New KIA Spectra

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The Suzuki warranty is 7 years/100,000 miles. The Kia is 10 years/100,000 miles. Kia would seem to have an advantage, but in the real world most drivers will hit the 100,000 mile mark around the 7 year mark or sooner, so the extra 3 years is a moot point. But I am sure Kia gets alot of extra buyers because of this moot point.

Congrats on a great choice. Dealer availability, ease of service should also be included in car making decisions, in addition to passions and wants. Enjoy.
 
Deciding what make/model to buy is a tough choice.... unless thou art one of the minority of really rich who view 15 grand the way I do a dime.
 
We picked up the Aerio last night and we love the car. We expect it to be more reliable than the KIAs. Plus, the name KIA just isn't right. Who would name their company "Killed In Action"?
 
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Originally posted by SSQ:
Who would name their company "Killed In Action"?

Since a Consumer's Reports article on the Sportage model said the 10 MPH bumper test caused $8000 in damage, maybe that's what Kia really stands for!
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Don't know if they have improved since this article was when the Sportage was very new, but my sister showed me the article and we both were amazed that a fender bender would cause $8000 damage on a $16,000 vehicle.
 
I believe the bumper test referred to above simulated backing into a pole, whereupon the whole hatch exploded. But this would happen to any car with the inherent design flaw of having a hatch-mounted spare tire: CR-V, RAV-4, etc.
 
K-I-A stands for Killed In Action in many law enforcement and military departments.

But I think KIA have improved significantly during the past few years. I perferred it over many of it's counterparts. That aside, once they fix their resale value in a few years, I might again consider their cars.

If in the next few years, cars from China and India enters the US market, americans would really learn to appericiate Korean cars.
 
They are very much a disposable car. My fiance has one, and we both suggest you run from Kia. In fact, it is my personal experience to not buy a new car. Buy a used one that is a year or two old with 20 or 30k. You won't get hit nearly as bad with depreciation, insurance, or property tax.
 
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Originally posted by oddball:
They are very much a disposable car. My fiance has one, and we both suggest you run from Kia. In fact, it is my personal experience to not buy a new car. Buy a used one that is a year or two old with 20 or 30k. You won't get hit nearly as bad with depreciation, insurance, or property tax.

Depends on the car, previous owner, and their maintenance history. Yes, a BITOG'er used car will be a good bet.
 
Bitoger? You are kidding right? Sure, they would know what oil to use, but at the same time, they love to "Look! I went 10k miles without oil change!". If that's not bad enough, some guys here have stashes where the oil at the very bottom are probably going to "re-fossilize" soon.

As for the "To run or not to run from KIA", it's too late. I ran from it.
 
Kia no, Hyundai yes. I feel that Kia lags in quality and according to JD Powers, Hyundai is number 2 IIRC.
 
The resale is horrible with these cars. Look at edmunds.com . You can get a two year old version with 24k-30k of miles for approx 50-60% of what you want to spend.

Buying a new Kia/Hyundai is a horrid investment . However a used version of a Hyundai/Kia can very good. Most credit unions offer same as new finance rates on cars year allowed.
 
The only problem with Kia's and Hyundai's are the negligent owners and incompetent dealer service departments.

Around here, those Korean cars are heavily discounted. The Spectra sells for $3k-$5k under MSRP.

Good luck with the Aerio. I hope that you didn't pay MSRP!
 
We paid MSRP-Rebates-950(negotiated)

Pretty good price if you ask me. For that price, the Suzuki a lot compared to comparable cars in the same segment.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Thermo1223:
The new Elantra has the same mechanics as it's older verison just a newer body/interior.

...


Are you refering to the upcoming '07 HD model? It has a new 2.0 engine (Still called BETA II though)and a different tranny than the XD series. An all new car from the ground up.
 
I would probably have went for the new Elantra but my concern was that even if I can wait for it to hit the market, it would still be a first year production and no matter which company it's from, first year production are usually the most troublesome. Besides that, it looks great, it seems roomy, and the price is real convincing.

As for Suzuki, it seemed to me like they still build great cars when it's actually built by them in Japan. The rebadged Daewoos are the bad news. They seemed to have all kinds of problems, cheap interior, and horrible resale value. Those cars are going to really hurt Suzuki in the long run.
 
For < $15K, I would've gone used and purchased a yr-old 06 Malibu V6 from a Rental Fleet for $13K. But congrats, nonetheless.
 
quote:

Originally posted by blupupher:

quote:

Originally posted by Thermo1223:
The new Elantra has the same mechanics as it's older verison just a newer body/interior.

...


Are you refering to the upcoming '07 HD model? It has a new 2.0 engine (Still called BETA II though)and a different tranny than the XD series. An all new car from the ground up.


Ahh I just thought they carried it over..good to know.
 
The new Elantra has the same mechanics as it's older verison just a newer body/interior.

There is absoulutley nothing wrong with Hyundai or Kia for the matter. Suzuki has had some issues though as far as a company goes but they seem like decent commuters. I question the use of the AWD though with such little suspension travel & ground clearance.

The transmission issue is a joint Hyundai/Mitsubishi problem.

Hyundai fixes just about every defective one under warrenty for free. I should know we have had it replaced at 34k. The problem stems from thier Mitsu orgin. Mitsu was never known for great trannys and it shows. An Asin transmission would have been a better choice but may have upped the cost a bit.

Every problem we have had was replaced/repaired under warrenty. So I can't quite argue with that.

It survived for 5 years just fine and I expect it to last longer. I probaley won't sell it though and just keep it around in case my car has issues or her new one in the future. I imagine a Spectra/Elantra/Accent would last as long as anything else provided the timing belts are changed and it's quality work not so backwater mechanic who doesn't use a torque wrench.
 
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