What are your thoughts on Kia vehicles? - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What are your thoughts on Kia vehicles?

Posted: 8/19/2014 5:17:11 PM EDT

Hello folks, I'm in the market for a Kia vehicle. I have approx. 14 g to spend. I located a kia forte which I sorta like to travel back and forth to work. It seems to be pretty good on gas. Do you kia's have a lot of problems after they reach a certain mileages etc.?

Thanks in advance

Posted: 8/19/2014 5:21:37 PM EDT

[#1]

wouldn't be seen dead in one .

Posted: 8/19/2014 5:23:46 PM EDT

[#2]

Would I be better off going with a ford fiesta or focus?

Posted: 8/19/2014 5:30:33 PM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
Would I be better off going with a ford fiesta or focus?

View Quote

Yes

Posted: 8/19/2014 7:16:41 PM EDT

[#4]

FPNI

Posted: 8/19/2014 9:13:43 PM EDT

[#5]

Toyota!

Posted: 8/19/2014 9:36:15 PM EDT

[#6]

I own and have been through and even rented a many different cars.

In my opinion, Kia and Hyundai are were Japanese cars were in the 70's. Some of the first models weren't very good. Now that they have figured out how to manufacture them well, they are well made cars priced like a junk car because that's what people are still calling them. Look them up in consumer reports some time.

Don't misconstrue what it is - a KIA isn't a $50k Toyota Land Cruiser. It's going to have a mild powered engine most of the time. But it'll work, and it'll hold up.

Posted: 8/20/2014 12:45:07 AM EDT

[#7]

seeing what people pay for them, the out the door price is rediculous. for the same amount of money you can get a vehicle that is known for its quality and still have plenty of good features.

Posted: 8/20/2014 1:16:12 AM EDT

[#8]

Isn't this a tech forum? What's with the GD responses?

Everyone I've known that has/had a Kia or Hyundai has been happy with theirs, and as far as I can tell, they've put plenty of innovation into their products recently, whereas some of the bigger names just rest on their laurels knowing that their cars will be bought because they've been producing them for years.

Think a used vehicle is a better buy for that price point? Great, but it wasn't what the OP was asking.

Posted: 8/20/2014 3:59:30 AM EDT

[#9]

I have a Kia Rondo. Overall, I'm happy with it. Got it used with 40K on the dial for 12K.

Posted: 8/20/2014 4:17:42 AM EDT

[#10]

I have had a Kia Sorento since 2011...it's had zero problems and now has 75,000 miles on it. I also have a Hyundai Elantra with 87,000 miles which has also given me zero problems. I would buy another vehicle from either brand without hesitation i wish i could say the same for my Ford Focus.

Posted: 8/20/2014 12:26:09 PM EDT

[#11]

I have a 2012 Kia Soul. I bought in on the last day of March in 2012. I currently have 77k+ miles on it, and have not had a single problem. Would I buy another one? Yes. Is it a cheap car? Yes. I bought it for my 100 mile a day round trip commute. Don't listen to the people who don't own one. Everyone has "a friend", "a relative", "a whatever"... blah blah blah. I'm sure there will be some people who have owned Kia's and hate them. I've owned 2 Hyundai's and the Kia in the last 12 years (same company) and would buy another.

Posted: 8/20/2014 1:01:09 PM EDT

[#12]

Great, thanks everyone for the responses.

Posted: 8/20/2014 1:16:17 PM EDT

[#13]

By keeping my foot out of the accelerator and not speeding,

I was able to get 38 mpg out of a 2014 kia soul running 87 octane.

they are really well engineered and theres free access to the service manuals online.

Posted: 8/22/2014 1:19:33 PM EDT

[#14]

Nope. Toyota/Nissan/Honda for me for Asian made vehicles. The Korean's are all about profit margin 1st, quality 2nd.

Posted: 8/23/2014 1:08:22 PM EDT

[#15]

It was time to put the wife in a new set of wheels earlier this year. Her last two vehicles had been Kia because money was tight. This time, things are a lot better and I told her she could get anything she wanted...she wanted another KIA.

