No Dealer Markup Car Pros Kia Renton, Washington

[Original Poster]

I bought my GT1 from Car Pros last week and like a OP and few other folks, the tires were over inflated. Simple fix so I'm not all that fussed about it. The sales side of the dealership was alright in my opinion. They're the Costco dealer for the area so that's how I ended up there.

I'll reserve judgement for their service department until I get my first oil change. I got free oil change with the car so I'll let them service it once.



Hi.

Though the tires were inflated above the stated max inflation pressure, manufacturers build hug factors of safety into things like that so I doubt blowout was seriously a concern at 55 PSI. However, it does impact the ability of the tire to do its job properly and in a performance vehicle that becomes even more critical and this likely creates a liability issue for the dealership.

Sales guy responded with "thank you for notifying us, we are going to address this." He also asked me to come back down to let them adjust the pressure in my tires but I took the 5 minutes to resolve that as soon as I noticed it.

 

[Sensibly Spirited Driver]

Not me. Mine is a Blue GT2 and I work in Bellevue (most days.)

I test drove your GT2 then. Don't worry, I only brought it...shall we say "up to speed"...on the highway, and only after the oil temperature was properly warm on the return trip. There was another driver who wanted to be a bit sporty, so I put the smack down. We just did a loop to the IKEA exit and back, as I was simply comparing the road noise with glass roof.

 

[Tonkabob]

I will create a new post for this, but Lee Johnson KIA in Kirkland is advertising Stingers for as much as $3,000 off MSRP.
They also are more knowledgeable and provide better customer service than your description of Car Pros KIA in Renton.

+1 to this! I had an appointment at car pros renton and got there and no Stinger. A sales person was driving it. Brian dished me off to a jeep guy who didnt know what a stinger was. They had that 5k$ mark up and i said i'm looking for 3K off MSRP which i had already made clear via email conversations. I was out of there quick and did my deal over the phone in 5 mins with Lee Johnson . Drove up and left with my car an hour later. Got 3k$ off and average trade . At that time they had a blue GT marked down $3700 since it was in stock too long, but wanted a GT2 . Just find a good deal on auto trader and they will match it . Bellingham sells them cheap too.

 

[Original Poster]

I test drove your GT2 then. Don't worry, I only brought it...shall we say "up to speed"...on the highway, and only after the oil temperature was properly warm on the return trip. There was another driver who wanted to be a bit sporty, so I put the smack down. We just did a loop to the IKEA exit and back, as I was simply comparing the road noise with glass roof.

It had 240 miles on it when I bought it, I expect not all of those were gentle (and find it likely many were abusive.) They said one of the group owners had it but there are several other more likely possibilities based on the fact there were several others there with more mileage than I would expect from test driving. In the end they provided enough compensation for the mileage that I stuck with this car instead of driving down to Auburn and picking up the same configuration with only 9 miles on it.

There was a Mini driver today that thought I was trying to race from a stop light, I was maybe at 1/3 throttle. It was entertaining to listen to him rev out 1st and a good chunk of second before finally starting to pull away at around 30 miles per hour.

 

[Leftlane]

It had 240 miles on it when I bought it, I expect not all of those were gentle (and find it likely many were abusive.) They said one of the group owners had it but there are several other more likely possibilities based on the fact there were several others there with more mileage than I would expect from test driving. In the end they provided enough compensation for the mileage that I stuck with this car instead of driving down to Auburn and picking up the same configuration with only 9 miles on it.

There was a Mini driver today that thought I was trying to race from a stop light, I was maybe at 1/3 throttle. It was entertaining to listen to him rev out 1st and a good chunk of second before finally starting to pull away at around 30 miles per hour.

You should have smoked him, then opened the Stinger hatch and threw his lil toy car in the back and taken him home as a souvenir

 

[Sensibly Spirited Driver]

It had 240 miles on it when I bought it, I expect not all of those were gentle (and find it likely many were abusive.) They said one of the group owners had it but there are several other more likely possibilities based on the fact there were several others there with more mileage than I would expect from test driving. In the end they provided enough compensation for the mileage that I stuck with this car instead of driving down to Auburn and picking up the same configuration with only 9 miles on it.

