How Shit are Kia Vagentises?

[Stanky]

So, I'm on the lookout for a new set of wheels, My Nissan Almera is utterly reliable but I'd like something which fulfils these criteria:

 

- Post 2001

- Saloon

- 2.0 or bigger engine

- Under £2k to buy

- A bit shite

 

A few cars have crossed my path which have caused me to think 'One of those might be alright' and currently holding the top spot is a Kia Magentis. How shit are they? Obviously its a bit 'banana republic despot' - especially so in 2.5 v6 form, but to me thats no bad thing. We already have a Mk2 Rio which has a few foibles but for £700 for a 9 year old car I was amazed that it hasn't spontaneously combusted or eaten itself or anything (yet).

 

What is its big brother like? I assume its very uninvolved to drive, but this is no bad thing. Whats fuel economy like? Fuelly seems to indicate that 35mpg is easily achievable in real world driving from the 2.0 pezzer and 28mpg is realistic for the 2.5. This isn't ruinous, I commute about 110 miles a day but have the benefit of subsidised fuel in the form of a guy I left share with, who chips in for half my fuel costs. I currently see mid-40s from the Nissan, but I'm happy to sacrifice a bit of fuel economy for a bit more luxury and power under my right foot.

 

Something pre-2006 is affordable from the tax point of view as even the 2.5 is only £280 a year. 

 

Honest* John doesn't give too scathing a report of them, the main critisism is that 'its not a mondeo' which they seem to say about every other mid-size saloon which is not a mondeo. I've had a mondeo and it was alright but I lived in fear of clutch problems necessitating replacement. It never happened but It did leave me living in fear.

 

My old mondeo had a 2.0 16v engine with 140k on the clocks and easily returned 38mpg on a run, even at 80 most of the time so if I could expect the same from a Magentis 2.0 (or a bit less from the v6) I'd not be an unhappy chappy.

 

So, anyone know about them or even better have first hand experience of owning one for a protracted period of time? There are a multitude of them on auto-raider permanently so I seem to have a decent amount of choice, unless they are just utterly shit and should be avoided at all costs.

 

Finally, if anyone is considering selling one I'm all ears. Especially if you're really craving some ultra-bland but ultra reliable mid-90s hatchback motoring in the form of a Nissan Almera plus ca$$$h (2nite m8)

 

 

[Junkman]

So, I'm on the lookout for a new set of wheels, My Nissan Almera is utterly reliable but I'd like something which fulfils these criteria:

 

- Post 2001

 

Everything built after 1986 should be avoided like gonorrhoea.

[Asimo]

Is the 2.5 the Rover K series V6 as used in some other Kias?

[Mr Lobster]

I ran a few of them on a rental fleet in about 2004/5. They were without exception very dull but reliable. They did feel a bit cheap and flimsy but in all fairness were ok enough just rather forgettable.

[Micrashed]

Is the 2.5 the Rover K series V6 as used in some other Kias?

I thought it wa a Hyundai Delta or Theta donkey they used

[Stixy]

I like them ive had 4 of them  2001/ 2002 model   the V6 isnt too bad on fuel unless you ive them loads of boot  

 

Front subframes and sills rot  and a V6 alternator is nearly an engine out job  cam belt is an easy job though 

 

They are the sort of car that seems to waft along on the motorway  without any fuss  

 

Trim doesnt wear well  though and dont ask what animal the leather comes from 

 

£350 was the most ive paid for one 

 

 

Mk2 Mondeo is a better car 

[Stixy]

I even like how they look 

[cort16]

I find their old school 3 box design appealling. You seem to be able to pick up 55-56 plate ones for 600-700 quid. Beware of the C02 banding of doom on the car tax on these things when you get into cars newer than 2006 that's why a lot of them are so cheap.

What you really want is a Hyundai XG30, which is the ultimate prestige shite

[Sloth in a bowl]

A Bargain V6 Omega may fit your requirements with £1500 saved to spend on fuel

 

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/omega/1055440273

[Stanky]

The Internetzzzz reckons Micrashed is correct, Hyundai Delta 2.5 V6, as used (in slightly larger displacement form) in the top-of-the-range Hyundai Coupe and Sonata.

 

170-odd bhp on tap, allegedly.

 

The 2.0 is a Mitsubishi 4G63 engine, famously used in turbocharged and intercooled form in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. So (tenuous) racing pedigree right there.

 

Lobster, thanks for the nod regarding reliability - I'm more concerned about it being reliable than powerful tbh. I need to be at work 5 days a week, rather than sitting by the side of the A32 in a cloud of steam. 

 

Stixy, I'll look closely for rust, and thanks for the info re thirst on the V6 one. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a cheap one on ebay or locally, doesn;t seem to be any point paying dealer prices for something like this, when there are heaps available privately. They aren't exactly attractive IMHO but at least they do have a distinctive look, unlike the vast majority of their contemporaries.

 

Cort16, I plan on getting one no later than 2006 or I'd be crippled by road tax before I'd even got near a pez station! They certainly seem to be cheaper than the vast majority of contemporary rivals, hence my interest.

[Jim Bergerac]

Is the 2.5 the Rover K series V6 as used in some other Kias?

 

KV6 was used only in the Sedona, AFAIK.

[twosmoke300]

Bacause the heads and belts would be too easy to get to in a normal car so they rammed them under the bulkhead people carrier style

[Stixy]

Its not the same engine but very similar design    Both designed by Powertrain products iirc     also related to Chrysler V6 in Voyager etc 

[Lacquer Peel]

If you like the Almera, why not a 2.0 Primera? They're a good drive.

