Ovaltine
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Posts posted by Ovaltine
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But I have to take the car to the dealer, find a way to get back home, wait 2 or 3 days to get the call the car is ready. Get someone to take me to the dealer. Then pray it gets fixed the first time in and nothing else got broke fixing it. It was already in once and came back with black grease on both front seats.
Wow..... your Ford dealer doesn't even offer shuttle service to service customers??? Is this a common phenomenon among Ford dealers these days?
My KIA dealership will take you to and pick you up from something like 10+ miles away! I used the service twice, once when getting an oil change / tire rotation and once when I had a minor warranty issue taken care of. I live fairly close to my dealership, so I was home in a few minutes and off to work in another one of my vehicles.
Shuttle service *should* be considered by any dealer worth their salt these days, in lieu of providing actual loaner vehicles.
-Ovaltine
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If the whole concept of how they do business doesn't improve, people will continue to go elsewhere if thy get less hassle and frustration.
Hyundai's are a piece of shit, dead last in the J.D. Powers initial quality survey, yet people are buying them for some reason I can't figure out......
Oldracer:
While I admire your candor about your Ford warranty experiences (they mirror many of my own), I'm really scratching my head based on your comments above.
I know that you originally posted your thoughts before the recent announcement of Hyundai leaping to #2 in the IQS study, but last year Hyundai was at least mid-pack.... not dead last. KIA even made a noticeable jump in this year's IQS. In fact, SEVERAL individual Hyundai's were ranked #2 in IQS in their vehicle class, and the new KIA Rio was ranked #1 in IQS in the sub-compact class. Even my KIA Spectra took #2 last year in the compact class. So your claim that Hyundai's (and KIA's) are excretement is more suitable for a posting dated several years back.
And yes.... the 60K/5 year bumper-to-bumper and 100k/10 year drivetraine warranties are very attractive to people. Couple all that with reasonable cost, and I think you'll find the answer to your question above.
And as far as the dealership experience goes, my KIA dealer here in Michigan is KIA exclusive, and has treated me exceptionally well during my service and couple of warranty work experiences.
-Ovaltine
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If you've never liked George Soros in the past, here's another big, BIG reason not to!
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/apps/pbcs.dll...-1/newsletter01
And some even MORE enlightenment on the topic....
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/printer-...RTICLE_ID=50619
Globalists back China in auto exports to U.S.
Soros, Strong to invest hundreds of millions in American dump of cheap 'Cherys' next year
Posted: June 12, 2006
7:00 p.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
George Soros, the billionaire who bankrolled Moveon.org, and Maurice Strong, a major backer of the United Nations and environmentalist causes, are considering pouring hundreds of millions into a Chinese state automaker with plans to begin dumping cheap exports on the U.S. market next year, WND has learned.
The "Chery" is a knockoff of the South Korean Spark, sold in the U.S. in partnership with General Motors. GM filed a lawsuit against Chery Automobile Co. for piracy of the car developed by its South Korean affiliate Daewoo.
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IF YOU did read ALL of the bible the first thing you would know is not to cast a stone at another.
Whenever someone uses John 8:7 to muffle a dissenting opinion, the one point in the verse that ALWAYS seems to be omitted from the posting is Christ's final command to the adulteress: "...from now on, sin no more"
So the point here is.... the people who were accusing her of sin weren't wrong or incorrect in their facts, BUT that correctness didn't give them the right to physically harm or take the woman's life.
But keep in mind, that Christ *still* recognized that the woman was sinning, and exhorted her to "...sin no more". He *didn't* say "Wow.... I really appreciate the diversity your lifestyle brings to our village, and you have the right to do with your body whatever you please. Party ON!"
So... in a nutshell, I *do* believe that there is a difference between pointing out (aka: recognizing) sinful activity from a Judeo/Christian perspective AND crushing someone's skull with a piece of granite.
...I don't need to know what they do behind closed doors.Yes... but that's exactly the *problem* these days. Less and less of this lifestyle is occuring "behind closed doors" and is being shoved into our faces. If you don't agree, may I suggest that this June 18th 2006 you pack your little ones up and take them to Cedar Point for a day of fun and questions like "Daddy/Mommy: Why are those two men kissing? Why are those two ladies hugging each other so close?".
