Stunned at the stupidity of the general public and their negativity towards KIA/Hyundai

[vipeboy2000]

It's not just h/k service departments needing help. A BMW dealer tried to tell a friend she voided her warranty because I she had to top off the coolant in her 2018 3 series and she used zerex g05 which is approved and made for as a substitute aftermarket since she could not get to a dealer for a top off. They also could not answer her questions as to why it would void the warranty when the coolant met all the requirements the manual asked for for an hour and tried to make her pay over a grand to do a cooling system overhaul because the coolant was low. No answer either as to why the coolant was low, and overall was very rude to her. The BMW only had 15k miles on it at the time as well. The bmw dealer also damaged the front bumper while it was in and tried to say it was already there as well..

 

[Revvdmedia]

It's not just h/k service departments needing help. A BMW dealer tried to tell a friend she voided her warranty because I she had to top off the coolant in her 2018 3 series and she used zerex g05 which is approved and made for as a substitute aftermarket since she could not get to a dealer for a top off. They also could not answer her questions as to why it would void the warranty when the coolant met all the requirements the manual asked for for an hour and tried to make her pay over a grand to do a cooling system overhaul because the coolant was low. No answer either as to why the coolant was low, and overall was very rude to her. The BMW only had 15k miles on it at the time as well. The bmw dealer also damaged the front bumper while it was in and tried to say it was already there as well..

Did she make this service visit alone? I feel this is an issue with service departments and female clients in general. Every single time my wife has gone into the Hyundai dealership I've had to refute some little thing they said or suggested that was incorrect. The biggest one was the oil requirement (conventional vs. synthetic), where the manual dictated only (IIRC) SN grade without indication for synthetic required. I also reached out to Hyundai corporate which echoed that conventional is the requirement, synthetic is not required but the consumer's choice. Even with this email they still tried to refute it. I also see the other Hyundai dealership trying to work over her mother as well, unbeknownst to her kind yet assuming-the-best nature. These are far from the only 2 female that I have heard first hand experience of this type of treatment.

I've never been jerked around by a dealer for more than 1 single rebuttal sentence, I've been toying with cars for about 20 years know and I like to think I know a good number of ins and outs. I typically have the sales people telling me that I know more about the vehicle in question than them, which the voice in my head says "you should be an expert on what you sell." This just goes to show the types that are hired at dealerships. Most are there to just make a living, few are willing to truly go the extra mile to be an star.

 

[RedCal]

A part of the smile on my face at the time was disbelief and he gave me his business card.
I was hoping I'd run into him in the parking lot so he could see my Kia.

I did not keep that card for long.

You are too nice... I would have handed it right back to him and let him know I wouldn't be in need of his services... after all "it just a Kia" right?

 

[vipeboy2000]

Did she make this service visit alone? I feel this is an issue with service departments and female clients in general. Every single time my wife has gone into the Hyundai dealership I've had to refute some little thing they said or suggested that was incorrect. The biggest one was the oil requirement (conventional vs. synthetic), where the manual dictated only (IIRC) SN grade without indication for synthetic required. I also reached out to Hyundai corporate which echoed that conventional is the requirement, synthetic is not required but the consumer's choice. Even with this email they still tried to refute it. I also see the other Hyundai dealership trying to work over her mother as well, unbeknownst to her kind yet assuming-the-best nature. These are far from the only 2 female that I have heard first hand experience of this type of treatment.

I've never been jerked around by a dealer for more than 1 single rebuttal sentence, I've been toying with cars for about 20 years know and I like to think I know a good number of ins and outs. I typically have the sales people telling me that I know more about the vehicle in question than them, which the voice in my head says "you should be an expert on what you sell." This just goes to show the types that are hired at dealerships. Most are there to just make a living, few are willing to truly go the extra mile to be an star.

She was there with her boyfriend but she was more knowledgeable than he was for her particular car since I had already spoken to her and told her what to say and ask about and I was actually on the phone with her during this interaction.

But i do agree, i know many of my female friends who have gotten completely taken advantage of from dealers or mechanics.. it isn't super common thankfully but it still happens unfortunately

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

I don't think it's necessarily a female thing as much as knowing about your car. My ex knew more about cars than me and she never had a problem with a dealership or mechanic shop trying to Mickey Mouse her around. If you don't know something and there is a business that takes advantage of being ignorant/oblivious/unaware then unfortunately it's going to happen. The same can be said for buying clothing. I almost got robbed at a Men's Warehouse but my girlfriend who understands prices and the market in fashion called it out blatantly and helped me negotiate the suite.

Also, as I have said before, the majority of dealerships are garbage... some brands though seem to have more garbage in their trashy dealerships than others though.

