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Kia Rondo Prices Paid and Buying Experience

383 messages,  Last post on Oct 08, 2009 at 11:35 AM

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What is this discussion about? Kia Rondo, Car Leasing, Car Buying, Wagon

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#24 of 383 EX V6 follow up by baltimore_jeff Dec 28, 2006 (6:26 am)
Merry Christmas to all! I can now give you my 1000 mile update on my new '07 Rondo EX V6...   Having to leave the day after I bought it to travel from Philadelphia to Cape Cod for the holidays, I was a little apprehensive. Not for any reason about the car, I guess I just felt bad buying a car with 4.7 miles on it (a first for me) and immediately sinking a 1000 mile trip on her!.   So here are the particulars: average economy 25.1 mpg 90% highway travel at left lane speeds (except Connecticut which was construction delayed). Family of four and luggage and Christmas presents made for a packed vehicle, but it did very well.   PROS: Torque in the V6 is definitely better than the four getting off the line and seemed a good deal quieter at highway speeds. The 5-speed transmission also makes a definite difference. Shifting was very smooth and rarely dropped into 3rd even on a couple tough bridges. The overall seating position is great and there is a tremendous amount of room in te second row (one of the key reasons we bought it). Lots of glass made for easy visibility and no real blind spots. Something easily noticeable against most midsize SUVs we tested. All in all, I am thrilled with the purchase and consider it the perfect choice for my needs. Great price, good mileage, great warranty, good power, great space, good choice. 17" tires provide great grip and car is VERY solid in the turns. Does not tip or lean anywhere near as much as I was expecting from a "Microvan".   CONS: There were several things that I would have liked to have gotten on the car that it does not have and were noticeable. A review that I read from Canada showed the automatic climate control with outside temp and a digital readout in the center stack where the center dial is on mine. This does not appear to be an option in the US, but shows up in the manual. There is no trip computer, just 2 trip odometers. I'd hoped for a "miles to empty" option but no luck. The 2 overhead lights for the front row do not come on when you open the doors. The other two rows do however. (Lighting is great otherwise.) No RDS on the 6-disc radio, and I have had 50/50 luck on getting it to read an mp3 disk, though it says it has that capability. Keyless entry but no alarm system. Rear window wiper is NOT intermittant (but shows up in manual.) Rear windows are NOT tinted. This is going to be a problem in the summer and I will surely remedy this myself before then.   Again, these are small points to concede and there are certainly lots of features I do like that come in handy: The grocery bag flipout holder in the passengers seat. HEATED Front seats!! (Toasty buns on leather) The second row slides almost a foot to allow for more room in the third row, and back again when you dont need it for MAJOR legroom. Interior materials are VERY touch friendly! I can't say this enough. Much higher quality than I was expecting. Incredible amount of headroom even with the moonroof. I am 6'3" and must have at least 6" of headroom in every seat (except third row, but still can fit back there.) Comfortable seating position and much higher and more commanding view of the road. Easy height to access seats as well. Easy height to get at 2nd row car seat too. Very quiet ride on highway at speed. Better than Mazda5, Rav4, Outlander, and Sante Fe. (others that we shopped)   Also, I am enjoying the exclusivity of ownership at the moment, as Kia has reported selling only about 170 of these through November 2006. I am sure that with what this car has to offer, that number will get bigger and bigger.   I hope this helps answer some of the questions. If you have others, let me know and I'll try to get to them. Replies to this message: dakota29803 (Dec 30, 2006 6:00 am) bluedevils (Jan 26, 2007 9:24 am) dakota29803 (Jan 27, 2007 1:31 pm) baltimore_jeff (Feb 05, 2007 8:06 am) dakota29803 (Feb 05, 2007 3:16 pm)
#25 of 383 Re: Just bought one! [arumage] by cdot Dec 28, 2006 (2:52 pm)
Replying to: arumage (Dec 28, 2006 5:13 am) Still happy. However, went to grocery store this morning and ended up with a flat tire. Took car back into dealer, and they're going to replace the tire for me (defective)... but... they don't have it in stock. should be ready sometime tomorrow. On the plus side, they gave me a free rental (I gotta cover gas), and I don't think that's really suppose to be covered. They were just trying to please me I think.   Can't wait to get it back and take a little trip this weekend! Replies to this message: arumage (Dec 29, 2006 4:51 am)
#26 of 383 Rear window wiper by bookhud Dec 28, 2006 (4:43 pm)
I'm very disappointed to hear that the rear wiper is not intermittent. The website shows it as intermittent, just not variable intermittent. Don't think it will be a deal breaker, but still a downer.
#27 of 383 Re: Just bought one! [cdot] by arumage Dec 29, 2006 (4:51 am)
