Why do many mechanics still think Kia is junk?

[KCJeep]

We have two Kia vehicles in the immediate family, a 12 Sedona we have owned and driven just shy of 100k and a 15 Soul purchased new that is over 60k. Both have been phenomenal cars, we'd absolutely buy another. Build quality, design and reliability has been notably better than the domestic brand vehicles we exclusively drove for 30 years.

Kia vehicles are not the bargain steal they used to be however.

 

[Jetronic]

Prices are up quite a bit, but you do get more stuff now. And perceived quality hqs gone up too

However, we hyundai/kia mechanics have a harder time with rustifused bolts than we di on the older cars. A 15 year old Getz will give us less headache than a 15 month old Hyundai trying to get old parts off. I guess that is why many mechanics think it is junk.

 

[zmelli]

Originally Posted by Nick1994
Because people are closed-minded and are stuck on the past. Yes Hyundai and Kia still have some models lately with iffy engines, but it's specific models, and they extend the warranties far out on those ones.

My 15' Sonata I traded in last December on my Genesis. 107k miles, only repair was a CV boot that was just barely starting to get greasy. That's it. No squeaks, rattles, nothing. Very comfortable car too.

Anybody who wants to talk down Hyundai/Kia, I welcome you to come sit in my Genesis.

Now this is a testament to the type of people that buy these cars. The persons who are stuck in the past know what a double wishbone suspension is. Know the difference between mono-tube and twin-tube shocks. Forged overbuilt crankshafts, thick ring lands, piston rings that last, not low friction rings that almost sit on top of your pistons. Exhaust ports that are not siamesed with inserts. Real exhaust headers with a cat under the car. Aluminum intake manifolds. I will pass on the offer to drive a couch full of electronic gadgetry, six to ten computers from China, cameras for everything. Nannies to help the soccer mom's go around a corner. A heafty insurance plan and payments to match
. I almost forgot about the $5000 plus transmission that you do not even get to shift. Now how do you expect a car like that to last.

 

[clinebarger]

You mean all those McPherson strut, Transmission blowing Honda's?

 

[willbur]

Good points, Zmelli. The only benefit I see in these new generation cars is that they are probably much safer for the average driver.

 

[Driz]

A lot of people keep mentioning that 120K warranty like it's a good thing. Remember well folks the only did that when they were hit with a class action lawsuit AND the NHST started getting on them because that caged engine affected the electric steering and power brakes leading to supposed crashes in heavy traffic. That and a whistle blower ( a real one in this instance🤔) who spilled the beans. Anyways....... that's why they gratuitously extended the warranty.
Also remember this well. Aside from unhappy campers like my daughter and a few others I know personally the are well known for tossing their #2 con rod right around 120K. That's if they don't develop the Tick Of Death. That 120k mark just happens to be right about where most mechanics say the con rod issue seems to like to go bang. There ya are with a $4000 car needing a $5000 engine and ya can't risk a junkyard or realistically rebuild either. Like I said Timex of cars.
Hyundai does often give away free engines but there's no guarantee it's going up happen for you. A few of the Kia dealers offer a forever warranty but that's through the dealership . Again, there's surely a bunch of what ifs.............
this all just leaves way too many worries and troublesome possibilities for most people. Even if you're one of the majority who don't lose an engine there's just no getting around that horrific trade in value. Try it for yourself if you don't believe me🙈.

 

[MCompact]

Originally Posted by zmelli
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Because people are closed-minded and are stuck on the past. Yes Hyundai and Kia still have some models lately with iffy engines, but it's specific models, and they extend the warranties far out on those ones.

My 15' Sonata I traded in last December on my Genesis. 107k miles, only repair was a CV boot that was just barely starting to get greasy. That's it. No squeaks, rattles, nothing. Very comfortable car too.

Anybody who wants to talk down Hyundai/Kia, I welcome you to come sit in my Genesis.

Now this is a testament to the type of people that buy these cars. The persons who are stuck in the past know what a double wishbone suspension is. Know the difference between mono-tube and twin-tube shocks. Forged overbuilt crankshafts, thick ring lands, piston rings that last, not low friction rings that almost sit on top of your pistons. Exhaust ports that are not siamesed with inserts. Real exhaust headers with a cat under the car. Aluminum intake manifolds. I will pass on the offer to drive a couch full of electronic gadgetry, six to ten computers from China, cameras for everything. Nannies to help the soccer mom's go around a corner. A heafty insurance plan and payments to match
. I almost forgot about the $5000 plus transmission that you do not even get to shift. Now how do you expect a car like that to last.


Insanely jealous much?

 

[TheLawnRanger]

If Kia's not Scottish, it's crraaaappp!

 

[mpack88]

It's rare for Scotty to compliment anything that isn't a Toyota.

 

[mpack88]

I feel that many cars made these days are really just disposable, they can reach 200,000 miles with proper maintenance but after that the car is done. There not like the old cars where you can actually just keep rebuilding it as you please so long as the body's not rotted out.

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by zmelli
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Because people are closed-minded and are stuck on the past. Yes Hyundai and Kia still have some models lately with iffy engines, but it's specific models, and they extend the warranties far out on those ones.

My 15' Sonata I traded in last December on my Genesis. 107k miles, only repair was a CV boot that was just barely starting to get greasy. That's it. No squeaks, rattles, nothing. Very comfortable car too.

Anybody who wants to talk down Hyundai/Kia, I welcome you to come sit in my Genesis.

Now this is a testament to the type of people that buy these cars. The persons who are stuck in the past know what a double wishbone suspension is. Know the difference between mono-tube and twin-tube shocks. Forged overbuilt crankshafts, thick ring lands, piston rings that last, not low friction rings that almost sit on top of your pistons. Exhaust ports that are not siamesed with inserts. Real exhaust headers with a cat under the car. Aluminum intake manifolds. I will pass on the offer to drive a couch full of electronic gadgetry, six to ten computers from China, cameras for everything. Nannies to help the soccer mom's go around a corner. A heafty insurance plan and payments to match
. I almost forgot about the $5000 plus transmission that you do not even get to shift. Now how do you expect a car like that to last.


Insanely jealous much?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that.

 

[loneryder]

Originally Posted by mpack88
I feel that many cars made these days are really just disposable, they can reach 200,000 miles with proper maintenance but after that the car is done. There not like the old cars where you can actually just keep rebuilding it as you please so long as the body's not rotted out.

They are disposable appliances.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by mpack88
I feel that many cars made these days are really just disposable, they can reach 200,000 miles with proper maintenance but after that the car is done. There not like the old cars where you can actually just keep rebuilding it as you please so long as the body's not rotted out.

I think they were always disposable. People sure disposed of the older ones back in the day. In the future we'll think of today's "junk" as rebuildable because tomorrow's cars will glued together, or welded together, or otherwise doing something that makes us think of them as disposable and today's cars as not so bad in hindsight. Nothing new under the sun and all.

 

[mpack88]

Maybe so.