Am I really thinking about a KIA...(shaking head)

[HammerDown]

Never in a million years would I EVER belive (I) would consider ever owning a vehicle with a (foreign name plate). And before the flameing wars start, yes I know everything around me has some foreighn parts in it...So take it easy, not the same thing :notam:
Being Mr. Harley, Ford Diesel, Corvette, and a Teamster etc...bla, bla owning this foreign (what ever) just never seemed right in my book...................BUT!
I'll need a good comuter, about 140 miles a day and looking for MPG, something that will last, and well...won't cost a arm and a leg :squiggle: !
Considered a VW TDI deisel...50 + MPG, sometimes a +300,000 mile vehicle (I love diesels) BUT...several told me VW's are headach's period ! Great Diesels but alot of aggravation :rolleyes:
Then Ford Focus 4 door hatch back 5 speed. Heard some good things about them.
Just came from a test drive on a KIA :squiggle: Spectra-5, 5 speed 4-banger. Damn, I liked it...I liked it alot!
Under 14K w/ 10-100k warranty and some 35 mpg.
Tough descisions... :confused:

[hoolign]

Dude. It's your ride but if it was me wanting to get great milage and still have an iota of self respect.. id opt for a Diesel jetta. Diesels are all about maintanance, usually peple who have problems with them not keeping up on the repairs especially fuel filters!.. Vw has been making very good cars for a hella long time. My neighbor bought a Black jetta, it looks brand new i'm not sure if it is.. Not a bad lookin car for a daily river!

[Ziggy]

Everytime I hear that name Christmas always comes to mind......
Ka, Ka, Ka, Kia...........hollow pottery figure of a Rhino, smeared with seeds and filled with water... :D :D
Sorry HD...its just how my brain works. :rolleyes:
.
Honestly though, for a commuter there hardly is a bad cheap car you can choose...they all will be good for several thousand miles regardless.

[HammerDown]

.. id opt for a Diesel jetta. Diesels are all about maintanance, usually peple who have problems with them not keeping up on the repairs especially fuel filters!.. Vw has been making very good cars for a hella long time. My neighbor bought a Black jetta, it looks brand new i'm not sure if it is.. Not a bad lookin car for a daily river!
Brother I've been trying to talk myself (into) a VW TDI for weeks now. But JD Power, Consumer Reports even rank them at the bottom of the barrel for problems.
And even a X VW service writer told me about...
"The electrical integration on the VW`s are way too complicated.
The elctric window regulators and subroofs are still to this day a problem for VW.
The TDI is a very reliable motor although service and chasing issues will cost you dearly.
VW dealers are the only ones with corect software diagnostics as VW has never released anty patents on its software and there is no release forthe forseable future.
The Jetta is a great looking vehicle but its service life is extremely short.
I urge you strongly to look elsewhwere from any VW/Porsche unit.
I personnally made alot of money from VW owners as there is no one else capable of truely fixing these but dealers.
There are not many VW owners amongst dealership personnel. That right there says something.
Stay away from the VW unless you have the money to keep up with costly repairs.
The new Jettas are a takeoff of the Passat. I will still tell you not to get one. There are people with them that have never had problems (but) the bad out weigh the good.
But me knowing what I know about VW I say don`t buy one unless you plan to work for them."
After hearing all this :eek: ...I gotta move on to another manufacture!

[Bryan Rose]

Never in a million years would I EVER belive (I) would consider ever owning a vehicle with a (foreign name plate). And before the flameing wars start, yes I know everything around me has some foreighn parts in it...So take it easy, not the same thing :notam:
Being Mr. Harley, Ford Diesel, Corvette, and a Teamster etc...bla, bla owning this foreign (what ever) just never seemed right in my book...................BUT!
I'll need a good comuter, about 140 miles a day and looking for MPG, something that will last, and well...won't cost a arm and a leg :squiggle: !
Considered a VW TDI deisel...50 + MPG, sometimes a +300,000 mile vehicle (I love diesels) BUT...several told me VW's are headach's period ! Great Diesels but alot of aggravation :rolleyes:
Then Ford Focus 4 door hatch back 5 speed. Heard some good things about them.
Just came from a test drive on a KIA :squiggle: Spectra-5, 5 speed 4-banger. Damn, I liked it...I liked it alot!
Under 14K w/ 10-100k warranty and some 35 mpg.
Tough descisions... :confused:
Hammer Check out the " Hyudia Santa fe " Great ride for the money and an incredible warrenty as well...... I do really like the Jetta Diesel too...

[HammerDown]

Hammer Check out the " Hyudia Santa fe " Great ride for the money and an incredible warrenty as well...... I do really like the Jetta Diesel too...
That vehicle got good reviews...but the fuel mileage isn't up to where I need it to be.

