New Buyer: Options, Packages & Advice

[Tony Flags]

Love the back up camera. Works best on larger screen of the NAVI. Now that i have it i could not live without it. My van doesn't have one and i wish it did. Back window not a problem for me.

[Jademac]

Originally Posted by chimivee

Thanks for all the input! The SX is definitely enticing. For some reason, the Kia website doesn't yet have the SX pricing. Can anyone tell the approximate price difference over the EX?

Also, can anyone offer any feedback regarding my concerns [see above] about the rear-window visibility (lack there-of) as well as the effectiveness of the back-up camera? At this point, the rear window issue is a major concern for my GF. We definitely plan to go back and get more cockpit time to see if we can cope with it. But at this point, day-to-day experience from owner's is more valuable.

Thanks!

In my opinion, the rear-window visibility is average compared to my Honda Accord sedan & Honda Civic Si Hatchback. The back-up camera in the Rio5 is definitely effective, functional, & beneficial with a very decent wide angle view!!! Paid around 18k for my SX!

2012 KIA Rio5 SX.wmv - YouTube

2012 KIA Rio5 SX.wmv - YouTube

Good luck in whatever you decide!!!

[chimivee]

Thanks for the feedback. In the reviews I read, one of the minor gripes was the view out the back, so when my GF commented on it, it made sense.

But again, we plan to go back and do more test driving. Perhaps we can better adjust things to reduce the problem.

As a side note, I see very few Rios around (in Orange County). There's a fair amount of Optimas and Sportages rolling around, but I've seen exactly TWO Rios on the road since we became interested in the car a few weeks ago. Interesting...

[RoguePC]

In the reviews I read, one of the minor gripes was the view out the back, so when my GF commented on it, it made sense.

As someone who's sold cars - I used to hear that complaint all the time with Hondas too. Rear window too small, front & rear pillars too big, can't see properly . . . blah blah blah. Yes, it does make sense I suppose. But really, every car will be a compromise - balancing visibility, style and structural safety.

The reality is, once you buy the car (any car for that matter) you end up adjusting to it's little idiosyncrasies. And the Rio, with it's great backup camera - more than makes up for the apparent small window.

My complaining Honda customers never once complained after owing it for a while, and I even made a point of asking them. The Rio will be the same I'm sure.

[chimivee]

Well, 5 months later and it's a done deal. We bought a 2013 5-door EX in white, fully-loaded. It's awesome! I'm amazed at the bang-for-buck this thing provides. Kinda puts my mostly base MINI Cooper S to shame.

Will get some pics up as soon as it stops raining.

But, I have a question about extended warranties in the meantime...

So, this is my girlfriend's car. While in general, I don't believe that extended warranties represent a good value, the finance manager convinced us [under the harsh lights of his tiny sterile office] that the 10 yr / 100,000 "Wrap" coverage was a good buy. But I woke up in the middle of the night last night having second thoughts.

What initially surprised me is that the factory 5 yr / 60,000 "bumper to bumper" warranty (as marketed to me by salesmen) has exclusions. So, things like paint and audio/entertainment are only factory warranted for 3 yr / 36,000. Friendly finance guy proceeds to tell us that these electronics are often what break. The extended plan we purchase supposedly extends all warranties out to 10yr/ 100k, hence doubling or tripling the warranty period of certain components.

Anyway, I wasn't really expecting this nugget sprung on me, and with my GF leaning heavily toward the peace of mind of the extended warranty, and being forced to make a game-time decision, we sprung the $1400 for it.

I guess that's all sort of irrelevant. I really just want to know what other people's opinion / experience is with extended warranties, filing claims, their coverage, the factory warranty, and Kia's general trouble spots.

I know with the VW's I've had in the past, it was often interior electronics / electrical gremlins that were the problem. I would hate for something like that UVO touchscreen to die at month 61. Surely, stuff like that is not cheap. Then again, neither is a $1400 service contract! Then again, that's cheaper than similar contracts I've seen for other cars.

I'm still awaiting a call back from the finance manager to discuss some of the specifics of the contract which are unclear to me. I also don't know if cancellation is an option. But I hope I can get some feedback here in the meantime.

Thanks.

[conwelpic]

generally extended warranties on any product are not worth the money and most problems occur during the normal warranty period. Consumers Reports has done extensive studies on them and found that it is extremely rare to get your value and when you do try to claim there is so many exclusions that you have problems trying to reimbursed.

Dealers/sellers also make a lot of profit on these packages, so they will really sell them. Anyway too late now, should have asked before purchase. I personally would never purchase any extended warranty on any product. If you feel you need it, invest the $1400 in some money making stocks or bonds and then in the 5-10 years when you need it, you will be far better off, by then it could be worth quite a few thousand.

Any vehicle maintained the way the factory maintenance schedule suggests will look after you for a long time.

[ELI 10]

Originally Posted by chimivee

Thanks for all the input! The SX is definitely enticing. For some reason, the Kia website doesn't yet have the SX pricing. Can anyone tell the approximate price difference over the EX?

