Kia - Picanto

2004 onwards

Picanto is the nearest rival to Fiat's Panda: it's modern, small but high-roofed, ideally suited to the city, and cheap to buy and run. It's also more distinctive-looking, with its cute eye-like headlights.

	Very cheap to buy and run
	Roomy and practical for its size
	Good warranty; likely to be reliable
	Rivals are livelier and nicer to drive
	Uneven ride at higher speeds
	Not much shoulder room for larger adults

Picanto is very competitively priced and will be very cheap to run. And it's desirable for more than just its cost-cutting credentials it's nippy and willing for urban driving, as well as managing to keep up comfortably at motorway speeds, so it makes a thoroughly competent all-round purchase. The cabin is versatile, and the load space usable. But minus points for the standard painted bumpers: not ideal for city users.
Three-cylinder 1.0 and four-cylinder 1.1 petrol engines are offered, with a diesel set to join the range in 2005. The 1.0 is perfectly adequate, though. Equipment levels are high, with a good safety features, and its modern bodyshell should stand up well in the event of a crash.
It's not quite as much fun as a Charade to drive, but it does feel more substantial; it is also more stable-feeling and confidence-inspiring than tall mini-MPVs like the Vauxhall Agila.