Comments: 1-15, 16-17
Nothing.
This car is awesome
Love the warranty
The stereo is fantastic
However the seats could be more comfortable
The steering wheel could move forward automatically
The trunk could be electronically shut
Has all the top line features, but those listed above.
Kia acknowledges that other features could be added; however, you must realize this would add to the price of the car.
I currently own a 2001 Toyota Avalon. I have owned approximately 40 cars which included Town Cars, LeBarons, Cadillacs, etc. I must state emphatically that I have driven the 2004 Kia Amanti and have found the car to be better equipped and appointed than any of my previous cars. It has more safety equipment on it than my 01 Avalon which has begun to ride like a pickup truck; it is very uncomfortable. It also has the sludge prone engine which has begun to emit foul smelling oil fumes into the cabin. It was my very first Toyota; it will be my last. I can only say good things about the Amanti; it will definitely replace my Avalon and within just a few weeks. I am looking forward to driving and owning the Amanti; I find the car to be luxurious, safe, and appealing both inside and out. I have no problem replacing the Avalon with an Amanti. Good work Kia! By the way, my daughter owns an 03 Kia Sedona and just loves it. Hmmm??? Has Kia begun to catch up to the automotive giant Toyota???
I test drove the Kia Amanti last year to replace my 1998 Camry LE. I had test driven various 2004 sport sedans, including the Mazda6 V6, Maxima SE, Acura TSX, a 2002 Lincoln LS V8, and a 2003 Volvo S60. All of those cars were pretty underwhelming, being generally noisier, less low end grunt, less comfortable, and less refined than the Camry. I later test drove the Amanti, and it was my favorite. It easily had the nicest interior, quietest cockpit, and most comfortable ride of any of these cars. The ride wallows a bit over large dips, but that's not a liability to me. The steering is very precise, and the engine is very refined. Cornering is as good as a base Camry or Accord, but won't challenge any sport sedans. I'm not certain how some automotive journalists accuse the 3.5L to be unrefined, b/c it's superior to the Nissan V6 and Lincoln 4.0L V8 in refinement. I'd wish the Amanti was a better looking car and had better gas mileage. Otherwise, I'll probably buy a 2-3 year old model after it's lost half its value in depreciation.
-DH (33 years old)
In response to the comment above:
Nissan makes some of THE best V6 engines in the world. In no way or comparison does Hyundai/Kia V6's equate to the dynamics of Nissan V6's.
In response to the Nissan owner.
I also own a Nissan Quest (GXE model) over the life of the van the manifold studs had broken in the block three time. A very expensive repair job. A friend also encounter the same problem with his Maxima.
I wish Nissan warrantie was 100,000 km like Kia's.
I discovered the KIA Amanti at an auto show in October. After considering many of the showcased luxury vehicles I decided to purchase the Amanti to replace my aging Lincoln Mark VIII. I am pleased with my decision except for the LOW MPG I'm averaging. I did initially make note of the listed 15 - 28 MPG, but I'm getting 13 MPG!!! My Ford F-250 gets 11 MPG! I'm wondering if it's the fuel I'm using or if it could be the ESP accessory. Does anyone else have this situation & (or) can give me any advice?
Doreen.
Doreen, I have just bought a new Amanti and I've just went through my first tank of fuel and got 21.1 miles per gallon at about half highway and half city driving so that may be a factor maybe your doing all city driving, but unless your flooring it from stop light to stop light I think you should take it to your dealer and see if something is wrong. Jim.
Although there may an actual be a problem with the car, also look at when the poster made the post - winter time.
That most likely means she is warming up the car in the driveway, driving through snow possibly with snow tires, and doing lots of other things that will dramatically reduce gas mileage.
For example, Autoweek Magazine had a Ram pickup for a few weeks and got 7 mpg due to winter driving.
If the dealer says nothing is wrong, I would wait until spring/clear weather and then measure gas mileage.
Live in Vegas, drive an Amanti, get 11.9 mpg. The dealer says there is nothing wrong with the car and that it is in the break in stage. My car has around 470 miles only. The MPG meter in the center of the dash board keeps going up though, so my mileage has been improving and it now reads 14.7 and rising. I'm also a bit pedal heavy, keep that in mind.
