Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 2:47 PM
Good luck at the show, Mazda! Mazda will showcase a full range of customized cars, including special editions of the new CX-5, roadster and RX-8, at the upcoming 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon. The annual custom-car show (January 13-15) is Japan's equivalent to the fall SEMA show in the U.S. Mazda plans to display two versions of the new CX-5 crossover, which made its global debut this fall at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show and arrives at U.S. dealers in February. In addition to the standard production model, Mazda will unveil a special-edition CX-5 with lower ride height, matte-black alloy wheels and red exterior paint. An updated version of the...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 11:00 AM
I hope these sketches are for real because this car looks NICE. Sketches that have leaked online purport to provide an early look at the 2013 Kia Forte. According to Kia World, the sketches show a redesign for the Forte sedan that will be officially revealed sometime in 2012. The leaked photo reveals a Forte sedan that is much more rounded and modern than the current model. In the profile sketch, the Kia appears to have a sloping roofline similar to the Hyundai Elantra, and is vaguely reminiscent of the Kia Ray concept from 2010. The front grille, headlights, and taillights are all in tune with the latest Kia designs, like those seen on the...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 8:16 AM
Great advice on how to prevent a crash! The best tip for winter driving: Sometimes it's best to stay home, or at least remain where you are until snow plows and sanding crews have done their work. If you crash on a snowy or icy road, you'll certainly be late — or worse. But since you can't always call in to work claiming a "snow day," it's better to learn how to correctly deal with driving in the snow. I've battled snow- and ice-covered highways in two-dozen states behind the wheel of both passenger vehicles and 18-wheelers. I've performed hundreds of tire tests on snow-covered roads, attended snow-driving schools and done precision (translation:...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 8:14 AM
Interesting news from Mazda! Batteries aren't the only technology mankind has invented to store electricity, and Mazda is working on a solution to the energy storage needs of electrified vehicles with a new system it's calling i-ELOOP. While we wish it didn't have such a cumbersome moniker, the technology behind i-ELOOP is intriguing. Mazda claims that its i-ELOOP system will be featured in the first production passenger vehicle with recaptured energy from regenerative braking stored in a capacitor. The rest of the bits and pieces behind the tech include a variable voltage alternator and a DC/DC converter that sends energy otherwise...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 3:00 PM
Have you heard the news? The Kia Soul is one of the HOTTEST products of 2011! But of course we knew that already… And we’re not just talking about the hottest selling products in the automotive industry. According to Advertising Age, the Chevrolet Cruze, Kia Soul and Jeep Wrangler are generating a lot of buzz and posting strong sales – so much so that they are among America’s hottest products in 2011, joining Dove soap, Goldfish crackers and Arizona Tea. The publication says that the three models have been succeeding in the country with savvy marketing and a steady rebound in the U.S. light vehicle market. Chevrolet Cruze: GM has sold more...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 11:00 AM
Check out this excellent review of the Kia Optima in the Phoenix Business Journal: If you are in the market for a midsize hybrid, the Kia Optima is a must for your test-drive list. New for 2011, the Optima benefits from its all-gas twin’s redesign, which made the Kia a player in the sedan wars with snazzy design and bang for the buck. But while the family sedan market is extremely competitive, there are only a handful of hybrids in this class. Ford Fusion and its sibling from Lincoln have strong pull with gas mileage of 41 in the city, 36 on the highway. But the Kia checks in at 35/40 -- a little thriftier on the highway, along with its...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 12:29 PM
Great tips from KiaBuzz! It’s no secret that the golden rule of saving money with your car is to increase fuel efficiency. Follow these tips on car maintenance and you will be able to save your budget. Lighten Your Car (Force = Mass * Acceleration) It’s all made clear in one simple physics equation: force = mass * acceleration. One of the most important things when it comes to fuel efficiency is the weight of a car. In the manufacturing process, carmakers put a lot of efforts on reducing weight of car to achieve better fuel efficiency. See if there are any unnecessary objects inside your car that need to be taken out. Know Your Tires Another...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 11:00 AM
Glad to see that Pennsylvania now bans this too. Hopefully this will help keep everyone safer on the roads. Pennsylvania on Wednesday became the 35th state to ban text messaging while driving. Governor Tom Corbett signed legislation into law giving police the authority to charge someone caught texting while driving with a primary offense and a $50 fine. "The urge to keep the conversation going online can cloud judgment, can make it impossible to focus on what (drivers) should be focusing on," said Corbett, who signed the bill into law at an AT&T mobile telephone store in suburban Harrisburg. Corbett said 13,790 crashes in Pennsylvania...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 3:08 PM
Best in the bunch: the Kia Forte 5-Door Antenna Hockey Hatch. Yes, the hockey hatch. Perfect for you die-hard Pens fans… It wasn’t too long ago when it was pretty much unimaginable that the Koreans could make a cool car – let alone a good car. Times have changed though, and both Hyundai and Kia have brought some of the most unique and original customs of this year’s SEMA show. 5. Kia Rio 5-Door Antenna Retro Surf Kia focused on regional sports at this year’s SEMA show. Repping the West Coast is the Kia Rio 5-Door Antenna Retro Surf (my, is that a mouthful). The Rio5 Surf was designed for what Kia calls, “The original hipster,” surfers....