[HocusPocus]

have you checked into saturns?? my wife owned a 95 and that thing just ran and ran and got almost 35 mpg.. it had just under 200k miles when it was crashed into by another car.. while it was parked. my wifes mom and dad have a 2000 saturn and it does get 35 mpg.. something to look into. :)

[HammerDown]

Will consider Saturn...and actually have, somewhat.
Thanks!

[All IN]

Kia are so shaky some banks won't even finance them.

[Hermosa]

Kia are so shaky some banks won't even finance them.
What banks would those be??? You have no idea how much financial backing Kia has, and how cash ritch they actually are, you would be quite surprised.

[Riverhound]

Kia are so shaky some banks won't even finance them.
Another enlightned statment from our ever growing mis-informed peanut gallery. :sleeping: As Hermosa stated they are doing quite well and the Hyundai Auto Group, who owns KIA is experiancing unpresadented sales month after month.
Hammerdown, I used to work with the domestics and moved over to Hyundai/Kia group a few years ago and have been very impressed with their commitment to improving quality. The Spectra5 is great little commuter and will provide you with years of good service.

[hoolign]

Kia are so shaky some banks won't even finance them.
If you ned financing for a KIA...better get another paper route :D

[MagicMtnDan]

Honda Civic or Toyota's cheapest model. Best car makers in the world.

[harrisonmirage]

Had to do it myself.Putting too many miles on the trucks.I drive a Toyta Echo do to the fact I have to drive 130 miles a day.I opted for the 15 inch wheels wich makes the ride a lot better.My friends all laugh at me but I have to admit the eggo is pretty good.When I can get away with it I will push it up to 100 mph and it runs smooth.The millage kills the Korean cars.If you want a bit nicer car at the sacrifice of a bit of milage the Corrolas are great.My wife has one and it's been great.In a week of boating I spend more on fuel than a year of commuting.When I purchased mine,it was the best economy gas car you could buy.I have 60,000 miles on it now with no problems.In Canada where I live diesel is more than gas at this point wich adds to the economy when comparing to diesel.My buddy has a Jetta that has been a total pain in the Ass.Everything on those cars is Ass Backward.The fluids are all odd and the parts expensive.If you want style and a bit of status the Jetta is still hard to beat.I just wanted a cheap reliable ride to work.I should mention that my wifes Corrola was only about a grand more after I added the Air,Cruise,and larger wheels.I kinda like the gocart feeling of the eggo.Any how it is a statement of how confident you are with your manhood dring the econo beast.

[Punchy]

been a Ford man all my life and would never consider buying or driving anything else.....I just bought a Honda CRX off a guy at work for $1,000......now I'm enjoying driving for weeks at a time on $8 worth of gas....go figure

[jeepinscott]

My name is Scott and I am a KIA driver. I looked at the Honda's and the Toyota's and several other commuter friendly vehicles. The KIA Sephia with the 4-banger, cd player, a/c, 5-speed, decked out as much as an econo car could be was $6000 cheaper than any other brand. It was also more comfortable and faster. I pass Honda's and Toyota's on the hills all the time. I drive 120 miles a day 14 days a month. I now have 126000 miles on the car and have changed plugs and wires, oil, tires and that is it. I have never had a single problem and if I drive under 80 mph, I get above 35 mpg.

[Boy Named Sue]

I believe Jettas have electric seat warmers...

[HammerDown]

Hammerdown, I used to work with the domestics and moved over to Hyundai/Kia group a few years ago and have been very impressed with their commitment to improving quality.
The Spectra5 is great little commuter and will provide you with years of good service.
Sounds good Scott, I take care of and baby the heck out of my vechiles. But I'm wondering if the Korean engine's are good for lets say 300K like (some) Toyota's/Honda's... :confused:
Doing as much research as I can...but need a new commuter ASAP!

[rivergoer]

hey you can get an american made go ped man..great milage..they even come with a seat option for an aditional $65. :D

[ahhell]

the wife drives a toyota echo and LOVES it, gets damn near 40mpg, and with 16" rims and lo pro's it looks pretty nice too. the surprising thing is that I fit in it...6'3"ish and not petite...100k and not a rattle, and i live on a dirt road...my.02

[oldbuck40]

