These things seems to be CRAZY popular here all of the sudden. I'll admit, they look pretty sharp. As I see it, it's a total rip off of the Range Rover design language. And for that matter the Sportage is more than a little Porsche Cayenne looking, and the Seltos is more than a little Land Rover Discovery looking.

Are these things crappy Korean cars wrapped in nice skin, or are they making products on par with Honda/Subaru/Toyota now?

Any of you guys got one of these?

I think it is one of the few vehicles that have a dealer markup. Got to be a demand for them somewhere.

Look at just about any Kia, and you can find that it very closely resembles something from another manufacturer.

That said, and to answer your question: Yes, those things are turning up everywhere 'round here.

Kia/Hyundai quality has gone WAY up over the past 10-15 years, to be fair. I still wouldn't buy one.

Funny, I noticed a couple today. Was planning on being near the Kia dealer today and thought about dropping in to see what window sticker prices are. Just curious.
To answer your question, not everywhere around here, but I do notice them, and think they look sharp!

My wife and I pulled up behind one (first one I had ever seen) at a stoplight . I sat there trying to decide what the heck the name on the car said. Its funny I do not really remember what the vehicle looked like but I sure remember the name. The name makes no sense to me. But no I have only seen a couple of them .

Test reports from everyone from Consumer Reports to Car and Driver are through the roof.
If I needed an SUV in this class, it's the one I would buy, even if I had to wait six months.

Nothing crappy about Hyundai or Kia anymore. That said the ones I've test driven (doesn't include the Telluride or Palisade) feel closer to Toyota than Honda in driving dynamics. I much prefer the way Hondas feel than Toyotas, so based on that I would likely lean toward a Pilot or Passport.

That said, the Telluride and Palisade look to be put together well and seem quite nice.

It was not too long ago that Japanese brands took a backseat to European and American brands. Not just cars, but consumer goods. Sony, Mitsubishi, Toyota vs RCA, General Electric, and Ford.

I don't think Korean brands like Kia-Hyundai, LG, and Samsung are much further behind their Japanese counterparts. If you remove the price premium Sony and Toyota can charge for their storied reputation, the playing field is pretty much level.

quote:

Originally posted by kramden:
My wife and I pulled up behind one (first one I had ever seen) at a stoplight . I sat there trying to decide what the heck the name on the car said. Its funny I do not really remember what the vehicle looked like but I sure remember the name. The name makes no sense to me. But no I have only seen a couple of them .

It's the name of ski town in SW Colorado. No different than the Chevy Tahoe in that sense.

I have a Kia Sorento that has been solid through 75k miles. The Sorento and Telluride are made fully in the US which is a good selling point. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

Jim

To be honest, I don't think I've ever noticed one until you brought it up. I'm sure I'll see them all over.

Maybe I've mistaken them for an Explorer or something.

That said, roads around here are filled with Porsches, Audis, G Wagons and Tahoes and such, if anyone has a full size SUV. Only the cops have Explorers.

I initially liked them, but every one I’ve seen “in the wild” the rear end sags. Every. Single. One.

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:

quote:

Originally posted by kramden:
... The name makes no sense to me...

It's the name of ski town in SW Colorado. No different than the Chevy Tahoe in that sense.

Would be interesting (funny ha ha) to see one of them on Black Bear Pass!

Kias and Hyundais are anything but junkie cars, that description was invalid a long time ago. My wife has had the last three generations of Santa Fe and they were and continue to be 100% trouble free. For the last several years the Hyundai group has had quality ratings equal to or very close to Honda and Toyota.

Bought one for my wife. Best car I’ve ever bought her. I even like driving it.

One of my GFs drove to the Yoop from Dayton on 75N. Outside Lima, she center punched a deer that destroyed the entire front end of her Hyundai Santa Fe.
Most of us would have called it a day, but she drove all the way up, stayed a couple of days and then drove back, despite me begging her to to have it fixed locally.
The Hyundai shrugged off all the damage just fine and never missed a beat the entire time.
It impressed me. If they made a real pickup, I would buy one.

quote:

Originally posted by tigereye313:
Nothing crappy about Hyundai or Kia anymore.

They've certainly come a long way, but they still cut corners to hit a price point. For example, higher-end cars' paint is ~25% thicker (primer, base coat, and clear coat combined) and the high-end cars use a harder clear coat to be more scratch resistant.

Here is professional detailer detailing the Hyundai version of the Telluride (called the Palisade). He's getting 3.8 to 4.8 mils of of paint, and it's soft. Better drive it straight from the dealership to a detailer for a ceramic or graphene coating since it's going to scratch easily due to the soft clear coat and there isn't much clear coat for future paint corrections.

^^ Was true on my Accord also. Very soft paint, I could look at it wrong and leave a scratch.

I've seen a few Tellurides around, but they don't seem to be "crazy" popular. That would be the Jeep Renegade.

It’s definitely a home run for them they are everywhere.