Had My Fun; Returned To Acura

[P22Tyler]

The Type R is back in play, the Si isn't a bad car, the Acura SUV's are really nice with aggressive styling, the NSX is back, the Type S is coming back in 2021. The car the OP bought is actually a really nice looking sedan it just lacks in the performance department compared to competitors. I'd agree with you 5 years ago, but they're righting the ship now.

The SI is gutless, I was really surprised how weak it felt. The Type-R is a fun car though, I've considered buying one of those.

 

[P22Tyler]

Before the Kia, I've had 3 Acuras and an Infinit and my wife also has an Infiniti. When I call the dealer for service of any sort, I'm always asked and gratefully accept a loaner vehicle. Spoiled...perhaps. But, it's what I've come to expect if I'm dropping $40-$50k on a vehicle and Kia dealerships don't come close...at least none of the ones I tried in the DFW area.

Unfortunately there seems to be quite a few complaints about Kia service. It makes me grateful that my dealer has been pretty good to me, they've offered me loaners when my car has needed to stay for service. I'm surprised that is such an issue with other dealers.

 

[ProsperDad]

You really should try to stick to the facts or at least things you have direct knowledge of...

FACT: 2018 warranty...



FACT: 2019 warranty...

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

[This space reserved for valuable commentary]

Thank you for the feedback.

 

[Revvdmedia]

 

[YEH]

Kia has usually performed above average re JD Power's CSI rankings.

W/ that being said, there are still too many bad Kia dealerships.

 

[YEH]

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.

Really varies depending on ownership and local market conditions.

There is one Kia dealership which shares its lot w/ a Porsche store (among others).

W/ having more profitable models like the Telluride (and the upcoming new Sorento), would not be surprised to see more of the small operators who own Kia franchises to be bought out by the mega dealer groups which have more $$ to invest into brick & mortar facilities (albeit, in light of the pandemic, may not be the wisest investment going forward, as online sales will increasingly become popular).

When Hyundai launched the Equus flagship, there were several Hyundai dealers that built out a separate premium lounge for Equus owners.

Owners of the Genesis sedan couldn't get entry since the Genesis didn't offer the service amenities that the Equus did (which was why the Genesis was priced lower relative to its segment than the Equus).

Dealerships have to recoup their investment in large/new facilities, so you're paying for it somewhere.

 

[Mike_TX]

Which dealer in DFW fixed your noises? I need to pay them a visit.

Moritz on 820 just south of 183 in Hurst.

I might add that I had had the car over a year and 15,000 miles when I took it in, and there was no charge ... and they gave me a loaner, too. No complaints there.

 

[Mike_TX]

Yes, this is a Kia site, but in the spirit of this thread, I too was a many-times Acura owner (lessee), and I too hated the 9-speed trans when it came out. And like ProsperDad, I couldn't figure out why it worked fine in the MDX. I even asked the service people to re-program my TLX with MDX software and they couldn't do it.

That said, I'm very interested in the 2021 TLX. The 2.0T 4-cyl should run at least as well as the 2.0 in my Stinger (and probably better, since the 2.0T Accord will smoke my Stinger 0-60). And the 3.0-liter turbo should be a peach.

I was excited about the 2021 Genesis G70, too, especially the upcoming 2.5T, but now I'm hearing speculation the mid-cycle freshening might not come until 2022. The TLX will be here this summer, so I'll be there to look.

 

[BlueByYouGT]

View attachment 46021

IKR, mfr is big-time mad. And there's no logic behind its anger. *shrugs* Anyway, enough of Grumpy Granny.

For the loaner advocates, what would be an acceptable loaner to receive from the service department? And under which circumstance should loaners be given (oil changes, warranty repairs, etc)? Would a loaded Optima suffice? How about a loaded Forte? Loaded Rio?

Or would it have to be something like a Cadenza, Stinger, Telluride, or K900? If the loaner had to be a car of similar or higher price to the Stinger the dealerships would quickly run into a problem of not having enough >$45k loaners to satisfy the owners of those cars.

FWIW, my preferred dealership doesn't have a loaner policy but I've seen them give a loaner to a lady once. She had a problem with a used Sorento she had recently purchased and they provided her with a used Mercedes SUV. I think she got a loaner only because she had just bought a car from them, though.

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

FTR, no one on this keyboard is mad. The people whining about service? Maybe? I spend an hour about every 2 months at the dealer. I make an appointment, I show up on time, they do the work, I leave, no charge and service complete. If they are great or if they are crap that 1 hour out of 1440 hours is not going to be a deal breaker. If it was I would just do the job myself.

Aloha.

 

[MisterMac]

Well, as the post says, this was fun, but after inconsistent and poor service levels from my local Kia dealerships, and constant annoyances with creaking at the door seals and sunroof that needed constant lubrication of the seals, it was time.

Add to that, the fact that given what I paid (lease buyout technique) and the value I was offered for my trade (which I felt was likely high) I've moved on.