See: http://ajw.freeshell.org/sanduskygaypride/frame149796.html
and
http://www.stopgaydays.com/news_article.htm
-Ovaltine
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If you've never liked George Soros in the past, here's another big, BIG reason not to!
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/apps/pbcs.dll...-1/newsletter01
China's new heavy hitter; billionaire George Soros is offering Chery $200 million to produce Chinese vehicles for the United States
By Alysha Webb
11:25 am, June 12, 2006
Billionaire investor George Soros wants to be an automaker.
He is preparing to invest $200 million in a joint venture with China's Chery Automobile Co. to produce vehicles and distribute them in the United States, say sources at Chery and elsewhere in the industry.
The big question: Will the New York investor push entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin from main partner with Chery to a subordinate role?
Bricklin, reached in his New York office last week, was tight-lipped about the situation. He confirmed that an investor, whom he refused to name, has committed $200 million to Visionary Vehicles LLC, which Bricklin established to form a joint venture with Chery and import cars to the United States.
Asked whether the investor is Soros, he said, "No comment."
Bricklin also declined to indicate whether the investor would gain control of Visionary Vehicles. He said the joint-venture agreement between Chery and Visionary Vehicles "is being finalized as we speak."
Soros and Chery declined comment last week.
Soros, 75, built a fortune spotting investment opportunities overseas. He also is well known for his liberal politics and philanthropy.
Soros' $200 million is in escrow and not yet available to the joint venture, sources say. The billionaire's investment was arranged by Atlantic-Pacific Capital Inc., an investment bank in Greenwich, Conn.
Any agreement would have to be approved by the Chinese government. The government is expected to support the joint venture; Beijing has steadfastly supported Chery's export plans.
It is not clear what role Bricklin would play if Soros and Chery strike a deal. Two sources say Bricklin's role would be reduced.
Asked what role he would play under the agreement, Bricklin's reply left room for interpretation: "I believe I will be doing exactly the same thing I've been doing since the beginning."
Bricklin announced his plans to import Chery vehicles in 2004. He since has been recruiting dealers. He says he has signed about 50, but his staff will not release the complete list.
Bricklin, a skilled salesman, has had a long career starting auto importers in the United States. He successfully launched Subaru here in 1968. His best-known failure was Yugo America Inc., which died in 1992.
Chery, which sold 189,000 cars last year, is China's largest fully domestic carmaker. By comparison, Shanghai General Motors, a joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., sold 325,000 vehicles.
Chery, based in the central China province of Anhui, is owned by the local government. Last year Chery exported 18,000 units to developing countries such as Egypt and Malaysia, making it China's largest car exporter.
Chery assembles cars in Iran and recently signed an agreement to assemble cars in Russia.
Bricklin had predicted Visionary Vehicles would start exporting cars to the United States in 2007. Chery sources say a more likely date is 2009.
Soros was born in Budapest, Hungary. After earning a degree at the London School of Economics, he moved to the United States in 1956 at age 26.
He started an international investment fund and accumulated a fortune estimated at $7 billion in 2004. He is chairman of Soros Fund Management LLC.
From Automotive News....
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Interesting article and debate about JD Power and the whole IQS vs. VDS issue.
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/03/truedel...er-methodology/
It doesn't support my position that links IQS and VDS, but it does appear to be a good debate by knowledgable people on the topic. See.... at least I can be objective on issues like this! B)
I'll keep looking to see if I can find the articles discussing a postive link between the two. I *know* that I read several things in the past that claimed that.
-Ovaltine
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Kia is rated below average, it ended up in the bottom third of the rankings. So I don't quite understand the "I told you so" part of this thread.