Never in a million years would I EVER belive (I) would consider ever owning a vehicle with a (foreign name plate). And before the flameing wars start, yes I know everything around me has some foreighn parts in it...So take it easy, not the same thing :notam:
Being Mr. Harley, Ford Diesel, Corvette, and a Teamster etc...bla, bla owning this foreign (what ever) just never seemed right in my book...................BUT!
I'll need a good comuter, about 140 miles a day and looking for MPG, something that will last, and well...won't cost a arm and a leg :squiggle: !
Considered a VW TDI deisel...50 + MPG, sometimes a +300,000 mile vehicle (I love diesels) BUT...several told me VW's are headach's period ! Great Diesels but alot of aggravation :rolleyes:
Then Ford Focus 4 door hatch back 5 speed. Heard some good things about them.
Just came from a test drive on a KIA :squiggle: Spectra-5, 5 speed 4-banger. Damn, I liked it...I liked it alot!
Under 14K w/ 10-100k warranty and some 35 mpg.
Tough descisions... :confused:Hammerdown here's somthing to think about that might help you make your decision! you can NOT buy parts for a kia at any parts store. you must go to the dealer and pay top dollar for the stuff... thats where they make their $$$$

[Jbb]

My friend bought two......many many coil pack problems...horrible customer service from the dealer...you must buy the parts from them....and the value drops like a brick...you would be upside down in it by the time your a block away from the dealership....when the first coil pack takes a dump.... :D

[Tom Brown]

A woman I know has 2002 Spectra and loves it. When her son needed a car two years ago, she went out and bought him a used 2001 Spectra and hasn't had trouble with either. I have a hunch the 2001 gets some hard miles but I don't know that.
It sure seems like a lot of car for the money.
By the way, I used to work at a bank and they never gave two shits about vehicle quality or brand. The only thing they ever cared about was book value. That made it harder for people to buy certain older collector cars but any new car was effortless to finance.

[HammerDown]

Can't purchase parts at a parts store... :( what's up wit-dat?

[Jbb]

A woman I know has 2002 Spectra and loves it. When her son needed a car two years ago, she went out and bought him a used 2001 Spectra and hasn't had trouble with either. I have a hunch the 2001 gets some hard miles but I don't know that.
It sure seems like a lot of car for the money.
By the way, I used to work at a bank and they never gave two shits about vehicle quality or brand. The only thing they ever cared about was book value. That made it harder for people to buy certain older collector cars but any new car was effortless to finance.
Standing in front of the Bank...collecting loose change to help OJ find the "real" killers....does not count....Brown

[imirsh1]

I drive from South Orange county to LAX everyday, I purchased an NGV honda civic.$7.50 to fill it up and I drive the diamond lanes by myself,also you dont have to pay for metered parking or toll roads in La &OC.

[Tom Brown]

....and the value drops like a brick...you would be upside down in it by the time your a block away from the dealership....
You nailed the resale. My friend paid about half as much for a two year old car as she did for hers when it was new. She plunked down 7K CDN for a car that is pretty much indistinguishable from hers. Neither has had a problem, BTW.
For what it's worth, my friend doesn't love the car. She just wants to have reliable transportation that she can afford and the Spectra fits the bill. She likes it but her choice on the second Spectra was based almost exclusively on problems she has had with other vehicles of other brands and feeling good about her current car.
You know what chicks are like... they just want to twist the key and go. I don't think either car has particularly high mileage. As I recall, hers has about 60000 kms. That's about 35000 miles. The 2001 probably has quite a few more kilometers on it since it served as a pizza delivery vehicle for a couple of years.
It seems like used is the way to go on the Spectra but then you'd be driving a used Korean car and your ego might not be able to deal with that.

[Tom Brown]

Can't purchase parts at a parts store... :( what's up wit-dat?
You might want to call a parts store and see if they will sell you a CV boot and a coil pack, or whatever, for a Spectra. You could test parts availability in a few minutes.

[Jbb]

You know what chicks are like...
I have no earthly clue what chicks are like ...the more I think I know .....well...you know.... :D

[Freak]

I applaud you hammer for getting a fuel miser. (smart move) When I did the same thing all my buds gave me serious shit about driving a girl car. Tell you what I don't care what they say, I love that thing. I save some serious cash every month driving it instead of the truck. The operational costs are way lower and the funny thing is after they realized it has no effect on their manhood they are doing the same thing. The price of gas is only going up.

[oldbuck40]

Can't purchase parts at a parts store... :( what's up wit-dat?Kia will not release permission for aftermarket builders to make kia parts to sell over the counter,so you have to go to them to buy parts,,and thats when you have to bend over and take it!

[boatnam2]

im spending 33 dollars a day on diesel to go to work.my wife works at a dealership and they have a 04 kia spectra i was going to buy test drove it and was suprised how nice it drives.it had 11k on it but she talked me into a hyundia elantra instead.didnt think i would ever own a hyundia either but for the price and warranty compared to a honda civic i will drive team hyundia for awhile.

