OT: Looking to purchase a Kia.
- Thread starter snooplion
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Don't listen to FreeDawg, they are good cars
Buy new. I would recommend getting a two stage nitrous kit from NOS or ZEX because they are a little underpowered from the factory. Wire one solenoid to the high beams and the other to emergency brake. Disconnect it before taking to the dealership or it might void your 10 yr warranty.
Buy new. I would recommend getting a two stage nitrous kit from NOS or ZEX because they are a little underpowered from the factory. Wire one solenoid to the high beams and the other to emergency brake. Disconnect it before taking to the dealership or it might void your 10 yr warranty.
have you ever looked into Hyundai?
they seem to be the price point as the Kia and to me, they look a little nicer. Just food for thought
they seem to be the price point as the Kia and to me, they look a little nicer. Just food for thought
I didn't know one "looked in" to getting a Kia.
In all seriousness though, why a Kia? Price point, gas mileage? The reason I ask is because I have a family member that got a Civic and another that got a Versa. The Civic looked a lot better than the Versa, but the Versa was much cheaper. Both get great gas mileage I hear. So personally I would look in to getting something made by Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, or Chevy to see if they have whatever it is you are looking for...before buying a Kia.
Not that Kia is a terrible car, I just don't know much about them other than that they are very very inexpensive.
In other words, I would rather have a used Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy or Nissan, than a brand new Kia when it comes to durability. And by doing that you could probably meet the same price point.
But I admittedly am no car genious.
In all seriousness though, why a Kia? Price point, gas mileage? The reason I ask is because I have a family member that got a Civic and another that got a Versa. The Civic looked a lot better than the Versa, but the Versa was much cheaper. Both get great gas mileage I hear. So personally I would look in to getting something made by Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Ford, or Chevy to see if they have whatever it is you are looking for...before buying a Kia.
Not that Kia is a terrible car, I just don't know much about them other than that they are very very inexpensive.
In other words, I would rather have a used Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy or Nissan, than a brand new Kia when it comes to durability. And by doing that you could probably meet the same price point.
But I admittedly am no car genious.
I would also suggest to the OP looking into a VW Passat or Jetta depending on what size vehicle you're looking for. You can get a new Passat loaded for around 25k. I'm on my 2nd one and have been very happy with them. Personally, unless money is no concern I'd look at something slightly used. Just my .02
Never ever buy a used car. May as well flush your money down the toilet. Absolute dumbest thing you can do.
What are you talking about, it is the complete opposite. From a financial perspective, the only benefit of new cars are lower interest rates and longer terms.
I would suggest the complete opposite is true. If you know what to look for in a used car, buying a new car that loses a large percentage of its value the day you buy it is flushing money down the toilet. That said, I wouldn't buy a used Kia.
Same parent company I believe. You might pay an insignificant bump up from Kia but it's worth it.
Studied them in consumer marketing at MSU. They're doing what Honda did in the 70's/80's.
Honda thought since American's loved their products (two stroke engine products and motorcycles) they could sway their brand name recognition and cash in on the fuel crisis here. They were the worst cars in the history of mankind. They overcame it by replacing every car when something went wrong, so people who bought them initially and ended up with **** stayed with them because Honda was willing to go above and beyond for them.
My mother was one of the people who ordered one of the first shipments of Hondas in the US, the first year Civic I believe. She said it lasted 1,500 miles and they ended up having to put in a new motor but compensated her for it.
Hyundai thought it could take its brand recognition from its line of heavy duty vehicles heavily consumed by the US to cars... initially having 0 success. It's now starting to overcome that initial reputation of **** by offering insane warranties and placing a sedan on the market that out performs the Porsche Panarama S for a fraction of the cost.
I personally wouldn't buy one, but that's me. I'd rather go buy a 5 year old Volvo or something and take my chances having to work on it myself. The best value on the market for a mid-sized sedan is the Ford Fusion. Out performs everything in its class and has the highest quality... plus it's American and the grill looks like an Aston Martin. Has outsold the Camry in the past 3 years if I recall correctly. I'm thinking about buying one personally so I built one with everything I wanted... hybrid motor, leather, GPS, and the works ended up being $30,000 shipped to me. I'm sure if you didn't care about that you could get a 2013 base model before September (2014 models) for ~$19,000.
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Agree with Kired. My dad and aunt both loved their Santa Fe's. In fact, I found out last Friday that my aunt actually bought a brand new Santa Fe. Not sure if that is what the original poster is looking for, but those have been some great vehicles for them.