Also, can anyone offer any feedback regarding my concerns [see above] about the rear-window visibility (lack there-of) as well as the effectiveness of the back-up camera? At this point, the rear window issue is a major concern for my GF. We definitely plan to go back and get more cockpit time to see if we can cope with it. But at this point, day-to-day experience from owner's is more valuable.

Thanks!

Backup camera is awesome, no complaints even at night

Both my wife and I think rear-window visibility is fine. She is 5'2" and I am 6'0"

Latest firmware on UVO works great. Voice recognition has improved considerably with the new update. Very impressive for this class of car.

Heated/Folding mirrors on the EX are the cats a$$

The SX Model will (tend to) have more rattles than an EX due to the nature of the suspension. But you may prefer better handling over less noise. Even an SX, however, will not handle as well as a Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta has the awesome suspension without any rattles

You are smart by asking these questions before buying the car!

Also DO NOT BUY THE ISG OPTION. It is quirky and needs "driver participation" to get any benefit from it. I "live" with it, but I would not recommend it to a friend.

[chimivee]

Originally Posted by conwelpic

generally extended warranties on any product are not worth the money and most problems occur during the normal warranty period.

I appreciate the feedback. As I mentioned, that's generally my viewpoint on the matter too. I was just taken off guard at signing when they mentioned that the 5yr / 60k warranty excludes things like paint and audio - both items that failed prematurely on another vehicle I owned. My fault for not fully understanding the warranty ahead of time.

So while I himmed and hawwed at the table, my GF was pushing to take the extended warranty. Afterall, it's her car. I just was feeling a bit guilty after the fact that I didn't "advise her" strongly enough against it. I had asked the finance manager if there was a time window to add the warranty later, but the dude said it would cost more (ha, yeah, of course).

Anyway, since then, my GF says she's still more comfortable having the extended warranty. And if that helps her sleep better at night, then so will I. That said, we are still trying to clarify some of the extended warranty terms, as the 1-page document I have is very brief. I called the warranty contract provider directly, and they assure me that everything in question are covered. But, I am trying to get a hold of something more comprehensive in writing from the dealer to be certain.

If anyone has first-hand experience with extended warranties/claims with Kia or the warranty provider, "Century," I would still like to hear.

Thanks again. Love the car.

[chimivee]

Originally Posted by ELI 10

Backup camera is awesome, no complaints even at night

Both my wife and I think rear-window visibility is fine. She is 5'2" and I am 6'0"

Latest firmware on UVO works great. Voice recognition has improved considerably with the new update. Very impressive for this class of car.

Heated/Folding mirrors on the EX are the cats a$$

The SX Model will (tend to) have more rattles than an EX due to the nature of the suspension. But you may prefer better handling over less noise. Even an SX, however, will not handle as well as a Ford Fiesta. The Fiesta has the awesome suspension without any rattles

You are smart by asking these questions before buying the car!

Also DO NOT BUY THE ISG OPTION. It is quirky and needs "driver participation" to get any benefit from it. I "live" with it, but I would not recommend it to a friend.

Thanks for the feedback, ELI. Sorry for the confusion, but my original post was from a few months back, and we actually already bought the car a few days ago.

We got a loaded EX, and are very happy with it. If it were my car, I'd probably go for the SX, but I think the 15" wheels and softer suspension is actually better for my girlfriend.

ISG... Well, we have it, because this car came with every available option except for the "sport graphic." But yeah, ISG... Ugh. After driving it around the night we got it, the ISG was driving me crazy. Did not like the "lurch" as the car started with your foot off the brake. I suppose you'd get used to it... But I just turned it off. Here's something interesting, though, my GF reported that the car still shut off at a stop twice while driving to/from work, even though I hat turned ISG off. It doesn't default back to "on" each time you start the car, does it?

[ELI 10]

Originally Posted by chimivee

Thanks for the feedback, ELI. Sorry for the confusion, but my original post was from a few months back, and we actually already bought the car a few days ago.

We got a loaded EX, and are very happy with it. If it were my car, I'd probably go for the SX, but I think the 15" wheels and softer suspension is actually better for my girlfriend.

ISG... Well, we have it, because this car came with every available option except for the "sport graphic." But yeah, ISG... Ugh. After driving it around the night we got it, the ISG was driving me crazy. Did not like the "lurch" as the car started with your foot off the brake. I suppose you'd get used to it... But I just turned it off. Here's something interesting, though, my GF reported that the car still shut off at a stop twice while driving to/from work, even though I hat turned ISG off. It doesn't default back to "on" each time you start the car, does it?

OK

Yup - I didn't pay attention to the dates. It ends up that your GF bought the same exact car I did, except that I do have the side graphics. Unfortunately ISG will reset itself to "active" everytime you restart the car. The biggest flaw with ISG is Stop Signs. It just doesn't make sense to shut down the engine at a Stop Sign (with no timer). If you go to the KGIS site you can learn a lot about ISG. I like to "interact" with my car so I don't mind using sport mode shifting to fool ISG into doing what I want it to. Most people would think its a pain in the A$$!

I hope your GF likes her car. I LOVE mine