Replying to: cdot (Dec 28, 2006 2:52 pm) Don't forget about the roadside assistence and trip interuption policy if you should get a flat on your trip!   Trip interruption expense benefits are provided in the event that a warranty-related disablement occurs more than 150 miles from the customer's home, and the repairs require more than 24 hours to complete. Reasonable reimbursement is included for meals, lodging, or rental car expenses. Trip interruption coverage is limited to $100 per day subject to a three-day maximum limit per incident, and the customer is required to contact the Kia Consumer Assistance Center to explain the circumstances. A representative at the Kia Consumer Assistance Center will determine whether the circumstances meet the criteria for trip interruption benefits and, if so, will advise the customer that they will be reimbursed for trip interruption expenses. The representative will assist the customer in making the necessary arrangements. Insurance deductibles, expenses, and claims paid by the customer's insurance company or other providers are not eligible for reimbursement.
#28 of 383 My Thousand Mile Report by dakota29803 Dec 30, 2006 (6:00 am)
Replying to: baltimore_jeff (Dec 28, 2006 6:26 am) I now have over a thousand miles on it and I am still thrilled with it. The average mileage is about 23.5, including a 450 trip. The mileage lately is about 21.5, mostly around town. My previous vehicle was a Jeep Liberty with lots of extras, including leather seats. The Rondo has cloth seats and I find them much more comfortable. There is more center console storage in the Rondo which is good (there is more storage everywhere). There are a few things that I occasionaly miss (auto dimming rear view mirror), but all in all, I like the Rondo much better. I hope the mileage will improve as the car gets broken, but it is still better than the Jeep.
#29 of 383 Re: Just bought one! [arumage] by w9cw Dec 31, 2006 (6:47 am)
Replying to: arumage (Dec 28, 2006 5:13 am) I agree - if the OP is happy, that's the bottom line. But, again, a 2003 Optima which was probably purchased for what - $15K to $17K?? It's only three to four years old! I know Kia's have poor residual and depreciation, but this is almost ridiculous.   The only thing holding me back from buying a Rondo is Kia's abysmal resale value. I generally keep cars at least 10 years, so that point is somewhat moot, but I don't like throwing my hard-earned money down the drain either. Replies to this message: cdot (Dec 31, 2006 12:42 pm) csandste (Jan 23, 2007 3:39 pm)
#30 of 383 Re: Just bought one! [w9cw] by cdot Dec 31, 2006 (12:42 pm)
Replying to: w9cw (Dec 31, 2006 6:47 am) I didn't buy the Optima new. Got it about 6 months ago for under 6K. I think it's hard to resell any car that's a 5-speed and isn't a 'sports car'. People just don't seem to want them.   I'm a bit unhappy to hear that Kias resale value isn't the best. But usually I keep cars quite a while, and I suspect my younger son will end up with it in 2 to 3 years.   Re the Rondo: Drove it to pickup several teenage boys (16, 17, 18 year olds) and their camping gear. Their 'stuff' fit with no problem, and the car ran great both with and without the extra weight. Replies to this message: csandste (Jan 23, 2007 3:39 pm)
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#32 of 383 Re: Rondo Leases? [mark19] by isellkias Jan 23, 2007 (11:32 am)
Replying to: mark19 (Dec 15, 2006 7:21 pm) kia is actully going to start lease's on all their cars sometime around spring 2007. they are working out all the details with americredit now if im not mistaken. they do have leases in some districts currently becuase they were piloting the program in some states.
#33 of 383 Re: Just bought one! [cdot] by csandste Jan 23, 2007 (3:39 pm)
Replying to: cdot (Dec 31, 2006 12:42 pm) Kia depreciation: (and I DID buy a new Optima).   I remember checking an Enterprise used car lot during the winter that the Mazda 626 was being replaced by the Mazda 6.   Enterprise had three almost identical cars, each with about twenty-five thousand miles.   1. The Sonata was listed for $12,900 2. The 626 was listed for $11,900 3. The Optima was listed for $10,900   Enterprise (far as I know) never dickers on list price. They move cars very fast and at a price that I find almost comical for a rental car-- but if they can get those prices more power to 'em. At least the oil is changed regularly, something you probably can't say for a bunch of lease cars (these were rentals--E. does lease).   Anyway two thousand dollars difference after a model year on two cars that were identical except for front and rear clips (and very minor dash trim). Interesting that the Hyundai had clawed ahead of a discontinued Mazda-- shows things are improving, but also shows that Kia's perception has lagged.   I notice that Sonatas are now depreciating at about the same rate as American mid-sized cars, so they're definitely getting there. I'm happy that Kia (at least with the Optima) is now differentiating themselves from the Sonata.   I've seen some pictures interesting Hyundai test cars that look like they might be Ce'ed based or Rondoish-- kind of hard to tell with all the camo. Hope they don't simply rebrand as they did in the vans. Kia needs to take their line in a more sporty direction as they stated they would do.   BTW-- I chose the Optima over a Sonata because of the local dealer and the Optima competitive rebate. I did drive the Rondo and liked it a lot. Would be on my short list if something happened to my Malibu Maxx.

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