You get what you pay for. It's even more true when it comes to cars, assuming you're not a chump and get took.
I got my drivers license 6 1/2 years ago and I've probably had close to 20 cars now (flip flip flip), and every time I bought a car that was priced low because of obvious problems thinking I could fix whatever it was and sell it for a profit... BOOM! The only exception to this was a '97 4runner I bought in '09 that I've actually kept. Someone traded it in at a friend's dealership. I picked it up before they had time to process it, run through it, and wash it so it was ROOOOUUUUGGGHHHH. The owner didn't even bother to clean it before trading it in. I replaced the tires, did a standard tuneup, got the hood and roof painted, replaced the entirely cracked windshield, and spent the better part of 2 days cleaning the leather, headliner, and carpets. I spent $1,500 under the value of the car and probably spent $2000 in non-maintenance. I've put close to 50,000 miles on it and I could probably sell it 4 1/2 years later for what I have in it... or get REALLY close. I'm not a Toyota fan, but anytime you can pick up a 4 cyl Toyota suv/pickup with a standard transmission, you're not going to lose value regardless of the miles or anything else you do to it as long as it runs.
If you want to buy a new car, don't let anyone try to convince you it's stupid. It's for some people and it's not for others. If you can afford it, it's awesome. You get peace of mind with the warranty and you know exactly what you're getting. One of my cars was a seemingly perfect preowned VW until I got the sunroof fixed and they found a crackpipe stowed behind the headliner... there's just no way of knowing who had a car before you when you go used. Just keep in mind that you do pay for what you get. If you're buying a new Kia for the price of a 4 year old Toyota Corolla, that should tell you exactly what you wanted to know. But if you don't care that you're going to lose a significant amount of your investment's equity in a few years, just so long that you have a car to use... Kia might be for you.
bought a used honda with 80K miles on it 8 years ago... 150K miles later, only thing I've done to it is replace a radiator and timing belt (outside of routine maintenance). It's paid for, gets great fuel mileage, and still drives great. New cars lose 15-20% of their value the second you drive it off the lot.
Certified pre owned cars are light years ahead if where they used to be. Most carry warranties, some even help with maintenance. The benefits of a new car without the cost of depreciation.
Certified pre owned cars are light years ahead if where they used to be. Most carry warranties, some even help with maintenance. The benefits of a new car without the cost of depreciation.
I disagree on the ford fusion in several areas... First let me say that Ford has come a LONG way the past 10 years. They are really the only profitable American automaker left. However, there are still some things that must be pointed out:
1. The mid sized sedan segment is by far and away the most competitive and saturated market segment. Honda, ford, Toyota, and Nissan are the heavy hitters, all with great products.
2. Hyundai and Kia have gained a lot of ground and are becoming competitive. Their brand image still holds them back... But their product quality has vastly improved the last 7 years or so.
3. The ford fusion is the newest player in the game... Still a bit unproven. I like the ecoboost, though. Sets ford apart. I agree on interior quality, best interior.
4. Ford fusion is the only one of those 4 cars that does not offer a cvt transmission. The mid sized segment is all about fuel mileage and cvt's outperform standard automatics, even with an ecoboost.
5. I'm still not sold on the altima's claim of 38 highway miles. I think that's achieved only in the most ideal circumstances. I've heard reviews that support my claim. Average highway mpg across Nissan, Honda, and Toyota with a 4 cylinder is 34-35. That's still great.
6. The honda accord would be my recommendation. The new accords are stylish, well built, reputable, and last a long time. Honda 4 cylinder engines are fabulous engines, I think.
1. The mid sized sedan segment is by far and away the most competitive and saturated market segment. Honda, ford, Toyota, and Nissan are the heavy hitters, all with great products.
2. Hyundai and Kia have gained a lot of ground and are becoming competitive. Their brand image still holds them back... But their product quality has vastly improved the last 7 years or so.
3. The ford fusion is the newest player in the game... Still a bit unproven. I like the ecoboost, though. Sets ford apart. I agree on interior quality, best interior.
4. Ford fusion is the only one of those 4 cars that does not offer a cvt transmission. The mid sized segment is all about fuel mileage and cvt's outperform standard automatics, even with an ecoboost.
5. I'm still not sold on the altima's claim of 38 highway miles. I think that's achieved only in the most ideal circumstances. I've heard reviews that support my claim. Average highway mpg across Nissan, Honda, and Toyota with a 4 cylinder is 34-35. That's still great.