Back on May 3 2006, I stated in this thread:
http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index...594entry44594 :
"...And finally..... the J.D. Power LTQ stats you keep shoveling out about KIA (and Hyundai too) will most likely be history by around 2009. I've discussed that on this same thread before. KIA's line is 90% revamped as of 2006, and the first car they revamped, my 2004.5 Spectra, took *2nd* place in the 2005 J.D. Powers IQS study... AHEAD of the Corolla and Civic. Read up online, and there's discussion of high IQS being linked to high LTQ. 2006 (all new vehicle lineup) + 3 years = 2009. YOU do the math."
Granted the topic of this thread is IQS not VDS (LTQ as I erroneously referred to it above), but I still think my point is valid. Hyundai made the biggest IQS jump of the two this time around (8 pts), but KIA also made a 4 pt stride (last year's IQS was 140), putting it within 9 pts of Ford.
Also.... if you look at the IQS graph in the earlier post above, KIA's actually in the lower portion of the middle third of the rankings. And as far as being below average, it appears that it's in *good* company down there. To its north is Pontiac, Volvo and Buick, and to its south is Mercedes, Scion, and BMW.
Since the operations of Hyundai and KIA are becoming more integrated every day, I can only logically conclude that a good portion of Hyundai's quality control will seep over into the KIA realm, and thus potentially lift it up to near or above average IQS in the next couple of years. My redesigned 2005 Spectra's placement at #2 in IQS last year seems to be some of the "first fruits" of that thinking.
Does that help explain the reasoning behind my thread's subject?
-Ovaltine
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You told us so? :blah: :blah: :blah:
You must be Korean. That's the only reason I can think of for your posts. Noone else could be that excited over yet another ubiquitous Asian automakers good fortune.
Sorry, but no, I'm a 4th generation American of German/English descent.
I AM a person however that does like using data to affirm observations I've made and stated here that were essentially called "bulls---" in countless responses to discussion threads that I either started or participated in.
And as I've stated before, car makers like Ford and GM cannot continue to ignore the likes of supposed "bottom feeders" like Hyundai and Kia. The primary purpose of most of my postings have been to make sure that the people who read this board AND can effect change at FoMoCo hear that message loud and clear.
So call me what you will, but perhaps it will be people like myself and the posting of our experiences that help to cause the scales to fall from the eyes of the likes of Ford/GM AND the UAW. Only with clear vision and accurate perception can things change for the better.
-Ovaltine
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This in from the newsroom of Automotive News
Sources: Porsche, Hyundai make big gains in quality study
Porsche and Hyundai will emerge as the biggest winners Wednesday when J.D. Power and Associates releases its 2006 Initial Quality Study, industry sources say.
Porsche will vault to the top spot overall in the study, improving from No. 32 in last year's ranking, making Porsche the top European nameplate.
Hyundai will place third, up from No. 11 in 2005. That makes the Korean automaker the top mass-market nameplate.
Toyota will round out the top four, moving up three spots from No. 7 last year.
The study, which measures quality after 90 days of ownership, asks owners to rate vehicle quality on 135 attributes.
And yes, we ALL know how the IQS rankings (initial quality studies) aren't the same as Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) rankings over a three year period. We've read it all here before. Just don't forget that a look at the online data online appears to illustrate that a high IQS generally has a very positive effect on VDS for many of the vehicle makers who achieve it..
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
-Ovaltine
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Interesting info regarding Hyundai/KIA's warranty claims dropping.......
Keep in mind my previous statements on here about perception lagging reality by about 5 years, as well as my prediction that Hyundai/KIA's long-term quality numbers will be way up by around 2008-2009 due to all of the new vehicle launches over the past 3 years.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/...175.A10493.html
"....... A ten-year warranty was critical to Hyundai's turnaround, acknowledging longstanding quality problems and customer dissatisfaction. It generated plenty of press, but also risked running up billions of dollars in additional repair work. As it turns out, asserts Krafcik, the " America 's Best Warranty" program was a sound, economic bet.
"Our warranty costs are falling off the chart," he said, currently running "30 to 40 percent" what they were when the program began and half as much as in 2002.