There was a Mini driver today that thought I was trying to race from a stop light, I was maybe at 1/3 throttle. It was entertaining to listen to him rev out 1st and a good chunk of second before finally starting to pull away at around 30 miles per hour.

This is one of the things I find odd about driving the car. All kinds of people seem to want to "race" from stoplights. I've only participated a couple times, which seems to further incense the drivers when blowing past them--best not to participate. A lot of these people are the types that turn their car on and drive fast from a cold start, which is one of the worst things you can do with an engine. A car should be driven gently until its oil reaches proper temperature. Having 240 miles on the car seems like a lot, but then another poster had 600 miles on theirs. Mine had 43 miles on it. My test drive was probably just over 5 miles. I'm still PO'ed it doesn't have an adjustable suspension, which was a key feature I got the car for. I've still not gotten a response from the dealer or from Kia consumer affairs.

 

[Tonkabob]

Don't worry about the milage. Kia stress tests every motor for 300 hours. (Close to 5000 miles?) You can find the vid on youtube. The owners manual says the break in is optional probably for this reason .

 

[Original Poster]

Don't worry about the milage. Kia stress tests every motor for 300 hours. (Close to 5000 miles?) You can find the vid on youtube. The owners manual says the break in is optional probably for this reason .

Agreed. If I had any real concern about the mileage at all, I wouldn't have purchased the car regardless of what compensation they offered me.

 

[Original Poster]

This is one of the things I find odd about driving the car. All kinds of people seem to want to "race" from stoplights. I've only participated a couple times, which seems to further incense the drivers when blowing past them--best not to participate. A lot of these people are the types that turn their car on and drive fast from a cold start, which is one of the worst things you can do with an engine. A car should be driven gently until its oil reaches proper temperature. Having 240 miles on the car seems like a lot, but then another poster had 600 miles on theirs. Mine had 43 miles on it. My test drive was probably just over 5 miles. I'm still PO'ed it doesn't have an adjustable suspension, which was a key feature I got the car for. I've still not gotten a response from the dealer or from Kia consumer affairs.

I will try to catch Brian outside tonight or tomorrow and let him know you still have not received a reply.

 

[Sensibly Spirited Driver]

I will try to catch Brian outside tonight or tomorrow and let him know you still have not received a reply.

Thanks, that would be appreciated. I went there today to pick up my license plates. I asked for a printout of the PDI, so I could see what all was supposed to be checked/done. I also mentioned the tire pressure issue, and told them that two other people I knew of, who had bought Stingers there, also had over inflated tires. The head tech said he'd spoken to others, and that they'd start doing that. The sales manager responsible for Raj, Noi, was not in, so I couldn't speak with him today, but was told he'd be in tomorrow. I also mentioned the hatch TSB (technical service bulletin for the hatch rattle), and they said they could take care of it in about 45 minutes, but they'd need to take my car into their garage, and I wouldn't be able to watch. I told them I'd take it to another dealership (where I can see what's going on). I don't trust anyone at that dealership, and certainly wouldn't hand them my car for an hour. Of course, that TSB went out earlier this year, and that should be done as part of the PDI, but if they can't be bothered to put the tire air pressure to spec, they certainly can't be bothered to do more time consuming things they are supposed to do before the car leaves the dealership.