6. The honda accord would be my recommendation. The new accords are stylish, well built, reputable, and last a long time. Honda 4 cylinder engines are fabulous engines, I think.
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I'd stay away from Chevy... I just don't think their quality is up there in anything but a full size pickup/SUV. Chevy and especially Chrysler put themselves WAY behind the 8 ball when the economy tanked. Ford began investing and competing in the mid size and compact segments well before 2008... Well before GM and Chrysler.
As I pointed out, your heavy hitters are Toyota, Honda, nissan, and now ford. Kia and Hyundai are working their way in there slowly but surely. Chevy really only has the Malibu and cruze... But neither offer anything the others don't... And Chrysler doesn't have ****. I'm honestly surprised they are still in business.
As I pointed out, your heavy hitters are Toyota, Honda, nissan, and now ford. Kia and Hyundai are working their way in there slowly but surely. Chevy really only has the Malibu and cruze... But neither offer anything the others don't... And Chrysler doesn't have ****. I'm honestly surprised they are still in business.
My wife had the older Kia optima and loved the car until someone hit her in the rear. My Brother bought a Kia Koup 2 years ago and loves it. No problems with either car. I think they are great.
THIS.
With few exceptions, I always by nicer vehicles with low miles at a good price.
I meet a guy once (sold him my car) that buys fun cars, drives them a few months and flips them for as much or more than he pays for them. That's a pretty interesting concept. Just sayin.
To anybody considering buying a new car, take your budget, upgrade your standards in what you are looking for, and look used. For what a modestly equipped new Camry (or less) costs, you could get a nice slightly used Infinity. Or Mercedes.
To anybody considering buying a new car, take your budget, upgrade your standards in what you are looking for, and look used. For what a modestly equipped new Camry (or less) costs, you could get a nice slightly used Infinity. Or Mercedes.
We have a Kia Optima. Bought it a couple years ago and it was 2.5 years old at the time.
Its awesome, relatively speaking. Its no Infiniti, it's no BMW. But it also didn't cost the same.
Its a basic solid mid sized 4 door. The thing has been in the shop once, and it was for the dome light of all things.
The warranty is awesome on Kias. The fit and finish is excellent. It's solid, and that can't be said for just the prior generation.
Kia's don't hold their resale as well as other cars, but they then don't cost as much, which is what I care about more than resale since I bought it used.
Its awesome, relatively speaking. Its no Infiniti, it's no BMW. But it also didn't cost the same.
Its a basic solid mid sized 4 door. The thing has been in the shop once, and it was for the dome light of all things.
The warranty is awesome on Kias. The fit and finish is excellent. It's solid, and that can't be said for just the prior generation.
Kia's don't hold their resale as well as other cars, but they then don't cost as much, which is what I care about more than resale since I bought it used.
I'll put in a plug for Mazda. Bought a new Mazda3 back in '04, paid $17,500 for it. sold it last Oct. with 165,000 miles on it for $5500. I liked it so much I bought a new Mazda3 hatchback version, loaded. Power everything, leather, heated seats, moon roof, Bose am/fm/sat/cd/iPod kick *** stereo, 40mpg. $25k for everything.
I always thought that as well but
I went car shopping with my sister for her a Toyota Camry. You could buy a new Camry cheaper than you could but the ones that were a few years older. Maybe I'm not the negotiator everyone else is but it was a couple grand difference to buy new.
I went car shopping with my sister for her a Toyota Camry. You could buy a new Camry cheaper than you could but the ones that were a few years older. Maybe I'm not the negotiator everyone else is but it was a couple grand difference to buy new.
Keep in mind with all the MPG talk that gas mileage is a game of diminishing returns that really starts to set in once you exceed 35 unless you are driving a whole lot each day.
For example, if you drive a fair amount say 30 miles a day:
You'll save 0.8 gallons/day going from 15 to 25 (truck to car). This is compared to 0.6 gallons/day going from a much larger difference of 25 to 50 MPG (car to hybrid?).
For example, if you drive a fair amount say 30 miles a day:
You'll save 0.8 gallons/day going from 15 to 25 (truck to car). This is compared to 0.6 gallons/day going from a much larger difference of 25 to 50 MPG (car to hybrid?).
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Is this a real post?
Yeah, jumping from 25 to 50 you only save .6G/day but you get to drive on that 1 tank (assume fixed tank space for both vehicles) TWICE as long. I hope you're in psychology or some other non-numbers based line of work, cause this post is a facepalm.