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 11:00 AM
It's awesome to see how hard Kia is working for environmental innovation. In 2009 a new word entered the Kia lexicon: EcoDynamics. In just 11 characters it sums up Kia’s intention to continue to make cars which are fun to drive, practical, appealing and good value while reducing their impact on the environment. And with the all-new Rio it will reach a remarkable high. EcoDynamics is a green umbrella for a wide range of technologies. Ultimately it will lead to alternative-fuel cars with zero tailpipe emissions, a process that is already well advanced. Kias with electrified drive trains will be emerging as early as 2012 and already the company...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 4:30 PM
Does turning on your car’s heater really lower engine temperature? Do you really save fuel by letting your engine idle? Read on for the answers to these questions and more! “Automotive myths have been around since the days of Henry Ford and the Model T. Some have a splinter of truth in them, but most are pure nonsense. The editors of MSN Autos have assembled 10 gems and shot them down like clay pigeons at a professional skeet-shooting exhibition. Myth 1: Red cars get more speeding tickets. Debunked: While they're radiant and retina-shocking, red cars are not more likely to get a speeding ticket, according to the Insurance Information Institute...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 10:13 AM
Thank you to all of our great customers for choosing Kia! We wouldn’t be here without you! “Auto market analyst group Experian Automotive released its second-quarter 2011 market analysis report, and the results show Hyundai Motor America came out on top in corporate loyalty – a U.S.-market first for the Korean company. Experian reports that Hyundai’s corporate loyalty rate held steady at 49.6 percent, enough to oust General Motors and Ford from the top spots, which scored 48.1 percent and 47.6 percent, respectively. Hyundai Motor America’s Kia brand had the highest brand loyalty ranking of any individual marque, at 47.9 percent. The Hyundai...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 6:00 AM
Looking for a good car for city driving? The 2012 Kia Soul may be for you! “For the 2012 model year, Kia decided to add a couple horses to the Soul’s stable, increase its fuel efficiency and to add even more doo-dads to the already generous list of equipment. Great news if you’re looking for a city roundabout, as you’ll get even more bang for your buck. As before, two four-cylinder mills will be in charge of hustling the Soul along. The 2.0-litre, 164-hp (up 22 hp) engine will sip 7.9 litres per 100 km in town and 5.8 litres on the highway, while the 1.6-litre, direct injection power plant will generate 138 hp (up 16) and burn 7.4 and 5.6...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 9:30 AM
Ready for a wave of start-stop engine technology? Kia’s on the ball. “The drumbeat of idling engines at stoplights is starting to be replaced by dead silence. It's the result of more use of "start-stop" engine technology that shuts off the engine when the car is stopped for more than few seconds, then restarts it, in most systems, when the driver releases the brake. Commonly used in hybrids, it's just now coming to conventional vehicles in the U.S. market -- mostly high-end vehicles. Though it requires some tricky electronic controls, in a conventional car, a start-stop system requires only a beefed-up battery and starter and a few other...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 6:30 AM
Thanks to the strong public approval expressed at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week, it looks like Kia may be moving forward with producing their stylish GT concept car. “While not officially confirming it, Kia's European boss Paul Philpott, during an interview with Autocar, said: "Almost everyone has accepted the GT as being the right kind of car for Kia, and that says we're ready to stretch the brand further. If we can get the same reaction globally as we did in Frankfurt then the GT can play a key role in moving the whole brand forward." Autocar also stated that the GT is expected to see the light of day in 2013, after the brand...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 4:00 PM
Greater torque? Increased fuel economy? Yes, please! “Mazda has often thought outside of the box when it comes to power. Consider its adaptation of the Wankel rotary engine. Designed by German engineer Felix Wankel, Mazda began experimenting with Wankel-style rotary engines in 1961, finally offering a rotary equipped vehicle in 1967. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Mazda stuck with the more conventional internal combustion piston engine in the bulk of its vehicles, but it did continue with the rotary in the legendary RX-7 sports car. By 1993, in Canada the rotary-powered RX-7 had been dropped, but the company came back in 2003 with...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 9:19 AM
Edmunds.com names Mazda3, CX-9 number 1 by consumers. A popular online destination for today’s vehicle shoppers, the website develops its annual list of top customer satisfiers by relying on reviews submitted directly by current owners themselves, making Mazda’s performance particularly notable. “A longtime favorite among the Edmunds editors,” the Mazda3 earned its top spot in the “Sedan under $20,000” category for its “combination of sporty handling, great value and extensive list of standard features,” as well as its “stylish interior” and standard manual transmission. Significantly, the latter was called out for “its smooth shifting”...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 9:35 AM
