marks the launch of Renault Ireland’s ‘Carculator’.
TextCheck.ie is a new SMS based service from MotorCheck.ie – the Car History People.
Text VALUE followed by the Reg to 51155 to receive an instant valuation and a free identity check. A great new service that gives buyers and sellers alike the ability to Benchmark the price of any car (or van) in Ireland.
A study by Motorcheck.ie shows that as many as 1 in 5 cars for sale in Ireland may have been clocked. RTE’s Nine O’Clock News picks up the story.