Not expensive, spacious enough
Budget Day is behind us again and the Speech from the Throne and the subsequent General Political Considerations rightly paid a lot of attention to purchasing power. Bearing in mind the saying ‘Promising much and giving little makes the fool live in joy’, we are already taking a step back. We want a compact car that is not too expensive to purchase and maintain, but offers enough space. Compact? Room? In short, we once again portray three small MPVs!
Previously, Citroën’s C3 Picasso, Kia’s Soul and the Opel Meriva have shone in this section. Because the future predictions give little reason for (much) cheering, we keep it nice and down-to-earth with the Kia Venga. Want to convey a certain chic? Lancia’s Musa is the perfect candidate. Or would you rather have something exotic, yet familiar? Then the Toyota Verso-S clone Subaru Trezia is an option. What do you get for €7,500?
Kia Venga 1.4 CVVT X-Tra – 2010 – 72,183 kilometers – €7,450
No, the Kia Venga has nothing to do with the exciting dance music of the Vengaboys, except perhaps that the tunes are as easy to listen to as the car looks: it doesn’t offend anyone, but it doesn’t cause sleepless nights either, musing about its beauty. Just straight forward. Fine: in these turbulent times, a bit of sobriety is quite welcome. Such a Venga is often a privately purchased car and in the case of this Kia Venga that is true: two private owners have jointly driven it 72,000 kilometers. So it will last a while!
In addition to the higher seat, you have to look for the MPV content in the cube-shaped construction – which of course provides the most space – and a rear seat that can be folded down in one movement, after which the floor is actually completely flat. The rear seat is also sliding. The entry-level engine, a naturally aspirated 1.4 with 90 hp, serves as the drive for the 54-LJZ-8. This doesn’t pull the cobblestones out of the street – that’s not what it is intended for at all – but you simply keep up with the other traffic, provided you are not speed shy. The chassis can easily handle that power (there is also a 1.6 with 126 hp): nice and firm suspension and damping, tight enough cornering without much body roll, steering that provides sufficient feedback and a reasonably accurate five-speed gearbox. This used car has the equipment level X-Tra and that is just not the basis. Still, with notable features such as hill assist, traction control, an alarm, a towbar (with 1,300 kilos of braking allowed), a rain sensor, metallic paint and an audio system including MP3 player, it is not crazy at all. Nor does the asking price, in the sense that it includes delivery costs. It is a pity that this used car only has a three-month warranty and that the driver’s seat appears to be slightly damaged.
Signaling
Brand Kia
Type Venga 1.4 CVVT X-Tra
Construction year May 2010
Mileage 72,183
Asking price €7,450
Where to buy? Car company H. Boswerger, Weerselo
Technical data
Engine 4 cyl. in-line, 1,396 cc
Max. assets 66 kW/90 hp at 6,300 rpm
Max. couple 137 Nm at 4,000 rpm
Luggage compartment 440 l
Max. trailer braked 1,300 kilos
Avg. consumption 1 in 16.9
0-100 km/h 12.8 sec
Top speed 168 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Lancia Musa 1.4-16V Oro – 2010 – 37,266 kilometers – €7,350
Opposite the no-nonsense of the Venga is the exuberant Lancia Musa, the classy brother of the Fiat Idea. The latter flopped somewhat, leaving the Musa also relatively unknown. We generally find them at low prices, except for this Lancia Musa: in the Musa range, the 72-LTS-8 is clearly the most expensive. If we compare this with the equally old Venga, the little Italian stands out favorably: its mileage is only half! The Fiat specialist also supplies it with a Bovag warranty, according to the advertisement.
