RUFFSTUFF
Stinger Enthusiast
So the difference for me is you pay for the service and get offered a loaner car and I don't pay for the service and don't get offered a loaner car. It's an individual preference.
Had My Fun; Returned To Acura
- Thread starter ProsperDad
- Start date
So the difference for me is you pay for the service and get offered a loaner car and I don't pay for the service and don't get offered a loaner car. It's an individual preference.
ProsperDad
Member
Ok, so ironically, before the Stinger, I had an early '15 TLX with the 9 speed ZF nightmare transmission. It's actually what drove me to trade the car so early. 3 software updates and a full transmission replacement and I was done. What always puzzled me is that the same transmission in the '15 MDX functioned beautifully!
So, I drive my current car for a few hundred miles (dealer loaned it for 2 days) and could not duplicate any of the old issues I had on the '15. The group on AZ indicate that Acura addressed the issues in '16 and I'd have to agree that my new car drives completely different than the '15 I had.
ProsperDad
Member
Paying for the service at my Acura dealer or the 2 Infiniti dealers I've dealt with in the DFW area have nothing to do with getting a loaner or not. As someone mentioned above, dealerships of certain brands are expected/required to provide loaners and I've admittedly been spoiled by this over the years.
______________________________
RUFFSTUFF
Stinger Enthusiast
Obviously you're not getting the point... which means it's not obvious. oh well
YOU:
Acura (Infiniti)
Pay for service
Loaner
ME:
Kia
Don't pay for service
No loaner
Doesn't matter what you think has to do with what, I'm just repeating what information you provided and added in my own experience.
Want to compare warranties next?
ProsperDad
Member
Nope...I'm getting it perfectly clear...perhaps you're not???
ME:
Acura OR Infiniti, regardless of the type of service I need...maintenance, warranty, etc. Call, make appointmen (ALWAYS same day), offered a loaner (don't even have to ask).
YOU (And used to be me):
Kia...call for appointment at any of the 3 dealers I mentioned above...If I'm lucky, they get me in this week, but generally booked a week out regardless of maintenance, warranty or otherwise (including notoriously bad brake rotors). NO loaner offered and even if I ask, told its something they don't offer. They do offer a shuttle, but then when I tell them where I live, I'm told "sorry our shuttle only operates within 5 mile radius...would you like to reschedule?"
Warranty next?...Sure, but lets look at the fine print and parallel warranty with reliability ratings. Let's also consider that regardless of warranty term, at the end of the day NOBODY wants to have to use the warranty, so again paralleling with reliability ratings.
Kia
5 years/60k miles basic warranty
10 years/100k miles powertrain warranty FOR ORIGINAL OWNER ONLY (everyone seems to forget its reduced to 5 years/60k miles after the original owner
And now, the one almost everyone neglects to remember...from page 3 of Kia's 2018 Warranty and Consumer Information manual...Audio/Entertainment (and yes this includes Nav); 3 years/36k miles only! Battery and paint also fall into this as well.
Checked 2019 manual for you @RUFFSTUFF and same limitations apply to yours too.
Acura
4 years/50k miles basic warranty...yup, I give up a year and 10k miles, but given Honda/Acura's long term reliability ratings, I'll take the gamble
6 years/70k miles powertrain...yup, give up a little here, but do better than being second owner of a Kia
NO other limitations for audio, nav, etc...
I'm not knocking Kia...or anyone's decision to own/drive/enjoy their Stinger or any other Kia. They (Kia) are certainly trying...they're just not quite there yet. Will they get there, most likely at some point in the future, but they have some work to do.
The Stinger is a "halo" car and they've put themselves on the map. I had fun with the car, but as my original post said, there were just too many annoyances to retain me as a customer.
@RUFFSTUFF I'm not knocking you or anyone else and certainly not trying to offend you or make you upset or angry. I value everyone individually and everyone has to make decisions right for themselves which is what I did and chose to share my expereince.
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
stingerbeagle
Active Member
That's good to hear. I must say, you're quite forgiving. I think that transmission debacle put me off the brand entirely (I used to own a problem-free TSX Wagon). I felt that they treated their customers horribly, and hurt their reputation a lot when they didn't make things right. I just can't see myself doing business with a brand like that anymore, regardless of how much I like their cars.
