Lets Talk The Truth About Kia Cars (Please Share Your Real Experience)

[Iroshw]

People make a lot of bad comments on KIA vehicles even without touching them. I have seen some (only few) good comments on KIAs based on their real experience. I have never used a KIA car (I'm not a Korean vehicle lover at all) but considering to go for another car on these days by selling my Mitsubishi Lancer C62A (ASP 1991 model).

I'm thinking about KIA RIO, Spectra and Sephia. They looks nice and fit to my budget too. But still I'm thinking about the bad comments made by people. One of my friends were talking badly about KIAs but he has never used a KIA vehicle. When I asked the reason for his comment he simply said "MANY says bad about Korean cars".

But again, why Koreans make cars taking a risk if they have troubles/issues? They do it purposely to decrease their Vehicle Market? The Technology they use to make cars are not good enough? KIA is not comfortable like Japanese? Or what is the truth? Why KIA market can't beat japanese?

Guys, I need your support to sort out this and clear my mind. It will help me to think whether it is ideal for me to go for a Kia or not.

And, please share your experience like Fuel Consumption of Kia RIO, Spectra and Sephia, Maintenance and cost, Spare part cost and availability, whether it is worth for the money you spent, etc etc.

And, please share the problems you had with your KIA and how did you overcome the issue and the cost.

[CJ5]

For me its plain and simple quality. The Korean cars still don't have the build quality of the Japs. For example just look into the interior of a KIA Rio and look again at the interior of your 91 Lancer C62, you'll see what I mean. The interior plastics look and feel very cheap unlike the Japs and it's the same with the other things too.

As for me still Koreans are not an option to seriously consider and this is after using one as a second car just to try out.

[The Don]

I think you can't compare the build quality of Kias made a decade ago with Kias made now.

[CJ5]

I think you can't compare the build quality of Kias made a decade ago with Kias made now.

Ok..just take a peek into the interior of a 2012 KIA Sportage or Sorento and look into the interior of a 2012 Montero for instance. then take them for a drive, then you'll see what I mean.

Looks are flashy no doubt, but for me IMO quality is still lacking.

[Schiffer]

The Kia rio is actually bang for the buck

if you want to buy a relatively new car with English numbers for your budget it is the way to go

but one thing you have to consider is. you cannot treat it like a Japanese cars. services and other stuff have to be done regularly or you will face reliability issues later on.

and the car should be handle with care or bits and pieces might start to fall of with time.

but then again you are not paying the same amount of a equalant Japanese car. so compromises have to be made.

i cant say about the others but the Kia Rio gives out around 10kmpl combined.

also have to think, if someone is buying a old kia, they just want a A - B car. you are not gonna hope for sporty or luxury.

Therefore if you are looking for a A - B car ill suggest a Rio, but you have to make sure the car is maintained well.

[JadeyBlitzen]

I have a slight concern about the R engine in the new Sorrento. Its a 2.2 diesel with nearly 200 bhp lugging around 1800 or so kgs. That's a very small engine for its output and the weight it has to haul, so its pretty stressed. makes me wonder how long they'll last in our traffic conditions in the hands of a typical driver.

[Crosswind]

One problem that caused the bad reputation of Kias (and indeed Hyundais and Protons) was the fact that most of them were brought down from Singapore and they were used as rent-a-cars there. As a result, the Singapore imports were abused. Naturally they started giving trouble from day 1 in Sri Lanka.

One really good Kia which I have noticed is the Cerato. Look for a 2004 or later model brand new imported one. Build quality is pretty good and its a nice car to drive. Should cost you around 1.7 - 1.8 Million

[DVT]

People make a lot of bad comments on KIA vehicles even without touching them. I have seen some (only few) good comments on KIAs based on their real experience. I have never used a KIA car (I'm not a Korean vehicle lover at all) but considering to go for another car on these days by selling my Mitsubishi Lancer C62A (ASP 1991 model).

I'm thinking about KIA RIO, Spectra and Sephia. They looks nice and fit to my budget too. But still I'm thinking about the bad comments made by people. One of my friends were talking badly about KIAs but he has never used a KIA vehicle. When I asked the reason for his comment he simply said "MANY says bad about Korean cars".

But again, why Koreans make cars taking a risk if they have troubles/issues? They do it purposely to decrease their Vehicle Market? The Technology they use to make cars are not good enough? KIA is not comfortable like Japanese? Or what is the truth? Why KIA market can't beat japanese?

Guys, I need your support to sort out this and clear my mind. It will help me to think whether it is ideal for me to go for a Kia or not.

And, please share your experience like Fuel Consumption of Kia RIO, Spectra and Sephia, Maintenance and cost, Spare part cost and availability, whether it is worth for the money you spent, etc etc.

And, please share the problems you had with your KIA and how did you overcome the issue and the cost.

After reading through ur post I suggest u buy a japanese vehicle

Because u are looking for a vehicle for "people"

People buy japs

[Sylvi]

Iroshow,

If you are prepared to buy a kia, that is your wish be prepared for used car to give few problems.

Later spend your tine in Repair shops.

