I have the GT Line S Stonic on auto transmission and I am very pleased with it. (Brand new this Monday just gone 20.1.25) Comfy ride, ease of driving, sticks to the road like glue. I was pleased to see my interior matches the specs, I was worried and paranoid that perhaps the dealer might have nicked the seats out of mine and replaced with entry level trim seats in instead....phew! My Sportage, I have changed down to rhe Stonic from due to fuel costs, has GT Line labelled on the seats, but the Stonic does not. It has 4 double barred lines in the back rest by comparison. Glad I still have Stonic GT Line S seats in mine lol...phew!!😂 Great review and thanks for posting😊
My Family is getting the Kia Stonic Shadow Edition (Apparently a Special Edition) with heated seats, heated steering wheel and a built in Sat Nav, and we're getting through a payment plan because we've traded in the Kia Niro 2023 model, which honestly was Mid as all hel. Stonic looks really good and the version we're getting looks really nice as it's the Smokey Blue Colour and I'll probably end up driving it if I pass on Thursday 5th December
Looking at getting a new car in 2025, looking at cx30 entry level or kia stonic top range. Have heard not good things about dct. Is the stonic good for town driving with the occasional long distance trips? Or would i be better off with the cx30? Not interested in chinese cars. Have had 4 kias starting with 2005 rio and have never had any issues with any of them. What would you suggest? Have a budget of mid to high 30 thousands. Any advice appreciated.
Had one with the turbo engine from Hertz in Cyprus, a great little car. No 3 cylinder thrum or Brum like many 3 cylinder engines. Quite happy at 100-120 km/hr and just the good old fashioned cruise control not the adaptive type. Personally not a fan of ACC.
The Kia is a very nice functional car at a good price. The Kamiq is a step up, but you may pay more. You will also have a better aftersales experience with Kia that should also be factored in.
Props to makers who still make halogen headlights!! Great for us who don't drive at night very often, and makes the headlights actually serviceable. You can't change an LED headlight on the side of the road for 4€.
Matt, could you tell me why the skoda kamiq and the stonic both have 1 litre 3 cyl turbo engine but the skoda needs premium petrol and the stonic doesnt. Ive narrowed down to these two cars but still comparing. Thankyou😊
The Kamiq is like most European cars, it has to comply with EURO regulations and runs far more efficiently on 95RON fuel.. It’s not worth their while to engineer a small number of cars for the Australian market to use 91 RON..Kamiq performance will be way better and also has the DCT transmission which is used in most VW Group cars.
I'm afraid the expensive running cost has wiped out the remaining benefits of this car over the Skoda Kamiq when the buyer's budget is above $30k. It is also noticeable that there is a Runout version of the MY23.5 Kamiq, which still has some units in stock, and their drive-away price is below $30k (at least in QLD).
Budget spec Korean cars are starting to have the same stink about them as Japanese cars; paying extra for yesterdays car with outside of some ancap annoyance; yesterdays features... But not the reliability that made Toyota a must buy regardless.
For that money I'll yo with the Chinese suv eg Jollion,MG zs more tech better more powerful eng .And before someone bangs on about reliability remember Hyundai slash Kia aren't exactly all that great post warranty in fact there a potential ticking bomb like complete eng failure
@@robertceroli3512 The Chinese turbo engines cars are quite heavy on fuel.. just be careful and research recent reviews.Also the electronic Nannies go off all the time. A friend has one and that’s the big complaint as it can’t be turned down… Talking about cars delivered in Australia so not sure if it’s the same elsewhere.
On the Venue, the CVT automatic kills the performance and it screams like a Banshee under acceleration..They sell on price but you certainly don’t get any performance.
I agree. Halogens give off a less white light, but the overall visibility at night is not much different. Halogens are also much friendly to on coming traffic.
I have a Kamiq with a similar engine. The engine is really rough on pull off, and I had vibrations that I knew weren't normal as I had driven other cars. Skoda also tried to fob me off and made me wait 8 weeks for an appointment to bring the car in. Turned out that an exhaust shield and hand brake were lose, causing the vibration. Don't take no for an answer and take the car back to Kia.
Dual clutch is an immediate no buy for me. Basically a jacked up small hatch that is now poor value. You may as well buy a Chery. You get a 7 year warranty, factory backed operation, the product is decent for the price.
@@therightcaryes i just watched it and can’t decide which is better for my daughters first car. Leaning towards the Stonic I really didn’t like how the Mazda seems to rev without moving very far, I know it’s the way now because of all the emissions standards but i thought the Stonic drove better. Also the t-cross is on my mind but more than i wanted to spend, probably worth it though because girls love the look of VW.