Between the wife and the older daughter, we have about 340,000 miles of KIA experience in three vehicles. Other than normal maint (oil, brakes, tires, alignments) the only repairs have been one battery, a new sun visor, and a turn signal flasher...all covered under warranty.

Posted: 8/23/2014 1:31:11 PM EDT

[#16]

The cabs have been running kia with pretty good results up here.

We have tough roads up here and the cabbies are crazy drivers.

Posted: 8/24/2014 11:36:16 AM EDT

[#17]

Its pretty easy to see where they fall against the competition. There a plenty of websites that will provide that info. Reliability, pricing, safety, features, mpg, and warranty, looks. Depends on whats important to you. Does the Kia that your interested in reach the top # 3 or 4 in any of those categories? If not, I would move on. Find a car that meats your needs and then shop locally for it.

Posted: 8/25/2014 3:39:10 PM EDT

[#18]

On our third and we have been pretty happy with them. '97 Sportage, '06 Sorento and '11 Optima.
Got rid of the Sportage because gas mileage was not that good on trips between AZ and CA, then wife changed lanes at the same time as another vehicle but in ~97 thousand miles we had no other issues.
We should have kept it though, as we traded it on a '04 Altima, huge POS.
Would flood during cold starts and asshole dealer tried to tell my wife she was flooding it, this was/is a known issue with that engine.

Posted: 8/26/2014 1:16:42 PM EDT

[#19]

I bought my wife a Optima SX GDI turbo with every option but a heated steering wheel, six speed, paddle shifters goes like a raped ape. Test drove the fusion platinum and the KIA is quieter has more power and drives better (I am a ford guy and really wanted her in a fusion) the fusion was 41000 out the door, the Optima was 28000 with a warranty that cannot be beat.

Posted: 8/28/2014 8:44:22 PM EDT

[#20]

I drove a Spectra 130 miles per day,5- 6 days per week for about 3 years. Tires, oil/filter, and air filters. Changed the brake pads once.

Adequate transportation.

Buy used and you probably wont ever be upside down on the payments.

3 years not 4

Posted: 8/29/2014 10:15:10 AM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
Nope. Toyota/Nissan/Honda for me for Asian made vehicles. The Korean's are all about profit margin 1st, quality 2nd.

View Quote

And Toyota is about quality first and profits second? I can tell you first hand that isn't the case.

Let's not forget - any public company is about profit first. Thinking otherwise is foolish.

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Posted: 8/29/2014 10:27:53 AM EDT

[#22]

Wife has a Kia Rondo, FIL has a Kia Soul.
I don't like working on them, the biggest thing that bugs me is when I put my head against the headrest in the Rondo (which isn't adjustable front/rear, btw) parts in the back of the seat press against my shoulder blades. How hard is it to make a stiff seat frame?

Kharn

Posted: 8/29/2014 11:59:28 AM EDT

[#23]

Rondos are not a 2014 model, they were cancelled in 2010 in the US.

In 4 years, there have been significant improvements

Posted: 8/30/2014 9:06:52 AM EDT

[#24]

No.

Posted: 8/30/2014 11:19:13 AM EDT

[#25]

Three Kias are in the US News top 10

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Affordable-Small-Cars/

The reliability numbers are better than Ford or Chevys entry level vehicles

Posted: 9/1/2014 10:41:30 PM EDT

[#26]

Have an 02 sportage. It's been a OK vehicle. Some parts have been difficult to find. Front diff seal was 17 buck and a dealer only item. It's just basic transportation, if your looking for more than that, I'd look somewhere else.

Posted: 9/1/2014 11:43:14 PM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:

Have an 02 sportage. It's been a OK vehicle. Some parts have been difficult to find. Front diff seal was 17 buck and a dealer only item. It's just basic transportation, if your looking for more than that, I'd look somewhere else.

View Quote

Because nothing has changed since 2002?

Posted: 9/4/2014 4:52:02 PM EDT

[#28]

We've had a few in the shop lately for collision work and they seem to be really well made cars these days. My mom has a kia Soul that she loves and hasn't had a bit of trouble with it. Of course her opinion may be a bit skewed since she was coming from a 05ish gmc envoy that was a steaming pile.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What are your thoughts on Kia vehicles?

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