I recently attended a ride and drive event hosted by Kia in San Diego. I enjoyed a fantastic drive through scenic San Diego, one of my favorite cities in the USA, and our initial destination, miles from our hotel, was a donut shop. A donut shop were all of the Kia drivers got to recharge and take over the establishment! It was loads of fun, and I was quite impressed with the line-up of Kia cars!
To make it easier for you to decide what car company might work for you and your family, I have compiled my top five reasons why Kia is the top car company today. Firstly, they went from two styles of car to 12 in 22 years (1994-2016). In that short time they became the eighth largest car company in the U.S. We had a session where I heard three valuable points as to what drives Kia to be the best:
-A massive investment since 2001 in the company.
-A great passion for design (check out the grill on these cars as an example of style!).
-They are obsessed with craftsmanship.
And most importantly, Kia went from being 37 out of 37 in the initial quality study 15 years ago, to #1 today. That is a car company that is working hard to earn your trust and business.
1.Ranked #1 by J. D. Power & Associates:
“Kia Motors reached historic new heights in June when J.D. Power recognized the brand as the highest scoring nameplate in its 2016 Initial Quality Study (IQS) out of all 33 makes in the U.S. Marking the first time in 27 years that a non-premium brand has topped the rankings, Kia’s rise to the top was driven by segment-leading performances from the Sportage and Soul, while Forte and Sorento placed second, and the Rio placed third in their respective categories.”
That was the first thing we were told on this press trip, and that is when I knew this would be a very easy story to write. The brand started out in last place, and clearly worked as hard as possible to get to this level in just a few decades, passing some very well known brands. I always like when I see a company working that hard for me!
2. Kia’s commitment to teen safety:
Kia Motors America has a partnership with the B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) Teen Pro-Active Driving School to help the 501(c)(3) charity offer additional classes across the country, increasing its geographic reach and the total number of teens that receive this lifesaving training. I can’t imagine how my own dad managed to teach all three of us (my brother, sister, and I)to drive. I remember him forcing me to drive across the Tappen Zee Bridge to teach me, how to drive across a bridge! I was scared, and it was a good lesson. It also helped me to not take the privilege of driving lightly. I know of two new teen drivers who have already had issues as new drivers. This is a great program for Kia to help support safer driving for our young people which will hopefully stay with them their whole lives.
3. Turn signal warning.
I have driven the competitors car, and when I put on the turn signal, while I am close to a car in the next lane, I have no notice that there is another car presence. With the Kia there is a beeping to warn the driver not to turn, but to check and wait until there is room to merge into the next lane. I am obsessed with safety, I loved this feature.
4. Family recommendations!
My brother-in-law just leased a Kia Optima for my nephew, so he can commute to college. My brother-in-law researched many cars and their safety features before settling on the Kia for his son. Safety first is my mantra as well!
5. Harmon-Kardon Audio!
“The addition of Harman Kardon premium audio to the Kia line-up marks an extension of a 15-year partnership between HARMAN and Kia that has produced some of the industry’s most technologically advanced and best reviewed audio systems. Harman engineers work with Kia during the earliest stages of vehicle development, spending hundreds of hours fine-tuning the audio system specifically for the vehicle’s cabin size, materials and seating configurations. The result is a system that enhances the driving experience with the true emotional response previously attained with only the finest home-audio equipment, transfixing listeners with 360 degree spatial envelopment and rich, high resolution sound.” Who doesn’t want an awesome sound system in their car!
Another extra that I noticed was the placement of the mobile phone charger. The car I currently drive has the charger almost hidden next to the cigarette lighter, and very hard to reach. Not so in the Kia’s I drove!
Lastly, the second leg of our driving tour took us to the local lighthouse where we had room to take pictures of the area, and pose with our afternoon car, the Kia Soul!
For more information, please visit Kia.com!
Disclosure: I attended an all expense paid trip to San Diego to drive Kia cars with other bloggers. All opinions are always 100% honest and my own.
About Kia Motors America:
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2015, surpassing the 600,000 unit mark for the first time in company history. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K900 flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona minivan, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States. Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.
I like the safety features.
Not easy having teen drivers in the family so it is important to do everything we can to keep them safe. Looks like a good car for that.