RUFFSTUFF
Stinger Enthusiast
You really should try to stick to the facts or at least things you have direct knowledge of...
westcoastGT
5000 Posts Club!
its OK Grasshopper ! I still love you ................bawaaaaaaaa
Waynerm002
2500 Posts Club!
For most newly engineered vehicles, there are issues with the first model year that take some time to re-engineer fixes for vehicles on the road and for those being built to come out next. I've experience this on VW, Audi BMW and KIA, my other vehicles were bought later in their life cycle. When that new XC90 came out, we considered one but was happy we didn't get it as the number of issues on the forum were numerous. I've had 2 Optima Hybrids in the same generation, 2012 and 2014, the 2012 had its issues and I traded it for the 2014, which was more improved and had the other issues resolved. The 2017 was the second year in the new model and I liked the improvements so much I bought it after test driving it. It is currently the 2nd car I have had over 3 years and now officially tops the 535 M-Sport for that spot. Now that M-Sport was the last year in it's model line but it had engine issues that left me stranded on a couple of occasions but I loved it up until the warranty was ending and jumped to KIA.
My 2018 Stinger had some noise issues which were annoying but I didn't want anything else but it. When it wrecked, I looked to Volvo again and while their S60 T6 R-Design was quieter and felt better overall to the XC90, I missed the Stinger's power. The G70 was the only other vehicle I would have gone for but I wanted a bit more space so it was back to the Stinger. The 2019 I got was such an improvement to me, over my 2018 that I am not even thinking about anything to replace that car. Although I would love the larger infotainment screen.
Oh and if they make a sporty hybrid version, I would look into that. Have my fun on my commute in to work and cruise on battery power in the city. Some KIA dealers aren't doing the best job they can with regard to how they handle their sales and servicing. My best experience has been at a couple of small shops, that were not the fancy spots. They didn't try to up-sell me on service and while I would love to get a loaner Stinger, I was happy enough that they had a KIA loaner. As a brand, I feel KIA is making strides to take care of their customers but the dealership network aren't all adapting to the new way of doing business or are ensuring their staff is customer focused. Once they get the dealer experience to be top notch everywhere, then they will have a better overall experience for their customers.
My 2018 Stinger had some noise issues which were annoying but I didn't want anything else but it. When it wrecked, I looked to Volvo again and while their S60 T6 R-Design was quieter and felt better overall to the XC90, I missed the Stinger's power. The G70 was the only other vehicle I would have gone for but I wanted a bit more space so it was back to the Stinger. The 2019 I got was such an improvement to me, over my 2018 that I am not even thinking about anything to replace that car. Although I would love the larger infotainment screen.
Oh and if they make a sporty hybrid version, I would look into that. Have my fun on my commute in to work and cruise on battery power in the city. Some KIA dealers aren't doing the best job they can with regard to how they handle their sales and servicing. My best experience has been at a couple of small shops, that were not the fancy spots. They didn't try to up-sell me on service and while I would love to get a loaner Stinger, I was happy enough that they had a KIA loaner. As a brand, I feel KIA is making strides to take care of their customers but the dealership network aren't all adapting to the new way of doing business or are ensuring their staff is customer focused. Once they get the dealer experience to be top notch everywhere, then they will have a better overall experience for their customers.Revvdmedia
1000 Posts Club!
I was unsatisfied enough with my 2018 that I was actually on the fence about jumping [originally] into a 2019 as well, as late a build as I could as I hoped a lot of my issues would be resolved. That thought also crossed my mind when the 2020's landed as well. I just never made it happen though because except for the junky Dodge Daytona's that I owned 2, I don't buy the same car twice, but that really says something about the Stinger as a car, the fact I would get a second one means it's a pretty darn good car considering I really wanted a coupe!
______________________________
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Yes, our Subaru dealer in an affluent suburb offers loaners. Not only that, but it has a waiting area that puts most Acura dealers to shame. I've been astounded by how much it resembles BMW dealerships, but Subarus are very popular with upscale families around here, and this dealership clearly wants to keep their business. We're about to get a Subaru dealer in the city, which will thankfully end my 45 minute drives out to that dealer in the 'burbs.
Meanwhile, our local Kia dealership is, shall we say, considerably less premium. The name, "Value Kia," sets the tone. The folks there are very friendly though, so I'll give them a chance if I decide to buy a Stinger. I'd prefer a down-to-earth Philly experience to all the obsequious, ego-stroking nonsense at some premium dealerships anyway.
Revvdmedia
1000 Posts Club!
My honest opinion of the Korean car brand right now: They price their cars "right," they offer a lot of features for the money, and maybe for what the car is, the pricing is right. At the same time, to offer a "near Audi S5 fastback" for 2/3 of the price (in the Canadian market at least), something has to give. Is the Audi overpriced? Maybe. An in depth analysis of the S5 will show some areas both inside and underneath where more expensive material are used. I think the term "near premium/luxury" that the Stinger has been called is accurate. I found a few areas that were lacking that very fine tuned refinement that you [can] get with a more expensive vehicle. Therein lies the buyer's choice though, keeping long term reliability out of your mind, are you willing to pay 1/3 more for a car that is more refined? Is it worth it to you?