In Spain, the name of this car is opirus,.
In regards to the nissan engines...
I have a maxima with the vq30de engine (v6) this is one of the best engines in the world, and has made the list of best engines for wards every year. the power it can produce is awesome and the engine is very refiend and smooth with power throughout the rpms. I take this engine to redline several times a day and no problems. my maxima has 178000 miles.
I had a 2003 Sedona with no problems other than headlights burning out around every 6 months. I went to buy another one and ended up driving home a 2005 Amanti. The only problem I have is the air bag light has stayed on after I had it repaired twice. M.P.G is not the best, but I will live with that for the money I spent and the car I got. It drives great and is extremly well equipped. Great sound system and that was important to me. I would buy another as long as the warranty is the same. I wish we in Canada would receive the same warranty as the U.S. buyers. I have had over thirty cars in my life from sports cars to luxury and I rank this up there as one of the best so far. I have 18,880 km on it and hope I still have the same opinion with 100,000 km on it.
In Sept. 2004 I purchased a Kia Amanti, and yes I love it. I had a choice to get a 300 Chrysler, BMW, and others not mentioned.
I went to the Kia dealership to look at the Sorento SUV, but my eyes said that's the car for me when I took one good look at the Kia Amanti.
My husband has great knowledge when it comes to buying and repairing cars. Of course he fell in love with the Amanti. It was not the price that has taken us, and yes the warranty had its advantages. The Amanti has a look of its own.
I like to be different, not what others are buying. I love what I've got and I do not care about the insults that people are saying about Kia. Kias are getting better and better. Just rent a Kia, and take it to work or loved ones, and see their expressions. Not to mention that my Amanti is paid out in full, and it can stand with the big boys. Let's ride.
Thank you Kia for my dark rose red.
The Amanti's 6-cylinder engine has 200hp. The 4-cylinder camry has 158. That's basicly only 75%. There is no way the Amanti is even close to a Corolla. The amanti is much larger than a Corolla. The Corolla is in the small car segment whereas the Amanti is in the large car segment. The Amanti comes with a huge amount of features that cannot be found on the Corolla, not just "a few extra perks." The fact that there is a nice, long warranty only shows that Kia is willing to back their vehicles. They know there will be a small number of problems, so they are not afraid to back the product. Not only that, recently Toyota has recalled *millions* of vehicles - has Kia? No. Not only that, some of the recalls were related to potentially extremely serious defects. In addition, to the poster who I am obviously directing this at, do you own or know someone who owns one and do you drive one often? If you do, then you must have been driving blind and with no feeling because when applied to this car, your post makes no sense. It just so happens that someone in my household owns and Amanti (which was purchased as a leftover for $17,000 with every option, brand new) and I drive it atleast a few times a week. The Amanti's 6-cylinder engine has 200hp. The 4-cylinder camry has 158. That's basicly only 75%. There is no way the Amanti is even close to a Corolla. The amanti is much larger than a Corolla. The Corolla is in the small car segment whereas the Amanti is in the large car segment. The Amanti comes with a huge amount of features that cannot be found on the Corolla, not just "a few extra perks." The fact that there is a nice, long warranty only shows that Kia is willing to back their vehicles. They know there will be a small number of problems, so they are not afraid to back the product. Not only that, recently Toyota has recalled *millions* of vehicles - has Kia? No. Not only that, some of the recalls were related to potentially extremely serious defects. In addition, to the poster who I am obviously directing this at, do you own or know someone who owns one and do you drive one often? If you do, then you must have been driving blind and with no feeling because when applied to this car, your post makes no sense. It just so happens that someone in my household owns and Amanti (which was purchased as a leftover for $17,000 with every option, brand new) and I drive it atleast a few times a week.
I bought a used 2005 KIA Amanti back in the summer. I love it. Interior is great. Exterior is great. It had 15,000 miles when I bought it. It is cream color. Drives like a dream, corners great. Everybody gives me compliments on it. No negative comments yet...
Although I will say I agree with the other person, the gas mileage is not good at all... one more thing I wish the red and blue ones were a lighter color for the 2005 models... they were so dark... almost black, that's why we went with the cream color.
All in all I love my car.. best car I ever had. I am a 43 yr old female.