So, my girlfriend was in a crash a couple weeks back. Totaled her 04 Trailblazer. She ended up getting a $3300 payout on it, after the rest went to paying off what little she owed on it. We've been shopping around for cars for her, but she's always really liked the new Kia Optima. If anyone hasn't looked at Kia for very nice mid-class cars, sedans, and Crossover SUVs lately, they have really stepped up their game. Apparently, they have hired some design and engineering talent away from other higher-end manufacturers, namely Audi. If I hadn't just bought a fully loaded 2011 Nissan Murano crossover SUV last September, I would seriously consider the Kia Sorrento.
ANYhow, we went and test drove the Optima the other day, and she loved it. The one we drove was the EX, with leather, navigation, and some other bells and whistles. Very, very nice car. You can tell that they're still not in competition with real luxury due to some corner cuts in the interior materials, but still very nice overall. The one we tested priced at around 29K. Very reasonable for all the comfort and tech stuff.
When we went it to start paper, we noticed a "base" model LX in the showroom. I say "base" but it isn't really. It had very nice after market rims, tint, and leather. Priced at 25K. Come to find out it's used, with 850 miles on it. The guy was originally in the market for some special edition, limited turbo blah blah blah. The dealer told him that the one he wanted was on backorder and would take months to get in, etc. So he bought this one. He had the dealer put $3000 aftermarket rims on it. He had them tint it. And he had the base cloth leather reupholstered with two tone Katzkin brand leather that's higher quality than the factory stuff. A month later, the dealership called him back and told him they had a line on the limited edition car he wanted. He brought it in that day, basically still factory new.
They knocked a grand off the price for me to 24K, and she signed on it. With the $3300 insurance check, we put 5K down on it total. She still has the original factory warranty. Windows are tinted which she would have done anyway. She has the upgraded rims that she loves and they gave her the original wheels so she can mount snow tires on them. She loses out on some tech like navi, backup camera, heated AND cooled seats, keyless ignition, etc. She also lost some wood trim too. But she comes out with custom two-tone leather seats that still are still heated. She has Satellite radio free for 3 months. And the "base stereo" still has bluetooth phone and music linking, MP3 CD player, voice activation, iPod connectivity, steering wheel controls, etc, etc. The Kias also do really nice exterior touches like sharkfin, body colored sat antennas, side mirror blinkers, and projector headlights. The wheels and leather alone were 5K sunk in by the dealer. I am very impressed with this car, both in value and looks! That being said, if you're in the market, take a good look at Kia!
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