[maxwedge]

I had an almost new (3000 miles on it) Kia Sephia rental car that died at 70mph in the middle lane of three lane rush hour traffic near Portland OR. There is nothing quite like the feeling of being wedged between two lanes of bumper to bumper traffic with a semi skidding towards your tiny little car from behind as you coast to a stop. Two minutes later there were three lanes of traffic parked all the way to the horizon for miles behind me. I wuz proud! Don't even get me started on the customer service I got from the rental agency. Nope. No Kias for me

[Big Warlock]

you still have the added car payment and insurance on the second vehicle. If you commute long distance and take into account the depreciation of value by cranking in the miles and the gas, it may be worth getting the second vehicle. Sounds like many of you are in the ssituation.
A second point, please don't be the ones crying about jobs leaving the US after you buy your KIA. Just a point. Lots of Toyotas, Nissans, BMWs are built here in the USA. They make a good vehicle and you shouldn't lose sleep over buying a "foreign" car. And lots of Fords, Chevys Chrysler products are built in Mexico and Canada. (Think about having Hoolign but your car together!!)
My .02

[roostwear]

Kia will not release permission for aftermarket builders to make kia parts to sell over the counter,so you have to go to them to buy parts,,and thats when you have to bend over and take it!
This is the type of misinformation that sticks in people's heads for no good reason. There is no licensing concern for aftermarket parts..... a/m's can produce whatever they feel they can make a profit on. The REAL reason you don't see a/m parts for certain makes/models is that there isn't the volume to support the tooling and profit projections yet. The more UIO there is, the better the odds a/m's will produce parts. How do I know? I'm in the Parts marketing division of the Hyundai group and this is what I research every day..... who's trying to take a piece of our pie :D
Hammer... if you're looking at a Hyundai, I can set up a deal thru corporate for you.

[All IN]

Capital one one of the largest automotive finance won't finance a KIA. Household another giant in the industry will only do Kia on ther Premiere dealas at a 1% bump in intrest.
There a reason therse banks do that, these pieces of s**t are worthless on the used car market.

[desertbird]

Take note that Hyundai and Toyota both have plants and test tracks on US soil. Those are still American jobs........ :idea:
Of course, my Daddy worked for GM in Van Nuys before they moved his plant to Canada and Mexico. :yuk:
My wife drives an Acura. :)
Now what :rollside:

[All IN]

Whats up RIVERHOUND haven't back from you. Before you lip get your facts straight. OK MR PEANUT GALLERY.

[meaniam]

Brother I've been trying to talk myself (into) a VW TDI for weeks now. But JD Power, Consumer Reports even rank them at the bottom of the barrel for problems.
And even a X VW service writer told me about...
"The electrical integration on the VW`s are way too complicated.
The elctric window regulators and subroofs are still to this day a problem for VW.
The TDI is a very reliable motor although service and chasing issues will cost you dearly.
VW dealers are the only ones with corect software diagnostics as VW has never released anty patents on its software and there is no release forthe forseable future.
The Jetta is a great looking vehicle but its service life is extremely short.
I urge you strongly to look elsewhwere from any VW/Porsche unit.
I personnally made alot of money from VW owners as there is no one else capable of truely fixing these but dealers.
There are not many VW owners amongst dealership personnel. That right there says something.
Stay away from the VW unless you have the money to keep up with costly repairs.
The new Jettas are a takeoff of the Passat. I will still tell you not to get one. There are people with them that have never had problems (but) the bad out weigh the good.
But me knowing what I know about VW I say don`t buy one unless you plan to work for them."
After hearing all this :eek: ...I gotta move on to another manufacture!
i dont know much about the volks tdi but a good friend of mine seems to have hers in the shop weeks on end. over and over. electrical issues alot one steering and something right now with the engine. its never the same problem and takes weeks to get looked at. she hates it and she hates me. cuase i cant help her out of this mess. she did get an enterprise rental, they rented her a colbalt. this past week. she hated it. called it a cheap pos with bad gas milage by the way hers is a 04 with around 23k miles
if you are in the inland empire i do know owners of kia stores and can help you. i can get you a good deal. worth your time. the kia i have always said they are like bic lighters. when your done you throw them away. run them into the ground. my friends i just help them get 2 kia 1 kia suv (i belive sportage) and 1 rio. they have nothing to say bad only great things. they recived thiers in feb. i rode in the sportage not bad at all. kinda good looking.
plus i know for a fact their warrenty placs are great. and they are pretty hassell free.
so agian if you need help there send me a pm
mike

[meaniam]