Yeah, jumping from 25 to 50 you only save .6G/day but you get to drive on that 1 tank (assume fixed tank space for both vehicles) TWICE as long. I hope you're in psychology or some other non-numbers based line of work, cause this post is a facepalm.
When the car market started dwindling Ford really did a good job of buying prestigious names on the market for pennies on the dollar and it really saved their ***. They bought Volvo, Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Jaguar for basically nothing. All great vehicles in their own right, but all had an obvious flaw... reliability.
Years earlier Ford bought Mazda when the Asian market started to overshadow US manufacturing... which was and is HUGE. Mazda technically makes every 4 cylinder engine in the Ford family. Ford leveraged their R&D on everything except the V8 which they already owned the biggest market share on.
What Ford did was stick proven engines in crap cars. Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Volvo had HUGE increases in sales over the last 15 years because of it, and Ford was able to sell off Land Rover and Aston Martin for huge profits while basically buying the designs from Aston Martin for its Jaguar and Ford sedan lines. It's now returned Volvo to its former glory and it's paying huge dividends because it costs them nothing to maintain.
I'm glad Ford is back on top. If I'm not buying a German car, I'm buying a Ford now... it's amazing how far they've come.
What happened with Chrysler is they put their eggs in the wrong basket. Their partnership with Mercedes-Benz in the 90's-00's paid out nothing for them. They hit Benz up at their worst period in decades and Mercedes used them to basically lower their costs and gave them absolutely nothing in return. I think the 300 uses E-Class suspension... but who cares?
They entered into another partnership a couple years ago with Fiat group. In addition to bringing back Fiat to the US market, they also gain Fiat's drivetrains for their own line of economy cars. In the next 5 years they're also bringing Alpha Romero back via Fiat which should give them an edge in the designer sports car market... so Chrysler is coming back. I just wouldn't buy them now.
GM missed the ball completely. Hummer folded, Saab folded, and they don't offer Vaaxhall in the US because it has 0 market exposure here. Their brands are now the brands they've had. Somehow they've been able to restore Cadillac though, and that's really keeping them alive. I love their trucks, but that's about it. Sadly, they're a dying breed with the V8 being killed off.
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sshhhiiittt.. i just bought a pre-owned 2011 f-150 and got a 1.49% at 72 months.. had the same % option for 60 months.
His point is that the difference between 15 MPG and 25 MPG is bigger than the difference between 25 MPG and 50 MPG. It's pretty simple math. To put it another way, if you go 500 miles at 15, 25, and 50 MPG; you will use 33.3, 20 and 10 gallons of gas, respectively. The difference between 15 and 25 MPG is 13.3 gallons. The difference between 25 and 50 MPG is only 10 gallons.
Aston Martin's "flavor" is very heavy in the Fusion, and I agree with a lot of what you said. They also took the opportunity to begin investing in the midsized market long before the other 2 of the 3. Ford has had the Taurus for decades and it has done well... their current run started with the Fiesta in the early 2000s (basically a crap compact... but that's all compacts were at the time), then began making the Focus and 500... all around 2006 (well before the economy tanked). The 500 was basically a transition model for Ford to redo it's Taurus... which is now competitive with the Maxima as a larger, sportier sedan that offers a standard V6. The Fusion then came out of the wake of the 500 and has done real well... and will continue to get better. I'm sure Ford is working on a CVT transmission for the Fusion because that's the only thing that is really holding it back right now. Currently, A 4 cyl. Fusion can muster 32-33 on the highway while an Accord, Camry, or Altima can get up to 20% better. In the midsized segment, you better be able to match or beat the market leader in fuel economy to be competitive. Those numbers carry a lot of weight.
I feel German cars are slipping in reliability, especially Mercedes. Most people I know who drive new, German-made cars have issues with them... and you can't just take them down to the local shop to have them repaired. Most places in Starkville will hardly change the oil on a Mercedes or VW, much less work on one. You are limited to the dealership... and you better be ready to have a lot of cash if you are paying out of pocket. German-made cars are still good cars... a lot of prestige... but Mercedes has lost it's way some in terms of overall reliability. They still have the brand image they want, but reliability and cost of maintenance will hurt the German-made cars soon enough.
