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I was thinking of getting a new car but don't want to pay that much.. I have suddenly started noticing Kia's , they are really stunning in person and they have lots of perks like keyless entry, a hybrid option and back cams, lots of bells and whistles..
but is it a good car company? i mean will it turn to crap quickly or will it last a reasonably good time(5-10 years)? is it good in accidents? ( i have seen hyundais shatter on impact)
(i have also considered hondas,toyotas and vw's but i really like the kia's but i just don't hear much about them)
Kia and Hyundai are very similar, Hyundai is about 10 years ahead of Kia in my opinion, and they haven't gotten all their reliability/longevity issues sorted out yet. If I were you I'd buy a car that was 2-3 years old and buy a higher end brand than a Kia.
I'd have absolutely zero reservations about dropping money on a Kia. Great looking cars and the Forte is in the running as one of the best compact cars on the market (competing with the Civic, Corolla, Mazda 3, etc).
BTW, if you saw a Hyundai shatter on impact it is likely that any vehicle of similar size would have met the same fate in the same type of collision. We have fairly particular crash standards and requirements in this country which means that the chances of buying a vehicle that is not reasonably safe are slim.
This is coming from someone who has owned various makes over the past few years (Hyundai, BMW, Infiniti, Nissan) and out of my current stable (a 2007 BMW 530i and a 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T RSPEC) I prefer to drive the Hyundai.
They're so cheap that it's worth it to buy one, keep it for 10 years until it starts to give out, then buy another one. In 20 years, you still will have spent less than you would on a better model that might not even give you 20 years.
From a purely economic standpoint, it makes sense, if it's accurate.
They're so cheap that it's worth it to buy one, keep it for 10 years until it starts to give out, then buy another one. In 20 years, you still will have spent less than you would on a better model that might not even give you 20 years.
From a purely economic standpoint, it makes sense, if it's accurate.
Not really that accurate, but they still make a fine car, and I would not hesitate to buy one if I were in the market.
As recently as 5 years ago I wouldn't have touched a Kia (or a Hyundai), but I like just about everything in their lineup right now, except maybe the Sorento. I own a 2012 Hyundai Sonata which shares powertrains with the Optima, I have no complaints so far, plenty of power and a smooth quiet ride.
All current Hyundai and Kia vehicles score pretty well in crash tests, so I'm not so sure about the "shattering on impact".
As long as you don't plan on reselling one, I think they're OK.
Also, make sure you have gap coverage with your insurance or can afford to cover the balance, in case it's ever totaled while you're still making payments.
A friend of mine totaled a 2 year old Rio once, and she was upside down. She had to roll that balance into the loan for her new Scion, at a sub-prime interest rate.
As long as you don't plan on reselling one, I think they're OK.
Also, make sure you have gap coverage with your insurance or can afford to cover the balance, in case it's ever totaled while you're still making payments.
A friend of mine totaled a 2 year old Rio once, and she was upside down. She had to roll that balance into the loan for her new Scion, at a sub-prime interest rate.
To be fair though this is because the Rio was a piece of crap and everything in the current Kia lineup isn't.
As long as you don't plan on reselling one, I think they're OK.
Also, make sure you have gap coverage with your insurance or can afford to cover the balance, in case it's ever totaled while you're still making payments.
A friend of mine totaled a 2 year old Rio once, and she was upside down. She had to roll that balance into the loan for her new Scion, at a sub-prime interest rate.
Those older Rios were pretty terrible, but I don't think you could compare one to something like a new '14 Forte. That would be like comparing a 90's Escort to a new Focus.
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