garethj Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 For those of you that hang on my every word, you’ll know that I got rid of my spaceship Civic to find something that was more fuel efficient and cheap to insure my daughter on, she turns 17 next week. I would link to the thread but I’m a busy man here. After some top stuff was suggested, I did an Autotrader search for anything diesel, less than £2000 and trudged through a lot of porridge. Then I found a Kia pro_cee’d (yes, all that punctuation). When Kia started importing cars into the UK in the early ‘90s they were known as a cheaper, duller version of a dull Japanese car of the time. Prime Autoshite material in fact, didn’t the Pride even come with optional whitewall tyres? By the early 2000s Hyundai had bought up a chunk of the Kia business and they started sharing technology and components like Austin and Morris or Volkswagen and Audi. In this relationship, Hyundai is like Audi and Kia is like Volkswagen. There were a few gems out there; the Hyundai coupe by the 2000s was a handsome car but Kia realised that designing a car for Europe really needed a design centre in Europe. In 2005 they built one in Germany and hired Peter Schreyer who previously worked at Audi and did some work on the original TT coupe. The cee’d was their first effort, it stands for Community of Europe, with European Design and the 5 door hatchback was a pretty good effort. A couple of years later they did the 3 door version called the pro_cee’d. It wasn’t quite the normal job of a new side panel and that’s it, every panel except the bonnet and front wings was different. The roofline is lower, the front is stretched a bit and the view from the side is like a slightly cooler version of an Audi A3. The whole car sits lower than the 5 door version so visually it’s quite different. Inside is the same as the 5 door and that means climate control, cruise control (in this “3” spec version), speed sensitive steering, cup holders and whatever modern things everyone else had. It was offered with petrol engines, an 89bhp or 113bhp 1.6 diesel or a 130bhp 2 litre diesel. This one is the 113bhp diesel which does 0-60 in about 11 seconds and 115ish mph. Driving impressions are pretty good, it’s not exactly sparkling but it’s not too dull either, whatever modern wizzardry they’ve done with the electric power steering is effective and for a modern hatchback it feels good. Power delivery is a rush from 2000rpm to about 3700rpm and then it falls away quickly. As usual, the 0-60 time is nothing special against the clock but the in gear acceleration is sprightly. This is an early one so has a 5 speed gearbox, later ones have 6 but it’s quite high geared. Changing into 4th at 30mph is ok but if your speed drops much below that you’ll need 3rd. 5th gear isn’t interested below 40mph either but I think 60mph is about 2000 revs so it’s quiet on the motorway. I’ve had it for just over a week now and had a chance to fill the 53 litre tank after about 550 miles. The trip computer said it had done 54mpg but crunching the numbers it came out at 57mpg. That’s pretty impressive when you consider I took the M45 to Coventry this week and held a good speed for the whole stretch. Not driving like a licence-losing twat should see 60mpg which is excellent. The serious test is whether it’s accepted by a 17 year old girl and thankfully it’s ok. Having an aux input on the stereo so my £20 Bluetooth module can pair with the phone is the main thing timolloyd, juular, Lacquer Peel and 22 others 25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorfolkNWeigh Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 That’s probably the sort of thing I should have bought... Oh, you can’t lose your licence on the M45, I’m pretty sure BMW negotiated Autobahn status for it as part of The English Patient deal. The Police have actually forgotten it’s there. garethj, Lord Sterling and mk2_craig 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_Rocket Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 You don't need to convince me about the Cee'd! I have a 2010 estate model and they're excellent. Unfortunately it's an Ecodynamics, which means 90bhp - it's quite slow really. But on the upside, you also get £30 tax, 6-speed and late 50s mpg. I paid £700 for mine 2 years ago, mainly because it's done 170k. It drives perfectly still and nothing ever goes wrong. The clutch has a low bite but 'they all do that sir' and you soon get used to it. They're easy to maintain and feel as good as any Focus or Astra to drive. I really rate them. Mine has never done below 58mpg, tank to tank. The fuel computer says a couple more, but I keep track of it through Fuelly. The Pro-Ceed looks well smart! Nice buy 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parky Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 They are pretty smart aren’t they? I very nearly got a 5 door Ceed when I bought our Leon back in 2008 and I always thought they would be a good second hand buy. They don’t get a 7 year warranty if Kia expect to pay out on it so the fundamentals are solid. Well bought, might think about one of these for Junior when he starts driving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Top write up! I would hope your daughter would think it's a great car, I reckon I'd be impressed of I was given that to drive around in at 17. The performance and fuel figures seem pretty impressive too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan302 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 I quite fancy a 5 door Cee'd, a 1.6 petrol. They occasionally seem to just about dip into the sub £1000 