Used Kia Picanto

The Kia Picanto is a small five-door city car, made for town and short trips. It parks anywhere, uses little fuel and is cheap to insure, which makes it a good first car or second household car. On the used market you'll mostly find the third generation, launched in 2017, plus some cars from the previous one (2011 to 2017).

It's petrol only: a 1.0 three-cylinder, a 1.2 four-cylinder and, on GT-Line or X-Line trims, a 1.0 T-GDi turbo that copes better on the motorway. Manual or automatic depending on the version. A recent petrol Picanto has no trouble with low-emission zones, but always check the Euro standard on the Car-Pass.

Kia covers its cars for 7 years or 150,000 km, and the warranty passes to the next owner if the car was serviced to the manufacturer's schedule. On a recent Picanto, it's worth asking for the full service book.

Before you buy, check:

• a Car-Pass less than two months old, and mileage that matches the wear on the steering wheel and pedals;
• small parking knocks on the bumpers and wheels, common on a city car;
• the clutch and gearbox during a test drive in town and on a fast road;
• an insurance quote before you sign, especially for a young driver.

A small car with a clear history beats a bigger one without.