Picked up an Acura TLX A-Spec last weekend...Still Night Blue Pearl with red leather interior. Is it almost 400HP, nope...AWD, nope. Is it smooth and quiet on the freeway, absolutely. Does its 3.5L V6 produce the power I need for my driving style, yup! And with this being my 8th Honda/Acura product and 5th with this particular engine, it gives me confidence in reliability.

I think Kia is making radical changes, but at the same time has a ways to go in changing brand perception. I hope they keep launching products like the Stinger and Telluride, but at the same time, if they are going to continue to attract buyers of premium brands, they have to up their game on the service side.

Cheers all!

View attachment 45835

Congratulations on your new car! Beautiful color and nice lines. I wish you happiness and truly hope that the Acura proves to meet your expectations.

KIA’s design and manufacturing side have come a very long way, while the after purchase experience hasn’t kept pace. Nobody can effectively argue otherwise.

KIA is still a value-brand. It is not, and I don’t believe it will achieve being, a luxury experience in my lifetime. It simply isn’t their business model.

 

[GenesisG70]

Well, as the post says, this was fun, but after inconsistent and poor service levels from my local Kia dealerships, and constant annoyances with creaking at the door seals and sunroof that needed constant lubrication of the seals, it was time.

Add to that, the fact that given what I paid (lease buyout technique) and the value I was offered for my trade (which I felt was likely high) I've moved on.

Picked up an Acura TLX A-Spec last weekend...Still Night Blue Pearl with red leather interior. Is it almost 400HP, nope...AWD, nope. Is it smooth and quiet on the freeway, absolutely. Does its 3.5L V6 produce the power I need for my driving style, yup! And with this being my 8th Honda/Acura product and 5th with this particular engine, it gives me confidence in reliability.

I think Kia is making radical changes, but at the same time has a ways to go in changing brand perception. I hope they keep launching products like the Stinger and Telluride, but at the same time, if they are going to continue to attract buyers of premium brands, they have to up their game on the service side.

Cheers all!

View attachment 45835

Brand perception is in peoples mind, I personally don't give a shit what other think about what badge I have on my car.

 

[MisterMac]

Brand perception is in peoples mind, I personally don't give a shit what other think about what badge I have on my car.

No.

Perception is reality.

 

[Nuthadey]

Brand perception is in peoples mind, I personally don't give a shit what other think about what badge I have on my car.

You are such an odd dingbat. Since you've told us all a couple million times (and been caught in a lie or 10) that we're all jealous of you because you're a rich doctor with a stable of supercars that hates women and senior citizens I've grown curious about a few things.

What kind of "doctor" are you? In which country are you allowed to practice medicine? Are you legally authorized to administer medicine to humans? In human years are you under 70 years old?

 

[MisterMac]

You are such an odd dingbat. Since you've told us all a couple million times (and been caught in a lie or 10) that we're all jealous of you because you're a rich doctor with a stable of supercars that hates women and senior citizens I've grown curious about a few things.

What kind of "doctor" are you? In which country are you allowed to practice medicine? Are you legally authorized to administer medicine to humans? In human years are you under 70 years old?

Haha!

@GenesisG70 has a doctorate in B.S. from the University of I am Full of Myself.

 

[Nuthadey]

Haha!

@GenesisG70 has a doctorate in B.S. from the University of I am Full of Myself.

Hmm, you could be right. I was thinking he may be an equine dentist, wet nurse, or perhaps snake lactation specialist.

 

[P22Tyler]

IKR, mfr is big-time mad. And there's no logic behind its anger. *shrugs* Anyway, enough of Grumpy Granny.

For the loaner advocates, what would be an acceptable loaner to receive from the service department? And under which circumstance should loaners be given (oil changes, warranty repairs, etc)? Would a loaded Optima suffice? How about a loaded Forte? Loaded Rio?

Or would it have to be something like a Cadenza, Stinger, Telluride, or K900? If the loaner had to be a car of similar or higher price to the Stinger the dealerships would quickly run into a problem of not having enough >$45k loaners to satisfy the owners of those cars.

FWIW, my preferred dealership doesn't have a loaner policy but I've seen them give a loaner to a lady once. She had a problem with a used Sorento she had recently purchased and they provided her with a used Mercedes SUV. I think she got a loaner only because she had just bought a car from them, though.

When I had to leave my car with the dealer they gave me a Kia Nero. The air conditioning blew cold and that was good enough for me.

 

[Ruturaj]

Why not sh-awd? I love that technology, really makes a difference in driving compared to fwd models.

I will be moving on from stinger as well when lease ends. I don't like air noise I get on long trips. Might get type s MDX.

 

[ProsperDad]

Why not sh-awd? I love that technology, really makes a difference in driving compared to fwd models.

I will be moving on from stinger as well when lease ends. I don't like air noise I get on long trips. Might get type s MDX.

My focus was pretty limited to the Still Night Blue Pearl with red leather interior and what came available was FWD.

Super happy with it!!

I notice that the dealer I traded the Stinger at sold it within 3 days...was listed at $34,900