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Wagons Kia Rondo Kia Rondo
379 messages, Last post on Nov 02, 2009 at 5:50 AM
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If I believed everything e net rider said, I wouldn't go near a Rondo. To each his own I guess. I have a '07 EX V6 ... it's fantastic! I agree with conwelpic (post #317). My only complaint are the headlights ... not used to the sharp line between light and dark when driving down an unlit road at night. The light isn't "defused" enough.
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Replying to: tmurphy (Apr 09, 2008 8:12 am) I like the wide spread for each side of the road, which in my case with living out in the country, helps pick up any possible critter coming out of the ditch - which has happened a few times! drive: 2008 Rondo EX, 5-seater, 2.4L location: Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada
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Replying to: conwelpic (Apr 09, 2008 9:10 am) |
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| Headlights are pretty good, but would be better if the low beams were HIDs. Most of the ones I've rented would be better at spotting owls with the high beams, but, they are pretty easy to adjust with the proper sized Torx screwdriver. | |
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With our '07 LX we developed a tiny annoyance at about 700 miles. The right rear window quit working. We took it to a local dealer, not where we bought it. They got us in right at the scheduled time, and fixed it inside the time they estimated. (less than an hour) Loose Molex-type wiring connector came off the motor, pretty much what we had "diagnosed". They snapped it back on and it's fine and functional now. No rattles or squeaks from the door panel, either. Gotta praise the Louisville Kia Store East for fast and efficient service. We've found that the service departments at the various Louisville Kia Stores to be pretty darned good over the time we had our Sedona. It's just tough to make a deal here, and we went over to Lexington for that reason, and for selection. |
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If I had that big a list of complaints. I'd have bought something else or would soon. Headrests should be clear now - they adjust. Well. No one in our family and none of the handful of adults or big kids who have been in our '07 LX have found them to be a problem. Read the manual. Seats are as comfortable as nearly any car I've sat in. I was in it more-or-less for 10 hours each way on a recent trip and can't fault the shape, adjustment, or cloth material on ours. One small cola spill cleaned up while still beaded on a seat surface, so I'm pleased and our son survived. Kids claim great comfort "back there" in the second row, and they rode as long as we did. My wife drives "straight up" and close. I drive laid-back and straight-armed. We both find the seats just fine. (A note here: with airbags, you really, REALLY want the bag to fully inflate before you make contact on your way forward. Farther back is safer. Telescopic columns are going the way of bag cell phones for that reason.) Can't find a position where I can't see the gauges. Orange color is great for me because it causes less eye-strain for me at night. Blues and greens irritate heck out of my eyes. I turn the lights to about 1/2 at night and enjoy it. Steering wheel diameter? I just measured our old Aerostar and our aging Tracker and they're within fractions. Rim thickness? Perfect for us. The old Sedona had WAY too thick a rim and it was slippery. This one has good grip. I really don't see the front-end adjustment issue as being much unless you wreck one or hit one of our spring potholes, hard. I still insist there is some "adjustment" for minor changes, and bet they're banking on parts replacement for big changes. You're going to see a lot more of this from most manufacturers because it is economical to build. If you look, you're going to find this in every brand soon or now. Collision shops straighten horrendous front-end bends and twists every day, and they come out fine. Hunter makes some great equipment these days! We have no pull at all under any conditions, but I can see where a run of cars may have come off with the wrong front end for the engine size. It could be possible to mount the V-6 in the I-4 subframe I guess, it could happen during a run changeover, and it might change the ride-height and thus the geometry of the front suspension - maybe even the caster angle. Small changes in caster angle make BIG changes in handling! Any manufacturer has made some run errors in assembly. I've done a heck of a lot of high-volume assembly engineering, and it happens not matter how you guard against it. Might pay to compare part numbers of what you have versus what it should be. I think the struts are different parts with different spring rates, and I'd bet that subframe is, too. ESC has an "off" position on the switch. If you don't trust it, turn it off. I think there is a combination of controls here involving brakes and engine power. I drove a friend's high-end Corvette "family car" a while back, and it would be otherwise uncontrollable without ESC. He uses it religiously, and he has raced for many more years and miles than I have. I lived in the Western New York snow belt for 36 years, and I would have loved it if I had it. It only comes on when the car might do something that would cause it to skid or roll, and it's quicker and better than I am. I'm still better than most. Lights are superb. They just aren't "blue" if that means much to anyone, and they apparently don't irritate other drivers. I find them refreshingly like expensive accessory lights I used to put on my "performance" cars years ago. Yes, they have a sharp cut-off. You'll like that in rain, mist, fog, and snow. Less back-glare. I just drove about 400 miles in heavy rain at night and I never really desired any more or different lighting. It was very nice. I also like the side-lighting on high beam, for how seldom I end up using the highs. Roof height, vehicle height, seat height are all reasons I chose this Rondo over many sedans and five-doors I could have picked. I want a high, roomy vehicle, with great visibility, otherwise I'd have bought a sedan. I just traveled through some of the wickedest weather and strongest wind gusts I've driven through in years and only parked off a ramp for a few minutes because of zero visibilty. (Most areas along this route got over 8" of rain in one overnight storm system. It can be hard to drive through that sort of downpour at night!) The Rondo was rock-solid and never once did I feel fear from cross-wind or semi draft. I even remarked many times that it is one of the most stable and secure-feeling passenger cars I've ever driven. I don't know what in heck someone has found smeared on the inside of any windscreen, but there's nothing but glass on ours. I have no idea what any car manufacturer would put there, since NHTSA highway safety regulations pretty well spec what can or can't be there. I had to take a razor blade and some strong window cleaner to clean off the glue from the lot sticker that the detail crew missed. I would have found any slushy stuff or any stick-on layer there I'd think. There is the usual "scum" from the ABS plastic elastomers that "evaporate" and leach out in the heat and sun that invades every car every day. It's the smoky haze you find on every window, even if you don't smoke. We don't, we get the haze. Windex seems to work fine. (The windshield always gets more because of the surface area of the dash under it. It's there in any modern car.) Is there some form of applique for a wndshield de-icer or wiper de-icer on some model packages? My only minor gripe to date is the lack of front overhead or courtesy foot-well lights upon opening the front doors. I susect some "package" on the EX has this? Also, in the cargo area, unless I'm too dumb to find the right setting, the overhead light only comes on if there's a door open - it's not connected to the hatch lid. There is one tiny courtesy light back there and it doesn't light much. We like the washable surfaces but we have pets and kids. We also play hard. We got a lot of beach sand and salt-water residue inside this last rip. Cleans easily. We don't like leather for any price, and attempts to even "write it off" the price tag won't sway us. Again, lots of cars, vans, mini vans and SUVs have all the answers to the complaints. Sometimes even in one vehicle. The price will be much higher. If I had this much I didn't like, I'd avoid the Rondo if you don't have one yet, or bail out while they're still scarce and desireable and buy something I liked better. We're prejudiced. We love this car!
