I wonder what is the resale value of this spectra5?

Koup is a great concept and should be a production model. That Optima is OK. Prefer Koup.

On the resemblance with Civic, well these day nothing is ‘original’ so to speak but engineers around the world do work with each other to get the best out of their work. Koreans are in fact, in certain areas, better off than the Japanese.

What you said is DARN right!

Thank you for understanding my frustration but I’m not saying you are totally wrong about the improvement build quality on KIA. No my friend, your are not! I do sometimes drop in a showroom to check what’s new on their line up.
I did drop by once to NAZA WORLD TTDI to check up the new KIA Spectre5 as you mention above. And…YES! The build quality and ride does improve from previous models. Still, I stand on my decision that KIA (In Malaysia) has a lot to prove if they ever wanna gain my TRUST again which I’m doubt it’s not going to be easy!

One more thing, it doesn’t imply on just KIA…Toyota or Honda are not PERFECT either! After that nasty experience, I drive a Civic FD 2006 model and still get a defect product. My driver’s window had a faulty of closing it but THUMBS UP for Honda Service Centre in Glenmarie for fixing it. Many thanks! The point gentlemen, no car manufacture can run from a defect product but it still goes down to sales and customers services to ease the burden of their customers. A GREAT car manufacture will always win their customer TRUST and LOYALTY and not just aim for high sales volume and then let go any RESPONSIBILITY once the car were sold!

A great thanks for Paul Tan for letting me share my experience and my thoughts in this forum. Just remember, I know this by a fact that many of us here are cars lover and we can’t run from the fact that we are the END USER! Don’t EVER give face to those dealers or manufacture who take WE as granted!

If you have been following the various other Malaysian auto forum, you will notice that even a great Sorento, held up highly by even a stringent west auto driver, has been given local owner a lot of hell.

All this is mainly due to one important factor – bad local assembler, who provide below par aftersales service.

Upon hearing your story I think the people who built your car (This is the CKD Spectra introduced in 2001 onwards, built in Pekan I believe, by DRB-Hicom but overseen by Naza Automotive Manufacturing) and the branch manager whom you dealt with should be FIRED. Brakes not working! That’s a big safety issue!

But I TOTALLY agree with you. If this were a restaurant, even if they changed the cooks and the menu I probably wouldn’t dine there again. On top of that I’d probably tell my friends and relatives not to bother anymore too. Really sorry if I offended you in viewing my opinion above. Peace!

This is my first comment and register myself since I’ve follow Paul Tan.org since a year ago. I normally just browse through to read and see what’s new in the auto industries. First, towards Maibatsu_Thunder…I’m not try to pick a fight in here but answer this question HONESTLY ( don’t make me ask you to swear dude ). If you were to dine at this particular restaurant and the food is CRAP so is the services, would you still dine at the same place? Especially after you paid rather expensively? Would you?

You ni siapa? Pekerja KIA ke? Defend bagai nak rak. I, hereby swear on my God’s name that my statement is TRUE! B’coz it really tick me off the way you defend KIA like they are the best. In 2006, soon after I married my wife, we are in hunt for our first family car that we could called it OUR very own. Cut the story short, we purchased a KIA Spectre sedan Novus edition worth RM 70,000. We DIG our joint bank account with the sum of RM 30,000 for the down payment. Reason? So our monthly installment isn’t a burden to us. Guess what dude, the DAMN car have 5 defect on them since the first day the keys been handed to us. Want me to list down, sure! Here’s the defect:
1.) The back door can’t be open either from inside and out
2.) The indicator lights can’t stop blinking
3.) The door handle’s cover keeps falling off
4.) The auto lock doesn’t work
5.) The best of all…the freaking brakes doesn’t work!!

You want to hear the best part of the story yet? I came to the dealer and address the car’s faulty and the stinking MANAGER of that KIA branch DARE to told THIS to my face (so as my late father and my brother)…”If I were you, I would NEVER buy Kia…I’ll just go for Toyota!” What kind of total crap is that? What kind of person who earn a salary from one company and then tell the customer to go to others company? Horse sh*t!

Maibatsu_Thunder, you don’t have any idea what KIA have put me and my wife through. You DON’T know the HARD times we went trough…so don’t tell me everything cool. Warranty? Hah! We went to KIA service center and they said it’s out of their hand…factory fault…yada yada yada! Another CRAP!

You still wanna hear the end of the saga? We eventually sold the car after 6 “marvelous” month of ownership. Oh! You miss out the best part…the used car dealer only willing to take the stinking car for RM 40,000 only! RM 30,000 worth of down payment and 6 month used…I get a stinking RM 40,000?! I still have a remaining loan with the bank totaled RM 41,000. So answer me this o’ great KIA defender…where’s my RM 30,000 goes? I’m not only lost 30 grand but also had to fork out another 40 grand to clear the loan so I could sold the damn car!! Me my friend are not a BASHER but I learn from a nasty experience so you better answer my earlier question first before you go out and act as vigilante…”Would you STILL eat at the same restaurant after all the CRAP being thrown at you?”

Remember! The KIA I’m refering to are NOT 7 years ago but only 2 years ago and my stand are KIA (in Malaysia)…is nothing more than a JUNK!! Nuff said.

Nevertheless, the Optima, Spectra5, Sorento and Sportage which I mentioned are here, now in 2008 and are CKD from Gurun, Kedah which not too long ago was only known for PETAI and IKAN PERKASAM, maybe!

