This week's dilemma: Fun car (as an extra) - BMW or Kia?
Discussion
Hi all,
Just joined the forums, albeit having worked around the car industry for a few years, I've known PH for at least the last decade and have often come on here to search for 'car x vs car y' type posts over the years.
Been a petrolhead my whole life (driving and reading about, not tinkering as I tend to use spanners to bang nails into wood!), now a converted volthead who occasionally misses the sound of a V8! Have been subscribing to AutoExpress since I was 11 (issue number 47!)
Favourite car I've owned - Subaru Legacy R Spec B saloon (black/black, went by the name of Leila) - had from new for 11 years, sadly now in the scrapyard in the sky.
Favourite engine I have owned - loved the engine in the R Spec B, but my favourite engine sound (of cars I have owned) is the Yamaha V8 that was in the Volvo S80 V8 I owned for a few months.
My next car plans tend to fluctuate daily and my missus is getting bored of listening to me witter on, hence I thought I'd join here amongst like-minded folk!
At the moment, I have a leased Tesla Model 3 (it's fantastic, but doesn't have a soul. As a white good - literally - it's great and amongst EVs, Tesla just do it right) and my wife has just replaced her oil burner with an electric Kia.
My lease is up in 15 months and I'm thinking about my next car.
I was going to go for a smaller EV (MG4 xpower for example) and 'justify' having a larger family SUV for trips (Porsche Cayenne Mk1 FL would be great!). However, having a (likely) 15yo big premium SUV as the 'holiday car' didn't make sense as it will naturally have a higher propensity to break down. So I thought maybe a Tesla Model Y as the lease, and get a fun run around, maybe a city car sized one - Kia Picanto GT Line S for example.
Then I remembered that I quite fancied an i3 rex as they are meant to be a hoot to drive and are quicker than the Kia.
Latest thinking is that I will want a Model Y eventually, but I rather fancy waiting for the facelift which will likely hit the UK in late 25/26.
So thought is to get a run around to have some fun, also be reasonably efficient and I will need the odd longer journey, as an owned car, run it for a year or so (from Nov 24 when my Model 3 goes back) until the new Model Y comes out.
There's loads of cars to choose from, but I'm currently looking at the Kia or the BMW on the basis that they are both quite small (handy for town), the BMW in particular could be run as a company car through a Ltd company as the BiK is quite low, but the Kia is fully loaded and would likely end up being a few years newer and still under manufacturers warranty.
Budget is around £10k.
Any thoughts or prior experiences? Or other leftfield cars? I quite fancy owning for a bit as, if I buy right, I can chop and change relatively quickly and get to try out a few different cars. Leases are great, but you are tied in for a period of time!
Just joined the forums, albeit having worked around the car industry for a few years, I've known PH for at least the last decade and have often come on here to search for 'car x vs car y' type posts over the years.
Been a petrolhead my whole life (driving and reading about, not tinkering as I tend to use spanners to bang nails into wood!), now a converted volthead who occasionally misses the sound of a V8! Have been subscribing to AutoExpress since I was 11 (issue number 47!)
Favourite car I've owned - Subaru Legacy R Spec B saloon (black/black, went by the name of Leila) - had from new for 11 years, sadly now in the scrapyard in the sky.
Favourite engine I have owned - loved the engine in the R Spec B, but my favourite engine sound (of cars I have owned) is the Yamaha V8 that was in the Volvo S80 V8 I owned for a few months.
My next car plans tend to fluctuate daily and my missus is getting bored of listening to me witter on, hence I thought I'd join here amongst like-minded folk!
At the moment, I have a leased Tesla Model 3 (it's fantastic, but doesn't have a soul. As a white good - literally - it's great and amongst EVs, Tesla just do it right) and my wife has just replaced her oil burner with an electric Kia.
My lease is up in 15 months and I'm thinking about my next car.
I was going to go for a smaller EV (MG4 xpower for example) and 'justify' having a larger family SUV for trips (Porsche Cayenne Mk1 FL would be great!). However, having a (likely) 15yo big premium SUV as the 'holiday car' didn't make sense as it will naturally have a higher propensity to break down. So I thought maybe a Tesla Model Y as the lease, and get a fun run around, maybe a city car sized one - Kia Picanto GT Line S for example.
Then I remembered that I quite fancied an i3 rex as they are meant to be a hoot to drive and are quicker than the Kia.
Latest thinking is that I will want a Model Y eventually, but I rather fancy waiting for the facelift which will likely hit the UK in late 25/26.
So thought is to get a run around to have some fun, also be reasonably efficient and I will need the odd longer journey, as an owned car, run it for a year or so (from Nov 24 when my Model 3 goes back) until the new Model Y comes out.
There's loads of cars to choose from, but I'm currently looking at the Kia or the BMW on the basis that they are both quite small (handy for town), the BMW in particular could be run as a company car through a Ltd company as the BiK is quite low, but the Kia is fully loaded and would likely end up being a few years newer and still under manufacturers warranty.