 

[OGWood]

As a former service director for Kia, I can testify to the vast superiority Kia has over SEVERAL brands. Their quality controls have gotten INCREDIBLY better. They came in as junk, like Honda did when they arrived. The radical shift from their abysmal introduction, to now is INSANE.

The reason why we are slighted by the ignorant is because Kia made an extraordinary transition once Hyundai bought in. Both companies ended up benefiting MASSIVELY in the long run. The change came in around 2004. Kia's running around from this time are getting 300k+ miles with extremely minor concerns.

The main issue is that people cannot wrap their heads around such rapid evolution in quality. 25 years to go from junk to reliable & super stylish is almost too good to be true. The fact is that it is true & some people cannot accept that we have a better car than Honda, Toyota, definitely Subaru & all the American offerings.

 

[Nocostinger]

I'll say this too: When the warranty companies offer super cheap additional warranty on a car, that speaks volumes.
If you were to put extra 10year/100k miles of warranty on a new Q50 Red Sport, you're looking close to $4,000. The company we use only charges $1850 for the same coverage. Thats crazy cheap for bumping warranty out to 10 years bumper to bumper.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Like I said, I have a feeling that Hyundai and Kia are like Toyota and Honda when they came first to the states. I also know that throwing in such a solid and lengthy factory warranty shows confidence behind the product; that was 90% of the reason I went with the Stinger over the S4 or 340i. My main issue, and I can live with five attempted repairs to fix my brake problems over the course of six months, is the service experience and sales experience at Kia. The Stinger itself is a phenomenal car and all things considered it's a pretty solid toy. The problem is that people at Kia are used to working with bottom-tier entry-level buyers and that needs to change. Again, I am very impressed with the Stinger and Kia's warranty to back it up. I can see huge potential with the brand making a turn around. I just wish that they didn't go cheap on the pads/rotors since that is causing so many Stinger owners to experience these dreaded rotor problems.

 

[Nocostinger]

Like I said, I have a feeling that Hyundai and Kia are like Toyota and Honda when they came first to the states. I also know that throwing in such a solid and lengthy factory warranty shows confidence behind the product; that was 90% of the reason I went with the Stinger over the S4 or 340i. My main issue, and I can live with five attempted repairs to fix my brake problems over the course of six months, is the service experience and sales experience at Kia. The Stinger itself is a phenomenal car and all things considered it's a pretty solid toy. The problem is that people at Kia are used to working with bottom-tier entry-level buyers and that needs to change. Again, I am very impressed with the Stinger and Kia's warranty to back it up. I can see huge potential with the brand making a turn around. I just wish that they didn't go cheap on the pads/rotors since that is causing so many Stinger owners to experience these dreaded rotor problems.

Part of the brake issue is in the namesake of the GT, which is the acronym for "Grand Touring"...which my wife reminds me doesn't stand for "Drive like an A-hole" but whatever...

GT brakes are traditionally set up to be softer, better for an every day drive style or long road trips with varied road types. They ARENT designed to be romped on by guys that can't help but wind the engine out whenever the open road presents itself.

I've had the same brake issue with other factory brake kits on "sports cars" and my solution is perfect: Drive it till the brakes are f*cked then put better brakes on it!

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Part of the brake issue is in the namesake of the GT, which is the acronym for "Grand Touring"...which my wife reminds me doesn't stand for "Drive like an A-hole" but whatever...

GT brakes are traditionally set up to be softer, better for an every day drive style or long road trips with varied road types. They ARENT designed to be romped on by guys that can't help but wind the engine out whenever the open road presents itself.

I've had the same brake issue with other factory brake kits on "sports cars" and my solution is perfect: Drive it till the brakes are f*cked then put better brakes on it!

I mean obviously you're right; this is a land-yacht and not really meant for any real level of performance driving outside of quickly getting up to speed. I'm not racing this car nor going to be tracking it. The issue I was experiencing was that the vibrations would start within a few minutes of driving, even at lower speeds around 25mph-35mph, and get significantly worse and worse as time driving continued or speeds increased. There seemed to be no pattern to it. Within five minutes of driving the problems would start. The dealership over-inflated the tires, under-inflated the tires, put on different pads, different rotors, a different brake kit. Nobody knew what the heck was going on. I even did the "proper bedding in" with the service advisor and lead tech present in the car (they were driving not me) and it seemed to temporarily work until a few days later when the problem returned.

Here is my bottom line. The brakes (both pads and rotors) are on the cheaper side and not meant to be used on a vehicle with this level of horsepower and weight to haul around. Kia "tricked" the customers by having "Brembo" written on calipers but not having higher level brakes. I have driven cars my friends own which are just as heavy if not heavier than my Stinger (E63-AMG, Hellcat, Mustang GT, Camaro ZL1), and none of them have these vibration problems. The car should not be shaking when applying brakes at 70mph or after fifteen minutes of highway driving.