Also, I told them about the "confirmation" email I'd received about a service appointment I didn't set up, and asked them to cancel it, reiterating that I'd already emailed the dealership and told them I woudn't be servicing my car there. They said it was an oil change appointment. I know that they put crud oil in people's cars as I called before to ask what they use. I'd pay not to have my oil changed there. To be fair, no Kia dealership in our area uses the oil Kia recommends, so I purchase it myself (Total Quartz Ineo MC3). Some dealerships use cheap synthetic blends, and the one I found that uses a full synthetic is using the cheapest one Mobil makes, the "Super" series, not even Mobil 1. Luckily, the V6 Stinger can run on crud oil, but the 2.0L requires a minimum of ACEA C2 spec oil, and no Kia dealership I contacted carries oil of that quality. I think that's really important for people buying the 2.0L Stingers, because many will just assume the dealership has oil that meets the minimum requirements for their car, and at least in the Seattle area, no dealer does. As I wrote in the Stinger Oil Thread, you can get Pennzoil Euro L oil at walmart for $28. That's the only place I found that sells a 5w-30 in ACEA C spec (next generation oil) in-store. If you want the specific oil recommended by Kia, then it's the aforementioned Total Quartz Ineo MC3, which can be ordered on Amazon. However, the ACEA C3 spec is so incredibly stringent, any ACEA C3 oil is going to be really good oil. The step below ACEA C3 is ACEA C2, and Mobil makes Mobil 1 ESP 0w-30, which is ACEA C2 (and the only next-gen oil Mobil sells in the US). That's the cheapest option for Stinger 2.0L buyers. For the V6'ers, that need a 5w-30, the cheapest next-gen oil I've found is the Pennzoil Euro L product. You can use any oil in the V6, even pure dino oil, so the only reason for V6'ers to use next gen oil is for the 3% benefit in fuel economy. The 2.0L, however, is a next gen engine that has tighter tolerances, and requires next gen oil (as stated in the manual, "ACEA C2 or above").

 

[sean888]

. I'm still PO'ed it doesn't have an adjustable suspension, which was a key feature I got the car for. I've still not gotten a response from the dealer or from Kia consumer affairs.

You are being overly precious with this.

Before buying, all you had to do was go to the KIA USA site and check the standard equipment on the the 3 GT models and you would have seen that the base GT V6 does not come with the electronic suspension package. It's clear as day.

You spend 46000 plus on a new car and don't bother checking the basic specs and expect everything to be spoon fed to you like a 12 yo. What do you think the KIA web site is for?

The sales guys have numerous cars to sell and won't know every single standard feature on every single model by heart especially on the new models when there are 5 stingers models alone in US spec. So the sales guy made an error. Get over it. You could even have checked it on the computer at the dealership if the suspension was so darn important to you.

Really. Stop the whining.

 

[Sensibly Spirited Driver]

You are being overly precious with this.

Before buying, all you had to do was go to the KIA USA site and check the standard equipment on the the 3 GT models and you would have seen that the base GT V6 does not come with the electronic suspension package. It's clear as day.

You spend 46000 plus on a new car and don't bother checking the basic specs and expect everything to be spoon fed to you like a 12 yo. What do you think the KIA web site is for?

The sales guys have numerous cars to sell and won't know every single standard feature on every single model by heart especially on the new models when there are 5 stingers models alone in US spec. So the sales guy made an error. Get over it. You could even have checked it on the computer at the dealership if the suspension was so darn important to you.

Really. Stop the whining.

This is a review of the dealership. The knowledge, or lack thereof, of the sales staff is part of that. So too is the back end doing, or not doing PDI's, et cetera. In terms of the features of the car you're referring to, there are a few issues with that. The first is, at least on the US site, there are a variety of specs and features mismatched and or listed for models that aren't sold here--part of that is due to there being different configurations in different countries. Another issue related to that are nearly all US reviews being conducted with the GT2, but referred to, and listed as simply the Stinger GT. In some US ads, they refer to options that aren't available, like a GT with an LSD. I told the salesperson that the adjustable suspension was a key feature of the product I was interested in, and he told me it was on all GT models, and provided a demonstration of how to change the "suspension", as discussed. I didn't think he was lying in telling me the GT had it, particularly after showing me how to "change" it, and also having seen various issues on Kia's site for what were or weren't options, and which models had or did not have certain features. More importantly, I'm not sure why you'd be reading reviews of a dealership in another country, let along complaining about them. That's the pot calling the kettle black.

 

[Leftlane]

You are being overly precious with this.

Before buying, all you had to do was go to the KIA USA site and check the standard equipment on the the 3 GT models and you would have seen that the base GT V6 does not come with the electronic suspension package. It's clear as day.

