Kia Ranks Highest among Nameplates, Ending 27-Year Reign for Premium Brands

the new redesigned 2017 kia sportage (test drove one today with family) is very nice and there's no comparison to the honda cr-v (still love honda though) after sitting in both. i think we are going to buy one very soon...

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Kia & Hyundai have come a long way in recent years. Their designs, colors, & interior finish is amazing. They are actually on my radar as I will be purchasing another vehicle in the future.
 
We were looking at the Sportage too, we like the Rav 4 as well. We test drove a Ford Escape and my wife liked it more than me I must say. I liked the Sante Fe Sport the most, we've been debating for a while, we procrastinate. :)
 
I looked at some Hyundais a few days ago and was surprised at the quality. The Koreans must be doing something right. Now they will raise their prices.
 
And what's number 3?

Hyundai!

Both them and Kia have gone a long way, while most of the industry has rested on their laurels.
 
Korea is like the anti-China. They make some quality original brand stuff when they put their mind to it. Samsung and LG are other good examples. They are pretty much dominating the TV market and mobile devices outside of Apple.
 
AuroraDetailing said:
Korea is like the anti-China. They make some quality original brand stuff when they put their mind to it. Samsung and LG are other good examples. They are pretty much dominating the TV market and mobile devices outside of Apple.
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My new LG refrigerator was made in China! :doh:
 
Both Kia & Hyundai have some impressive vehicles and you can't beat the warranty. The 2017 Kia Niro will be a very break through car--a small CUV designed from the get go to be a hybrid that looks like a normal non hybrid
CUV.

http://http://www.caranddriver.com/kia/niro-hybrid

However, JD Power reliability ratings have come under question -- it seems they weight all problems equally ie Bluetooth connectivity issues are weighted the same as say a failed transmission.

J.D. Power needs to rethink its Vehicle Dependability Study - Autoblog
 
Here is Power's ranking and the number of flaws reported per 100 cars:

Kia 83
Porsche 84
Hyundai 92
Toyota 93
BMW 94
Chevrolet 95
Buick 96 (tie)
Lexus 96 (tie)
Lincoln 96 (tie)
Nissan 101
Ford 102
GMC 103 (tie)
Infiniti 103 (tie)
Volkswagen 104

INDUSTRY AVERAGE 105

Audi 110
Mercedes-Benz 111
Cadillac 112
Jeep 113
Ram 114
Chrysler 115
Mitsubishi 116
Dodge 117
Subaru 118
Honda 119
Acura 122
Scion 123
Jaguar 127 (tie)
Mazda 127 (tie)
Mini 127 (tie)
Land Rover 132
Volvo 152
Fiat 174
Smart 216​
 
custmsprty said:
My new LG refrigerator was made in China! :doh:
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It's hard to get away from that anywhere you are. But in my experience living in Australia where practically everything is manufactured in China (They even have Chinese cars and trucks under the brand name Great Wall), being manufactured there doesn't necessarily always equate to junk. They can make things to whatever specifications you provide them with. It's the requesting of the cheapest materials and processes that ends up in junk.
 
IMHO, initial quality doesn't mean much. If you've ever worked at a car dealer, people will bring new cars in under "warranty repair" for all types of nonsense. Many times they want you to fix/change what's actually a characteristic of the vehicle.

And... To be honest, the more money people spend on a car, the pickier they can be. Often times people come in with warranty complaints on high dollar vehicles with stuff like:

- Vibration at 62.5 mph - but only when turning left.

- 17th stitch in passenger rear seat is out of line with other stitches.

- Cup holder doesn't hold my coffee cup tight enough

- AC blows too cold on my feet while wearing sandals

*** I've seen warranty claims on all these "complaints", any many more similar...

Call me in 10 years with your 10 year old Kia and tell me how it works then. It may be great or it may suck. I dunno.

What's more important to me:

1. Is the car repairable or does it feel like a flimsy piece of junk when I go to work on it? "Serviceability"...

2. How will the materials and the car hold up over time? Will the car car still be desirable over time? Will it be worth fixing in 10 years and 120k miles? I guess you have to look at a 2006 Kia to figure this out.

3. Do major components, like engines and transmission, from this particular manufacturer have a history or reputation for being trouble free over many years?

Of course, if you just are going to lease the car and throw it back to the dealer in 2 or 3 years - this doesn't matter. This is what I perceive as being more and more common today. For me, I'm going to stick with more tried and proven brands.




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so after calling over a dozen dealerships, i was able to find one where the license plate wasn't (PDI) pre-drilled into the front bumper (nearly impossible here in so cal unless you happen to catch it right off the truck). it only had 2 miles on it and the wheel protection covers we're still on as well as some of the protection film on the paint. not to mention on the whole interior as well (speedometer, seats/belts, floor, nav screen, etc,). i told the sales guy specifically do not wash it or remove any of the plastic in and out of the vehicle and most importantly not to drill or attach the front plate on. very spacious and feels more like a step up from the segment. this is the color that we got which is burnished copper. one of the first things i did was debadge the sportage & ex emblems off the back which makes it look a lot cleaner...
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