2007 Kia Carens [ARCHIVE]

[itlog na pula]

mqavila, like wave, i'd drop the optra. the others are fine choices naman.

i'm a first time korean made owner and of course, i can't say what's going to happen down the road. siyempre bago yung sasakyan and you can't really complain at this point if problems/issues will come out later. you just try to take care of it the best you can and that is already lowering the chances of problems later on.

like i said in another post, you need to identify your needs really. is it a family vehicle? how many passengers on average? do you need extra cargo room? is fuel economy a priority? do you usually encounter flooding in your area? etc etc....

if you are able to identify your needs, it will help narrow down your choices. then your budget will narrow it down some more...

my wife didn't want another sedan since she and my 4 year old daughter usually stay at the back. a sedan doesn't really allow much room for us. and when we go home to her hometown and bring along the other relatives there, we'll total to about 6 persons. so a 7 seater was the only choice. it was a toss up between a van or an mpv. an suv would be nice but most are 5 seaters (like the tucson) and i'm really not bothered by driving through flood. my thinking is, wait, if you can, for the floods to subside a bit before venturing out...

i agree with niky that it boils down to driving habits and, more importantly, how you take care of your car.

sa side ko naman, i wanted only two things: 1) fuel economy and 2) convenience. so diesel and automatic nasa wish list ko.

we chose the carens using these considerations and we feel we made a good choice, using our needs.

so far the fuel consumption is pretty good. i'm getting about 12kms/liter. i'm quite confident naman it'll improve some more as soon as the kilometers go by and as i master lightening the foot some more. ang hirap kasi when you've got strong torque for a diesel! and even if walang abs, malakas ang mga preno. i've never had abs in my cars so i figure i'm not missing much...

if you do check out the carens, notice that some of the components have both the kia and hyundai logos like the compressor. so your pretty much assure kia and hyundai share the knowledge base amongst themselves. i've a neighbor who has the spec up hyundai tucson (4x2 crdi) and we have the exact same starter from denso!

as for the service quality, i can only answer you after january 3. i've scheduled the car for 1000kms change oil at my dealership (signet mandaluyong) today. they said the oil filter is P400 and oil (mineral) is P150/liter. the car will use about 6 liters... since 1000kms check up siya, no labor charges. i'll try to ask what their fees will be when i hit 5000kms.

as for the "korean stigma", ganito lang yan. the japanese went through the same thing when i was still a baby (or maybe even before i was born). so this really isn't an issue. if you dwell on it too much then you get worried. i won't debate this. but while there is so much said on the shortcomings of korean vehicles, i wonder why they are still popular? you still see lots of kia prides, vans (both kia and hyundai) on the road.

the stigma will still be there, and more likely be for a while. but the good news is when you look at the showroom floor, you see a lot of eye candy now. both hyundai and kia have really great line ups. just remember, japanese brands have their share of problems too. so it's not a monopoly...

good luck on your search. if it's a carens in the end, good for you! personally, panalo tayo because we've never had these much choices in the market. enjoy the empowerment that comes with shopping for your car.

hope this helps!!!

[buboymunti]

wavecxs,

ay siya ,,,,, baka makakapunta nga po ako sa balai at nang makapag test drive nire.

ay kung magugustuhan at maganda ang offer nila ay bakin nga hinde ...

Mga kabayan .... FYI po, got my Carens CRDi LX AT yesterday .... my new baby in light almond beige ....

Ay kasarap ihataw sa STAR toll !!!!

[bogart]

FYI to everybody.

Had my 2nd full tank just yesterday and computed my FC at 9.5 km/ltr. Mixed city/ highway driving.

The figure could have been higher if not for the usual Christmas traffic. I was spending longer hours on traffic than driving.

Next full tank, I'll post the actual kms and time spent for every trip.

Happy New year to everybody!

buboymunti- welcome to the Carens world!

[bengmd]

Hi to everyone. I've been reading the thread for a long time now. It is very interesting, today i finally decided in joining in. I previously own a crosswind xuv, a/t, and i noticed that the vehicle was very slow. I decided in selling it after 5000 km of use. I bought an innova and found the vehicle very pleasing compared to the crosswind. It was quite fast and responsive. To add, the interior as well as exterior appts. are refined compared to the previous vehicle. The fuel consumption of my D4D innova averages 10.4km/li in city driving and 15km/li in long/highway drive. The suspension is very good. My odometer reads 34000 km.