I keep referring to German cars as if they are somehow the best, that is not at all what I intend to do. The only reason I don't mention the Japanese cars is because there are almost none with S5/440i/Stinger power around the same price other than the Infiniti Q50/Q60 Red Sport, and to me those aren't quite fully premium either, their interiors are quite lackluster IMO. To get REAL performance in Japanese trim, you need the Lexus RC350F.....and that's about it? Have to wait a bit for the Acura 2021 TLX Type S for what I assume is Stinger power.
Hopefully you don't feel like explaining yourself to him is necessary. The majority of Stinger owners here are perfectly fine with kicking around ideas regarding how Kia can improve certain things. For some strange reason these suggestions/discussions have rubbed him the wrong way. It's probably best to just ignore him, lest we risk further irritating his unexplainable sensitivities.
Revvdmedia
1000 Posts Club!
This literally echoes my experience when buying the BMW. Don't get me wrong, everyone was VERY nice. Everyone was VERY helpful. It's like they were trying to make the dealership experience something you would enjoy. They also try to make you feel like the best person in the world from buying a German car.
To me, it was fricking ODD, I didn't like it, LOL. I guess some do!
Waynerm002
2500 Posts Club!
I love the look of coupes, my firs car, the Isuzu Impulse, was a nice ride but I hated having to keep moving up my seat when carrying passenger and that experience killed it for me. When I got the 525 and was looking for an upgrade, I considered the 335 Coupe and the ride, handling and balance was just really nice, plus you could comfortably carry 2 folks in the back. I preferred the 535 though and got a deal on the M-Sport version. The Stinger is like going back to that Impulse hatchback but this time with 2 extra doors, more space and a more powerful engine. The only thing I like at BMW now is the X2 M and I still love the Audi S5 Sportback and that new e-tron. If KIA morphed the Stinger into a Coupe SUV, with a higher roof line and more interior and cargo space, plus make it a PHEV with good performance, I would be looking at trading up.
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
I don't expect to get a loaner for general maintenance issues. But I think if someone spends $50k on a car and it requires warranty work that will take it out of commission for longer than a day Kia should mandate a loaner be given. Actually, as far as I'm concerned everyone should include loaners for prolonged warranty repairs, regardless how much money was spent buying the car. But I digress.
To your point, someone mentioned how BMW mandates what the dealership owners must do to maintain the company's image. I would assume all car manufacturers provide a set of standards the dealerships must abide by. If Kia is already doing this they are failing miserably. If they aren't, they're behind the curve. I wonder if/what are the consequences of a dealership failing to live up to the company's standards, if there are any.
______________________________
Revvdmedia
1000 Posts Club!
I believe this only applies to the Canadian market, but it might exist in others, but up here, supposedly only the "Kia Premium" dealers can work on Stingers and K900's. I don't think there are restrictions on who can sell them, though. The dealer I used was [obviously] a Premium dealer, and their showroom was nice enough, and they had loaners. It was just the techs not performing any quality repairs which was the major issue. Plus the sales manager was pretty sleazy, but maybe he's not there anymore, but par for the course for auto sales in general.
When the K900 first came out I was told by a salesman that the dealership had only one salesperson authorized to sell K900s. He had to go to some special Kia training and get certified to sell the car.
When the Stinger first came out in the U.S. we had that special premium 800 number that we were supposed to call with any problems we were having. Now, I don't even think the number or "premium" team are still active.
Something I think Kia should look into is getting rid of the after-service surveys that focuses solely on the service rep's performance. I've had those guys basically beg me not to say anything negative on the survey for fear that they would be fired or have their pay docked. Instead, Kia should make the survey about the entire dealership experience. Instead of pawning everything off on the service rep they should hold management's feet to the fire. I bet if their surveys had the power to remove general managers from their perch things would start to change in a hurry.
jazzdabb
Active Member
Agree 100%. Thankfully, my service experience at Kia has been good so far. But all the surveys I've gotten in recent years have focused on the reps and not the experience. One of the reasons I got rid of my Subaru Forester was that I could never get an appointment. Service was fine but had to schedule my next oil change when leaving the current one or I'd have to wait a month to get in. Too much planning for my busy lifestyle.
Revvdmedia
1000 Posts Club!
I received a very lengthy survey after buying the BMW. I was very honest in the survey. Value for money did not score very high. I made sure to mention omitted features that a loaded 2020 car should have. I also didn't give my sales rep a 10 out of 10. He was otherwise great, but I had a small issue (something must have bumped the bottom of the fender liner in transit, bent it a little and the retainer was gone). He said he would get it taken care of but he forgot, so I went and picked up the $1.50 retainer, straightened the liner and it's all good now. Since he forgot, I think I knocked him down to 8 out of 10. If not perfect, you don't get a perfect score in my books.
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