You spend 46000 plus on a new car and don't bother checking the basic specs and expect everything to be spoon fed to you like a 12 yo. What do you think the KIA web site is for?

The sales guys have numerous cars to sell and won't know every single standard feature on every single model by heart especially on the new models when there are 5 stingers models alone in US spec. So the sales guy made an error. Get over it. You could even have checked it on the computer at the dealership if the suspension was so darn important to you.

Really. Stop the whining.

While you are correct about the features and trims. You are also correct about where all this info can be found. But I disagree about the salespeople not being expected to know all the features on so many models. I was a GSM at a large Nissan dealership for years, and we trained weekly on product knowledge. In fact Nissan corporate required us to pass test before we could get credit/bonus for selling a new model. This is the area that KIA really needs to improve!!
Until I can buy my stinger directly from the KIA website and have it shipped to my house, I have to expect my Kia salesmen to know their stuff.

 

[Sensibly Spirited Driver]

Looks like I am going to have to update a couple threads. I started my road trip today and saw my car for the first time in full sunlight. I noticed that the tires are 18", with the Potenza 97's. I really feel like an idiot now. The car I saw at the dealership, inside (well lit) was the GT1, which had the Pilot Sports. The car I testdrove was out on a dark lot. One of the issues I had, in finding my Stinger, was getting Panthera Gray in AWD with the 19" tires. The other dealers in my area , like Chuck Olson and Lee Johnson, only had the AWD with the 18" tires. Car Pros, while farther away, was the only one that had it with the 19". That is what I was told by Brian, and what their site said. It turned out that was incorrect information as well, just like it having an electronically controlled suspension. I was ready and willing to get any Stinger, from the GT to the GT2. The good news is I don't have to buy 18" wheels, as I was looking into--to get the tires I want--the bad news is that my car is limited to 130mph (which is the reason I didn't want 18" wheels and looked all over for an AWD without 18" wheels). I've driven the Nürburgring in Germany, and wanted the option to let her "run" at Laguna Seca some day, the best track we have in the US. At this point, it looks like cancelling my lease is the only reasonable option. I wish you could just order your Stinger online and skip the dealership "experience". I probably won't be getting a Kia, and will just, begrudgingly, get a BMW. I REALLY didn't want to get a BMW, because I'm kind of against that brand, but, it looks like if I want a RWD biased V6, without all the BS, then BMW is my only option.

 

[RightYouAreKen]

Ug, so sorry to hear about your experience. FWIW, all of the GT2 AWD cars I looked at at both Car Pros and Lee Johnson had the 19" wheels from what I recall. Not that it makes your situation any better. Try to enjoy the car anyway. It's not like 130mph is "slow"

 

[Tonkabob]

My Lee Johnson AWD also has the 19s .Dont give up!

 

[scharn]

Looks like I am going to have to update a couple threads. I started my road trip today and saw my car for the first time in full sunlight. I noticed that the tires are 18", with the Potenza 97's. I really feel like an idiot now. The car I saw at the dealership, inside (well lit) was the GT1, which had the Pilot Sports. The car I testdrove was out on a dark lot. One of the issues I had, in finding my Stinger, was getting Panthera Gray in AWD with the 19" tires. The other dealers in my area , like Chuck Olson and Lee Johnson, only had the AWD with the 18" tires. Car Pros, while farther away, was the only one that had it with the 19". That is what I was told by Brian, and what their site said. It turned out that was incorrect information as well, just like it having an electronically controlled suspension. I was ready and willing to get any Stinger, from the GT to the GT2. The good news is I don't have to buy 18" wheels, as I was looking into--to get the tires I want--the bad news is that my car is limited to 130mph (which is the reason I didn't want 18" wheels and looked all over for an AWD without 18" wheels). I've driven the Nürburgring in Germany, and wanted the option to let her "run" at Laguna Seca some day, the best track we have in the US. At this point, it looks like cancelling my lease is the only reasonable option. I wish you could just order your Stinger online and skip the dealership "experience". I probably won't be getting a Kia, and will just, begrudgingly, get a BMW. I REALLY didn't want to get a BMW, because I'm kind of against that brand, but, it looks like if I want a RWD biased V6, without all the BS, then BMW is my only option.