Now,the reason I am writing now is to give you my humble observation regarding my Kia carens crdi m/t. I bought it last august after so much deliberations and research in the internet as well as prayers that we will be buying a reliable vehicle.

As of now, my odometer reads between 3000-4000km. The fuel consumption is very satisfying that i am able to register 9.5 km/li in very strict city driving and a whooping 23km/li in long highway driving. I am not exagerating my figures nor am working for Kia motors. I am too was very surprised. I was with my wife, 2 daughters and 2 home company, and we drove the car all the way to tagaytay using the coastal road going and the SLEX back. The ride was very comfortable.

As far as durability, we still can not tell. Hopefully it will behave always good because its a nice looking vehicle.

If service is your concern, I brought it to Kia Pasig, and the people at the shop are very professional, hopefully they will always be like that. The dealership where I bought my unit was at novaliches, and also the agent( Janice dl Cruz) who made us decide to give the brand a chance was very good. She made drove the car 2 times for my satisfaction w/o the commitment to buy it. Very good sales strategy compared to other car brands.

So far, Iam happy with my loot. We just can't help but compare it with the innova, with the Kia carens getting theadvantage. I am not surprised to see it getting an award in the recent Car of the year awards (COTY).

Hope this piece will help the undecided. Its a bang for the buck.

Enjoy your KIA.

[Hanren]

There is something about this Carens that'd make it a potential hit. Last Friday (Dec. 28, 2007) me and wifey went to Calasiao (Pangasinan) Kia Branch and saw for ourselves the new Kia Carens. I liked the unique style. Can't say anything about the performance but the OIC told me it has a monster under the hood (140 bhp). I was able to see the LX CDRi A/T worth 925k but I would have preferred the M/T version which was selling at 875K. Too bad their promo is only until Dec. 31 this year (free 3 years LTO, 1 year insurance, tint, and matting). Their showroom however, is quite cramped which made me feel uneasy about the future support (and space) they could provide you when you need them.

Bu since then, I've become a frequent visitor of this thread (and two other related threads). I hope I could get this baby next year but I need to convince my wife first...

[itlog na pula]

hanren, pangasinan ka? malasiqui ako although based sa sta. rosa, laguna.

as for the calasiao kia branch, that is run by the laus group which is big in terms of dealerships, kia and several other brands. according to their sales rep in san fernando, pampanga, they were number one in the kia mechanics olympics, ahead of columbian motors themselves! so you're assured they're going to provide excellent service.

i saw their branch when i was shopping around for the dealership where we were going to get our unit. don't let that affect your decision to get one. actually you can get your unit from any dealership and have it serviced elsewhere if you want.

bengmd, thank you for your post and congratulations on your unit!!!

buboymunti, congratulations too on your purchase!!! sarap ihataw yan. pero hinay hinay muna dahil break in period ka pa... hehehe...

[Hanren]

hanren, pangasinan ka? malasiqui ako although based sa sta. rosa, laguna.

as for the calasiao kia branch, that is run by the laus group which is big in terms of dealerships, kia and several other brands. according to their sales rep in san fernando, pampanga, they were number one in the kia mechanics olympics, ahead of columbian motors themselves! so you're assured they're going to provide excellent service.

i saw their branch when i was shopping around for the dealership where we were going to get our unit. don't let that affect your decision to get one. actually you can get your unit from any dealership and have it serviced elsewhere if you want.

Thanks for the advise.

Yes I am here in pangasinan right now together with the family (sa San Jacinto kina esmi). My folks are in Lingayen and in Malasiqui (ka apelyido namin yung Mayor) but I work and we all stay in Baguio. Sa Laus group nga yon. May web site din sila. I think I concluded early on nung nakita ko yung maliit na showroom but I can shop around..Isa pa lang nakita kong Carens dito sa Pangasinan (natsambahan lang siguro though I know that there are more out there)... Talagang head turner siya at marami kaming napatingin (at napahanga) sa style nung nagpark siya sa Jollibee Lucao. It was a white one..