Mustang GT doesn't have this problem and that is a "Grand touring" car. Maserati GranTurismo is a "grand touring" vehicle and doesn't have this issue. The problem is Kia and not the drivers. Trust me on that.

 

[Revvdmedia]

I mean obviously you're right; this is a land-yacht and not really meant for any real level of performance driving outside of quickly getting up to speed. I'm not racing this car nor going to be tracking it. The issue I was experiencing was that the vibrations would start within a few minutes of driving, even at lower speeds around 25mph-35mph, and get significantly worse and worse as time driving continued or speeds increased. There seemed to be no pattern to it. Within five minutes of driving the problems would start. The dealership over-inflated the tires, under-inflated the tires, put on different pads, different rotors, a different brake kit. Nobody knew what the heck was going on. I even did the "proper bedding in" with the service advisor and lead tech present in the car (they were driving not me) and it seemed to temporarily work until a few days later when the problem returned.

Here is my bottom line. The brakes (both pads and rotors) are on the cheaper side and not meant to be used on a vehicle with this level of horsepower and weight to haul around. Kia "tricked" the customers by having "Brembo" written on calipers but not having higher level brakes. I have driven cars my friends own which are just as heavy if not heavier than my Stinger (E63-AMG, Hellcat, Mustang GT, Camaro ZL1), and none of them have these vibration problems. The car should not be shaking when applying brakes at 70mph or after fifteen minutes of highway driving.

Mustang GT doesn't have this problem and that is a "Grand touring" car. Maserati GranTurismo is a "grand touring" vehicle and doesn't have this issue. The problem is Kia and not the drivers. Trust me on that.

While prevalent it seems this issue is still hit and miss among different owners. I personally drive my cars quite hard on occasion, I at least track them at the drag strip, so stops at speeds around 110MPH, yet somehow the brakes were one thing that never cropped up as an issue on my car. All of my woes were tied to infotainment glitches (somewhat forgivable) and incessant build quality noises. Outside of that, it was a really impressive vehicle for the price. I miss quite a few features that my BMW does not have, but the Stinger did.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

While prevalent it seems this issue is still hit and miss among different owners. I personally drive my cars quite hard on occasion, I at least track them at the drag strip, so stops at speeds around 110MPH, yet somehow the brakes were one thing that never cropped up as an issue on my car. All of my woes were tied to infotainment glitches (somewhat forgivable) and incessant build quality noises. Outside of that, it was a really impressive vehicle for the price. I miss quite a few features that my BMW does not have, but the Stinger did.

I have a lot of respect for the M235i and M240i coupes from BMW. I used to own an E36 so I definitely have a soft spot for light and sport German toys. I am surprised the BMW does not have all the bells and whistles that the Stinger had...

But yes, the braking issues are definitely hit or miss. But like I said, I have many friends with much heavier and more powerful vehicles, and none of them have ever experienced such brake problems. I know it's not a driver error thing. I baby my Stinger and drive it like a complete coward. I think I floored it maybe a dozen times since I've owned it; one of those times was during the test drive. This isn't my previous E36 or WRX which I would take to road courses, back twisties, or actual tracks. I have taken my Stinger a handful of times on some backroads or places to fool around with, but again, less than a dozen times. I plan to keep this car at least a decade and I don't want to beat on it nor wear it out. I purchased it as a highway cruiser or a comfy bumper to bumper city driver depending on where I am going to work during the week.

How have you been enjoying your 2020 BMW M240ix so far? Is it the coupe and is it six-speed?

 

[KAS]

Yep, you'll pay more for Audi and the repairs will indeed be expensive, not to mention the MSRP sticker shock. I would not put the Stinger in the exact same league as Audi for quality, they're nearly universally renowned for having some of the best interiors for the price, both quality and features.

Standard equipment and inclusions differ from country to country but in Australia at least, the S4/S5 does not have a higher quality interior compared to a Stinger. In Australia the Stinger GT gets standard Nappa leather (optional on the S5), standard alcantara headliner (unavailable on S5) and alcantara sun visors and pillars (S4/5 get plastic). The S4/S5 also lack electric front seat cushion extension and bolster adjustment and powered steering wheel adjustment.

Until the S4/S5 mid-life facelift they didn't even get artificial leather on the doors. The door cards were all plastic.

I also know that throwing in such a solid and lengthy factory warranty shows confidence behind the product; that was 90% of the reason I went with the Stinger over the S4 or 340i.

Ditto. I looked closely at a Mercedes C300. The Stinger was quieter, more powerful and had a smoother ride but what absolutely clinched the deal was KIA offering a 7 year warranty versus a pathetic 3 year warranty from Mercedes.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

I looked closely at a Mercedes C300. The Stinger was quieter, more powerful and had a smoother ride but what absolutely clinched the deal was KIA offering a 7 year warranty versus a pathetic 3 year warranty from Mercedes.