Budget is around £10k.
Any thoughts or prior experiences? Or other leftfield cars? I quite fancy owning for a bit as, if I buy right, I can chop and change relatively quickly and get to try out a few different cars. Leases are great, but you are tied in for a period of time!
I'm on my second Picanto GTLine S. I should never have sold the first one!
In 45 years of driving, I've never gone back and bought the same car again before. I like the little Kia!
My first one was a 2019, current one is a facelift 2021 model. It loses the electric sunroof, but gets a better instrument panel and bigger infotainment screen. From what I can make out, Kia also made some changes to the engine mapping, so it pulls better from lower revs, and is a little bit more economical. My first one averaged a true 52mpg, current one is a couple better so far.
Make sure you get the 1 litre turbo, not the 1.25 non-turbo.
Kia have said that the 2024 GTLine S will come with the 1 litre non- turbo engine, so the current turbo models might hold their value better.
I don't think there's a small car out there that offers a better blend of value, toys, fun and performance. The only real competitor is the UP GTi, which has a much lower spec, and costs more.
Make sure it comes with a full main dealer service history (for the warranty), and check the diamond-cut alloys for corrosion - the only issue I had with my first one.
In 45 years of driving, I've never gone back and bought the same car again before. I like the little Kia!
My first one was a 2019, current one is a facelift 2021 model. It loses the electric sunroof, but gets a better instrument panel and bigger infotainment screen. From what I can make out, Kia also made some changes to the engine mapping, so it pulls better from lower revs, and is a little bit more economical. My first one averaged a true 52mpg, current one is a couple better so far.
Make sure you get the 1 litre turbo, not the 1.25 non-turbo.
Kia have said that the 2024 GTLine S will come with the 1 litre non- turbo engine, so the current turbo models might hold their value better.
I don't think there's a small car out there that offers a better blend of value, toys, fun and performance. The only real competitor is the UP GTi, which has a much lower spec, and costs more.
Make sure it comes with a full main dealer service history (for the warranty), and check the diamond-cut alloys for corrosion - the only issue I had with my first one.
Thanks clockworks, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!
Is it your main car? My only concern is that, with current thinking, it may end up being my main car for a few months (until I can get a lease on the FL Model Y) so will need to do motorway journeys etc.
Given budget, I will likely end up with a pre-FL. Not too fussed about screen size as long as it has CarPlay and actually prefer the sunroof as I like the light it lets in.
Wouldn't be going for a 1.25 - 11.6s 0-60 doesn't do it for me! Looking around, right now £10k would get me a 2018 1.0 GDi, so hopefully next year I'll be looking at a 2019 with <50k miles for that price.
Thanks for the comments, appreciate it
Is it your main car? My only concern is that, with current thinking, it may end up being my main car for a few months (until I can get a lease on the FL Model Y) so will need to do motorway journeys etc.
Given budget, I will likely end up with a pre-FL. Not too fussed about screen size as long as it has CarPlay and actually prefer the sunroof as I like the light it lets in.
Wouldn't be going for a 1.25 - 11.6s 0-60 doesn't do it for me! Looking around, right now £10k would get me a 2018 1.0 GDi, so hopefully next year I'll be looking at a 2019 with <50k miles for that price.
Thanks for the comments, appreciate it
Recommend a Peugeot 208GTI Prestige in your budget.
Brilliant spec, reliable, efficient, comfortable, decent size, light and a far better drive than either the KIA or I3 by a long shot!
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308100...
Brilliant spec, reliable, efficient, comfortable, decent size, light and a far better drive than either the KIA or I3 by a long shot!
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308100...
Zeddicus said:
Thanks clockworks, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!
Is it your main car? My only concern is that, with current thinking, it may end up being my main car for a few months (until I can get a lease on the FL Model Y) so will need to do motorway journeys etc.
Given budget, I will likely end up with a pre-FL. Not too fussed about screen size as long as it has CarPlay and actually prefer the sunroof as I like the light it lets in.
Wouldn't be going for a 1.25 - 11.6s 0-60 doesn't do it for me! Looking around, right now £10k would get me a 2018 1.0 GDi, so hopefully next year I'll be looking at a 2019 with <50k miles for that price.
Thanks for the comments, appreciate it
Not my main car. I also have a C3 Aircross, mileage split pretty much equally between the two. I use whichever car is best suited to the journey. Obviously take the Picanto if I'm just going out for a drive.Is it your main car? My only concern is that, with current thinking, it may end up being my main car for a few months (until I can get a lease on the FL Model Y) so will need to do motorway journeys etc.
Given budget, I will likely end up with a pre-FL. Not too fussed about screen size as long as it has CarPlay and actually prefer the sunroof as I like the light it lets in.
Wouldn't be going for a 1.25 - 11.6s 0-60 doesn't do it for me! Looking around, right now £10k would get me a 2018 1.0 GDi, so hopefully next year I'll be looking at a 2019 with <50k miles for that price.
Thanks for the comments, appreciate it
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