What banks would those be??? You have no idea how much financial backing Kia has, and how cash ritch they actually are, you would be quite surprised.
when kia first came out lending instutions were afraid to lone money on them. becuase of huandia example in the 80s. so the banks required a 10 yr 100000 mile warrenty to show they would stand behind the product. so the cust car would not fail and cust couldnt afford to pay for repair.( as the huyndai in the 80s broke so often ) they gave the cars back to the bank. now the banks were stuck with a car that didnt run. (really hard to recop money with non op car) kias have rated really well with jd powers
(copied from earlier post)
Capital one one of the largest automotive finance won't finance a KIA. Household another giant in the industry will only do Kia on ther Premiere dealas at a 1% bump in intrest.
There a reason therse banks do that, these pieces of s**t are worthless on the used car market.
Today 08:29 AM
im not quite sure if you work in auto finance. but we successfully sold used kias to capital one in bundle deals.along with mitsu credit fireside and ag fin. and i think we put one with march credit union so maybe the finace manger was just week
(copied from earlier post)
you still have the added car payment and insurance on the second vehicle. If you commute long distance and take into account the depreciation of value by cranking in the miles and the gas, it may be worth getting the second vehicle. Sounds like many of you are in the ssituation.
great recommendation
gap insurance is availble and i highly recommend it unless you place half down up front and have agressive payment plan. this past month i have heard alot of people whining how upside down they are.
(copied from earlier post)
My friend bought two......many many coil pack problems...horrible customer service from the dealer...you must buy the parts from them....and the value drops like a brick...you would be upside down in it by the time your a block away from the dealership....when the first coil pack takes a dump....
the 10yr 100000 mile warrenty would have taken car of that. as far as upside down. compare it in % to other cars. the amount of money you spend is far less. and someone always looking for cheap car so resale is easy.

[2Driver]

I had a 02 jetta diesel and put 40K on it without any problem. BUT WHY are you buying it? Solely to save money on fuel?
Do the math, it is a meek savings if any compared to a car that gets 30MPG on regular. By the time you mess with the Oil changes and filters and pay over premium for diesel what are you saving based on the miles you drive? A few hundred buck a year at best.
I sold it and got a V6 Passat. By the way you get about 40MPG combined (mostly highway) on the jetta. New ones are a little worse I hear.

[meaniam]

I drive from South Orange county to LAX everyday, I purchased an NGV honda civic.$7.50 to fill it up and I drive the diamond lanes by myself,also you dont have to pay for metered parking or toll roads in La &OC.
where do you buy the natrual gas. how easy is it to find. and what is the proformance like. i have just wondered these things
oh yeah what was the cost on the car. and is maintance any diffrent.
i am just freaking tired of giving my savings to the arabs, and other oil rich countries, or manufactering plant are going over seas. all the steel for the past 10 yrs has been being bought up by china. now steel has gone way high and concrete is going over sea cuasing prices to rise

[Tom Brown]

OMG! I'm upside down on my Kia Spectra and desperately want to trade up to the new model with passenger sun visor. :2purples:
I recommend that you go with a lease. You pay 80% of the value of the car over 3 years and then have the option to purchase the car for a single balloon payment of 60% of the original purchase price. It's the only way to go according to the car salesmen I know. :D
... of course, they can help you avoid the financial ass fukking at trade in time by selling you gap insurance that will cost you more than you would be expected to loose at trade in time.
I hope I never become obsessed with having one easy payment... forever... for every item I ever buy. The industry seems to pray on these people.

[Jbb]

... of course, they can help you avoid the financial ass fukking at trade in time by selling you gap insurance that will cost you more than you would be expected to loose at trade in time.
lol....pearls.... :D
I love the concept of buying insurance ...to make up for the fact that the car holds just about zero residual value.... :D

[meaniam]

gap insurance is for protecting you in the loss from accident theft or fire, on a kia. or any car that you are paying on it is wise to have gap insurance. gap pays the diffrence of what you owe on the car. and the value the insurance company feels the car is worth. it is not to protect you in an upside down trade.

[dicudmore]

This is the type of misinformation that sticks in people's heads for no good reason. There is no licensing concern for aftermarket parts..... a/m's can produce whatever they feel they can make a profit on. The REAL reason you don't see a/m parts for certain makes/models is that there isn't the volume to support the tooling and profit projections yet. The more UIO there is, the better the odds a/m's will produce parts. How do I know? I'm in the Parts marketing division of the Hyundai group and this is what I research every day..... who's trying to take a piece of our pie :D
Hammer... if you're looking at a Hyundai, I can set up a deal thru corporate for you.
true here... I spent some time working for a Hyundai dealer in the service dept. They are actually a pretty damn good little ride. And, as he said about the A/M parts, thats just a matter of time and demand. We were able to buy aftermarket stuff for the Hyundais when we needed to, but a lot of the parts even from HYUNDAI are cheap... Hell, a replacement transmission INSTALLED is only like $1500

[Tom Brown]

gap insurance is for protecting you in the loss from accident theft or fire, on a kia. or any car that you are paying on it is wise to have gap insurance. gap pays the diffrence of what you owe on the car. and the value the insurance company feels the car is worth. it is not to protect you in an upside down trade.
Thanks, Meaniam. Up here in canada, we used to have something we called "replacement value" insurance. It was originally implemented by the Royal Bank so that a total loss in the first year of ownership would result in a full replacement of the vehicle.

