Hyundai or Kia. Who's at the top of the status list?

I was listening to the radio this morning and there was an advertising
promo show from World Kia here in Las Vegas. The main theme
of the program (other than selling Kia's), was that Kia was the
premium brand, outdoing the Hyundai as far as luxury and quality.
I thought it was the other way around, that Kia was the entry level
vehicle from the Hyundai-Kia corporation in Korea.
I guess it was sort of like the relationship between Chevrolet and
Buick was for a while in the old days. Can someone please clarify
this?

 

From the way I understand the relationship from magazines like Car and
Driver, it is the other way around. Hyundai is supposed to be the more
luxurious brand, while Kia is leaning more towards the sportier side of the
equation. Advertising is advertising. My wife works in that business,
albeit in accounting, and from meeting her co-workers over the years, I can
tell you that just about anything goes as long as they can get your money
from you.

Eric

 

Kia made bankrupt and then it was bought by Hyundai.
All tech news are first on Hyundai, then go to Kia, and Kia makes a good
work on interiors and stylish shapes, engines and frames are Hyundai.

Zotto

 

I agree, it's the other way around. Hyundai is first with Kia second. Check
with Planet Hyundai or the Hyundai Superstore in Henderson. Although they do
share some common items, I'll stand behind Hyundai's. My brother has a Kia
and he's happy with it, but paid as much for it as I did for my 2002 Sonata
LX. Boy, did they see him coming!!!

Steve, AZ

 

Well as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. I can't stand
the looks of some vehicles from the KIA stable. The Amanti in
particular! At the same time somehow even when sonatas where shaped in
that Jag look alike form I liked them & now love them. I also dig the
new Elantra............

 

Have to agree with your assessment. First time I saw an Amanti, I though it
had a very nice interior, but I did not like the outside. It just reminded
me of something my grandfather would have bought in 1949.

Sonata was OK, but I would not consider buying one until the 06 model came
out. I bought an 07 about 9 months ago. I've never owned a Chrysler
vehicle either and probably never will because of their styling. One of the
newer 300 models with the big grill is enough to nearly make me ill just
looking at it. Somehow it got past their designers and into the market so I
guess others like it.

Of course, I don't like coffee ice cream either.

 

well....to each his own I guess....I really like the Amanti....the first
time I saw one parked on the street, I thought it was the new
Mercedes....and then I thought that I suppose they forewent the usual emblem
on the the hood because they kept getting ripped off......I walked to the
rear and read the Kia badge....and wanted to buy one....
....now after 2 yrs, I've just bought my Hyundai (2002) "Mercedes front/Jag
rear .....I've replaced the ugly front grill with the chrome horizontal
Korean one and debadged it and now I get asked every couple of weeks, What
model Mercedes it is?.....
BTW....I like coffee ice cream too....

--
"Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living
in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the
invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.
And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire
and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to
live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til
the end of time! But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He
always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and
all-wise, somehow just can't handle money! Religion takes in billions of
dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more."

(Carlin 06:25)

 

What? You debadged it? Are you some kind of krazy kid from the 1950's? We
used to do that the first day we had a car back then. Now al kids do is buy
expensive loud radios and wheels wiht skinny tires.

I don't like maple wanut ice cream either. My favorite is cherry vanilla.

 

The Kia Spectra had the new platform and variable timing 4 cyl engine
well before the latest version Elantra.

I look forward to comparing the Spectra5 to the upcoming Elantra wagon.
I expect the Elantra wagon will be plusher and more expensive.

What surprises me is that there hasn't been a horsepower boost for the
2.0 liter 4 banger since its introduction.


L.