Way back in the day, Mercedes did a fabulous job engineering and designing their cars... along with offering great, detailed maintenance manuals. There was nothing at all flashy about them, but they were the longest lasting, best built cars on the road in any country. The older cars were a gear-head or weekend hobbyist's dreams because they were very easy to work on. They were built that way because Mercedes marketed to the German working-man who may not have had access to a shop to get their car worked on, so they set up a distribution network for parts and provided them with manuals. Now, you can't open the hood of a Mercedes or VW without specialized equipment because in the US, they are seen as a more prestigious car. I guess if you can afford own a Mercedes, you can afford to have it worked on.
I feel German cars are slipping in reliability, especially Mercedes. Most people I know who drive new, German-made cars have issues with them... and you can't just take them down to the local shop to have them repaired. Most places in Starkville will hardly change the oil on a Mercedes or VW, much less work on one. You are limited to the dealership... and you better be ready to have a lot of cash if you are paying out of pocket. German-made cars are still good cars... a lot of prestige... but Mercedes has lost it's way some in terms of overall reliability. They still have the brand image they want, but reliability and cost of maintenance will hurt the German-made cars soon enough.
Way back in the day, Mercedes did a fabulous job engineering and designing their cars... along with offering great, detailed maintenance manuals. There was nothing at all flashy about them, but they were the longest lasting, best built cars on the road in any country. The older cars were a gear-head or weekend hobbyist's dreams because they were very easy to work on. They were built that way because Mercedes marketed to the German working-man who may not have had access to a shop to get their car worked on, so they set up a distribution network for parts and provided them with manuals. Now, you can't open the hood of a Mercedes or VW without specialized equipment because in the US, they are seen as a more prestigious car. I guess if you can afford own a Mercedes, you can afford to have it worked on.
I can confirm the Altima gas mileage. I have a 2012 4-cylinder Altima. I can get 36 MPG on a 55-MPH 2-lane highway. Barely get 30 at Interstate speeds. Not bad, but not as good as advertised. Otherwise, it's a great car. I've had Honda 4-cylinder cars for 20 of the last 24 years, and they are outstanding.
Those are the numbers the dealerships want you to look at...
I look at overall cost, and that's it. Usually I will negotiate a loan with my bank and use cash to negotiate a cost at the dealer. The bank gives me a much better rate than the dealership will because I'm already repeat business for them. 3 things to keep in mind...
1. KNOW how much the car you want is worth. Especially if it's used, use Kelly Blue Book and shop online stores (autotrader, carmax, etc.) to know EXACTLY what the car is going for elsewhere.
2. Thoroughly comb over the car. Any defects, worn parts (tires, especially), leaks, etc, bring up to the salesman. Ask directly if the car burns oil... if it does, move on. Don't waste your time.
3. Know how much you want to spend. Have a "lowball" price in mind that's close enough the salesman will talk... but know how much you are willing to spend before talking to a salesman. If you don't get the price you want, walk away. Don't waste your hard-earned money just because... especially if you can get a better price somewhere else.
I look over a car very carefully... If there's something wrong with the car (worn tires are a personal favorite of mine... unless they tell you up front it has worn tires), you can use that to your advantage in negotiating a final price. Also, I don't trade in... I try to sell my car ahead of time and will use that as a "down payment" at the bank. I carry a check and if there is a car I want, say "I have $XX,XXX" and lowball. I've had success with this... but it depends on the dealership and salesman as to whether or not it will work out.
I look at overall cost, and that's it. Usually I will negotiate a loan with my bank and use cash to negotiate a cost at the dealer. The bank gives me a much better rate than the dealership will because I'm already repeat business for them. 3 things to keep in mind...
1. KNOW how much the car you want is worth. Especially if it's used, use Kelly Blue Book and shop online stores (autotrader, carmax, etc.) to know EXACTLY what the car is going for elsewhere.
2. Thoroughly comb over the car. Any defects, worn parts (tires, especially), leaks, etc, bring up to the salesman. Ask directly if the car burns oil... if it does, move on. Don't waste your time.
3. Know how much you want to spend. Have a "lowball" price in mind that's close enough the salesman will talk... but know how much you are willing to spend before talking to a salesman. If you don't get the price you want, walk away. Don't waste your hard-earned money just because... especially if you can get a better price somewhere else.
I look over a car very carefully... If there's something wrong with the car (worn tires are a personal favorite of mine... unless they tell you up front it has worn tires), you can use that to your advantage in negotiating a final price. Also, I don't trade in... I try to sell my car ahead of time and will use that as a "down payment" at the bank. I carry a check and if there is a car I want, say "I have $XX,XXX" and lowball. I've had success with this... but it depends on the dealership and salesman as to whether or not it will work out.