[Riverhound]

Capital one one of the largest automotive finance won't finance a KIA. Household another giant in the industry will only do Kia on ther Premiere dealas at a 1% bump in intrest.
There a reason therse banks do that, these pieces of s**t are worthless on the used car market.
Funny the 600 + dealers dont seem to have a problem getting them financed........ :confused:

[roostwear]

true here... I spent some time working for a Hyundai dealer in the service dept. They are actually a pretty damn good little ride. And, as he said about the A/M parts, thats just a matter of time and demand. We were able to buy aftermarket stuff for the Hyundais when we needed to, but a lot of the parts even from HYUNDAI are cheap... Hell, a replacement transmission INSTALLED is only like $1500
That's the basis of our pricing strategy. We keep the prices down to discourage a/m's from entering a market segment they can't profit in as easily, and also to keep maintenance/repair as affordable as possible for our customers.
10/100 was not adopted to show banks we stand behind our cars (where do you GET this garbage?), it was done to show the consumer that the quality had vastly improved, and we weren't making crappy Excels anymore.

[Outnumbered]

Never in a million years would I EVER belive (I) would consider ever owning a vehicle with a (foreign name plate). And before the flameing wars start, yes I know everything around me has some foreighn parts in it...So take it easy, not the same thing :notam:
Being Mr. Harley, Ford Diesel, Corvette, and a Teamster etc...bla, bla owning this foreign (what ever) just never seemed right in my book...................BUT!
I'll need a good comuter, about 140 miles a day and looking for MPG, something that will last, and well...won't cost a arm and a leg :squiggle: !
Considered a VW TDI deisel...50 + MPG, sometimes a +300,000 mile vehicle (I love diesels) BUT...several told me VW's are headach's period ! Great Diesels but alot of aggravation :rolleyes:
Then Ford Focus 4 door hatch back 5 speed. Heard some good things about them.
Just came from a test drive on a KIA :squiggle: Spectra-5, 5 speed 4-banger. Damn, I liked it...I liked it alot!
Under 14K w/ 10-100k warranty and some 35 mpg.
Tough descisions... :confused:
Buy a Toyota Corolla base with AC. Will last three times longer and they are made in the USA. Really not that much more than a KIA Shitphia.

[rivercrazy]

Gotta agree with the Honda / Toyota route. Bulletproof, higher quality, and when resale time comes, they will kick around Kia's and Hyndai's backside.

[HammerDown]

Buy a Toyota Corolla base with AC. Will last three times longer and they are made in the USA. Really not that much more than a KIA Shitphia.
Thanks for ALLLLLL the feedback people ;)
I've been a test driving fool :p
I checked out s Corolla-S 5 speed yesterday, some 41 miles per gal. :)
A friend who owns a (big) local repair shop personally uses a Toyota for a 100+ mile trip to work. And his comments were "those Toyota's never seem to break"!
Seriously taking this into consideration.
Also NO over the counter parts for KIA, not even brake pads...EVERYTHING only at the dealers!
Thanks again...Ray

[HammerDown]

Roostwear, PM sent :cool:

[shueman]

Ford has a new model coming out in '06....the Fusion...??
My guy at the dealer has already ordered....likes it alot.

[HammerDown]

Ford has a new model coming out in '06....the Fusion...??
My guy at the dealer has already ordered....likes it alot.
06's are arriving in a few weeks...can't wait that long. :(

[shueman]

I had a 3dr '05 Focus down under $14k OTD with the Family Plan and rebates @Upland Ford...

[imirsh1]

Quote:
Originally Posted by imirsh1
I drive from South Orange county to LAX everyday, I purchased an NGV honda civic.$7.50 to fill it up and I drive the diamond lanes by myself,also you dont have to pay for metered parking or toll roads in La &OC.
where do you buy the natrual gas. how easy is it to find. and what is the proformance like. i have just wondered these things
oh yeah what was the cost on the car. and is maintance any diffrent.
i am just freaking tired of giving my savings to the arabs, and other oil rich countries, or manufactering plant are going over seas. all the steel for the past 10 yrs has been being bought up by china. now steel has gone way high and concrete is going over sea cuasing prices to rise
I use this car soley on commuting.There are actually a lot of stations to fill up at they are popping up all over the place, especially since the high price of fuel,hell the high price of everything.I have one on the end near LAX and one in OC.If you figure how to put a price on your time spent in traffic jump in the diamond lane by yourself and see.Also it has a bunch of write offs at the end of the year.As far as the power it is a little slower than the reg.fueled civic.

