Kia Magentis (06-10) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on 07 July 2006

Last Updated: 10 November 2009

Kia may have a strong reputation for making good value small hatchbacks and people carriers, but not many people consider the Korean make when it comes to larger saloons. The Magentis is just that - a four door car that's similar in size to the Volkswagen Passat, but unfortunately that's where the similarities end. The dull styling and cheap-looking cabin do it few favours, while a cramped driving position and flimsy handling make it far from enjoyable to drive. It does come well equipped and there's plenty of rear leg room. It was facelifted in 2009 with a sharper look and improved handling, but it still fails to impress. The Ceed hatchback may be smaller, but it's a far superior Kia.

3 out of 5

Other Kia reviews

3 out of 5

Summary

New price range:

£14,545 - £20,095

Used price range:

£1,732 - £12,225

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Roomy cabin, comfortable ride, easy to drive, good diesel choice

Bland looks, interior lacks sophistication, vague steering

Driving & Performance

Performance

3 out of 5
"Three engines are available in the Magentis but it's the 2.0-litre CRDi diesel with 140bhp which is..."
Handling

3 out of 5
"The Magentis is easy to drive but not particularly enjoyable or involving. A snappy clutch on the..."

Comfort

Comfort

3 out of 5
"Ride comfort is good on smooth surfaces such as motorways, but it struggles to cope with bumpy or..."
Practicality

3 out of 5
"The Magentis has a decent boot with 452 litres of space - that's bigger, for example, than a Peugeot..."
Equipment

4 out of 5
"GS models come with alloy wheels, power steering, air conditioning, an MP3-compatible CD stereo,..."
Behind the wheel

3 out of 5
"Kia has tried to match the mainstream European and Japanese models for interior quality. Everything..."

Costs

Running costs

3 out of 5
"Both the 2.0-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol engines are competitive on fuel consumption with..."
Green credentials

2.5 out of 5
"The Magentis performs respectably on the eco front and it's not surprising that the diesel is the..."

Safety & Reliability

Safety

3 out of 5
"The Magentis scored a reasonable four stars in official Euro NCAP crash tests, but many similar..."
Reliability

4 out of 5
"Kia has a good reputation for reliability and the Magentis should be no different. We've heard of no..."

Buying & Selling

Buying new

2.5 out of 5
"You should try to get at least a few hundred pounds off if you're buying new. The list price might..."
Buying used

2.5 out of 5
"Depreciation is pretty steep for the first few years of any saloon cars life - especially so with a..."
Selling

1.5 out of 5
"The new Magentis is a much better car than the older model, but will only sell if the price is..."