That's more impressive given the flood of new products, which have been launching without many of the expected launch problems. There were some initial start-up issues in Alabama , but Hyundai trimmed line speed to focus on quality concerns - or so it claims. The test will come, later this month, when J.D. Power & Associates releases its closely-watched Initial Quality Survey.
Other recent industry studies have been favorable, including AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award, where Hyundai was barely nudged out as Best Mainstream Brand by Honda. Hyundai still took two segment awards with its Santa Fe and Azera.
The driving goal is to exceed Toyota , long the benchmark of quality and productivity. While the Korean brand isn't quite there yet, its rival is facing a rash of problems lately that could hurt its image, even as Hyundai rebuilds its own.
Various industry studies show that less than one in four American new car buyers would consider a Hyundai. That's echoed by Hyundai's own data, though Krafcik pointed to a steady rise in the number of current and potential Toyota and Honda owners shopping the Korean maker's stores."
-Ovaltine
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The saga continues.....
Hyundai Efforts to Free Imprisoned Chairman Could Backfire
http://wardsauto.com/commentary/hyundai_free_chung/
-Ovaltine
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Sorry.... but I don't think Toyota's going to be too successful getting Scott Stapp and his ex-bandmates to reunite and cross over into the world of Country Music.
:lol:
-Ovaltine
NOTE: For those of you who don't have the slightest clue regarding my attempt at humor above, refer to the post's subject line and look up what band Scott Stapp used to be in.
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Last I checked the CEOs of GM or Ford have not been arrested and indicted for embezzling stockholder funds to bribe officials from a State-owned bank to wipe out debt owed to a government-owned bank.
Glad to see the disgraced CEO of Hyundai has at least one supporter in the US.
I commend the management of the last 2 truly American car companies for taking the high road in this kinds of matters. Hopefully that kind of virtue will serve them well (somehow) in today's global competitive market.
And I do hope that both Hyundai's and Chrysler's management are learning that financial funny business DOESN'T pay in the long run.
And attempts to resurrect Henry I's anti-semiticism to defend other companies misbehavior won't pass "Critical Reasoning 101".
But tread carefully the path of self-righteousness. The way can be very rocky, narrow, and prone to make one stumble.
*slip*
http://www.wxyz.com/wxyz/ys_investigations...3585993,00.html
*bump*
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0.../A01-176893.htm
*ouch*
http://www.citizen.org/autosafety/industry...cover/index.cfm
*scuff*
http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=37&did=317
Note: Before anybody comments how these are all old news/recalls, yada, yada...... the key point to look for is the element of *deception* being claimed on Ford's part in these 4 *different* safety related issues addressed over just the last couple of decades.
Someone *could* attempt to make a counter point of "...if your car company HAD to be crooked in some way, would you rather them try to buy off some debt and government favors at *investors* expense, OR would you rather have them trying to CYA themselves over safety issues at *your* possible personal expense?"
Is that my personal claim? No. BUT.... as I said someone could make it, and in many ways be convincing in it.
So my advice to people is that feel free to criticize actions like Hyundai's and Chryslers, but be VERY careful when making comparisons between a company in distress and the virtues of YOUR favorite company. NEXT time it could be *your* team in the spotlight!
-Ovaltine
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Personally, my mind is changing about KIA. Watching my ex-wife crawl out of the passenger side when she was dropping the kids off because the drivers door handle broke was priceless.
Out of curiousity, what model and year was the Ex's KIA?
If it's a pre-2004.5/2005, then I'm not a bit surprised. If it was one of the newly redesigned models, then I that's definitely more meaningful in my book.
-Ovaltine
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I hope they never build it. KIA = krap in america
Now, now. Play nice!
We don't want to start an acronym war now do we?
F-O-R-D has been known to have more than ITS share of derivative meanings!
-Ovaltine
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AMEN!!!!
I watch this ad *EVERY* time it comes on.
Now THAT'S the way it's DONE Ford!
-Ovaltine
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..... Maybe if this scandal takes Hyundai down, maybe DC can get Hyundai and Ford could buy Kia.
