[CuriousGeorge]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to purchase my first car as I suddenly have a need for one (driving 60 highway miles a day to and from, 3 times a week + a bit of weekend driving).

The KIA Koup EX caught my eye because of the value and style it offered. I took it for a test drive and was very impressed. However I noticed a few things that gave me the impression that the car was perhaps of lower quality than its competitors (the corolla and more expensive Mazda 3). For example, while the door feels nice and heavy, the latch to open it had no feedback (no click). Also when you close the door, the panels seem to shake a bit. None of this however scares me away (I can compromise on lower initial quality if I can be assured that the long-term quality is there).

So my main concern is long term durability/reliability. We all know a Corolla will be bullet proof well past 100 miles, but how do KIAs measure up? I also noticed that people on the forum seem to have small problems regarding rattles – how common are these? I maintain my cars meticulously and being able to keep my car “feeling new” is important to me. Is a KIA good choice for someone like me who plans to put on many miles and needs a worry free car?

Thanks!

 

[Rainyraven]

well, I'm a new kia owner, but my friend has a spectra he bought its got over 160,000 miles and was not well kept before he bought it and I've driven the car serval times it drives perfectly! as far as we know its all stock,and he is a A.S.E auto repair man.

So that was one of the things that made me buy a kia seeing that car still running and driving well makes me think it will last and if you take care of your cars the way you said I'm sure it's going to do well!

 

[corytate]

I put about 90 miles on my car a day, 5 days a week, going to school, and I have never had a single problem from it. My father in law bought a used sportage two years ago and has put about 50k on it since, never a problem. Take care of them and they will never let you down.

 

[onoitsbroko]

This is my first Kia too, and I agree with the other comments. My aunt has a 2000 Kia Spectra, and she has 180,000 Miles on it, and she doesn't have any problems other than the normal wear and tear. The drivetrain is still going strong though, she has never had any engine or transmission problems, but she also babies her car. She has never missed a 3,000 mile oil change, and she takes care of it alot, and gets everything fixed as soon as it comes up. If you take care of any car, it will last for awhile. Kia is no different.

 

[XSpectra5_Owner]

I owned my Spec 5 for almost 4 years, 36000 miles before it was totalled in an accident, never had an issue with mechanical, I did ruin my third gear a bit due to racing it though, but thats my fault. Electrically, my cruise control cut off on me one day, but then decided to come back on.. that was the weirdest thing I ever experienced with my car. Everyone keeps saying that KIAs last for over a 100K for mileage, so Yeah im willing to agree on reliability here.

 

[shattered.stars]

I have an 04 spectra with almost 120k miles. I drove the hell out of it and got into a few front end accidents. With the exception of the body work (thank you insurance) I have only had to replace the alternator and the clutch.

 

[Bill]

My family has owned a lot of different cars by Hyundai.. they have never let us down. Kia is no different! After my last experience with my GMC Jimmy, I'm glad I've picked KIA.

 

[KoupDelux]

Corolla's and Mazda's have rattles too; as do pretty much all mainstream brands. For fun why don't you check out the new Comaro forums ;-)

Camaro Issues / Problems | Warranty Discussions | TSB and Recalls - Camaro Forum - 2011 Camaro 2010 Camaro / Camaro Z28 SS Forums - Camaro5.com

All new cars will have their little bugs but in terms of engine reliability (what matters most) Hyundai and Kia are fantastic. There's a reason both companies are doing so well in terms of global sales...people are discovering the "secret".

Fun facts: both Kia and Hyundai outsell Mazda and VW in the USA. Hyundai outsells Honda in Canada. Food for thought. Combined, Hyundai-Kia are the 5th largest automaker in the world (bigger than Honda).

 

[jarret_g]

I have an '01 Rio. I bought it for $1000 cdn 3 years ago because i just needed a car to get to and from school for the winter. I really didn't bet on it lasting longer than that but "kia, the power to surprise".

Needless to say i'm still driving that rio, the engine is perfect besides the alternator sticking sometimes (the car was parked in a parking lot for 2 months before i bought it, caused the alternator to seize). That small blem doesn't even cause any major issues, and i doubt i'll ever need to get the alternator rebuilt/replaced

My Rio now has over 260,000 km (110,000 of them mine) on it and doesn't seem like it's going to quit soon. I'm disapointed because i want a new forte while they're still cool and before everyone has them.lol

 

[justop26]

It's my first KIA, too. I asked other KIA owners at college to know their experiences and both said nice things about them. One of them has a really, really old car and it still works, so that made me think.

Going against three generations of Suzuki cars was tough, though.

 

[MFury]

Corolla's and Mazda's have rattles too; as do pretty much all mainstream brands. For fun why don't you check out the new Comaro forums ;-)

Camaro Issues / Problems | Warranty Discussions | TSB and Recalls - Camaro Forum - 2011 Camaro 2010 Camaro / Camaro Z28 SS Forums - Camaro5.com

All new cars will have their little bugs but in terms of engine reliability (what matters most) Hyundai and Kia are fantastic. There's a reason both companies are doing so well in terms of global sales...people are discovering the "secret".

Fun facts: both Kia and Hyundai outsell Mazda and VW in the USA. Hyundai outsells Honda in Canada. Food for thought. Combined, Hyundai-Kia are the 5th largest automaker in the world (bigger than Honda).

The Camaro forum is funny. Wow! alot of problems. I like this one best.
"Camaro won't start unless door is open"

 

[Rainyraven]

WOOW glad I did NOT buy one of those... Camaro's I saw something on that post about "dude cool car but its falling apart"
that was his post lol
My Lord what a hunk of junk

 

[CuriousGeorge]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I did a lot of searching and its definitely hard to find anything to suggest that KIAs have poor reliability (with the exception of the occasional KIA from the mid to late 90s). The car company has come a long way since hitting north american shores, thats for sure.

There really isnt anything else on the market that offers the style + feature set at this price point...it almost invokes a sense of suspicion.

I'm very likely going to get an EX within a couple weeks - will keep you updated!

 

[KoupDelux]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I did a lot of searching and its definitely hard to find anything to suggest that KIAs have poor reliability (with the exception of the occasional KIA from the mid to late 90s). The car company has come a long way since hitting north american shores, thats for sure.

There really isnt anything else on the market that offers the style + feature set at this price point...it almost invokes a sense of suspicion.

I'm very likely going to get an EX within a couple weeks - will keep you updated!

I'd suggest an SX but enjoy whatever Koup you end up with!

 

[Sebas97]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to purchase my first car as I suddenly have a need for one (driving 60 highway miles a day to and from, 3 times a week + a bit of weekend driving).

The KIA Koup EX caught my eye because of the value and style it offered. I took it for a test drive and was very impressed. However I noticed a few things that gave me the impression that the car was perhaps of lower quality than its competitors (the corolla and more expensive Mazda 3). For example, while the door feels nice and heavy, the latch to open it had no feedback (no click). Also when you close the door, the panels seem to shake a bit. None of this however scares me away (I can compromise on lower initial quality if I can be assured that the long-term quality is there).

So my main concern is long term durability/reliability. We all know a Corolla will be bullet proof well past 100 miles, but how do KIAs measure up? I also noticed that people on the forum seem to have small problems regarding rattles – how common are these? I maintain my cars meticulously and being able to keep my car “feeling new” is important to me. Is a KIA good choice for someone like me who plans to put on many miles and needs a worry free car?

Thanks!

I have a Kia Forte ex 2014 and it has 200,179 miles on it and it runs like a champ! No problems at all! So yes !! Get a Kia used or not used just make sure to keep up with oil changes/transmission fluid changes