General Car Conversation
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,354
Likes: 555
From: fl
Pretty cool video on the uprising of Kia.
Few things I found interesting:
- % of Kia customers with income > $100k/year - 2019: 34% 2022: 46%
- Telluride still sells mostly over MSRP even though production has doubled
- I didn't know Ford tried to buy them out of bankruptcy (Hyundai was ultimately the buyer)
- The only way to currently get an EV tax credit with Kia is to lease them. This is since they are not made in the US (although that is changing)
The EV9 is a really good looking EV. I can't wait to start seeing those in person - interior looks amazing with second row reclining captain's chairs..! Kudos to Kia.
Few things I found interesting:
- % of Kia customers with income > $100k/year - 2019: 34% 2022: 46%
- Telluride still sells mostly over MSRP even though production has doubled
- I didn't know Ford tried to buy them out of bankruptcy (Hyundai was ultimately the buyer)
- The only way to currently get an EV tax credit with Kia is to lease them. This is since they are not made in the US (although that is changing)
The EV9 is a really good looking EV. I can't wait to start seeing those in person - interior looks amazing with second row reclining captain's chairs..! Kudos to Kia.
due to inflation 100k isn't what it was in 2019.
agreed. 
The EV9 is a really good looking EV. I can't wait to start seeing those in person - interior looks amazing with second row reclining captain's chairs..! Kudos to Kia.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,021
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
I drive by it everyday and I stare at it everyday. I looked it up and it looks to be a 2005 or 2006. I can’t believe it is that old, it looks really good to me and not dated. I would’ve thought it was newer than that. I looked up the SL through the years and some of the recent ones I don’t love. The 2013 and up SL headlight don’t do anything for me and look kind of generic.
And yeah, your neighbor sounds rich but you've got to wonder how much he's spent to keep that car in good shape over the years. But to him it's worth it I'm sure, just like the money I'll drop over the years on my old MB is completely worth it. However it's not really a complex car other than the top. AMG V12tt lorrrrd I don't even know where to start on the upkeep on that.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,021
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
CL Community Team
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,343
Likes: 601
From: IL
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,101
Likes: 1,741
From: Ohio
Plus side it is makes everything else I own feel cheap to run lol!
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,354
Likes: 555
From: fl
Agree. I think there's 2 ways to look at it (edit: actually, adding a 3rd way):
1) Kia's percentage of buyers making over $100k is increasing
2) Pricing of their cars is demanding people make more money to buy them new (I'm not sure this is the case, I think Kia is pretty fairly priced and in line with the "average" of what a new car is costs these days)
3) Kia customers in 2019 were more well-off than today's customers due to inflation... so is Kia losing the higher end buyer?
A final note is that while inflation has gone crazy, wage growth has not moved much at all. I read something the other day that said you'd need 70% in wage growth to have purchases "feel" like they did in the months before COVID.
1) Kia's percentage of buyers making over $100k is increasing
2) Pricing of their cars is demanding people make more money to buy them new (I'm not sure this is the case, I think Kia is pretty fairly priced and in line with the "average" of what a new car is costs these days)
3) Kia customers in 2019 were more well-off than today's customers due to inflation... so is Kia losing the higher end buyer?
A final note is that while inflation has gone crazy, wage growth has not moved much at all. I read something the other day that said you'd need 70% in wage growth to have purchases "feel" like they did in the months before COVID.
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Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,225
Likes: 465
From: Long Island
those sorts of prices are pretty much only if you have ceramic brakes, but i won't deny it's possible lol
but take my car for instance, this is the p/n for one of the front rotors: 2304210712 and this is an E500 front rotor: 2114210912
it's about $146 vs. $75, which to me at least isn't something to gasp at lol... with careful driving you can also make a set of pads/rotors last a long time
but take my car for instance, this is the p/n for one of the front rotors: 2304210712 and this is an E500 front rotor: 2114210912
it's about $146 vs. $75, which to me at least isn't something to gasp at lol... with careful driving you can also make a set of pads/rotors last a long time
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,021
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
those sorts of prices are pretty much only if you have ceramic brakes, but i won't deny it's possible lol
but take my car for instance, this is the p/n for one of the front rotors: 2304210712 and this is an E500 front rotor: 2114210912
it's about $146 vs. $75, which to me at least isn't something to gasp at lol... with careful driving you can also make a set of pads/rotors last a long time
but take my car for instance, this is the p/n for one of the front rotors: 2304210712 and this is an E500 front rotor: 2114210912
it's about $146 vs. $75, which to me at least isn't something to gasp at lol... with careful driving you can also make a set of pads/rotors last a long time
CL Community Team
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,343
Likes: 601
From: IL
To be specific, it's roughly $1900 for pads/rotors for the front, and $1800 for the rear. I rounded this up to $4k.
Last edited by geko29; Aug 31, 2023 at 07:49 AM.
CL Community Team
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,417
Likes: 198
From: US
There's a new one in my neighborhood too. It's one of my favorites.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,992
Likes: 519
From: Maryland
Yeah that last gen SL was not very pretty. From any angle, even the taillights look weird. It's like they had two designers, one for the front and one for the rear and it didn't work well at all. Ugliest SL ever. I do like the new ones, however. They look amazing.
And yeah, your neighbor sounds rich but you've got to wonder how much he's spent to keep that car in good shape over the years. But to him it's worth it I'm sure, just like the money I'll drop over the years on my old MB is completely worth it. However it's not really a complex car other than the top. AMG V12tt lorrrrd I don't even know where to start on the upkeep on that.
And yeah, your neighbor sounds rich but you've got to wonder how much he's spent to keep that car in good shape over the years. But to him it's worth it I'm sure, just like the money I'll drop over the years on my old MB is completely worth it. However it's not really a complex car other than the top. AMG V12tt lorrrrd I don't even know where to start on the upkeep on that.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,992
Likes: 519
From: Maryland
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,225
Likes: 465
From: Long Island
But there's also a single o-ring deep in the bowls of the engine valley. When it hardens and shrinks from exposure to oil and heat, the engine runs rough and misfires. Replacing that 20-cent o-ring requires a process that is just short of a full engine rebuild--you can leave the crank and pistons in, but pretty much everything else has to come off. The one I saw done on youtube (by a former MB master mechanic) was over 60 hours of labor. That's like $15k, before you start adding all the "while you're in there" fixes to the tab.
but tbh i haven't heard of that o-ring issue nearly as much as i hear about the coil packs, which i'm pretty sure are considered a guaranteed failure
also aren't the biodegradable wiring harnesses more of a late 80s - 90s thing? like W124s and W140s