Reality check people...... please?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12531055/
"Few would deny Chung credit for transforming Hyundai into a global success story. Thanks to his relentless drive for better quality, Hyundai's Sonata sedan and Santa Fe SUV have won praise from customers. Yet most industry watchers also agree that the company could not have grown so rapidly without its huge pool of talented designers and managers, and top-notch parts suppliers that have sprung up in Korea over the past decade.
"With the main roadmap and basic systems in place, professional managers will likely do a better job going forward than one man running a fiefdom," says Park Kyung Min, head of fund management company Hangaram Investment Management. "What happened at Hyundai is a blessing disguised as a misfortune."
The point is..... Korea ain't going to let one of their largest conglomerates (10% of their exports) "go down" due to the actions of a couple of people.
Do you think Ford would be "liquidated" if William Clay Ford Sr. and Jr. were busted doing something similar? Sure it would give the company a black eye for awhile, but I DOUBT it would torpedo it to its grave.
The bottom line is that the Chungs majorly "f'ed up" doing what was in the past was "business as usual", and now are going to feel the heat for doing it. Which ultimately is a good thing from both a justice perspective AND the bolded reason above.
Time will tell....
-Ovaltine
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Ovaltine, what's with your condescending tone on the forum?
RR:
I guess it's ad hominem statements/posts like this these....
.....I am so sick of this little punk ass bitches that buy their little damned shit banger Kia's and imported Jap shit and then have to gaul to act like they aren't doing their country an injustice. I know that at one point in time (20 years ago) it was a commonly known fact that Japanesse cars were far more reliable than domestic cars. But such is not the case now, nor has it been for some time. If this fool had spent five minutes doing some research on the internet with respect to long term relaiblity he would have already found that Ford and GM are far more reliable in the long run than his junky ass Kia mobile.
.....He just bought the damn thing because it was made by an asian company and like a brainless twit he just assumed, like many of the masses out there do, that anything made along the east asian portion of the contenient must be ultra reliable and far better than any domestic brand. This is of course not the case at all.
.....So drive your little shitbanger Kia if you think it's so damned great. Just know that assholes like you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. Good post Paul, you're alright with me buddy.
.....Oh one more thing, do you go thru trash cans, looking for bottle returns, for gas money?
...where I'm called a "punk ass bitch", an "asshole", and a "brainless twit", while my car's referred to as a "shitbanger" and a "junky ass Kia mobile" that sort of gets my ire up.
Especially if you were to follow the entire thread and see where a.) I was always cordial in my posts and b.) I was not the one to resume the "bombardment".
Whatever....... time will ultimately prove which manufacturers have what it takes to survive.
Believe it or not, I'm rooting for both Ford and GM to "make it" and thrive in the future. I just hope that they discover the proper "recipe" of design/manufacturing/marketing/and service before it's too late.
Signing out.... (on this thread)
-Ovaltine
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First of all you keep bringing up cars from the 80's, get over it. It is 2006. Then you purchased the cheapest vehicles Ford made, they were never intended to go over 100k. And all the import scrape of that time period had ALOT of issues too.
And you will need that warranty, from all the complaints, and lawsuits, to the poor crash tests, to their bottom of the list at J.D power.
In the 3yr quality study, Lincoln was #2, Mercury was #8, and Ford was #12, Kia was so far down, I am suprised they listed it.
Oh one more thing, do you go thru trash cans, looking for bottle returns, for gas money?
Yes... it IS 2006. At least THAT much you have right.
And nightmares like THIS ongoing cluster-bleep posted today continue to propogate on this forum:
http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index...=20entry44519
Read the entire thread. This person has a beautiful 2002 $40k Ford T-Bird "paperweight". This is NOT an inexpensive Ford from the '80s, a statement that you like to discount my previous arguments with.
AND if you read my entire message above, somehow a 2002 Ford Focus with corroded and broken springs also doesn't seem to qualify as a ...."car from the 80's".