@stephenmorris3696 The T-Cross is a great car and a step up from the Kia. VW uses 95 octane which adds to the fuel bill. Another caution is that VW's aftersales services is poor, Kia would be a better experience. I found the Mazda far too asthmatic. Skoda Kamiq is great, 7 year warranty, but check prices (risen a lot recently and cars despeced compared to last years models) and poor aftersales service (run by VW).
This car is a joke.when it first came out it had a woeful engine and missing a lot of safety gear. It’s only in the car now due to different Government and ANCAP requirements to be able to sell them, and it’s Not an SUV . it’s no higher off the ground than the car it’s based on. False advertising from KIA…And it’s not cheap .
I have the GT Line S Stonic on auto transmission and I am very pleased with it. (Brand new this Monday just gone 20.1.25) Comfy ride, ease of driving, sticks to the road like glue. I was pleased to see my interior matches the specs, I was worried and paranoid that perhaps the dealer might have nicked the seats out of mine and replaced with entry level trim seats in instead....phew! My Sportage, I have changed down to rhe Stonic from due to fuel costs, has GT Line labelled on the seats, but the Stonic does not. It has 4 double barred lines in the back rest by comparison. Glad I still have Stonic GT Line S seats in mine lol...phew!!😂 Great review and thanks for posting😊
Thanks very much! Glad you found my review helpful!
The old Rio with the 6 speed manual was a fun drive.
It was!
Yes that’s my old car, they have gone backwards since.
My Family is getting the Kia Stonic Shadow Edition (Apparently a Special Edition) with heated seats, heated steering wheel and a built in Sat Nav, and we're getting through a payment plan because we've traded in the Kia Niro 2023 model, which honestly was Mid as all hel.
Stonic looks really good and the version we're getting looks really nice as it's the Smokey Blue Colour and I'll probably end up driving it if I pass on Thursday 5th December
Okay, haven’t heard of that edition. Where do you live?
Goog luck for your driving test I got the gt line s nice car comfortable ego looks nice inside and out
Looking at getting a new car in 2025, looking at cx30 entry level or kia stonic top range. Have heard not good things about dct. Is the stonic good for town driving with the occasional long distance trips? Or would i be better off with the cx30? Not interested in chinese cars. Have had 4 kias starting with 2005 rio and have never had any issues with any of them. What would you suggest? Have a budget of mid to high 30 thousands. Any advice appreciated.
The gt line should have the smartstream 1.0 litre turbo mild hybrid engine like the overseas versions. It puts out 88kw and 200nm of torque.
Had one with the turbo engine from Hertz in Cyprus, a great little car. No 3 cylinder thrum or Brum like many 3 cylinder engines. Quite happy at 100-120 km/hr and just the good old fashioned cruise control not the adaptive type. Personally not a fan of ACC.
The Kia is a very nice functional car at a good price. The Kamiq is a step up, but you may pay more. You will also have a better aftersales experience with Kia that should also be factored in.
Props to makers who still make halogen headlights!! Great for us who don't drive at night very often, and makes the headlights actually serviceable. You can't change an LED headlight on the side of the road for 4€.
Um. Yeah you can.
Matt, could you tell me why the skoda kamiq and the stonic both have 1 litre 3 cyl turbo engine but the skoda needs premium petrol and the stonic doesnt. Ive narrowed down to these two cars but still comparing. Thankyou😊
The Kamiq is like most European cars, it has to comply with EURO regulations and runs far more efficiently on 95RON fuel.. It’s not worth their while to engineer a small number of cars for the Australian market to use 91 RON..Kamiq performance will be way better and also has the DCT transmission which is used in most VW Group cars.
@johnlaine2654 ok thanks for your help
Positive is a spare. Negative too many to mention. $481 is expensive for an oil change. 😊
Yeah it’s ambitious on pricing. And there’s a few shortcomings for the money.
What would you recommend between this in the GT Line and the Hyundai Venue Elite?
The Venue’s price is good and the drivetrain is probably less frustrating.
But I like the Stonic GT Line for its special-factor.
I'm afraid the expensive running cost has wiped out the remaining benefits of this car over the Skoda Kamiq when the buyer's budget is above $30k. It is also noticeable that there is a Runout version of the MY23.5 Kamiq, which still has some units in stock, and their drive-away price is below $30k (at least in QLD).
Yep, great point about the Kamiq Run-Out. Bargain.
I think the kamiq requires premium fuel, you cant use regular unleaded so that might lessen the savings made on the servicing compared to the stonic
Budget spec Korean cars are starting to have the same stink about them as Japanese cars; paying extra for yesterdays car with outside of some ancap annoyance; yesterdays features... But not the reliability that made Toyota a must buy regardless.