To get spares it is bit difficult.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[carboy2011]

One problem that caused the bad reputation of Kias (and indeed Hyundais and Protons) was the fact that most of them were brought down from Singapore and they were used as rent-a-cars there. As a result, the Singapore imports were abused. Naturally they started giving trouble from day 1 in Sri Lanka.

One really good Kia which I have noticed is the Cerato. Look for a 2004 or later model brand new imported one. Build quality is pretty good and its a nice car to drive. Should cost you around 1.7 - 1.8 Million

When you say Protons were also bought from Singapore can you elaborate a bit more,are there are lot of recon Protons from Singa in LK? I thought almost all were B/N cars imported here except maybe a few?

[TechHater]

i dont know how others express their views,but i've shifted to a kia after being skeptical for a long time, but now im very happy about my decision. my first vehicle was 1991 CR27 which i still own and im very happy about its perfomance. now it has 272k on the clock but had only a minor engine repair.this is a classic example of japanese reliability. then i had 98 starlet ep91 which i had lot of trouble with front suspension and cost a fortune but issue was not sorted till the time i sold it. then i shifted to axio 2011 and then to kia sportage.

the major issue with kia is their indifferent agents.you cant expect much from them and there are enough discussions about them in the past. But the vehicle seems very solid much more than the axio. i feel the interior of premios and axios are much worse than sportage( dont know about the rio). i still didnt have to change any part but i found many shops in colombo who are dealing korean spare parts including sportage. but if you are looking for used spareparts ,may be not so common. the korean- cheap jap-superior concept is long gone in many aspects now.if you are looking for a good vehicle but not those aftr market nonsense, go for kia.

[CJ5]

The Kia rio is actually bang for the buck

if you want to buy a relatively new car with English numbers for your budget it is the way to go

but one thing you have to consider is. you cannot treat it like a Japanese cars. services and other stuff have to be done regularly or you will face reliability issues later on.

and the car should be handle with care or bits and pieces might start to fall of with time.

but then again you are not paying the same amount of a equalant Japanese car. so compromises have to be made.

i cant say about the others but the Kia Rio gives out around 10kmpl combined.

also have to think, if someone is buying a old kia, they just want a A - B car. you are not gonna hope for sporty or luxury.

Therefore if you are looking for a A - B car ill suggest a Rio, but you have to make sure the car is maintained well.

Of course yes, cars such as the Rio, are definitely bang for the buck if the "bucks" are the main criteria and what is wanted is something to get from A to B

[The Don]

Ok..just take a peek into the interior of a 2012 KIA Sportage or Sorento and look into the interior of a 2012 Montero for instance. then take them for a drive, then you'll see what I mean.

Looks are flashy no doubt, but for me IMO quality is still lacking.

The Montero and the Sorento are not the same class of automobile.

[Schiffer]

actully The Don is right u cannot compare a montero and a sorento.

what u could compare is like a toyota vanguard.

actually compareing japs and koreans is where everyone goes wrong.

[CJ5]

actually compareing japs and koreans is where everyone goes wrong.

Yes!!! The Japs are in a class of there own!!!!

[Magnum]

I have a slight concern about the R engine in the new Sorrento. Its a 2.2 diesel with nearly 200 bhp lugging around 1800 or so kgs. That's a very small engine for its output and the weight it has to haul, so its pretty stressed. makes me wonder how long they'll last in our traffic conditions in the hands of a typical driver.

You got a point there but even the 5 Series comes with a 2 liter engine and its quite powerful too. All new common rail diesel engines seems to be very powerful compared to indirect engines of vehicles we got in the past

[hatharasinghe]

Dear All,

I tell you all what my real experiance of KIA SPECTRA 1.6 AUTO car which i bought 7yrs back .It is full option car interior leather and it came from Singapore i paid 1M for it (second hand) so far it droves every roads in srilanka specially hill country many times as my hometown is Badulla .Normally fuel consumption is 8 to 9 in traffic and oustation it has around 12 and so to consider the parts (i.e oil filter air filter cv joints break pads etc.. ) cheap i mean genunie parts and engine smooth no vibration.and can go around 120Kmph with comfotable.

Here i tell some bad point also.

1.Its power antenna is not suitable for here as once dust and oil particle sticky on antenna and soon it not working properly.

2.Head lights are not enough then changed to HID

3.The main issue is specially until 2007 models the fuse box (Main) as its has lot of loose connections so had to replace to a Japanese one as it created big problem after driving long distance due to heat and all factors sometime automatically ac not working then acceleration has problems so did lot works and finally replaced it then ok.I discussed with this sometime ago in here pls refer.

4.Idont know how ohter vehicals this one ac cooler is inside the dash board and i had to replaced it and to do had to remove dash board carefully and refix it is not easy job.

Other than this issues i didnt have any matters still i use it .this is real experience what i have so pls and i dont want to bias to KIA.

[vishkid]

There was a related article on Top Gear UK magazine (I think Aug 2012 issue). The final verdict was to let the economics dictate the value of the car.