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Replying to: vanner (Apr 10, 2008 8:10 am) you stated: "My only minor gripe to date is the lack of front overhead or courtesy foot-well lights upon opening the front doors. I susect some "package" on the EX has this? Also, in the cargo area, unless I'm too dumb to find the right setting, the overhead light only comes on if there's a door open - it's not connected to the hatch lid. There is one tiny courtesy light back there and it doesn't light much." I agree on this, I have the EX model and it does not have that (I had floor lighting on my previous vehicle and liked that), also the rear overhead courtesy light not working with the hatch is rear dumb when they removed the side cargo light on the '08 model (at least in Canada). I'm in the process of trying to improve this with some auxiliary lighting. But on the whole (a no vehicle is perfect regardless of price) we enjoy the Rondo very much and more so each time we drive it. Drives: 2008 Rondo EX, 5-seater, 2.4L Location: Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada |
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Replying to: e_net_rider (Apr 06, 2008 3:51 am)
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Replying to: starzzguitar (Apr 11, 2008 2:08 pm) As to the coating on the glass, no I did not screw it up, just wish I could get the rest of it off. I suspect this is something they put on the glass to protect it till the vehicle is delivered or manugactured, but it needs to be removed because of the way it scatters light. It reminds me of the goop that is left after peeling off after-market tinting. Professionals, I'm told use steel wool with solvents to remove it, but I'm almost certain that could scratch the glass. My one experience with that goop was to use lots of brand new single edge razor blades till there was so little of it left I could get the rest of it with solvent soaked toweling.
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Replying to: vanner (Apr 10, 2008 8:10 am) Your driving positions, close and laid back are the only positions I can see speedometer well. Close as you know is dangerous because of the airbag. Laid back is not a choice for me either which you might learn as you get older or develop back problems because of driving like that. Driving injuries are never a good trade in life. I appreciate your thoughts on wrong parts. But to get the excess caster the wheels would be moved forward meaning weaker springs, not stronger, on this I-4. It would seem that the lighter I-4/tranny combo would have not enough caster if V6 parts were used. Someone wrote the I-4 had plenty of power and no down-shifting through mountains. I can not say that the V6 combo with the extra gear in transmission would not have done the same thing, but crossing one ot the smaller local bridges yesterday it did downshift. Speed limit 45 and could be combination of available torque at that RPM. But what drew my attention to the speed was a gusting wind. Winds are usually very low in this area, to the point erecting electric windmills is not practicle. At 45MPH the vehicle was trying to go all over the place and I slowed down. If road had any slippery elements the safe speed would probably have been 30MPH. (Maybe I have a lemon?) I know the film you mention, but this is something different. With the high power solvent and elbow grease it lathered to a white translucent goop. Once the solvent evaporated it turned clear again. GM did a superior job of implementation on high end cars for stability/traction control, which makes me wonder of the complaints associated with this vehicle. Washable surfaces such as arm rest do not need to be brick hard to impart more injury if something happens. An aside to I4/V6 discussion. I know of one line of vehicles, Cavalier style, where insurance is much cheaper for V6. I questioned agent on this point and it had two points. The heavier engine and sub-frame imparted more of the kinetic energy to the other vehicle and thus less to your passengers. Smaller hospital bills under medical. The other part was less damage to your vehicle because of the heavier sub-frame, reducing that component of your insurance. I'm curious which tires came on yours? And why no leather? In only one vehicle have I found a steering wheel that came close to matching a leather one and it did not have a hard plastic finish but something that resembled a velvet texture and as gripable as leather. Only downside was it collected any goop from hands and needed monthly thorough cleaning. I'd rather do the frequent cleaning. Finding the correct switch setting for the rear area takes a small effort for both the overhead one and the lower one on the side. Separate switches and they do work. I find it annoying that the doors do not autolock upon putting key in or starting engine. Yet if you unlock from outside, close door, they will lock in a few seconds. Seems totally backwards, if an attacker approached it might lock just as you seek the interior for safety and once in it would stay unlocked for intruder entry. For those who don't know, the first rule of stability is a low center of gravity. And for comfort of ride the lower your head/body is, that is the closer to the height of the axle, the more comfortable a ride is. Those are starting points and although you can play with tires, suspension, and wheel base those are only trade-offs to correct the initial problem. I would not suggest using a cattle car to haul kids. 
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