Fantastic car. I am very satisfaction
For that money I'll yo with the Chinese suv eg Jollion,MG zs more tech better more powerful eng .And before someone bangs on about reliability remember Hyundai slash Kia aren't exactly all that great post warranty in fact there a potential ticking bomb like complete eng failure
@@robertceroli3512 The Chinese turbo engines cars are quite heavy on fuel.. just be careful and research recent reviews.Also the electronic Nannies go off all the time. A friend has one and that’s the big complaint as it can’t be turned down… Talking about cars delivered in Australia so not sure if it’s the same elsewhere.
Would rather take my chances with the new Chery Tiggo 4 Pro at 24K driveaway than this underpowered Kia. Pitiful pricing too.
I’ll be testing it soon. Can’t wait to see how it compares!
@@therightcar the TIGGO will use a Lot more fuel.. not sure they are up to standards with the warranty and s-are parts in Australia yet.
@@johnlaine2654um the Chinese are the leading manufacturers in spare parts and Chery have a big dealer and part infertry
geely coolray better for 24k
Go ahead with the disposable car
Yeah, nah, think the Venue would be where I'd lean to if I was buying in that segment.
On the Venue, the CVT automatic kills the performance and it screams like a Banshee under acceleration..They sell on price but you certainly don’t get any performance.
Nothing wrong with Halogen lights.
I agree. Halogens give off a less white light, but the overall visibility at night is not much different. Halogens are also much friendly to on coming traffic.
Kia stonic gt line Engine shakes viciously on idle coursing doors and seats to vibrate. KIA said its normal🤔
It is a vibey unit.
I have a Kamiq with a similar engine. The engine is really rough on pull off, and I had vibrations that I knew weren't normal as I had driven other cars. Skoda also tried to fob me off and made me wait 8 weeks for an appointment to bring the car in.
Turned out that an exhaust shield and hand brake were lose, causing the vibration.
Don't take no for an answer and take the car back to Kia.
Looks cool but a bit small for me.
Dual clutch is an immediate no buy for me. Basically a jacked up small hatch that is now poor value. You may as well buy a Chery. You get a 7 year warranty, factory backed operation, the product is decent for the price.
Kia Stonic exterior ✔ Interior❌ Engine ❌ The Skoda wins again for the best alternative.
Hi Matt, I’m going to say a great big “no” for this one…just not appealing in any way.The Kamiq is the choice for me.
Fair enough!
A donkey is in my short list cheap to run and will not break down or depreciate fast
I think I'd probably get a Vespa
Vespa is $13k
The design of the car does not follow the modern designs of other current Kia cars. It has become old.
Mazda cx3 is comparable and better.
I’m driving one of those this week and I think it’s comparable. Not necessarily better.
My review of it will be out in a bit.
@@therightcaryes i just watched it and can’t decide which is better for my daughters first car. Leaning towards the Stonic I really didn’t like how the Mazda seems to rev without moving very far, I know it’s the way now because of all the emissions standards but i thought the Stonic drove better. Also the t-cross is on my mind but more than i wanted to spend, probably worth it though because girls love the look of VW.
@stephenmorris3696 The T-Cross is a great car and a step up from the Kia. VW uses 95 octane which adds to the fuel bill. Another caution is that VW's aftersales services is poor, Kia would be a better experience.
I found the Mazda far too asthmatic.
Skoda Kamiq is great, 7 year warranty, but check prices (risen a lot recently and cars despeced compared to last years models) and poor aftersales service (run by VW).
I hope it has new engine Matt ..😂😂😂😂
Boycott kia and Hyundai, they have inflated prices by $$$. Go for Chinese cars.
Yes agree. Also Hyundai don’t have entry level i30 now, you have to buy the NLine. Kia and Hyundai have lost it with me.
very dated design, ugly
Dated outside style, dated inside style… Boring and generic. What a disappointing vehicle.
This car is a joke.when it first came out it had a woeful engine and missing a lot of safety gear. It’s only in the car now due to different Government and ANCAP requirements to be able to sell them, and it’s Not an SUV . it’s no higher off the ground than the car it’s based on. False advertising from KIA…And it’s not cheap .
KIA intentionally drops Rio to avoid internal competition.
Those are strong thoughts.
People are buying it in big numbers though.
@@acde9355 and they still got it wrong.😂😂Still with halogens as well except the GT Line.
@@therightcar Probably for the 7 year warranty.Can’t see any other reason.
@@therightcar My thoughts don’t count? For the sake of the owners I hope everything turns out the way they expect from the car.
This car seems to be rubbish from the review. If you gave me one I would push it in the creek. Kia has lost the plot.