Look, it's apparent that Ford seems to be getting some religion on both design and quality. Kudos articles like this one in today's DetNews bear that out: :happy feet:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...=73243443240297
Fusion marches past Camry
Ford's power, fit and finish trump Toyota's warhorse
But every one of those, there's usually 2 of these. This article ALSO printed in today's DetNews:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...393/1148/AUTO01
A bold move for Ford: Do it right the first time
A s Ford Motor Co. launches yet another ad strategy -- "Bold Moves" -- how 'bout adding a sorely needed kicker: "Do it right the first time."
And finally..... the J.D. Power LTQ stats you keep shoveling out about KIA (and Hyundai too) will most likely be history by around 2009. I've discussed that on this same thread before. KIA's line is 90% revamped as of 2006, and the first car they revamped, my 2004.5 Spectra, took *2nd* place in the 2005 J.D. Powers IQS study... AHEAD of the Corolla and Civic. Read up online, and there's discussion of high IQS being linked to high LTQ. 2006 (all new vehicle lineup) + 3 years = 2009. YOU do the math.
Also.... the KIA Sedona minivan just passed the stringent IIHS safety with the highest safety grades ever recorded for a minivan.
The Sportage SUV and Amanti have also both won J.D. Powers customer satisfaction awards in 2005.
As I've stressed before in this thread, perception lags reality by about around 5 years. Paraphrasing your own words.... "you keep bringing up KIA's from the '90s/early 2000's, get over it. It is 2006."
Yes... it IS 2006. And Ford, GM, and Chrysler to a lesser extent better keep watching the mirror for companies like KIA and Hyundai, and do *everything* possible to stay ahead of them. Otherwise you ALL may be working for outfits like Hyundai-Mobis (a Hyundai parts and chassis supplier subsidiary), like my nephew now does down in Toledo.
-Ovaltine
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.....I am so sick of this little punk ass bitches that buy their little damned shit banger Kia's and imported Jap shit and then have to gaul to act like they aren't doing their country an injustice. I know that at one point in time (20 years ago) it was a commonly known fact that Japanesse cars were far more reliable than domestic cars. But such is not the case now, nor has it been for some time. If this fool had spent five minutes doing some research on the internet with respect to long term relaiblity he would have already found that Ford and GM are far more reliable in the long run than his junky ass Kia mobile.
.....He just bought the damn thing because it was made by an asian company and like a brainless twit he just assumed, like many of the masses out there do, that anything made along the east asian portion of the contenient must be ultra reliable and far better than any domestic brand. This is of course not the case at all.
.....So drive your little shitbanger Kia if you think it's so damned great. Just know that assholes like you are part of the problem, not part of the solution. Good post Paul, you're alright with me buddy.
Awwwwright. I've tried being completely civil on here, tried to let this particular thread die a dignified death, AND even ignore the last few attempts at trying to reignite the flames.
BUT.... I've *gotta* respond to the above.
Look Caveman:
I'll bet there were a lot of American television manufacturing employees that were pissed at all of you U.S. autoworkers who were blowing their big paychecks and bonus checks on foreign made TVs. Ditto for all the autoworker purchases of foreign-produced clothes, dorm fridges, microwaves, stereos, telephones...... you get the point.
Why should YOUR bloody product/industry be any different than the others mentioned above? What the hell makes an friggin' transportation appliance more of a "sacred cow" than the products and livelihoods of the other items mentioned above? Geez.... many of you act on here like domestic auto manufacturing is a cult or religion that can't be "blasphemed" or a person's damned to hell!
Tell you what..... when YOU empty your home of ALL the foreign made goods I mentioned above, THEN you can wave your "patriotism" and little American flag in my face. Until then, you can
Btw.... nearly 2 years and 22k miles later, my "shit banger" KIA is problem free and running like a champ. So much for your "junky ass" theory. And if I *DO* have a problem in the next 3-8 years, at least it will be repaired under my 5 year/60k bumper-to-bumper OR 10 year/100k drivetrain warranty. Undoubtedly that warranty will be put to use at some point. But please...... stop trying to convince people like myself who drive a car for the time and distance I have with no problems that our cars are "shit bangers" just because UAW workers didn't screw it together.
