KIA as a brand

[Dave Lehnert]

Been looking for a new SUV. I now drive a 2013 Chevy Equinox.

Had settled on getting a Chevy Blazer (I have always been a Chevy and Ford buyer.) but they have been SLOOOOW coming in at the dealer. not much to pick from and they are expensive if you start loading them up with options.

A week or so ago I happened to see the new 2023 KIA Sportage I liked.

For owners of a KIA, What has been your ownership experience? Would you buy another?

[Dave Zellers]

A week or so ago I happened to see the new 2023 KIA Sportage I liked.

For owners of a KIA, What has been your ownership experience? Would you buy another?

Our first KIA was (and still is) a new 2011 Sorento. Loved it and still do.

Loved it so much we bought another KIA in March of last year, this time, ironically, a 2023 Sportage EX. Yes they introduced the 2023 Sportage in late 2021. Don't know why. Love it even more than the Sorento but did have one huge problem last summer that was outside the box. A mouse family loved it too. They built a nest where many wires converge and chewed on them until one day I went out to use the car and it wouldn't start. $750 bucks later were were back on the road and all has been fine since then. I might ask about mouse insurance next time. Now we spray with mint spray to keep them away.

To your point- Our experience has been great. Both cars were bought from the same dealer and they are wonderful. I think that is potentially as important as the vehicle- so check out the dealer you would be buying from. I insisted on the EX trim because the screen is much bigger and beautifully integrated into the dashboard instead of looking like a tablet stuck on as an afterthought as well as some safety features like side mirror alerts and comforts like motorized drivers seat. Heated seats I don't really care about but on a bitterly cold day, the heated steering wheel just makes me smile from ear to ear.
It's a quiet smooth ride. On the down side, and this is true of most cars today, waaay too much reliance on touch screen 'buttons' / adjustments. Studies are starting to show that diverts the drivers attention away from the road while trying to navigate the screen to get to the thing they want to adjust*. We need to get back to dedicated knobs.

But to conclude, LOVE IT!

* There was just a great Arlo and Janus strip where she asks Arlo to come with her to the grocery store because she needs a 'co-pilot' (or something like that)

[Rich Engelhardt]

My wife and I drive Kia/Hyundai. Have been for the last 10 years.
Best warranty in the business - just in case you need it.

I actually like our 2019 Sportage more than I liked our 2016 Toyota RAV 4.

I loved our 2000 something Forte. It was a very fun car to drive. Way more get up and go than I ever dreamed a "cheap" car could have.

I'm a firm believer the Korean cars now, are at the same level the Japanese cars were 30 years ago. The Korean cars have gotten much better and the Japanese stuff has declined a lot.

[Christopher Herzog]

We are fans of kia as well. Kid just bought a new seltos, had a sorrento a deer took out. Put in gas, change the oil, drive a long time....

Chris

[Bill Howatt]

Not really a long-term use endorsement but I had a rental Kia Sorrento for a few days and was impressed with it such that the next time new car purchase comes around KIA and its parent Hyundai are at the top of the list.
Friends who have Hyundai cars love them. While this may be a local issue they said they Hyundai dealers were a lot more open to negotiating whereas the Toyota people seemed to have reverted to their old ways of years ago, "take it or leave it". This was before the pandemic shortages.

[Jim Becker]

Folks who drive Kia/Hyundai seem to like them. In our area, the dealers to seem to think that their high end SUV models are "gold plated", however. (Telluride/Palisade) (I'm a Subaru guy at this point)

[Ron Citerone]

My nephew's KIA's engine seized up under warranty. They replaced it no charge. My mechanic who diagnosed it said that model has a known problem but is not indicative of all KIAs. Not sure of the model.

I will add, my daughter bought a Kia that was well maintained and had 100k miles. She drove it 2 or 3 years after that and had no problems.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

I bought a new 1998 Kia Sportage and it was in the shop more than it was on the road. I ended up trading it in around 8 months later while it was still having repairs in the shop.

I was a little hesitant to buy the 2019 Kia Niro Plug-in due to the past experience, but when you dig around, you see that Kia has gone to great lengths to improve their image and reliability. We like the Niro and it was a good choice to buy it. But ... The Niro has had some issues requiring it to be in the shop for several weeks, but real problem has been receiving quality service at the dealership(s). The first instance was them not securing the oil drain plug and when we discovered oil leaking all over on the road, they wanted us to drive it the 40 miles back to the dealership. That would void the 10-year warranty on a vehicle with 5000 miles on it!!! After several calls and working up the chain of command, a tow truck was sent. Another problem at the 17k mileage range was the water pump going out and all the bells and whistles and alarms going off due to a chain reaction of damage and arriving at dealership in limp mode. That vehicle has 2 water pumps. They changed the wrong one and installed one that is out of balance and vibrates.... yet they seem to claim they can't hear it vibrating. Lastly, we are still battling the dealership 60 miles away to diagnose the cylinder 4 misfire that has been happening all along. There are some TSB's on it, but they keep resetting the fault codes and saying they can't diagnose the problem and to come back when it's worse. There are a number of complaints from other Niro owners on forums regarding this same issue and dealers not wanting to do the work.

We still like the Niro besides for the problems we have had. We plan to sell it just before our 10 year warranty goes up and we will not be buying another Kia from the two dealerships we have been dealing with the last 4 years.

[Allan Dozier]

I have had a KIA EV6 for a year now so not long term yet. The fit and finish are excellent, driving and ride is excellent. Haven't had to use the warranty but they are known to have one of the best.

[Jim Koepke]

Heated seats I don't really care about but on a bitterly cold day, the heated steering wheel just makes me smile from ear to ear.

I wear gloves on cold days. Heated seats on cold days are nice, especially when they also warm my back. That is a treat and helps sooth my back when it is aching.

The real treat is my truck also has seat vents, three settings, for the air conditioning. That is great on hot days tp have cool air on your spine.

jtk

[Jim Becker]

I use my heated wheel even during the summer on long drives because my hands hurt a lot, especially when gripping for long periods of time. I won't buy a vehicle without the feature. Even heated seats on a very low setting can be helpful to some of us during long drives no matter the season.

Ventilated seats can be nice if they are implemented well...depending on what you are actually wearing of course, because fabrics absolutely affect the effect, if you catch my drift.