Seven? I thought it's 5yr/60k basic and 10yr/100k powertrain?

It's funny you mention MB C300 because the girl I was dating at the time I begun shopping for a new car was leasing a 2018 MB C300 Sedan and her mom had one as well but with 4Matic. I drove her RWD C300 but also got rides in the AWD one. They're pretty nice cars. My father had an older 2010 E350 4Matic for about three years while a friend of his was staying in Europe. One of my best friends and business partners had a 600+ horsepower 2008 E63 Sedan. They're really solid cars. I have a lot of respect for MB but where I live and work driving one if you're a Russian speaker seems to make people assume you're in a line of work that isn't very Kosher... :/

 

[Kamauxx]

Seven? I thought it's 5yr/60k basic and 10yr/100k powertrain?

He's in Australia.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

He's in Australia.

So you're saying he's better than us? IS THAT IT?

lmfao jk! jk!

I didn't know Australia cuts the warranty down... I guess I've only been speaking to owners in North America.

Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[Kamauxx]

I guess I've only been speaking to owners in North America.

Actually, I think it's like that for the Canadian market too. The U.S. might be the only Kia market to get the 10/100 warranty.

 

[Revvdmedia]

I have a lot of respect for the M235i and M240i coupes from BMW. I used to own an E36 so I definitely have a soft spot for light and sport German toys. I am surprised the BMW does not have all the bells and whistles that the Stinger had...

But yes, the braking issues are definitely hit or miss. But like I said, I have many friends with much heavier and more powerful vehicles, and none of them have ever experienced such brake problems. I know it's not a driver error thing. I baby my Stinger and drive it like a complete coward. I think I floored it maybe a dozen times since I've owned it; one of those times was during the test drive. This isn't my previous E36 or WRX which I would take to road courses, back twisties, or actual tracks. I have taken my Stinger a handful of times on some backroads or places to fool around with, but again, less than a dozen times. I plan to keep this car at least a decade and I don't want to beat on it nor wear it out. I purchased it as a highway cruiser or a comfy bumper to bumper city driver depending on where I am going to work during the week.

How have you been enjoying your 2020 BMW M240ix so far? Is it the coupe and is it six-speed?

Yes, I have been enjoying the M240ix so far, actually a year in and I'm not dying to trade in for something else as is normally the case for me. It is 8 speed auto, only because you can't get manual with AWD and while not necessary, AWD is really nice to have for our winters. That said, I did learn it can do wicked 4 wheel drifts on dry pavement on cold dry roads on winter tires, LOL. Also, all M235i (prior to the M240i) are coupe, 2 door. The 2020 M228i and the M235i are 4 door, while the M230i and M240i are 2 door...lol...confusing, right?

I've had very few complaints on the car whatsoever, only minor quibbles like slightly ticking window seals (no change from the Stinger in that regard) and the lack of a few features like active cruise control, lane keep, blind spot monitoring, 360 camera. I think the exclusion of those features is a combination of the fact it's their lowest North American models, but also its inception was ~2013/2014, so they just haven't bothered to facelift it to the 2019/2020 spec which does have a lot of that now. Also, a remote start from factory would be nice, not having to pay 2500 to install one, which I haven't yet. Of course the newest 2020 revised and LCI (facelift) models have this, M240i did not get it.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Ah ok... well good feedback and review indeed!

I was car shopping with my friend who wanted to get into a E92-M3-Coupe and when we went to a local BMW dealership they also let us try out a 2016 M235i Coupe and 2018 M240i Coupe. Both were auto and rwd. We found both of them extremely fun and engaging to drive. He still went with the E92 since he missed driving stick and loved that V8 sound. Now he has some insane mods on it and it sounds glorious.

I have huge love and respect for BMW. They make very good cars. If I didn't need the space of the Stinger I probably would have gone with a 2-series of some flavor.

Quick fun story... a base model 228i Gran Coupe parked next to me a few weeks ago at a local grocery store. We spoke for a few minutes since both of our cars were white and he jokingly (or perhaps not jokingly) said how Kia copied his car. He was like "couldn't get the real thing eh?" and I respond with "0-60 in 6s for $40k vs 0-60 in 4.5s for $40k idk..." lmfao! Playful teasing!

I prefer the 2-series as a coupe rather than a hatchback or sedan or whatever...

 

[MerlintheMad]

Biermann, Guillaume, Schreyer, et al. "German" designers, took the "real thing" with them to Korea. It's a bit like spreading the Gospel among heathens: once they get it, and run with it, nothing in the world is ever the same again. And then the neo designs among the "heathen" can topple the status quo and all things become new.