Mike728

Are you kidding?

mmarshall

If people are too dumb, or too stubborn, to even go look at them, that's not Kia's fault.

mmarshall

I think that's a typo......don't you mean the IS?

Toys4RJill

You make the error of thinking that people are too dumb or stubborn. Perhaps they just don't care for KIA or perhaps there is no market for a large RWD sedan within KIA. Like I have mentioned before, people seem to be unwilling to pay Toyota or Honda type prices for their bread and butter sedans and SUVs, if that is the case, then the market for a premium RWD sedan may just does exist within the KIA brand. Brands such as Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Ford, Chevrolet, and your favorite Buick do not have full size RWD sedans. The K900 would of been appropriate back in the day of Buick Roadmasters, Toyota Cressdia's, Cadillac Fleetwood's and Oldsmobile Cutlass models.

mmarshall

People are sometimes unreasonably stubborn. And I know from my own experience. I myself was very slow to finally accept the fact, back in the 1970s and early 80s, that American-designed vehicles were mostly lemons, and were simply not worth fooling with any more, for about the next 25-30 years. And, until I actually went and checked out the obviously-improving Hyundais and Kia's of the post-2000 period, my mind was also stuck in the Korean-cars-as-jokes mindset of the late 80s and 90s. Once people make up their minds about certain vehicles, it can be hard to change.

mmarshall

Chevy and Buick don't have RWD sedans in the American market any more because GM management restricts that to Cadillac....and the big RWD sedan plant at Arlington, TX was converted to trucks and SUVs over 20 years ago. In China, though, the RWD Holden-produced Buick Park Avenue is popular.

Toyota does not market RWD sedans here because they are restricted to the Lexus badge....in much the same manner as with GM and Cadillac. Honda simply does not believe in V8 RWD sedans...it is against company policy. But Kia, fortunately, is not bound by those kinds of silly limitations.

Toys4RJill

Chevy, Buick, Honda, and Toyota brands cannot support large RWD sedans. You yourself talked and talked about perhaps buying a G80 Genesis, but you chose a midsize FWD Buick. I doubt you would paid the premium associated with a RWD sedan under the Buick brand. This is why sales of the K900 stink, the brand cannot sell the car.

mmarshall

Let's not get sidetracked too much here with Buick....we discuss that brand enough as it is in other threads. We're talking abut large Korean RWD sedans..specifically the K900. The K900 doesn't sell because people don't go look at it. They did the same thing with the VW Phaeton..ignored it. Nothing would sell under those circumstances, even Accords or Camrys. From what the sales-figures indicate, though, some people are at least going to look at them. And those that do (such as myself and Steve) are often impressed. CR, for example, just gave Genesis their best-overall-brand award.

I almost bought an AWD G80 myself (RWD would be out of the question for me)..it was in my top 3 or 4 choices. The K900, unfortunately, does not offer FWD or AWD.....otherwise I would have also considered it.

Toys4RJill

It does not sell because there is no market for it under the KIA nameplate. Nothing to do with nobody going to see it. Just like the Boreggo, or VW Phaeton, people just do not want a large size RWD KIA.

LexBob2

For some reason, Jill sure does like to drag you into one Buick/Lacrosse discussion after another.

mmarshall

You saw my reply, didn't you?........Enough is enough.

I will concede one thing, though, that could be hampering K900 sales...its absurd color-choices. Base models for 2018, which start at 50K, come in only three exterior colors (white/silver/black) and one interior color....black. Upmarket versions add a fourth (gray) exterior color, and a couple more interior colors....but, IMO, it is still ludicrous.

Toys4RJill

I just simply brought it up because there is no Buick RWD available unlike the 80s and 90s yet KIA for some bewildering reason thinks they can sell a fully size RWD vehicle with a V8. Neither, Buick, Honda, Toyota, or Chevrolet can be do it under their brand names.

People not buying the K900 has nothing to do with not wanting to believe KIA is good, it is because its wrong brand name to be selling a car like this.

Would the Chinese RWD Park Avenue sell or flop in the US market if it were imported? My guess it would go the fate of the K900, there is just no market for it.

Toys4RJill

My apologies. Didn't mean to offend if I did.

mmarshall

You probably don't have to deal wth the anti-Kia sentiment that I have to. I spend a lot of time explaining to people, not just here on CL, but in a number of places, why Kia is making credible vehicles today. Those who actually decide to go and look are usually but not always) impressed. Many people are still living in the past...they feel the first place they should go to when they need a new vehicle is the Toyota or Honda shop, simply because that's what they have been doing for the last 30 or 40 years LOL.

mmarshall

No need to apologize...it's not a matter of taking offense. I just think we discuss it enough in other threads. This is for the K900.