mmcartalk
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My brother had an older Sportage LX that he felt was lacking in some of the new safety features that he wants (and feels safer with)......automatic emergency-braking, rear-cross-traffic-alert, back-up-camera, lane-departure warning, blind-spot-alert, mirror-mounted turn signals, etc..... So, he decided on an upgrade to a new SX turbo that had all of these features and a lot more (the SX really gives you a lot for the money, though it is substantially more expensive than the LX or EX). Unfortunately, it also comes with big 19" wheels and semi-rubber-band tires (expensive to replace), though the ride quality is surprisingly good for those big 19s....Kia supposedly worked on the suspension with the last re-design.
Before, he had only a 5-minute drive to work each way (roughly 2 miles), but now he has to commute substantially further each day, now that his company moved to a new building further out in the local D.C. area, in some dense and pretty harrowing traffic conditions.....thus the desire for more electronic Safety-Nannies (and AWD) that I myself can probably do without.
He liked the red and copper body-colors (especially the copper) with the two-tone black and "beige" leather.....which is really a tan color, not beige. Note the unusual yellow/gold striping on the edge of the seats...there is also matching yellow/gold stitching on the upper dash. I thought it was a really sharp color-combination. Only one was (currently) available like that in the D.C. area....that particular interior was difficult to find, and they had to bring it down from another dealership. Considering its hard-to-get status, and the fact that it wasn't a vehicle in stock on the lot, I'd say we got a pretty good deal...KBB Blue-Book for his trade and almost 5 grand off the 35K list price, including factory rebates, dealer-discount, and Kia's repeat/loyal-customer discount. He sprang for an wheel/tire protection package and a long-term protection package for the seat leather (I thought the wheel/tire repair/replacement protection was money well-spent, as you can pick up a nail anywhere, and we get a lot of potholes in this area in the winter). The leather-protection package, though, was a harder sell...my brother wanted to go for it, but I didn't see a need for it (if one is careful and doesn't eat or drink in the car) until the buisness-manager cut the price for that package some...then I reluctantly agreed. (It was my brother's car, of course, but he wanted my opinion right there). We turned down the other after-sale packages.....didn't see a need for them; just a waste of money.
Every recent Kia product I see, sit in, or test-drive, I continue to be impressed by how well the vehicles are screwed together at the factory, the solidness of their hardware and sheet metal, the thud-solid door closings (especially on their smaller vehicles), the excellent paint jobs for the price, and the general level of fit/finish. But, like many Korean and lower-priced Japanese-designed vehicles, they also continue, in most cases, to have overly-firm, relatively unsupportive seats and the sensation of more-or-less sitting on a park bench...I'm not sure I'd want to ride all day in one.
At my recommendation, he's spending his first night at home with it from the dealership going through the Owners' Manual getting familiar with the many different controls and screen-functions. This vehicle has a LOT of features on it....especially for the price. And the 2.0L turbo engine really helps it get out of its own way, even with the weight and drag of AWD.
There are basically images of what it looks like, but I hope to get some better actual camera-shots (the weather was a little crappy this afternoon, though, dried off under a carport at the dealership, I was still able to closely inspect the paint (as I always do) for scratches and other problems)....clean bill of health.
Before, he had only a 5-minute drive to work each way (roughly 2 miles), but now he has to commute substantially further each day, now that his company moved to a new building further out in the local D.C. area, in some dense and pretty harrowing traffic conditions.....thus the desire for more electronic Safety-Nannies (and AWD) that I myself can probably do without.
He liked the red and copper body-colors (especially the copper) with the two-tone black and "beige" leather.....which is really a tan color, not beige. Note the unusual yellow/gold striping on the edge of the seats...there is also matching yellow/gold stitching on the upper dash. I thought it was a really sharp color-combination. Only one was (currently) available like that in the D.C. area....that particular interior was difficult to find, and they had to bring it down from another dealership. Considering its hard-to-get status, and the fact that it wasn't a vehicle in stock on the lot, I'd say we got a pretty good deal...KBB Blue-Book for his trade and almost 5 grand off the 35K list price, including factory rebates, dealer-discount, and Kia's repeat/loyal-customer discount. He sprang for an wheel/tire protection package and a long-term protection package for the seat leather (I thought the wheel/tire repair/replacement protection was money well-spent, as you can pick up a nail anywhere, and we get a lot of potholes in this area in the winter). The leather-protection package, though, was a harder sell...my brother wanted to go for it, but I didn't see a need for it (if one is careful and doesn't eat or drink in the car) until the buisness-manager cut the price for that package some...then I reluctantly agreed. (It was my brother's car, of course, but he wanted my opinion right there). We turned down the other after-sale packages.....didn't see a need for them; just a waste of money.
Every recent Kia product I see, sit in, or test-drive, I continue to be impressed by how well the vehicles are screwed together at the factory, the solidness of their hardware and sheet metal, the thud-solid door closings (especially on their smaller vehicles), the excellent paint jobs for the price, and the general level of fit/finish. But, like many Korean and lower-priced Japanese-designed vehicles, they also continue, in most cases, to have overly-firm, relatively unsupportive seats and the sensation of more-or-less sitting on a park bench...I'm not sure I'd want to ride all day in one.
At my recommendation, he's spending his first night at home with it from the dealership going through the Owners' Manual getting familiar with the many different controls and screen-functions. This vehicle has a LOT of features on it....especially for the price. And the 2.0L turbo engine really helps it get out of its own way, even with the weight and drag of AWD.
There are basically images of what it looks like, but I hope to get some better actual camera-shots (the weather was a little crappy this afternoon, though, dried off under a carport at the dealership, I was still able to closely inspect the paint (as I always do) for scratches and other problems)....clean bill of health.