 

Here's one with a CVT transmission! SHITE!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-Primera-2-0-16v-Hypertronic-CVT-M6-Sport-2001-51-PLATE-12-MONTH-MOT-/201064117223

[wuvvum]

I had a V6 Magentis, and was pleasantly surprised.  The plastics feel cheap but they're well screwed together, the V6 goes bloody well without being too stupid on pez, and they really do handle nicely once you get past the overlight steering.  I gave a couple of Imprezas a hard time on my favourite local back road, and mine was a badermatic.  In fact I've given serious consideration to buying a V6 manual and stripping out the back seats etc. to make the world's most unlikely track day car.

[Stanky]

Thanks LP, A facelift P10 Primera is in 2nd place in the 'what car to get next' stakes, I'm particularly keen on the chain-driven cam variants (like my Almera) as its one less thing to be worrying about.

 

I am very keen on the 2.0 primera GT with A HUNDRED AND FIFTY bee-aitch-pee m8. A guy I used to work with had one of these and said it was a very capable cruiser, if not an outright drag-racer, mainly due to the long gear ratios.

 

I have been very impressed with Nissan engineering after buying the Almera 2 and a bit years ago, it has required nothing other than a replacement wiper motor and routine servicing in that time and is a real pleasure to work on, however living less than a mile from the sea has taken its toll on the (already plated at least once) sills and at least one of them is going to require some serious tickling with the MIG before its next MOT, from what I understand the P10 Primeras are just as prone to tin-worm.

 

However, these are also bizarrely cheap for what they are, so its giving the Kia a seriously hard time, I suspect it will be a case of which one I can find the better example of when I go out shopping early in the summer.

 

CVT is for WINNARS. I had a CVT Volvo 300 once, it was utterly dire. I never got round to removing the gizmo that stopped you from driving as fast in reverse as you could in drive, but remains a highly entertaining possibility.

[wuvvum]

I had a CVT Primera.  It was shit.  Silly cheap though, as you say - admittedly mine had a bit of an idling problem, but it was under 200 clams with about 6 months' test.

[Spiny Norman]

I quite like the look of them, and the idea of riding around in what to the general public is a fairly new 'looked like a Mercedes' car for a grand or so is appealing. The only thing that really puts me off them is the spares situation. At least with a grand's worth old Merc or Jaaaaag there are plenty of non-OEM/scrap bits about for non safety items and GSF/ECP type places for service items. Not sure you'd have the same deal with a V6 Vagentis or the big Hyundai equivalent.

 

Plus, I can't see the Korean barge being as nice to drive, or sit in as £750 worth of XJ8 or W210, even if it is a bit less crusty round the edges.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

One of my neighbours was given a 2.0 Primera about 5 years ago and has spent fuck all on it since. It's a silver y reg thing and I think another neighbour stitched a patch on the front crossmember for the MOT a couple of years ago. That's cheap motoring. Never serviced,never washed, just taxed every 6 months and driven.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

This talk of Korean barges reminded me of this,it's been for sale on the Trader site for at least 6months and £500 a year tax is a certainty ,but,what a lot of 2008 shite for three and a half.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201307157818260/sort/default/usedcars/page/1/postcode/mk109au/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/model/grandeur/make/hyundai/radius/1500?logcode=p

[Stixy]

Some  Magentis spares  can be found cheap enough if you look around  .

 

The last one i bought had a autobox problem  it would shift first to second then go thud into 4th and put the EML light on and go " limp "  after pluging in a £15 code reader it told me a gearbox input speed sensor had failed and my main dealer wanted nearly £150 for it   but on ebay America a transmission specialist sells the input and output sensors posted to the UK for just under £54 and they arrived in just over a week 10 minutes to fit and job done . After a few months of driving it like a loon it failed the MOT on front lower ball joints  which were aprox £11 each on ebay .

 

Exhausts  Headlights and bumpers   will be an expensive  problem for sombody in the cars lifetime 

 

V6 Oil filters are the same as whats fitted to Husqvarna  ride on lawn mowers 

[gtd2000]

This talk of Korean barges reminded me of this,it's been for sale on the Trader site for at least 6months and £500 a year tax is a certainty ,but,what a lot of 2008 shite for three and a half.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201307157818260/sort/default/usedcars/page/1/postcode/mk109au/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/model/grandeur/make/hyundai/radius/1500?logcode=pimage.jpg

Wow I didn't even know that they sold the "Azera" in RHD format.

 

They are pretty popular in the USA but I'm not really sure why they made this model when it is visually very similar to the Sonata...?

[gtd2000]

Other than the Vagentis have you considered the older Sonata as well - they look fairly smart in a faux Jag style...

 

 

 

I'd be up for the Cort XG30 recommendation too.

[Stanky]

I had also looked at the Hyundai Sonata which seems to share the same engine but has a slightly less boxy body. They seem to be a smidge more expensive like-for-like, but still fall well within my budget. 

 

I am well taken by the lashings of faux wood in the ones on auto-raider currently! Something the Kia can only aspire to.

 

Looks like there is a realistic prospect of tickling 40mpg in the 2.0 pezzer one which is a bonus. 

 

Just run some sample details through confused.com and the Hyundai is coming out at £288 for the year and the Kia is £351. That makes that decision somewhat easier!

 

I shall investigate Hyundai's further methinks. Thanks for the input everyone!