Re: Avoid Kia cars
Originally Posted by realspeed
being a 4WD car underneath should be well protected as it is built for off road use.
I suspect you have the wrong perception of what constitutes an "off-road" car. The Kia Sorento is not, imo, an off-road car.
There are the following types of cars:
4WD
SUV
Cross-overs
Off-Roaders
ANY car can have 4WD. Lot's of sporty cars can have it like Audi's for example but they are NOT meant for off-road. The 4WD just gives them better grip, road holding and power distribution.
SUV's and cross-overs, for the most part, are equally NOT off-road cars. They are largely silly designs pandering to the increasing demand of Sheeple who want to look good taking the kids to school. They like the idea of 4WD and the chunky look, but will never use the vehicle in any rugged environment, and that's probably wise in most cases because the cars would break easily.
True off-roaders are Land-rovers, Jeeps and the like. They should have very significantly higher ground clearance (not just the odd extra inch).
In terms of Kia and any other manufacturers offering long warranty periods, one must always be wary and sceptical imo. A long warranty may sound enticing, but what use is that to you if the car spends all its time in the garage ? Sure the fixes might be covered under that warranty but what you need is a running car. This is why many people don't buy Alfa Romeos, because they have a bad reputation for spending too much time in the garage being repaired.
In all honesty, a quality car actually makes a better financial proposition from the outset PROVIDED that you keep the car for many years. It costs more initially to buy a BMW, Audi, Merc etc but, their depreciation will be better than cheaper cars like Ford, Vauxhall, Hyundai etc. Their build quality will mean they will last throughout those years and you'll have a smile on your face every time to get in the driving seat.
I bought a 6mth old sleek 3.0 V6 coupe in 1999. Prob cost about £19K at the time which felt huge at the time. However, 15-16yrs later I still have it, it has never, not once, broken down, never failed an MOT (except for wear/tear items like tyres and brakes), it runs sweet as a nut, purrs like a cat and has electric everything.
Other people I know buy brand new Seat's and other marques about every 3 yrs, they get tied into these stupid lease/hire agreements and ultimately they end up spending £thousands and £thousands on their total cost of motoring. They are not wise imo.
Buy good quality, keep for 10yrs or more and you save £thousands on motoring and still had a top marque car.