So, I’ve had the big-engined Kia for nearly 10 months now.
It is by far the best car I have ever owned. It is two cars in one; a comfortable, quiet cruiser for the school run or commute, or a seriously quick sports-biased GT car when I’m in the mood for some fun on the right road.
In terms of value for money, it is staggeringly good.
It was a Kia demonstrator which I bought at 4 1/2 months old. I negotiated over 20% off the list price. At that point I had the vast majority of the 7-year warranty left.
These top-spec GTS models only have one possible option, metallic paint. Everything else is included – 8-speed automatic, limited slip differential, a raft of safety aids – cross-traffic alert, emergency braking, blind-spot monitor, electronically controlled suspension, LED head and tail lights, High Beam Assist, smart powered tailgate, 360 degree bird’s eye view, parking sensors front and rear, wide sunroof, wireless phone charger, memory 8-way adjustable front seats, 720W Harman-Kardon sound system with 2 subs, DAB radio, adaptive cruise control, 5 driving modes, Head Up Display, navigation, full nappa leather, heated seats front and back, cooled seats in the front, and heated steering wheel. For the tech-minded there is apple car play and android auto too, giving multiple navigation, connectivity and music options.
There are more features hiding away in the menus such as lap timer, G-force monitor, oil temperature, individual tyre pressures, the ability to alter the colour of the ambient cabin lighting and so on. The list is seemingly endless.
Added to the 365bhp and 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and it’s quite a package.
The styling is different too and attracts a lot of attention on the road and at petrol stations.
Downsides? I do quite a lot of short (less than 10 miles) journeys so am averaging 26 mpg overall. This improves to over 30 mpg when I travel further and I can see 35-36 mpg on the motorway.
It needs servicing every 6 months or 6000 miles but, in reality, this is just one extra half day a year at the dealer, and the £1000 3-year service deal works out at less than £170 per service. I’ll take that for a 3.3 litre V6.
The comparable Audi S5 Sportback with the equivalent options added would be approaching £60,000 to buy new. Similarly the BMW 440i Grand Coupe.
In summary, BCC is all about saving my clients money and I have tried to show here that, providing you are not too badge-conscious, there are huge savings to be had at whatever level of the market you are at, budget, premium or even luxury. There are always bargains out there in the motoring world!