Kia Venga (2010 - 2019) 1.6 3 5d Auto (2011/11) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

This man has had bad luck with a previous used car and needs something with a long manufacturer's warranty. He has abandoned all pretensions of image and status and no longer cares about a rewarding driving experience, performance or fuel economy. He is prepared to endure ad-hoc renditions of Venga Boys songs in the knowledge that expensive faults with his car will be sorted out by a Kia dealer at the manufacturer's expense.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Wife thinks it's lovely, rest of the family have been conspicuous in their silence and neighbours are either sniggering behind their curtains or are too old to notice that we have a new car.

Would you buy this car again and why?

What are you likely to buy next?

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£8,127

When did you buy the car?

June 2014

Did you get a good deal and why?

Asked for a better part exchange and got it.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

4 years remaining on manufacturer's warranty.

What was the dealer like?

They were a bit like Evans Halshaw in York. Actually, they were Evans Halshaw in York. Wonderfully helpful, interested without being pushy, just all round very impressive. A few little bits needed sorting, booked in at my convenience, courtesy car provided. And the salesman did a 50-mile round trip to deliver a missing parcel shelf. Top-drawer stuff.

What's it like to drive?

Aah, there's the problem. They've done an interesting job with the suspension. It's soft enough to wallow in the corners but firm enough to dislodge your brain if you're careless enough to run over a fag end. Performance is, errm, non-existent. It allegedly has 123bhp but God knows where they've put it. Not in the engine, that's for sure. The gearbox is shocking. And the fuel economy? No, it doesn't have that either. For a smallish 1.6 litre car it's appalling. 36 mpg on a long run if I'm careful. But I've got four years' warranty left so I'm reasonably happy.

What's it like to park?

Not bad to park. Like that's a redeeming feature given its many faults. Actually, it's great to park it and get out. Fortunately the automatic door locking allows me to do that.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Problem driver's window, difficult to shut, otherwise no faults. I'll be getting it attended to with my lengthy Kia warranty.

What's most practical about your car?

It's got four years' worth of manufacturer's warranty left.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Panoramic glass roof. It makes the cabin very light and airy. If I lived in Portugal rather than Yorkshire I'd be tempted to open it occasionally.