In 2007 there was about a £4.5k difference between 'comparable' hatch models of Ford and Kia, in 2012 the Kia was higher priced but selling at the same rate (cars/month) as the Ford. The proportion of Fords (Fiestas, iirc) on the road was still massively high due to the time they spent ahead on the curve BUT economically speaking Kias were no longer behind and market dictates that fact.

I think this was also mentioned in the Kia Cee'd review in TopGer S19E04.

I really don't know if this applies 100% in the SL context, but if Kia does not change the quality of the car between the markets and if you're only concerned with the absolute value of the vehicle, then there is no reason why it shouldn't.

[Crosswind]

When you say Protons were also bought from Singapore can you elaborate a bit more,are there are lot of recon Protons from Singa in LK? I thought almost all were B/N cars imported here except maybe a few?

Yes there are hundreds of Protons brought down from Singapore. Probably more recons on the road than brand new imported ones. There are few ways to identify them.

1. Cheap leather seats

2. VIN Plate of the export version of Protons will say PROTON and the Singapore/Malaysia version will have "Perusahaan Automobil Nasional" on it.

and of course, the CR will say "reconditioned" on it. It may also say country of origin as "Japan" but its wrong info. Protons were never made in Japan.

[The Don]

There was a related article on Top Gear UK magazine (I think Aug 2012 issue). The final verdict was to let the economics dictate the value of the car.

In 2007 there was about a £4.5k difference between 'comparable' hatch models of Ford and Kia, in 2012 the Kia was higher priced but selling at the same rate (cars/month) as the Ford. The proportion of Fords (Fiestas, iirc) on the road was still massively high due to the time they spent ahead on the curve BUT economically speaking Kias were no longer behind and market dictates that fact.

I think this was also mentioned in the Kia Cee'd review in TopGer S19E04.

I really don't know if this applies 100% in the SL context, but if Kia does not change the quality of the car between the markets and if you're only concerned with the absolute value of the vehicle, then there is no reason why it shouldn't.

Kias are also sold with a 7 year warranty. I they have taken a page out of Hyundai's book. Every car is different and in some ways Korean cars still need to make some progress particularly with regards to driving dynamics, a concept they still haven't quite mastered but are definitely getting better at it. But I have driven a few recent Hyundai's and Kia's and I was pleasantly surprised.

Incidentally Ford's biggest selling point is driving dynamics. They usually have excellent ride quality, limited body roll and flex leading to a very assured ride. Quality of interiors etc are excellent but they seem to have a few more niggles than people who have gotten used to Japanese quality control will be used to.

[Pericles]

Yes there are hundreds of Protons brought down from Singapore. Probably more recons on the road than brand new imported ones. There are few ways to identify them.

1. Cheap leather seats

2. VIN Plate of the export version of Protons will say PROTON and the Singapore/Malaysia version will have "Perusahaan Automobil Nasional" on it.

and of course, the CR will say "reconditioned" on it. It may also say country of origin as "Japan" but its wrong info. Protons were never made in Japan.

Cheap leather seats were available on the brand new ones too. I know, we had one

[JadeyBlitzen]

You got a point there but even the 5 Series comes with a 2 liter engine and its quite powerful too. All new common rail diesel engines seems to be very powerful compared to indirect engines of vehicles we got in the past

The 5 series the 3 and x1 are the other 3 vehicles on my watch list. they are considerably lighter than the sorrento but still somewhat stressed for a diesel. my point is unlike in europe or more developed countries we do fewer motorway miles and most of the driving is done on heavy stop and go traffic. I'm not saying they'll definitely fail but with our driving habits and the engines pushing out nearly 100hp a litre and hauling around so much weight it'd be interesting to see how long they last here.

[Magnum]

The 5 series the 3 and x1 are the other 3 vehicles on my watch list. they are considerably lighter than the sorrento but still somewhat stressed for a diesel. my point is unlike in europe or more developed countries we do fewer motorway miles and most of the driving is done on heavy stop and go traffic. I'm not saying they'll definitely fail but with our driving habits and the engines pushing out nearly 100hp a litre and hauling around so much weight it'd be interesting to see how long they last here.

could you elaborate on that? i thought theres less chance for engine failures if they are used short distance

[NRX]

could you elaborate on that? i thought theres less chance for engine failures if they are used short distance

Distance isn't the point

[Octanehead]

Im sure somebody else mentioned this too but I shall post my two cents about the topic as well, since of late Kia has upped their ante. I was lucky to get a first hand experience with both the new KIA Optima K5 and Forte in MY. Pretty good cars I must say. Built to European standards and build quality has improved by leaps and bounds. And I must say their designers have done quite a job of it too. Inside the ergonomics were really good and the amount of options these cars have are astounding. To be honest the interior of a K5 was far more interesting than that of a modern Toyota Axio or Allion. Hands down the Kia had a more pleasing and better equipped interior to sit in and to be honest looked better too.

Then again with the way things are in Sri Lanka, an Axio or Allion will keeps its value really well. Thats the issue with Kia's and Hyundai's (Quite good now as well) in SL. Which means that you can buy a good spec used Kia for good money. But look to sell for cheaper later on. Maybe the market will change in the time to come, who knows? Oh I was also told Kia agents after sales service wasn't that great....

[Octanehead]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/kia/optima