[mikey177]

Maliit nga ang showroom ng Kia Pangasinan, pero mahusay ang technician nilang si Edward na mag-diagnose ng problema at magtrabaho. I have been having my 2002 Carnival serviced there since they opened last June.

[mqavila]

Hi Niky, WaveCXS, Itlog na Pula, Bengmd, thanks for all of your inputs on my queries. It certainly helps clear a lot of things for me. However, I ran across a post in another forum that really really concerned me. I will post both the link as well as the entire quoted message here:

http://www.kia-forums.com/kia-carens...ilippines.html

"I recently bought a diesel automatic careens in Southern Luzon, Philippines
First, the good things.
1. air-con is very good.
2. the interior is spacious.
3. plenty of gadgets
4. lighting panel is impressive.

Now the bad things.
1. As cautioned by previous reviews, the after sales service of KIA is lousy.
After a month of using the Carens on smooth roads and about 20 kms. a day, I saw three (3) wires protruding from the left front Hankook Optimo tire that came with the car. They wouldn’t replace it. They’ll tell you they’d refer it to blah-blah but after a month of this and that, nothing.
2. the suspension is too low that when you go down from an embarkment, you’ll hear a loud thump from the underchassis. It will guarantee to break your heart every time you hear it.
3. when you go up a hilly road, there is so much noise and the car is huffing and puffing. In Tagalog, hirap ang makina.(the engine is having a hard time going uphill).
4. first gear is so noisy.
5. there is side-to-side wiggling at low speeds.
6. paint is bad. There are small, white round splotches on the paint and they will not buff it for free.
7. paint easily gets scratch off no matter how well you take care of it.
8. interior gets scratch too easily compared to my Toyota. Because of the cheap plastic.
9. going back to the suspension being too low, you’ll hear a thump when you park front first in malls with barriers at the parking lot. Again, your heart …
10. pang-babae ang Carens.(a car for women) Test drive it and you’ll know what I mean.
11. there is considerable noise even when windows are closed. Try test-driving it in SLEX (Expressway), you’ll hear the sound from the barriers. Ask your children to count it by the sound they’ll hear.
12. marami pa (thre’s plenty more) but my heart bleeds for an almost one million investment."


I really hope that this is all not true because it is the first negative post I've seen on the Carens...

[crichton]

hi mga carens owners, happy new year to all.

with regards dun sa complaints nun isa, maybe he could tell us which dealer yung pangit after sales so we could avoid it. yung wires na nakalabas and wiggling at low speeds dapat maayos nun dealer kasi warranty pa. no questions asked dapat yan.

[itlog na pula]

mqavila, i saw this point a couple months ago. and while it did "affect" me to a certain extent, it didn't stop me from getting other opinions (from this discussion group, for example). and having seen and driven her, it did make me feel good.

i don't really want to "flame" this thread but just to lay out my own opinions.
1 - GENERALLY, after sales service from casas are lousy. it isn't a monopoly of kia alone. i've had my first-hand share of this with mitsubishi but i won't go into details na lang. plus the fact that someone from kia will be the first to say "foul" over this comment. some of them DO have good service and try to keep it up. i'm having mine service on thursday (the 3rd) at Signet Mandaluyong and i'll let you know if they are a let down.

2 - again, the suspension isn't too low. my lancer itlog, as per specs, is 150mm while the carens is 156mm. it does seems low because of its size, you would like to this of it as having a higher ground clearance like a compact suv. but if you have seen the sales brochures, it was marketed as a crossover utility vehicle, with the ride of a car, the utility of an mpv. in short, it isn't an suv and buyers should be aware of this. like someone before me, i'm learning to live with it. a couple days ago, sumabit ako sa speed bump. i immediately cursed the vehicle but thought back that i was going in too fast and it was also my fault. when parking front first, you just have to be careful not to hit the concrete wheel stops. iba-ibang shapes and sizes talaga yan. hindi naman "standard" mga ganito sa atin anyway. may nakita nga akong vios na sumayad sa curb dahil napakataas yung sidewalk. it's just being careful and knowing what your ride can and cannot do.

3 - noise to me is subjective. what's loud for someone might be minimal for another. siguro lang i've been used to driving a toyota lite ace, kung saan nasa ilalimi mo lang yung makina. ang sa akin lang, tahimik pa nga siya. i get more noise from my lancer (since EL lang siya).

4 - the paint on our carens did have spots. i'm sure this is because the distributors here (not just kia) have no covered warehouses and they are just left there out in the open (init at ulan) for several weeks (and months) until someone takes them home. i suggest you get new car paint protection (from bigbert's for example) to address this. i'm getting one on the 4th. a little extra pero will hopefully translate to long term protection...

5 - can anyone tell me just what a girl's (or woman's) car is? is it the color? is it the ride height? is it because it has 7 seats? the large interior space? is it the overall shape of the vehicle? or because it has hundreds of cup holders? frankly, it gets tiring. i would rather think of it as a family vehicle. i don't feel "girly" driving it around naman. Hehehe... i've seen women drive f-150s so i guess that's a girl's car.

it all boils down to how you look at any situation, you have the choice to feel good about it and look at the pluses or be downright depressed with all the issues. of course, bago mga sasakyan natin and who knows what might bring us several thousands of kilometers down the road. i might just turn out to be like to the one who posted those issues. but for now, i am satisfied with her.

[niky]

+1 on this.

The wiggling and worn tire could be linked to the same problem... an out-of-spec alignment that has caused premature wear. The casa, in this case, should cover it.

The noise... gads, what did the guy previously own? A Mercedes? It's not the quietest car I've ever driven, but the only noise I can really complain about is the engine itself at full throttle.

Lack of power: subjective... but then again, it's an automatic, and I don't really like Korean automatics... ...then again (again), some reviewers have reported poor shifting logic from this particular transmission.

The one really important issue in that guy's post is the aftersales service and their treatment of what is obviously a poorly aligned suspension. But from experience, I can tell you that few manufacturers will do suspension work under warranty unless the problem is one that's relatively widespread (Toyota and shock absorbers, for example, or Ford and CV Joints on the 2.0 Gas Focus...) or which cannot have occured due to improper use. I had issues with alignment, but since I reported it after 5000 kms, Ford refused to cover it.

[master_chief711]

oy! touchy subject ah! hahahahahaha! happy new year nga pala sa lahat ng nagbabasa sa thread na ito. sad to say, if you browse the net for info about the carens, you'll probably come across that one, nakakatakot tuloy bumili! siguro i've seen that thread >10 times, kasi nga nasa official kia forums naka post. anyway, a few comments lang po, i've been driving our carens for over a month now (2700 km ODO, city + highway driving), and i haven't experienced the 'major' problems posted (except for the low clearance, hehehe, sa garahe pa lang namin, sayad na!). with regards to the first gear being too noisy, eh baka naman 4k RPM na sya eh nasa 1st gear pa rin, the only time i can hear the engine growl is when in high RPMs. as for considerable noise daw, im assuming the engine is too quiet that what he's hearing is the tires making contact with the road, try driving along gravel (like uncovered parking lots) and you'll even hear the gravel "bouncing" on your tires. Pang babae!!!??? Hahahahaha! Siguro kaya gustong gusto ng mga office mates kong babae yung carens!

[JuneT]

mqavila, saw this post also before...i think it was even posted in Tagalog (in an obviously english forum) and was translated by another poster...

just to add my two cents...

1. I dont think KIA owns the dealership and not all dealership are created equal... just because they treated you like a king when you're buying a car doesnt mean theyll treat you the same when you go back for after sales service...this doesnt apply to cars alone but to almost everything you buy that requires after sales support/service. So i also shop for the after sales service, dami naman kia dealership eh hehehe... but i like Kia Pasig, i think theyre the ones from Kia Quezon Ave...

2. Ground clearance, its not an SUV/AUV. Its slightly higher than the ordinary sedan, so its should be driven like one. The height of the Carens may make it taller but its ground clearance is still like that of a sedan.

