Hi,
I need to buy a new Car and leaning towards a small KIA. Which model due you think is best. I’m 70 and live in Melbourne and traffic is very heavy, so small is best for me. If you think that there is a better car please suggest. I’ll be looking next Friday.
Kind regards, Trish (Melbourne)
Hi Trish.
There is a lot to be said for Kia. They have come a long way in technology, quality, safety and value for money. And, of course, they offer a seven-year warranty and capped price servicing.
You appear to have included every Kia model in your selection, but we can knock some out very quickly. The Carnival is a people mover, so unless you’re planning to carry six or seven passengers, you can discount that model.
You say you’re 70 and will be driving in Melbourne, so need to be aware of the heavy traffic. The Sorento is a large SUV, so you may want to cross that off your list as well. While it is an excellent vehicle, it can be a little large in an urban environment.
The Stinger is a fabulous car, but designed as a sports sedan. Unless you are a particularly enthusiastic driver, it probably isn’t for you. Also, because of its sporting qualifications, it can fall into a higher insurance bracket.
Now we’re coming down to a workable list.
The Picanto is a great little car, specifically designed for town use. However, our experience is that aggressive drivers often bully people in small cars, particularly if the driver is female and over 60. Another consideration is that small cars are, unavoidably, likely to come off worse in a collision with a large vehicle, despite huge gains in safety.
For our money, the Rio makes a more practical choice as a city car than the Picanto since it is just a little larger, which makes luggage and interior space more usable. You can read more about it here
Slightly larger still, but very manoeuvrable in an urban environment is the Cerato in either sedan form or hatchback.
Senior drivers often prefer an SUV for the elevated driving position (making it easier to see what’s going on all around you) and the ease of entry and exit (less bending).
Kia’s Seltos is a small SUV, but with a little more interior space than some others in the category. Prices range from $26,000 (driveaway) to $42,000. Supposedly aimed at “the young, tech-savvy buyer”, the Seltos has a lot to offer over-50s. We wrote it up here
As an urban driver, you can dispense with all-wheel drive and go for one of the 2-wheel drive variants, so the top-end price will be $33,000, rather than $42,000. The other bonus is that the 2-wheel drive models feel less harsh on the road. All models ride remarkably well and are quiet around town and on the highway.
Specifying one of the top-end models means you won’t need to stump another $1000 for the optional safety pack that we’d recommend on lower spec models.
A more recent arrival in the Kia SUV range is the Stonic.
The Stonic is built on the Rio platform and is slightly smaller than the Seltos, but still “urban-sized”. Prices range from $23,000 (driveaway) and range up to $30,000 (driveaway). Unlike the Seltos, the Stonic is exclusively front-wheel drive. Our report on the Stonic is here
Once again, safety is well taken care of, as is technology. If you haven’t looked at a new car for a few years, you’ll be amazed how far they have advanced. Autonomous Emergency Braking is standard including cyclist and pedestrian recognition. There’s Driver Attention Alert, Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (that warns you when a vehicle ahead is moving off), Lane Keep Assist, Lane Following Assist (which will automatically centre the car in the lane if you start to drift towards one side or the other without using your indicator), Parking Distance Warning and a whole host more. All will improve your safety, and that of other road users.
We’d suggest visiting your local kia dealer (there are plenty in and around Melbourne) and talk to a sales person. Sit in each of the models and see which feels most suitable. Then take two or three of them for a test drive to see if one feels a better fit than the others.
Next step, once you have narrowed it down to one model is to choose which variant best suits your needs and budget.
If you’d like further feedback before making your final decision, we’d be happy to help.
Let us know how you get on.