Part of the reason why the engine sounds harsh is because its underpowered so when you floor the pedal, you can hear the engine straining. But when idling the engine is quieter than a 408. But during cold starts, yes the engine is quite rough. I do agree that Kia should have done a better job with the engine and transmission in line with all the other upgrades. Hopefully future models will be better.

Ours is MPI engine.

Agreed 100%. I dont see any logic in Kia choosing to put a 2.0 NA engine in a car as heavy as the K5.

Does anybody have any idea how many K5's have been sold to date by Naza?

So what are the prices for the Sonata 2.0 and 2.4L models after the discounts?

The drop in resale value for the first year is about 10% especially for Korean cars. So getting a 2013 car in 2014 would mean that uve already lost about 15K. Giving out free servicing worth RM 3,600 cannot even come close to covering that. So even if you hold for long, the losses would be massive.

Yes i believe Korean resale values have improved compared to previous years. But its gonna take at least 10 years before resale values can even come close to Japanese levels. In this case we arent comparing Koreans with Japanese. The issue is the difference between a 2013 and a 2014 make.

So the question here is, assuming a car owner sells his Korean car after 5 years of ownership, will the difference between a 2013 model and a 2014 model be RM 3,600 only or more?

My guess is that the difference would be easily >6K especially if newer models have come into the market in that 5 years.

The 'discount' is the free service.

Ive been a K5 owner for the past 21 months. Before this was a loyal Toyota supporter for 9 years. So let me give you a brief run down:

1) After sales service - still poor especially Red Cube PJ. But the Chinese operated SC's offer much much better after sales service and technical know how
2) Maintenance cost - spare parts are slightly more expensive compared to Japanese makes.
3) Build quality - so far quite good. No squeeks or rattles except a minor rattling round at the steering shaft when going over bumps.
4) Durability - unsure as its a new model. But because build quality is good, i expect durability to be much better than previous Kia models
5) Power - despite the higher hp & torque, its still slightly underpowered because of the body weight. A 2.4L engine or a 2.0L turbo would be far better. But using Total engine oil instead of the rubbish Syntium gives you a small power boost.
6) Driving - power delivery and the auto transmission isnt as smooth as Japanese makes. So some of the extra hp & torque gets 'lost' before it reaches the wheels.
7) Design - top class in my opinion. The car is a looker and gives a rather sleek / commanding impression on the road.
8) Resale value - all D segments cars dont enjoy good resale value compared to B or C segments. But of the lot, the K5 will probably be slightly worse because its Korean. But dont forget that ure also paying less in the beginning.
9) Value for money - an important criteria and at <150K, the K5 is great value. The specs on offer is top class for this price range. Even the Mazda 6 (the K5's closest competitor in terms of specs) doesnt offer as much for the base 2.0L model.
10) Safety - the MOST important criteria. The K5 excels in safety standards. Very good safety specs. The 2013 Optima K5 obtained higher frontal crash ratings by the NHTSA than even the mighty 2014 BMW 528i although both got the overall 5 star rating. In the IIHS test results (as of 2013), the 2013 Optima K5 is among only 25 vehicles worldwide who have received the Top Safety Pick (+) rating which even the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E Class failed to get. The other Korean car which was rated Top Safety Pic (+) was the 2013 Hyundai Elantra.

The key word with any car purchase should be VALUE FOR MONEY meaning what ure getting for what ure paying for. Generally there are 13 criteria which are important when choosing a car:

1) Price
2) Safety
3) Specifications
4) Design
5) Interior space
6) Build quality / durability
7) Ride, handling, power
8) After sales service
9) Overall maintenance cost (not just periodic maintenance)
10) Warranty terms
11) Comfort
12) Resale value
13) Future models / facelifts

There is no car in the market which has all 13 criteria’s. So the idea is always to list your choices against these criteria and then compare against how much ure paying for it.

You also need to take into account your specific needs. For instance, if ure not a driver who drives fast, long distance or spends a lot of time in the car then don’t bother getting a car which is powerful and excels in ride & handling. It will be a waste.

Also give importance to long term needs not just the present. Look at least 5 years ahead and see where ull be. Cars are a 100% loss from Day 1 so the idea is always to minimize losses by choosing the car which satisfies most of the criteria above and yet keeps the price affordable. In saying this, I don't mean that resale value should become the primary criteria hence why its No 12 on that list.

Use these 13 criteria’s when listing down your choices. Never ever choose a car based on 3 or 4 criteria’s. U'll just increase the risks of making the wrong choice. Test drives actually don’t help much because most of the time ppl don’t know how to test drive or what to look for in a test drive. But do your homework and then test. Ull get a better idea then.


Hope this helps you in making an informed decision.

This post has been edited by cybermaster98: Jan 30 2014, 01:25 PM

The new K5 reached Malaysian shores end 2011. But most of us bought ours in 2012 onwards.

Well the Spectra was always known as a problematic car. So cant really compare with the new K5. I think both are miles apart in terms of quality and handling. But in saying that ive been having a problem with my jerking gearbox since last year. Naza Kia still can't identify the problem. Besides that everything is fine. Quite good build quality which is actually better than the CKD BMW 3 Series which has numerous cosmetic problems and rattles.

I guess thats what they will do in the end.

Find out which Kia SC did the change for him. I will check.

Go for Century Marathoner NS70. Costs RM270. No regrets.
http://www.centuryauto.com.my/century-marathoner.php

Aiyoo! Sorry to hearu had to spend more money to get a crappy battery.

Doesnt mean just cuz its a D segment it must be premium. Car segments refer to size and to some extent engine capacity. There are some C segments which are more luxurious than D segments.

Ppl buy the K5 for the following reasons / combination of reasons:

1) Exterior design - clearly one of the best on the road these days
2) Spacious interior
3) Specifications - top class features not found in other Japanese models
4) Warranty terms - 5 years unlimited mileage
5) Among the cheapest D segments in the market now
6) Top class safety features and crash ratings (higher frontal crash rating than even the BMW 5 Series)

Yes as with all cars, nothing is perfect and the K5 does have some negatives. But always keep in mind how much ure paying vs what ure getting in return.

What 10K finish? Its only 6K difference with the previous model. But with discounts you can get it at around 146K with 2 years free maintenance as well.

Small price to pay for the amount of additional features.

Aiya cannot compare like that la. If compare then compare vs price list. Discounts available even for current model starting from 2 months ago already.

But on paper its just a 6K discount between both the models. Small price to pay for electric steering, better leather seat quality, fully ventilated front seats, powered front passenger seat, electric parking brake & drive mode select.

For which model? What year of manufacture? When you bought it?

Yes Peugeots always have the conti feel. Interior is also quite good and classy. I find the interior of the 508 the best in the D segment market. If only Peugeot could come up with more sporty cars rather than the sloping rear versions, i think they would do better in terms of sales. The upcoming Peugeot 508 is a real looker (from the front at least) but the rear still leaves a bit more to be desired.

As for the 3008, you gotta love the shape if you are serious about considering it. Its a love hate relationship. For me, i think the design is too old fashioned. It works in Europe as many of the SUV's there are of similar shapes but not in Asia. Asians prefer flashy and modern looking vehicles. Possibly among the many reasons why brands like Peugeot, Renault, etc didnt do well.

I think the shape of the 3008 makes one look a tad older like a housewife's car similar to the old Sylphy. But its fit for purpose, comes with good specs, good safety ratings and quite affordably priced. So if you dont mind the shape, then yea go for it. I wouldnt bring in the usual nonsense about resale value since its ever so boring.