3. Engine Noise, huffing and puffing. I actually feel its quieter than my exalta. And as for the power, i've driven it up to baguio with 5 adults, 2 kids and 1 infant, plus all the luggage and baby stuff for a 4 day vacation, i cant remember it huffing and puffing on any of the steep climbs...

4 & 5 1st gear noisy and wiggling? i dont have these either... but i suspect the wiggling has something to do with the worn out tire also...

6 & 7. Mine has some small spots also. I didnt mine coz my car is white and when i got my other new cars before, they do have some spots also... I found the paint thin though especially when a friendly tricycle hugged my carens

8. I have to boys that i sometimes mistake for dennis the menace, but they have yet to scratch the plastics with all the toys they bring in the car.

9. Again, the ground clearance is like that of a car and those concrete barriers vary in height so just approach them with care.

10. Dami pala nating may feminine side na bumili ng Carens... pang girl daw kasi eh, is it because its named Carens and Carens is girls' name?

11. I drive often in NLEX and again i find it quieter than my exalta.

12. My heart will bleed though if i get a lemon for close to a million price tag ;)


anyway, i bought my Carens before it was launched here (no CRDi then, just Gas) and the only info i could find is in the European Kia site plus a handful pre-release info from tsikot (i was actually going to get another car at that time and back out after checking out the Carens post here) . Heck, i even know more info on the car than most of dealership sales guys at that time.

15k in my odometer in 9mos and i still believe i would have made the same decision if i were to get one now. maybe, crdi nga lang...

btw, sa mga taga pangasinan dito, taga Manaoag naman ako...

[itlog na pula]

1. I dont think KIA owns the dealership and not all dealership are created equal... just because they treated you like a king when you're buying a car doesnt mean theyll treat you the same when you go back for after sales service...this doesnt apply to cars alone but to almost everything you buy that requires after sales support/service. So i also shop for the after sales service, dami naman kia dealership eh hehehe... but i like Kia Pasig, i think theyre the ones from Kia Quezon Ave...

8. I have to boys that i sometimes mistake for dennis the menace, but they have yet to scratch the plastics with all the toys they bring in the car.

10. Dami pala nating may feminine side na bumili ng Carens... pang girl daw kasi eh, is it because its named Carens and Carens is girls' name?

12. My heart will bleed though if i get a lemon for close to a million price tag ;)

june, agreeng agree ako sa iyo, particularly sa number 1 item mo. tama ka nga, kahit hindi nga oto, kahit simpleng appliance lang eh, you get lousy service. we still have a long way to go if we compare ourselves with after sales servicing (of whatever item) in other countries. sa insurance pa nga lang eh, walang tanong tanong, bayad agad ang insurance so long as covered siya, especially in the fine print.

buti na lang girl anak ko at ngayon pa lang, tinuturuan ko nang maging "beige-friendly" siya everytime she steps into the car!

siguro mas magandang tawagin "CHICK-MAGNET" yung carens since it's a girl car! mga binata dyan, bili na! 6 pa mai-sasakay niyo!

like most, if not all, siyempre worried ako na lemon nakuha ko. i still pray i haven't gotten one.

[vinrem]

Hi mqavila, i own a carens crdi a/t, here is what i observed:

1. I agree with junet regarding the aftersales service of all dealers, not all dealership are created equal, its not only kia na minsan indi maganda ang service, but this is also found on all brand of cars, if you look on other thread you could find some tsikot member who are disappointed on their casa.
2. Ground clearance, my carens is already 45days old, di pa ito nasasayad sa mga malls or speed humps, kasi i always keep in mind that im not driving a SUV or an AUV, konting ingat lang lagi, bear in mind that you are driving a close to a million peso car.
3. Engine Noise, well medyo maingay nga sya, but tolerable naman, medyo maingay sya ng konti sa L300 ko dati hehehehe, but come on...im driving a diesel and not a petrol engine car, if i want a quiter engine i should buy a gas feed one. As for the power, i dont experience lack of power going uphill.
4. Meron din akong nakitang mga small spots and scratches sa exterior finish ng car ko, i own a black carens btw kaya kitang-kita ang mga scratches, well medyo masakit din makita ang mga scratches but ano ang magagawa ko??? sooner or later magkakaroon din ng mga scratches yan, then nagiingat ka nga pero whenever you park your car sa mga malls meron dyan mga ingitero na guguhitan yung car mo. And also i have 3 boys, lagi silang naglalaro malapit sa car, kaya... well u know na anong mangyayari hehehehe
5. Girl car??? hmmmm, indi naman siguro, sa china where i stay (zhejiang province po ako naka base), mostly na nakikita kong sporty car na hyundai coupe, ferrari, porsche, bmw z4 are driven by girls, does this mean na this car are girl car????