Here, the MPV content – in addition to the inevitable higher seat – lies in a three-part folding rear seat, which is also sliding. The latter is nice, since the basic trunk space is only 320 liters. The chic appearance of this Musa is truly Lancia: paint color, use of chrome, beautiful wheels and a ditto grille make it a kind of driving jewel! The same inside: careful use of color and materials, the furniture – with clearly visible stitching – is beautifully upholstered. You get used to the instruments placed in the middle (with a glove box to the left and right) with the six-speed manual gearbox underneath. In terms of luxury features, this Oro beats the X-Tra: cruise control, a start-stop system and climate control including separate temperature control are present, for example. The lack of certain safety systems, such as ESP, shows the age of the concept (the original Musa was already introduced in 2004). Engine-wise, the 1400s from the Venga and the Musa do not differ much, except for the six-speed gearbox. However, this highest resistance is intended more as an overdrive than as a real acceleration. It provides more peace of mind on the highway. We estimate the driving characteristics of the Venga to be somewhat higher. The Musa carriage is willing to lean over and has a slightly greater tendency to understeer in sharp corners. All in all, that’s no reason to push him into oblivion. Who will make this Musa his or her muse?
Signaling
Brand Lancia
Type Musa 1.4-16V Oro
Construction year June 2010
Mileage 37,266
Asking price €7,350
Where to buy? NNAB, Surhuisterveen
Technical data
Engine 4 cyl. in-line, 1,368 cc
Max. assets 70 kW/95 hp at 5,800 rpm
Max. couple 128 Nm at 4,500 rpm
Luggage compartment 320 l
Max. trailer braked 1,000 kilos
Avg. consumption 1 in 16.7
0-100 km/h 11.5 sec
Top speed 175 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Subaru Trezia 1.3 Comfort – 2011 – 129,127 kilometers – 7,450 euros
The Venga shares its genes with Hyundai’s ix20, the Musa is descended from the Fiat Idea, while the Subaru Trezia is based on the Toyota Verso-S. The latter often results in a more difficult price-performance ratio, as Toyota’s alleged reliability has a major influence. To be specific: this imported Subaru Trezia is more than a year younger than the Musa, but has driven almost a ton more! Moreover, the S-522-GG comes with a ‘legal guarantee’; for a one-year Bovag warranty, an additional €750 must be paid (including major service and delivery costs). Besides that, you ride in an inconspicuous carriage with an exotic brand name stuck on it. When it comes to driving, the Trezia is the most entertaining of the bunch. With 99 hp, the power source is slightly stronger and that, in combination with the relatively low weight (1,045 kilos compared to 1,130 kilos for the Musa and 1,153 kilos for the Venga), makes things feel a lot more lively and sometimes even a bit nervous. Responsible for this is the direct accelerator pedal response, because when it comes purely to performance (acceleration power, towing capacity), the Japanese has to leave the other two ahead, despite its six-speed gearbox and… roof spoiler! He is frugal. The Trezia is a relatively spacious box, both at the front and at the back. Here too, the higher seat and a divisible and sliding rear seat.
Under the bottom plate, the trunk has a removable compartment, divided into compartments. Useful! As a Comfort, this used car is reasonably well equipped: apart from the available knee airbag and roller blinds in the rear doors, it is comparable to the Venga. The Musa is more luxurious, but has fewer safety features on board. The Musa also feels richer in terms of use of materials and colors. The inside is one hundred percent Toyota from a decade ago: hard plastics here and there, but you know it won’t wear out quickly.
Signaling
Brand Subaru
Type Trezia 1.3 Comfort
Construction year October 2011
Mileage 129,127
Asking price €7,450
Where to buy? Autocrew Christiaans, Almelo
Technical data
Engine 4 cyl. in-line, 1,329 cc
Max. assets 73 kW/99 hp at 6,000 rpm
Max. couple 125 Nm at 4,000 rpm
Luggage compartment 363 l/nb
Max. trailer braked 800 kilos
Avg. consumption 1 in 18.2
0-100 km/h 13.3 sec
Top speed 170 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Which of these compact MPVs suits you?
In summary: the Kia Venga drives the most maturely, but – just like the Subaru Trezia – has an inconspicuous body. The Lancia Musa does not suffer from this. Moreover, the Italian has the richest decoration, but its age translates into fewer safety features. Its trunk space is also the smallest. Gasoline savers go for the Trezia – experienced in terms of mileage. What are you going for?
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl