Mat’s Car of the Day: this used Kia is as sensible as cars get for under £15,000
Car changing is a big deal
A Kia Ceed is never going to set your heart racing, but it’s a brilliant alternative to a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus – and it’s fantastic value to buy used. Here’s why Mat doesn’t think you should overlook the Ceed
A spell as Top Gear’s ‘Reasonably Priced Car’ is possibly one of the only reasons you’ll be familiar with the Kia Ceed. For all its qualities, and there are many, it’s undeniably a bit boring.
But boring is not a bad trait when it comes to buying a used car, and if you’ve got your sensible hat on it can actually be a pretty desirable quality. With that in mind, I’ve found a great deal on a second-hand Ceed that saves you more than £10,000 versus its price when new.
Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.
Used Kia Ceed deals
There are loads of Kia Ceeds on sale on Carwow, mostly of the second and third generations which were on sale from 2012 until earlier in 2026. Originally known as the cee’d (or ‘C-apostrophe-D’, if you fancy yourself as a joker) the punctuation was dropped for the 2018 third-gen model which was known simply as the Ceed.
It’s this most recent model I’ve been concentrating my search on, and I’ve found this 2023 example for just £13,449.
It’s in a great spec – the racy-looking GT-Line – and equipped with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and six-speed manual gearbox. New, it would have cost over £26,300, but at three years old with 50,000 miles on you can save almost half that.
If you had that sort of money to buy a new car, you could get a Dacia Spring – or maybe two-thirds of a Vauxhall Corsa. Read on to find out why you should buy a whole Kia Ceed instead.
Why should you buy a Kia Ceed?
Here are three reasons this sensible hatchback is actually a great buy.
1. It’s still under warranty
Kia set a new standard when it introduced its seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty in the UK. Nowadays, it’s not the longest warranty cover available, but it’s still excellent – to the point where this 2023 car almost has more warranty remaining than a Volkswagen Golf has if you bought one brand-new.
2. It’s actually good to drive
Kia cars aren’t exactly known for their racy handling but the Ceed does impress, capable of flowing from corner to corner with a surprising amount of poise. It’s not as much fun as a Ford Focus through the bends, but it’s actually nicer than a Golf. Yes, really.
3. You can get lots of different versions
If our petrol, manual hatchback doesn’t tickle your pickle then don’t worry – the Ceed range has been pretty extensive over the years. There was a diesel engine, automatic gearboxes (of course), trim levels ranging from the Spartan to the positively sporty, and even a proper warm hatch model in the form of the 1.6-litre Ceed GT.
In addition, you could get the third-gen Ceed as a hatchback, estate car, jacked-up hatch called the XCeed, or the slinky Proceed shooting brake.
Three annoying things about the Kia Ceed
1. The interior is like a funeral
Yeah, honestly – it’s all in black and nobody’s having any fun. The Ceed’s dashboard is well-built and easy to use, but so is a tea urn and nobody’s itching to get their hands on one of those. It’s one of those cars that’s really nothing more than functional inside.
2. Fuel economy is only average
The petrol and diesel engines aren’t as efficient as you get in a Volkswagen Golf, and even driven gently you’ll only see economy in the 50s from the latter where a diesel Golf can achieve well over 60mpg. There’s also no proper self-charging hybrid, like you get with the super-efficient Toyota Corolla. And the short-lived Ceed plug-in hybrid had a pretty lousy electric range.
3. A used Ford Focus is cheaper
An equivalent car to our GT-Line Ceed here, a Ford Focus Ecoboost ST-Line (2023 with circa 50k miles) would cost you about £11,600 to buy used. A Ceed is no doubt a better buy thanks to its reliability record and warranty cover, but the Focus is certainly a lot of car for your money.
Car change? Carwow!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
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