[vinrem]

Hi mqavila, i own a carens crdi a/t, here is what i observed:

1. I agree with junet regarding the aftersales service of all dealers, not all dealership are created equal, its not only kia na minsan indi maganda ang service, but this is also found on all brand of cars, if you look on other thread you could find some tsikot member who are disappointed on their casa.
2. Ground clearance, my carens is already 45days old, di pa ito nasasayad sa mga malls or speed humps, kasi i always keep in mind that im not driving a SUV or an AUV, konting ingat lang lagi, bear in mind that you are driving a close to a million peso car.
3. Engine Noise, well medyo maingay nga sya, but tolerable naman, medyo maingay sya ng konti sa L300 ko dati hehehehe, but come on...im driving a diesel and not a petrol engine car, if i want a quiter engine i should buy a gas feed one. As for the power, i dont experience lack of power going uphill.
4. Meron din akong nakitang mga small spots and scratches sa exterior finish ng car ko, i own a black carens btw kaya kitang-kita ang mga scratches, well medyo masakit din makita ang mga scratches but ano ang magagawa ko??? sooner or later magkakaroon din ng mga scratches yan, then nagiingat ka nga pero whenever you park your car sa mga malls meron dyan mga ingitero na guguhitan yung car mo. And also i have 3 boys, lagi silang naglalaro malapit sa car, kaya... well u know na anong mangyayari hehehehe
5. Girl car??? hmmmm, indi naman siguro, sa china where i stay (zhejiang province po ako naka base), mostly na nakikita kong sporty car na hyundai coupe, ferrari, porsche, bmw z4 are driven by girls, does this mean na this car are girl car????

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL TSIKOTEERS!!!!

[mqavila]

Wow, thanks so much for all of the replies to my concerns! I'm so glad that the people here are extremely helpful to even newbies like me.

At least I can say that despite the lone negative post about the Carens that I saw, my apprehensions about it have been laid to rest somewhat. In any case, I'll take my time to mull over everything before I finally decide. Would anyone know if there will be any price increases in the immediate future though?

[buboymunti]

Thanks for the welcome Bogart and itlog na pula ... Happy New year to all!

On the concern about after sales, I agree na hindi talaga pare-pareho ang mga dealers.

I have a GOOD experience with KIA BALAI (Sto. Tomas, Batangas). Though my other car is Mazda, I regularly have its maintenance at Balai. People are competent and customer-oriented. This is one of the factors why I get my Carens ..... good ride and an assurance that a good after sales team will look at my baby.

If you happen to be in in the area and will be needing help or assistance, ask Val Mongoc- the Service Manager.

[itlog na pula]

mqavila, honestly, i still have a little apprehension at the back of my head. but it really is more of worrying about getting a lemon. it's the same feeling i had with my lancer back in 1995. pero sana hanggang worry na lang siya.

don't rush. look around for other vehicles. they might just suit your needs in case the carens doesn't. enjoy the power of being the buyer. parang foreplay lang yan.

i don't know nga lang if meron price increase. i'll ask my sales rep tomorrow.

buboymunti, maganda din naririnig ko dyan sa balai dealership. i met a picanto owner 2 weeks ago and he was very satisfied with their service there. since sta. rosa lang naman ako, i'm thinking of trying them out kapag naka-5000 kms na ako.

btw, had another top up just now. 11.8kms/liter ako. nagulat ako kasi i was expecting mababa siya kasi 2x ako naipit sa napakagrabeng trapik sa slex, southbound pauwi sa sta. rosa. i'd say 50/50 city/highway driving itong result. ok na rin!