bracket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dozeydustman Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 I like modern Kias and Hyundais. Competent, well made, reasonable to drive, but nothing special. Modern automotive porridge. I was rather impressed by the i30 I had as a hire car in 2015, seeing as my previous experiences with Hyundais had been with an ex’s Accent from the 90s, and a very late Elantra I teat drove when looking for cheap wheels, which felt old Fashioned for their model years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parky Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 I like the new i30, it looks like an A class. Nice inside too. Hyundai are the New Toyota, solid reliable stuff that doesn’t offend and does a great job of being “an car”. Toyota styling these days is......a bit of an acquired taste in some cases N Dentressangle, GrumpiusMaximus, Garythesnail and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan302 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 On 10/3/2020 at 6:24 PM, Dan302 said: I quite fancy a 5 door Cee'd, a 1.6 petrol. They occasionally seem to just about dip into the sub £1000 bracket. Is quoting myself weird? I've just bought a 2007 Ceed 1.6 petrol and I'm really pleased with it, 85000 miles for £995 garethj, tooSavvy, GrumpiusMaximus and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_Rocket Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 Nice, looks very tidy and good miles. Mine passed its MoT today. 178k not out! rainagain, 500tops, garethj and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan302 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 1 hour ago, Rusty_Rocket said: Nice, looks very tidy and good miles. Mine passed its MoT today. 178k not out! That colour really suits it, the facelifted front end definitely looks more stylish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Jetter Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 hours ago, Dan302 said: Is quoting myself weird? I've just bought a 2007 Ceed 1.6 petrol and I'm really pleased with it, 85000 miles for £995 Yes, but that's cheep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan302 Posted October 16, 2020 Share Posted October 16, 2020 2 minutes ago, High Jetter said: Yes, but that's cheep! It's got so much history, dealer serviced, LS spec. Drives nicely but does need the tracking adjusting (it's booked in for next Friday) it's got a dent in the rear o/s door and some bad rattle can stone chip repairs on the bonnet but I'm not really bothered as long as it runs well Rusty_Rocket 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethj Posted December 30, 2020 Author Share Posted December 30, 2020 Almost 3 months in to ownership of this and I’ve done about 4000 miles, let’s have a sum up of the problems. I’ve had to fill up the washer bottle, top up the air in the tyres and replace the wipers. What an unreliable piece of shit, eh? If you drive hard it does a whisker under 50mpg, drive gently and it does 55mpg and I think 58mpg is my best ever. This is the 1.6 113bhp version which has got adequate performance, handling is alright and it still looks quite nice in a bland kinda way. It’s comfy, got enough room inside and is slightly different, all in all that’s a success 👍 Rusty_Rocket, DVee8, Garythesnail and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy - Medhurst Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 (edited) Funny this should pop up on here as looking for a car and a proceed is on my list. Shame there's not many about locally. This is one I am thinking of looking at. Its a 3 model - What problems can they have? Edited December 30, 2020 by Billy - Medhurst Pic added Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethj Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 Seems like not many problems https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/car-reviews/kia/pro-cee-d/pro_cee'd-2008-2012/ Billy - Medhurst 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_Rocket Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 9 hours ago, Billy - Medhurst said: Funny this should pop up on here as looking for a car and a proceed is on my list. Shame there's not many about locally. This is one I am thinking of looking at. Its a 3 model - What problems can they have? Level '3' is top spec, cruise control, climate etc etc. Mine is a lowly '2'! That one is a pre facelift, but nothing wrong with that. As GarethJ says above... not a lot goes wrong with them. Mine gets it's bonnet lifted only to change the oil and top up the screenwash- that's it. They do/ did have a clutch issue where the pressure plate fingers become weak and the biting point drops very low. Mine has had this for years; when I first got the car, I removed the small rubber stop underneath the clutch pedal to give me another couple of mill travel and removed the damper unit in the clutch hydraulics, replacing it with a sump plug of the same thread. This gave me a bit more travel and a clutch that clears just fine. Pedal is still low-ish but it's no issue. Billy - Medhurst 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethj Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 6 months of ownership now and absolutely fuck-all to report. I have worked from home for a month which kept the mileage down a bit but 600 miles to a tank is handy too. I achieved the lowest fuel economy of 48mpg but when I look at the driving I’ve done, it’s basically been from the driveway to the road to get another car out or to get the garage door open. On the road was local trips only. Anything with actual miles still gets 55+ mpg and it’s still comfortable, quiet and looks good. Over the