[HammerDown]

1)New Toyota Corolla-S 5 speed 41 mpg hwy
(a friend that works as the dealer said he will sell it to me for his cost + any rebates).
2)Kia Spectra-5 (used/mint) 05 5speed with 5000 on it...$13,000 out the door with a extended 10/100 warr that covers towing and rental car. (I like the looks of this hatch-back...for some reason).
3)New Hyundia...brother Roostwear said he could get me a discount on. Also with a 10/100 K warr.
Bottom line...I need a trouble free vehicle (with in reason) that will go the long run +35,000 a year for a lot of years.
Speek to me people.

[Tom Brown]

Personally... number 1 all the way. :cool:

[Krumbsnatcher]

Never in a million years would I EVER belive (I) would consider ever owning a vehicle with a (foreign name plate). And before the flameing wars start, yes I know everything around me has some foreighn parts in it...So take it easy, not the same thing :notam:
Being Mr. Harley, Ford Diesel, Corvette, and a Teamster etc...bla, bla owning this foreign (what ever) just never seemed right in my book...................BUT!
I'll need a good comuter, about 140 miles a day and looking for MPG, something that will last, and well...won't cost a arm and a leg :squiggle: !
Considered a VW TDI deisel...50 + MPG, sometimes a +300,000 mile vehicle (I love diesels) BUT...several told me VW's are headach's period ! Great Diesels but alot of aggravation :rolleyes:
Then Ford Focus 4 door hatch back 5 speed. Heard some good things about them.
Just came from a test drive on a KIA :squiggle: Spectra-5, 5 speed 4-banger. Damn, I liked it...I liked it alot!
Under 14K w/ 10-100k warranty and some 35 mpg.
Tough descisions... :confused:
We have a SCION for the commuter car/ run errands car for the company. AT first our friends laughed, now they own em. for 15k you can throw it away when it is finished. besides it is a toyota!

[Freak]

Toyota all the way.

[superdave013]

gettin in on this late and did not read all the other replys.
I had 2 GEO metros and they were great for what they were. Never had one ounce of trouble with either of them. First one got totaled (while parked thank god) with 65K miles on it. The second one I sold with about 80K on the clock and the only thing I had to do was put one set of tires (ever wonder what those 4 tires for 99 bucks fit?) on that one. I only sold it because I moved close to work and just didn't need it.
BTW, they both were getting 50 ~ 51 MPG and that's saying something due to the way I drive.
I think the first one was under 8K and the second was a tad over 8K brand new.

[meaniam]

i do need to say i see these little car strugling in the wind all the time. gust of wind kicks up and the cant hold the road. may want to consider hp a little since headwind can make these cars crawl. (im speaking in general) go moped go!

[superdave013]

i do need to say i see these little car strugling in the wind all the time. gust of wind kicks up and the cant hold the road. may want to consider hp a little since headwind can make these cars crawl. (im speaking in general) go moped go!
lol, mine did ok in the wind. But pushing in the cig lighter would make ya slow down a tad. lol

[totenhosen]

Go for the Scion tc

[boatnam2]

well i drove the toyota corolla ce, honda civic,kia spetra,and hyundia elantra.honda and toyota may last longer maybe but at that level of car quality as in interior and such not much difference.i did the math it is costing me about 500 bucks + to drive my truck to work at 3.00 a gallon payed 3.10 today plus a 80 bucks a month in oil changes so 600 ballpark figure..im paying 5500 for a 2003 hyundia 2k down i think payment comes in around 75 bucks a month,insurance 50 bucks bucks plus insurance 50 bucks so 125 a month.plus 3 fill ups of reg at 2.60 another 100 bucks so i will be saving about 400bucks a month and not wearing out my 40k truck.not a math wizard but it sounds good to me.

[Ralph Brunt]

hey bro i'm new here as you can tell by the post count i read some of the feedback and i just dont know i personally work as a tech at a kia dealer. so I work on those cars not as bad as they are being made out to be specta 5 good choice only probs i see so far is evap sys faults. it is still a new model only been out for a year or so. that being said i do own a kia sorento. poeple dont buy a kia for aftermarket availability of parts shit it's got 10 year 100,000 mile warrenty all you have to do to keep the warrenty good is the maint, the brake rotors amongst other things are covered under the basic warrenty wich is 60,000 powertrain is 100 as for financing i got mine through ford motor credit so you can be financed through a major corp. DONT buy the rio under any circumstances allthough all new for 06 but we will see feel free to pm me if you want more info im not trying to sway you over but there is a lot of MISSINFORMATION in this thread my .02 ralph as for huyndai the two corps are as one now compare the models they are built on the same platforms and same warrenty

[Desert Rat]

