Evening folks,

I’m thinking of buying a new car (as several threads of mine have stated!) and I’m now thinking of a Kia Picanto – seems ‘cheap’ compared to a larger vehicle and is certainly well-specced…I’m thinking I won’t get my bike in the back but the 5-door version can have a removable towball fitted – so I could use a towball bike rack.

According to the spec, it has a towball weight of 28Kgs – what does that actually mean? Assuming I get a rack that can carry 3 bikes and each bike weighs approx. 13Kgs (how much is that in poundage? Assuming bikes weigh 30lbs!), I’ve no idea how heavy the towball rack is but would it be weight of carrier plus weight of bikes? That seems the obvious answer to me but just wanting to check.

If so, looks like it would be more likely to be a rack and 2 bikes…

Also, anyone own a New Picanto? What are they like?

My car gets used as a commuter for 1, or me and daughter primarily…me and bike about twice a week (not every week though) and needs to be cheap to insure/tax and run…the Picanto seems to cover these 3 needs and I’m assuming with the 7 year warranty I’m likely to keep it for at least 5 years…I like cars but see them as a tool to get me (and my ‘cargo’ from A to B – I like a fast car but currently (for the last 2 years anyway!), I’m more interest in cheaper running costs…so figuring going for a smaller car will do that; buying new (with the Kia) gives me a very long warranty and it seems well-specced, looks ok and seems ‘cheap’ enough. I realise it isn’t going to give me a blistering turn of speed but I suspect my days of that are well and truly over anyway!