2001 Kia Carnival LS review from Australia and New Zealand

On delivery the handbrake (parking brake) was not properly adjusted - when fully engaged the car could still roll slowly if on a slope. This was easily fixed by the dealer at no cost.

On delivery the right hand passenger door required some force to engage the lock-back mechanism (which holds the door open until the handle is operated again). Again, the dealer was easily able to adjust this to operate normally, at no cost.

The stereo has been an ongoing disappointment. The originally fitted one would overheat after a short time and autonomously deactivate. This was unrelated to the operation of the CD player - it would happen when using only the radio component.

We also noticed that the buttons on the stereo would sometimes operate functions other than those they were supposed to.

We had the stereo replaced, but the new one seems to have a "warming up" period, during which sound reproduction from both CD and radio has a large amount of static. The static gradually fades after about ten minutes.

Annoyingly, the new stereo does not "remember" previous settings, eg you need to turn it on every time you start the car - the previous one would turn on automatically if you left it on last time you switched off the ignition. We have yet to have a satisfactory response from the dealer on this.

Like a lot of recent cars the front of the bonnet is not visible from the driver's position - this can make parking, and moving in tight traffic, a little frightening until you get used to the dimensions.

The gripes are greatly outweighed by the plusses.

If you're buying one of these you don't expect high performance - yet this car handles surprisingly well. We regularly make a trip through a mountain pass, and are able to use the overtaking lanes on climbs to pass smaller cars. It feels very sure on the road, but obviously, for a passenger vehicle, you don't want to corner too hard anyway.

The level of comfort and appointment in the standard-fitted car is excellent - my family and cargo fit into it very nicely for long trips.

The air-conditioning is more than adequate for Australian conditions.

The high seat position is great in traffic, with the exception of not being able to see the front of the bonnet.