KIA
You do know that is in military terms? it = this
K Killed
I In
A Action
:idea: :idea: :idea:

[HammerDown]

Well as mentioned my friend said he would sell me the Corolla-S for his cost (invoice $15,612) ...BUT...I come to find out it's a 06 and NOT a 05! And he also said he would sell me the best 100K warranty for $600.00 (if I wanted it).
The dealer with the 05 used Kia Spectra-5 w/5000 miles, backed down on his deal of $13,000 out the door w/extended warranty. Now he's telling me 13k + tax and tags....dick head. :boxingguy
So there ya have it. :hammerhea

[Ralph Brunt]

dont be missled if you dont buy an aftermarket warrenty and you are the second owner the warrenty runs out at 60,000 miles

[HammerDown]

dont be missled if you dont buy an aftermarket warrenty and you are the second owner the warrenty runs out at 60,000 miles
This I know...and that's why the Kia dealer said they would throw in a "extended 10/100 warranty" with the 13K
But now their telling me that price dosen't enclude tax and tag's. :notam:
PS...PM sent.

[boatnam2]

man just rolled up in my hyundia,cant belive the looks i was getting.wait until i get the rims.

[Ralph Brunt]

pm sent

[HammerDown]

have you checked into saturns?? my wife owned a 95 and that thing just ran and ran and got almost 35 mpg.. it had just under 200k miles when it was crashed into by another car.. while it was parked. my wifes mom and dad have a 2000 saturn and it does get 35 mpg.. something to look into. :)
Getting down to the wire...I just looked at a Saturn ION, kinda liked it, I wouldn't buy new because of stinky warranty. But a 05 w/10K miles can be had for around 11 thousand.

[totenhosen]

Another bargain car that gets good mileage is a Ford Focus. You might even be able to pick up a used Focus SVT for a good price.

[Phat Daddy]

TOYOTA, that's the sure way to go. I bought my Toyota T100 used (year and a half used) from the Toyota dealer some 5 years ago with about 30k miles on it. I now have over 235k and it runs as good as new. No leaks and the air still blows ice cold. Maybe I should think about changing the timing belt sometime in the near future :jawdrop: :D Good luck.

[HammerDown]

Where I'm at, and the last day for the choice to be made.
*05 used Kia Sportage 5 with 5,300 miles on it. With a extra 10/100 warranty from Kia (I really like this 4-door hatch back, but no cruise control).
Added cost of timming belts to change every 60K
33 mpg hwy
out the door for ..........$13,612
OR
*New 06 Corolla/S (sweet car, almost to nice to run soooo hard every day)
NO timming belts or cost to deal with...ever!
41 mpg hwy
Dealer invoice..............$15,612
7/10 Platinum warr........$1,100-(must have it) driving 35K a year!
Tax........................... $936,72
Temp tag....................$10,00
Tags..........................$108.00
Dealer service charge....$100,00
Pa inspection/emmision..$80,00 (out of state purchase)
TOTAL........................$17,933.72
Some......................... $4,321.72 difference! :supp:
My head hurts............... :confused: :squiggle: > :boxingguy with myself

[Flying Tiger]

400,717 miles on my Toyota, a lot if it hard towing too.

[bigq]

Mazda 3 Series, nissan Sentra, Dodge Neon

[meaniam]

Where I'm at, and the last day for the choice to be made.
*05 used Kia Sportage 5 with 5,300 miles on it. With a extra 10/100 warranty from Kia (I really like this 4-door hatch back, but no cruise control).
Added cost of timming belts to change every 60K
33 mpg hwy
out the door for ..........$13,612
OR
*New 06 Corolla/S (sweet car, almost to nice to run soooo hard every day)
NO timming belts or cost to deal with...ever!
41 mpg hwy
Dealer invoice..............$15,612
7/10 Platinum warr........$1,100-(must have it) driving 35K a year!
Tax........................... $936,72
Temp tag....................$10,00
Tags..........................$108.00
Dealer service charge....$100,00
Pa inspection/emmision..$80,00 (out of state purchase)
TOTAL........................$17,933.72
Some......................... $4,321.72 difference! :supp:
My head hurts............... :confused: :squiggle: > :boxingguy with myself
man look for a new kia in the lost leader ads. 17k is a lot for a corolla. dont the ford focus still come with a 10yr 100000 mile warrenty. as far as buying a used kia. im not so sure i would. they are cheap new.pops just bought a new hyundia tribion 15k out the door. he drives from running spring to ontario each day. the truck was eating him alive in gas. the new tribion he says drinks from a sippy cup.he only wished he would have paid more atten. he would have seen the one he picked out dont have cruise control. he has the sporttronic trans thing rides great handle awesome and goes good up the mountain. this car really suprises me