I've owned an Escort replete with heat susceptible TFI modules, breaking timing belts, cracking aluminum heads, and crappy fuel pumps. My wife (and thus I) have owned a Tempo that put us on a first name basis with the local Ford Service manager due to it's fuel injection that would quit and leave the car stranded on the road. It TOO suffered from the infamous TFI module cluster-bleep that spawned a class action law suit that Ford lost. I've also owned a small Chrysler that had an extremely rough 1st year of ownership (but that later proved itself quite well over 10 years). Trust me.... I *know* a true "shit banger" when I see or own one.
And as you read that, keep in mind that last week I had to "Google" out info for my co-worker on Ford's past recall on the Focus due to its front springs snapping due to corrosion. Seems his daughter's four year old Focus with about 50k miles on it had one of the front springs literally snap on her, ruining the tire. The other spring was also about to go according to the tire outfit that repaired it.
Luckily for my co-worker I was able to ferret out the information from Ford on how he can at least request a $250 reimbursement for the new springs and installation. The tire, alignment, and struts were on him though. The entire job cost nearly a $1,000.
Looks like KIA's not the only one producing "shit bangers", eh?
-Ovaltine
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What I don't understand is why stuff that old school V-6 in there, when the Sonata's is available, and suggest a price that's even more than the Sonata's? Better yet, for that TMV price I'm sure you could get your hands on V-6 Sonata for that much.
I agree with you on this one.
This is a case of where I think the parent corp (Hyundai) wants to leave a few goodies in the basket exclusively for Hyundai's use in product differentiation.
I think that Hyundai effectively controls KIA, but doesn't quite own 100% of them.
It may also be a case of product availablilty, meaning as soon as KIA's engine plant is updated then the Optima will have access to the new engine designs.
Only Hyundai/KIA knows for sure what their strategy is.
As the article suggests, it may even be a way to encourage people to buy the 4 cylinder model. At least the 4 cylinder they're putting in is the GEMA edition from the Chrysler/Mitsu/Hyundai tripartite agreement.
-Ovaltine
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Regardless of discounts those cars are way too expensive, and at $25,200 for a fully loaded EX-V6 they have lost their mind. Even if they throw 2-3 grand on the hood in rebates it still doesn't come across as a steal.
Mike:
The Edmunds.com Customer Cash Adjusted True Market Value of a fully tricked-out Optima EX/V6 is $21,816 (sans tax).
For the 4-cylinder model (with similar options) it drops to: $20,962
Then there's the most realistic scenario where people will be purchasing nicely equipped LX auto 4-cylinder models. The Customer Cash Adjusted TMV? $16,159! (tax extra)
(See: http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/kia/optima...s.html?action=1 )
At that price, something tells me that there will be more than a few similarly equipped Optimas roaming the streets soon.
-Ovaltine
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The whole thing with the Koreans and their warranties--they know they have a perception problem, and they are trying to buy credibility with these long warranties. I have heard that the warranties are costing them big $$.
And what better way to create a little internal pressure ensuring that the engineering and part quality improves, eh?
And btw, regarding the "expensiveness" of the Optima's MSRP price..... assume that the actual sales price will be
much lower. My loaded Spectra stickered out at $16,900 (not incl. tax/dest). I gave $13,373 (not incl. tax/dest).
Figure similar types of discounts on the Optima at some point. The same is true with the Sonata's right now.
-Ovaltine
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http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...=73241835856978
Sedona, Impreza rate safest in crash tests
Group of GM minivans was downgraded in study
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
RUCKERSVILLE, Va. -- The Kia Sedona and Subaru Impreza received top safety marks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, while a group of GM minivans was downgraded.
The institute's president, Adrian Lund, called the Sedona the "best minivan we've tested."
Editor's note: Keep in mind that IIHS are the "badasses" of safety testing. They're not to be confused with the more forgiving NHTSA governmental testing.
Do the problems with Ford cars ever quit
in Executives & Management
Posted · Edited by Ovaltine
That's cool..... I applaud the Ford dealer who elected to offer such a service. If the dealers in my area offer such a service I would weigh that into my purchase decision should some product that interests me comes out in the future.
-Ovaltine