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Kia

Are There Any Bad Cars Left? Kia tops J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

Last updated: Sep 27, 2019 at 4:22PM
Published on: Jun 28, 2016 by Matt Smith

2017 Kia Sportage EX EX

If there’s one piece of advice I find myself sanctimoniously preaching to prospective car shoppers, it’s this: There’s no such thing as a bad car anymore.

Long, long ago, in the early 1990s, Kia Motors expanded to the United States, bringing with it little economical runabouts like the Sephia sedan and the Sportage crossover. There was just one problem: These cars weren’t exactly what we’d describe as “good.” Sub-100-hp engines, crude transmissions, and interiors featuring more plastics than Mean Girls. The little Sephia couldn’t even deliver great fuel economy, barely eking out 27 mpg highway with its automatic transmission. A ‘94 Ford Escort could manage 5 mpg better with nearly identical power specs.

But oh, how times have changed. Despite a poor first impression, Kia has emerged as a shining example of the fact that there really are no more “bad” cars. Every year, J.D. Power conducts its Initial Quality Study, wherein car owners are surveyed to determine which vehicles deliver the best experience within the first 90 days. By placing first on J.D. Power’s 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study, Kia earned the honor of being the first non-premium brand in 27 years to take home Gold.

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Filed Under: Car News Tagged With: 2016 Initial Quality, Chevrolet, Ford Escort, hyundai, J.D. Power, Kia, Kia Soul, Porsche, Sephia, Sportage, Toyota

From Germany mit Love – 5 Frankfurt Show Models Worth Watching

Last updated: Oct 23, 2019 at 11:51AM
Published on: Sep 17, 2015 by Keith_Griffin

Kia Sportage, front dynamicSure, there are some exotic vehicles on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show, including the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. However, there are plenty of models coming to the U.S. that made their debut overseas and could impact your buying choices in the near future.

Kia Sportage
It seems hard to believe, but the 2017 version will be the fourth generation of the Kia Sportage. The European version was introduced in Frankfurt, but there’s little reason to believe the U.S. version will look substantially different on the exterior.

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Filed Under: Auto Shows, Car Shopping, Foreign Cars, General Chat, United States Tagged With: Audi, Car Minded, Car Shows, infiniti, jaguar, Kia, Volkswagen

Can a Kia Compete with a Mercedes-Benz?

Last updated: Dec 6, 2019 at 3:01PM
Published on: Jul 31, 2014 by tgriffith

I pulled up to the bank yesterday and parked nose to nose with a Mercedes-Benz.

It was kind of weird at first glance but I only looked for a moment and didn’t give it a second glance until I passed it again, on foot, on the way into the bank.

The car was an “Anniversary Edition,” at least according to the crudely applied stickers near the front fender. That’s when I paid more attention and realized the car wasn’t a Mercedes at all.

It was a Kia.

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Filed Under: Car Shopping, Foreign Cars, General Chat, United States Tagged With: Car Minded, car shopping, car technology, Kia, kia vs mercedes, mercedes-benz, used cars

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