Is texting while driving really worse than drunk driving? That’s the question that Christopher Neiger from “How Stuff Works” asked. Read more to find out his conclusion. Texting, or short message service(SMS), is a quick form of communication that allows users to send 160 characters or less to and from their cell phones and smartphones. A study by the Pew Research group in 2009 and 2010 reported that out of the number of Americans who have cell phones, 58 percent of adults and 66 percent of teens use them to text [source:Motavalli]. With these high percentages of Americans using text messaging every year, many are bringing...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 9:59 AM
The National Auto Dealers Association (NADA) names 3 Kia vehicles “2011 Best Car Buys.” The group’s annual NADAguides Best Car Buys Report analyzed criteria like price, depreciation, fuel efficiency, warranty coverage and safety ratings to determine which vehicles are the country’s true customer satisfiers, and among them were: Kia Soul—The funky-fresh urban passenger vehicle has become one of the most popular subcompacts on the road today, selling in record numbers in 2011 thanks to its unique mix of bold styling, notable fuel efficiency and starting price of just $13,300. The Soul also earned “Top Safety Pick” status from the Insurance...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 1:18 PM
Exciting news! The company best known for its dynamic lineup of driver-friendly vehicles has now made owning one of those vehicles an even friendlier experience: Mazda recently introduced its first-ever pre-paid maintenance service—the Mazda Total Advantage Program—to provide owners with a more affordable way to ensure their vehicles get the factory-certified routine maintenance they deserve. The new program was designed specifically to meet customer needs, bundling together typical maintenance services at one low price that delivers a notable cost advantage as compared to paying for the services separately. Plans are available for...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 12:11 PM
A hybrid version of the Mazda6 sedan will be out in 2013 or 2014. In March of last year, Mazda signed a deal to license Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, which Toyota is also licensing to Subaru. With access to this unique hybrid system, the automaker is expected to launch a hybrid version of its Mazda6 sedan as either a 2013 or 2014 model. Based on spy photos of a Mazda6 development mule from InsideLine and Car and Driver, the Mazda6 hybrid will feature driver-selectable Eco/Power/EV modes, similar to the Toyota Prius. And, mileage is expected to reach close to the Prius’ ratings of 51 mpg city, 48 mpg highway. Mazda...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 9:09 AM
The Kia Sportage was name the “2011 Northwest Affordable SUV of the Year” by the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA). The award was given during the NWAPA’s annual “Mudfest,” a unique one-day event in which the year’s top SUVs and crossovers are gathered for a comprehensive, hands-on evaluation of their performance, both on and off the road. This includes off-road tests of low-range handling, ride comfort, and hill-climbing and descent abilities, as well as on-road comparisons of stability, handling, emergency-braking maneuvers, and more. In addition, versatility and overall value are scored separately to provide a comprehensive...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 1:06 PM
The all-new 2012 Mazda3 is expected to get 40 mpg. It is expected to be available in October. The refreshed 2012 Mazda3 will arrive in showrooms this fall. With it will be the first application of Mazda’s new SKYACTIV powertrain technology in the United States. And, thanks to this new tech, the latest Mazda3 is expected to deliver dramatically better fuel economy compared to the outgoing model. The new SKYACTIV 2.0 direct-injection gasoline engine and SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission is expected to help the 2012 Mazda3 achieved 40 miles per gallon on the highway. With a six-speed manual, it’s expected to achieve an impressive...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 12:28 PM
10: Check Your Tires Tires are one of the most overlooked parts of a car. According the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), only one out of 10 drivers checks his or her tire pressure correctly, compared with almost seven out of 10 who wash their cars regularly [source: RMA]. But the truth is that an under-inflated, over-inflated, worn down or misaligned tire can be extremely dangerous, particularly in hot summer weather. 9: Change Oil and Oil Filter Oil is the lifeblood of your car. It keeps hardworking engine parts running clean, smooth and cool. Most owner's manuals suggest that you change your oil and oil filter every 7,500...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 4:52 PM
While installing and using child safety seats may appear to be easy enough, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that close to 3 out of 4 parents do not properly use child restraints ... and if you are one of them, that child safety seat may not protect your child the way it should. Use this locator to find a child safety seat inspection station nearest you. Certified technicians will inspect your child safety seat and show you how to correctly install and use it.