CKD or not it’s up to the mentality and attitude of the worker. Don’t make sweeping statements PLEASE until you have seen for yourself. Just cut and paste, print out my simple checklist above and compile your own findings. I’ve done it and I can say what I’ve been saying all this while. I also say CKD Malaysia is better than CKD Thailand in some areas (paint quality – where Thailand seems to have a much higher tolerance for orange peel, as far as Honda goes, apparently).

As for used car values it’s chicken and egg isn’t it? The used car guys know that the Korean makes have been playing the discount game for a long time. Toyota does it, but subtly. Honda doesn’t play it at all except for the behind-the-scenes trade-in car top-up (overtrade) or through ‘Ang Pow’ package and all that. Toyota put in TopMark to maintain some used car arena lead in dictating the used car values even at a loss and slowly but surely the used car market followed its lead. So, when you walk in and trade in your Korean used car, the used car dealer knows very well that he can dictate whatever he wants.

Malaysia still Toyota & Honda ruling the market. If you buy car and plan to sell in short period. Korean made may not be an option. However, if u plan to use the car until it rots. Still Korean car may not be an option coz parts and reliability may be an issue. Maintaining a car with high parts price and rare in market can be a pain. Best way to buy cars is to look at chop shop. Watever car the chop shop has the parts supply. That’s the ideal car to buy.

Just my IMHO

I HAVE seen well built Hyundais, Kia and the like. Even a generation ago.

And I am well aware of their quality and value.

My post was directed at Korean bashers when they say quality is bad. Most Bashers were refering to the old Spectra, which in all honestly was quite badly put together.

As I have stated it must have been the fault of our CKD operations as they are churning out badly put together cars. Perhaps they have improved.

Besides if you actually did compare Kia/Hyundai’s North American models you will find much better quality there. Malaysia is still a step behind in terms of QC and assembly.

I still love my Spectra, and if this new one is in good pricing, I would consider in getting one.

“Besides if you have bought a Naza Kia, you can throw quality out the door because they are built here. Somehow Malaysian CKD plants jsut don’t seem to be able to screw cars together well. Workers perhaps?”

That’s totally WRONG. Please have a CLOSE look at the new Optima, Spectra5 and Sportage. What do you mean by “QUALITY” anyway?

Go to ANY Kia showroom. Single out an Optima, Sportage or Spectra5. Maybe a Sorento even. Go through the list below:

- Check the door gaps. Even or not.
- Front window ‘cowl top’ (black plastic underneath wiper arms) interface with glass. View from end to end. Any gap?
- Paint quality. No ripples, runs, etc. Run fingers along edges, hidden areas. Check for drips.
- Window rubber. All straight? Any ripples or misalignment?
- Front hood. Alignment, gap left and right. Even or not?
- Check bumper to body, bumper to headlight/taillight gaps all around
- Open door, check inner panel. Look at it from top to bottom. Gap?
- Lift floor carpet mats. Check floor carpet. Flat? No air pockets? Hills & valleys?
- Close all doors, look at door alignment from rear to front. Raise eye level up and down. Check for misalignment. OK or not?
- Check A/B/C pillars to headliner. Any gaps?
- Check dashboard to base of A-pillars. Any gaps? Misalignment? Plastic popping out?

Do your own table. Compare lets say, Optima with Civic/Accord, Altis/Camry for quality. As for fuel consumption, wait for Paul Tan’s own test review. The Optima has a fuel computer so let’s see how it does.

Readers, see for yourself and draw your own conclusions but don’t just post baseless statements/speculations/slander online just because you can, please.

Seriously cool…

1) copy look like to honda civic(uk spec)
2) kia – sparepart most expensive then honda (foreman said – i don’t)
3) my LATE 1st model kia sportage – terbalik 4 times at rawang, my luck is im still typing this words
4) never buy a kia accept free car.

and

5) i like the HID lamp. but not to JPJ and Police Roadblock. seyhhh

- anyway good looking fot this model . i like but not to buy..

Pls see the clear comparison on the second value to Kia car.

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Please be realistic and look at the big picture. Anything other than a Honda or Toyota will depreciate like a stone.

If you are going to use depreciation, please use some sense

Your SLK depreciates less but about the same percentage per year as your Spectra. The reason being, small “cc” cars tend to hold thier value well as the demand for 2nd hand cars are higher, as lower income bracket will be more attracted to these cars (low roadtax/low FC). Look at how well Kancils are holding its value. Resale Price follows Demand.

Look at percentage and not total value. Higher the price of the car, the more money you will loose even if your depreciation percentage is the same.

I’m not saying that you are wrong to say that resale value is not a cost for consideration, but its just only one variable to affect a buying position.

Continentals depreciates 30-40k PER YEAR.so if I were to solely follow your logic.. don’t buy a Benz or BMW?

Some people buy cars and drive till they rot. They would care less about 2nd hand resale prices.

You conplain that the resale price for Kias are bad, but you are here asking people not to buy one. I don’t see how that is actually helping your case. If anything, you should be encouraging other people to buy, no?

Cheers :p

I don’t care if its a korean or not. If it looked good, it deserve a praise.

If the interior comes with good amount of goodies, with good FC engine, I will think this as a good sensible buy. Having a bad 2nd hand price does not mean this is a bad car. It just mean the market has lesser demand. Thats all.

tikus, where’d u get that info?

Afterall, its their money….