winter I used it to jump start about 5 other cars and other than checking the oil, it’s the only reason the bonnet has been up. In terms of value for money, for two grand it was a lot more than most of the snotters I’ve had but against used cars for 5 grand and up, I’m not sure what their value is. Part of the fun of getting a car is finding out the best way to beat the system. Whilst it doesn’t have the horizontal depreciation of a £500 car, this one is practically brand new in terms of what it does. Rusty_Rocket, Sigmund Fraud, stripped fred and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan302 Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 I love my Ceed it just feels so dependable. Its probably the best car I've ever had, its does exactly what I need in a an car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tartan58 Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Korea is the new Japan if you want a car that just works. We had an 11 plate estate for a while and it was very capable, the 1.6 petrol wasn't quick by any means but did the job. However I found the ride harsh and the seats too hard, that was the main reason for getting rid. but other than that it was perfectly ok. Only problems we had was the volume control on the stereo stopped working (steering wheel controls still worked) and the boot lock rattled and both were fixed under warranty with no quibbles (I was expecting a fight since we hadn't bought the car from a franchised dealer but no). Very similar experience with our current i20 which we've had for the last 5 years bought as an ex demonstrator. Every 6 months the dealer phones up trying to tempt us with new deals and I keep saying sorry but if you wanted me to buy a new one you shouldn't have sold me such a good one first time round, I don't see any need to change it - they don't know how to respond to that one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw118 Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 SWMBO has a Rio 2, on a 62 plate. No problems at all, one smoll issue with the bootlock, easy fix, cheap part. Will be looking at one for myself ( Sportage or an estate of the Optima) when it comes to moving Megamoose on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_Green Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 My missus has a 2016 C'eed 1.4 Petrol SR7. Had it since one year old. Bit embarrassed to say it's only on 20K now, so I'm not exactly getting the most out of the 7r/100K warranty. Yeah, it's cool. Everything works. Both daytime running lights started flickering but the dealer replaced the circuit boards on those no probs. Common problem apparently. The Kia Venga she had before it for 6 years was just as good. Big Kia fan boy here. Dan302 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goosey Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 I’ve had this carens as a company car since June 2018 it’s done just over 60k miles. only problem I have with it is the boot carpet and panels tend to damage very easily as I regularly carry a lot of stuff for work. also the alloy wheels started to corrode after only a year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bezzabsa Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 That pro cee'd looks very very Astra like, even more so if you cover the grill up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Jetter Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 So, it's a Co car, so carrying their stuff is not your problem. Likewise wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethj Posted March 23, 2021 Author Share Posted March 23, 2021 7 minutes ago, bezzabsa said: That pro cee'd looks very very Astra like, even more so if you cover the grill up... The designer previously worked at Audi, it’s just possible he put the drawings for the 3 door Audi A3 on the photocopier before he left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goosey Posted March 24, 2021 Share Posted March 24, 2021 13 hours ago, High Jetter said: So, it's a Co car, so carrying their stuff is not your problem. Likewise wheels. Company gets charged for it,when the lease runs out I have to pay a percentage of the so called damage cost on final inspection . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STUNO Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 not cheap in these parts ! Kia Proceed for sale | Trade Me Motors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethj Posted March 25, 2021 Author Share Posted March 25, 2021 2 hours ago, STUNO said: not cheap in these parts ! Kia Proceed for sale | Trade Me Motors The later ones and especially the speedy special ones are expensive here too. Mine is a 2008 and all the first generation cars like it seem cheap here. Of course we add huge amounts of value to things that are either new or “prestige”. An old Kia is none of those things so its value falls off a cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_Rocket Posted March 25, 2021 Share Posted March 25, 2021 My Ceed had a rare failure last week. Pulling off the driveway and.... BANG! A front spring broke and instantly lowered the car on that side. Luckily it stayed central on the strut and I still managed to drive it into work on Friday to fix it. Two front springs (genuine Kia no less) were £65 and I did them both in an hour. These cars are so well designed and easy to work on. Try doing the same job on a similarly aged Golf- you'll be fighting the stupid rusted multi-spline strut clamp bolt I bet! I also took all four calipers off, cleaned and greased the sliders and reassembled. 181k not out. garethj and Dan302 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now