Sad but this is a good lesson here for anyone. You can only expect what you inspect, and that is the reality of car buying these days. BMW would be no different. I have a friend with an M2, the crap he went through is also amazing. Had to go through this when i got a Golf R.

I got RWD, it took me 4+ months of trying, research, calling, testing, confirming, etc, etc etc. I even wrote an automated script to scrap data from kia database to find the configuration I wanted in the US (actually a little surprised kia didn't block my IP after so many attempts). Any place that had it would get a call to confirm it was real, had 19" wheels, and what was the actual mileage.

 

[Sensibly Spirited Driver]

Ug, so sorry to hear about your experience. FWIW, all of the GT2 AWD cars I looked at at both Car Pros and Lee Johnson had the 19" wheels from what I recall. Not that it makes your situation any better. Try to enjoy the car anyway. It's not like 130mph is "slow"

The 18" wheels look identical to the 19" wheels. Without some dust from the road, especially dealer-blackened (and at night in the dark), you wouldn't likely notice. Further, the spec sheet on the door was also folded in half. It said, on the sheet, that it had 19" wheels with Michelin Pilot Sports. Hiding the price was a bit odd, and more so when the salesperson brought a quote of nearly $48K. I told him the price was $43.5K and he looked very confused. "What do you mean, 43K?" I told him to look at his website, "Oh! I see, it is $43K! One moment please." The whole process was a bit shady, but, I didn't realize how shady until after I left. I told myself I wasn't buying the salesperson, I was buying the car. Unfortunately, I wasn't buying the car I thought I was, or had been told I was. As for 130mph, that's a lot slower than my previous cars, which only cost a couple thousand, (Saab 9-3's) and both do 160mph. I LOVED my 2006 9-3 Premium. Fantastic car.

Anyway, some good news (unrelated to the dealership) is that the suspension is noticeably improving on the road trip, as it settles, and the same is true for the stereo. When I got the car, the stereo was way too bright, but after playing it for the long drives, it's softening on the upper end, with a smoother roll-off. Also, I discovered "ECO" mode is the best mode, for my tastes. The throttle response is more peppy than comfort, and it lets off the gas faster (which I like--I actually enjoy feathering the throttle). Much less "mushy" than comfort. It also doesn't hold lower gears like in "sport" (which would wear the engine down for daily driving), and--best of all--it stays in the driving mode I want when I restart the car (unlike "custom"). The steering wheel weight is the same in "ECO" or set to "sport", once at speed, so it's only softer when at low speeds. I'm surprised "ECO" is the best driving mode, but, at least for my preferences, it is. The car is more fun to drive.

 

[Shrikecorp]

Re Car Pros Renton...does anyone have a feel for the service department's attitude re mods? Don't want to do anything drastic, but cat back/intakes/springs would be good. Nothing that couldn't be fairly easily reverted to stock, I'd be storing all the original parts.

 

[Mike04SVT]

Don't take your car there for anything. The KIA Rep from the Customer Care actually told me to avoid that place because...

1. No PDI, same as mentioned above.
2. Dealer tinted my windows and left a bunch of bubbles and refused to fix
3. Scratched my hood by lifting windshield wipers and refused to fix or admit they did it
4. Used non synthetic oil in the car for its first oil change and set the oil counter for 10k
4a. Rotated staggered tires??? i cant figure this one out but it was checked off on the paperwork and they said they did it.
5. Told me that my front bumper rubbing on my headlight was "intolerance" and refused to submit any warranty claim even though its rubbing paint off
6. Told me the coolant smell was normal and wanted to charge me for a evaluation
7. Wanted to replace my UVO unit for the simple map upgrade because they didn't know how to load the upgrade on the SD card. I kid you not on this one. They actually ordered the head unit.
8. Never have a loaner car even if you schedule one weeks ahead.