1. 2012 Kia Optima vs. Hyundai Sonata

    10/31/2011 by MYCARLADY

    I am constantly asked which car is better, the Kia Optima or the Hyundai Sonata?

    2012 Hyundai Sonata vs. Kia Optima Showdown.

    First let me say that both car models: Sonata and Optima share the same frame/chassis, are built in the same plant in Georgia and employ US workers.

    Hyundai and KIA offer the same 10 yr. 100k powertrain warranty, 5yr. 60k bumper to bumper and road-side assistance.

    Both vehicles have similar incentives, rebates, low interest financing and availability.

    LOOKS:  The Optima was designed by the former head of design and engineering at AUDI. This is how the Optima, and Sportage got their beaded headlamps. You will see a sleek refinement in both the Hyundai and KIA, however, the Optima is unique from the Forte, and the Forte is different from the Rio.

    Hyundai Sonata takes it’s styling cues from the Mercedes Benz CLS550. In the Hyundai line-up, the Accent, Elantra and Sonata all look the same in different proportions. I call it the 3 Bears look. The sad part of this cookie-cutter styling approach is…  if you paid $25k for a Sonata, you don’t want someone mistaking it for the Elantra.

    ENGINE: The Kia line-up introduced the new GDI engine into the 2012 KIA Soul and Optima. A remarkable power-plant that offers 26 city and 34 highway fuel economy. That’s AMAZING in such a big car, in a 4cyl, without a Turbo. Although they do offer a TURBO in the Optima, which is extremely quick, sacrificing a few MPG’s to get you there faster.

    SERVICE:  In Las Vegas there are 3 KIA dealerships owned by different companies and 3 Hyundai dealers owned by 2 companies. Read the Google, Yelp, Dealerrater reviews before venturing into some of the dealerships for service. This can be the one item that sways you from buying a KIA or Hyundai.  I say, you only deal with the salesperson once, but the service department for years to come, so make sure they have a good reputation.

    Feel free to comment…
    Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 22+ years of experience.
    She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects.
    MyCarlady offers free car buying advice, and private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles.
    Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-788-3868
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    Category: Auto Loans, HYUNDAI, KIA, Women Car Buyers
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

  2. Front Range Honda car buying alert.

    10/30/2011 by MYCARLADY

    Why women (and men) hate car buying…

    Here is a perfect example of a smart consumer trying to do her best to expedite the process of buying the HONDA they most wanted.

    Having researched the model availability, determined a fair price and contacted the dealership in advance, everything seemed to be running smoothly… UNTIL the pressure of the “END-of-the-Month” sales quota took over.

    Now a customer who was loving the new car buying experience is left with a BAD taste, angry at the sales person, (who cannot control the finance manager), and will most likely ding the dealership with a BAD survey.

    “I HATE THIS CAR BUYING GAME”

    as shared with this blog…

    –”I just bought a car yesterday and I hated every minute of it!! I picked out the car in advance, negotiated the price and faxed all my credit info in advance. I told the salesman I would pick up the car on Tuesday, but he wanted to close the deal before the end of the month. He told me to come in Saturday and it would take five minutes for me to come in and sign the paperwork since everything was arranged in advance. My husband and I drove 30 minutes to the dealership with my three children.

    THE WAITING GAME…

    We waited over an hour and listened to the salesman feed us all his excuses for why it was taking so long.

     (The salesperson should have had the paperwork over-nighted to the client in advance, signed, notarized and over-nighted back, thus making his quota, and having only to deliver the car when they arrived.)

     I ended up leaving with my children, my husband waited another hour and came home with the car. The salesman said he will meet me anywhere I want on Tuesday for me to sign the rest of the paperwork. by the way it was Front Range Honda in Colorado Springs.“

    (The consumer could have insisted the car be delivered to their home, with paperwork, signed the papers, taken delivery in their driveway at their convenience and the salesperson would have made his quota AND had a truly THRILLED CUSTOMER guaranteed to give him 5x the referrals for going the extra mile.)

    Apparently this Front Range Honda customer is not the only one to have issues with this dealership.

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    Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 22+ years of experience.
    She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. MyCarlady offers free car buying advice, and private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles.
    Call Sarah Lee for more information: 702-788-3868
    ——————————————————————-


    Category: Honda, Women Car Buyers
    Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

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