1997 Kia Mentor II slx review from Australia and New Zealand
"A nice car for the suburbs and around town"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Driver's seatbelt was not attached to the mount inside the pillar
Battery died, was replaced on warranty
Rear driver's side door solenoid failed, replaced under warranty
Gas struts support for hatch replaced due to loss of support
Rear driver's side door solenoid failed again, replaced under warranty
1 remote opener failed.
General comments?
The car drives well. It is quick off the mark and corners nicely.
It is economical on fuel.
The body is solidly built
The interior is semi-comfortable and headroom is ample.
Not a comfortable enough car for long tours
The visibility is adequate with 1 major blind spot at the rear quarters
The passenger side mirror makes cars appear further away than they are.
We were plagued with silly problems like:
the central locking solenoids failing twice and
the seat belt coming adrift the first time we used it
the unexpected death of the battery 5 minutes after it was last driven.
The air conditioner does drain the power, especially on hills.
Without the optional power steering it is quite heavy when parking.
Recommended reviews
| Cheap - you get what you pay for! |
|
| Good smooth comfortable drive |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1997 |
| First year of ownership | 1997 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 17 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 85000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Datsun 120Y |
| Date of Entry | 18th August, 2002 |