Child Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator
You can filter results by State/Zip Code as well as with Spanish-speaking technicians, and/or having local...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 4:35 PM
The new Kia Optima beat the Honda Accord in a recent series of tests conducted by a team of experts at Consumer Reports.
The Kia won based on performance in five areas: Handling, Transmission, Controls, Fuel Economy, and Safety. For more information on the tests visit the Kia in the News artic...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 4:35 PM
Everyone wants to keep their new Kia or Mazda clean, so we thought we'd share these tips for washing your car...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 4:49 PM
We are running a special on the new 2011 Kia Sorento until August 1, 2011! Stop in today and get the Sorento for just $17,988 with 1.9% APR. This crossover SUV is completely redesigned from the 2010 version and is big enough for the family, but sleek enough for a professional lo...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 5:51 PM
Summer vacation also means summer road trips, and for your kids, it can mean hours of boredom. Make the atmosphere in your Kia or Mazda a pleasant one with some of these road trip boredom busters!
Family Contest: Try having a family spelling bee or trivia quiz. Have the passenger be the host, and have the kids participate in an educational quiz or spelling bee!
Classic Car Games: 20 Questions and I Spy can seem like tired, old games, but on a six hour road trip, they are great!
Journals: Have your kids write down what they did on each day of the trip. It will be a great way to reflect on family trips as your children get older.
While these...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 12:16 PM
Kia decided it was time for a change with the Soul, and redesigned the popular model adding more power, fuel economy, and lots of style. The 2012 Soul has increased horse power, but also gives you more miles per gallon, saving you gas money.
The engine is not the only improvement to the 2012 Soul. New headlights and a reshaped hood give the front of the car a bold look. Its redesigned front and rear bumpers give the Soul a more streamlined look than its predecessor. For more information on the 2012 Soul click he...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 9:38 AM
What driving habits annoy you the most? Tell us! Or just check out this Top Ten list created by Car Talk radio personalities Click and Clack: It's a known fact that everyone reading this is an above-average driver — and that each of us always displays deep and abiding civility toward our fellow travelers. So we're sure you won't recognize yourself in any of the items listed below. But what about all those other jerks on the road? What things do other drivers do that annoy you most? Here's our list, with an invitation to share your pet peeves below. Yours in Pounding the Steering Wheel, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, Car...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 7:10 AM
I love to see the starry flag That floats above my head. I love to see its waving folds With stripes of white and red. “Be brave,” say the red stripes. “Be pure,” say the white. “Be true,” say the bright stars. “And stand for the right.” Author Unknown...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 11:46 AM
Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th. What was the best advice you ever received from your Father? Share it with us! We’d love to hear it. Or just enjoy some of these pithy quotes about our favorite dads: "A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station." -- Bill Cosby "A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again." -- Enid Bagnold "A father is a guy who...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 2:06 PM
The 2011 Kia Sportage is About.com’s Reader’s Choice. About.com, one of the country’s leading online information providers, recently asked its millions of readers to pick their favorite rides of 2011, and in the Best New Crossover Vehicle category, the votes were all about the new Kia Sportage. In fact, the dynamically designed Sportage dominated the rankings with 64 percent of the votes—no other rival received more than 15 percent. It’s yet another impressive honor for the Kia crossover, which also was recently named a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). “Launched as part of Kia’s ongoing...
Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 1:57 PM
The Mazda2 was named the “2011 Best Overall Value on Fuel-Efficient Vehicles” by TrueCar.com. This is especially impressive because the Mazda2 has only been on the market for a year. The list took into account both a vehicle’s purchase price and its average annual fuel costs, and included only those with seating for four or more occupants. MSRPs were for the least-expensive model configured with an automatic transmission, and, per TrueCar, the study “did not include pure electric vehicles because there is no cost associated with filling up a tank.” For the nimble and responsive Mazda2, that means EPA fuel-economy ratings...
