2019 Kia K900 (K9) Complete Review - The Best Car Nobody Knows About
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Date: 2019-05-30
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Comments and reviews: 10
Robert Bryant
For all that luxury inside and number of screens, you still cannot see a full set of gauges: speedometer, tachometer, voltmeter, fuel, turbo boost, oil pressure, and oil temperature. You still get the ordinary gooseneck trunk hinges instead of the fold flat type. You dont get a full size spare with matching rim (my VW CC has this for 36, 000 new. You only get 4 exterior color choices. 3 interior color choice, but some have to have the VIP trim option. Not that great, really. If I pay more, I dont want to be shackled to all the limitations. Since the V-8 is no more, the competition is fairly intense. A number of the vehicles in your comparison were the hybrid trims, which make them more expensive. I did a quick build of a 2019 Lincoln Continental Reserve with AWD and the rear-seat luxury package and 2. 7 engine. The price: 66, 605. While a Black Label is more, so much more of what you get are services vs. actual touch and feel differences. Not too great on the fuel economy. The 2017 Audi A6 I drove, I feel, has a more exciting interior design and achieves significantly better fuel economy and has a tremendous driving range with the 19. 8 gallon fuel tank. I feel it was very compelling. Ive not driven the current K900, but it is a lot to ask for a fancier interior over the Stinger. I like that it is a bigger car, but really Kia would need to allow for more choice for me to consider it. I did drive a 2017 Volvo S90. I did not like all the controls being on the screen. Price was high in my view when compared to the A6. Overall, I think the A6 is the best bang for the buck even though it is not in your list of comparison cars. Good room, good design, good power, good fuel economy, good range, good ride, and a good dealer network make the A6 a worthy contender against the Kia and the rest in the list in my view.
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For all that luxury inside and number of screens, you still cannot see a full set of gauges: speedometer, tachometer, voltmeter, fuel, turbo boost, oil pressure, and oil temperature. You still get the ordinary gooseneck trunk hinges instead of the fold flat type. You dont get a full size spare with matching rim (my VW CC has this for 36, 000 new. You only get 4 exterior color choices. 3 interior color choice, but some have to have the VIP trim option. Not that great, really. If I pay more, I dont want to be shackled to all the limitations. Since the V-8 is no more, the competition is fairly intense. A number of the vehicles in your comparison were the hybrid trims, which make them more expensive. I did a quick build of a 2019 Lincoln Continental Reserve with AWD and the rear-seat luxury package and 2. 7 engine. The price: 66, 605. While a Black Label is more, so much more of what you get are services vs. actual touch and feel differences. Not too great on the fuel economy. The 2017 Audi A6 I drove, I feel, has a more exciting interior design and achieves significantly better fuel economy and has a tremendous driving range with the 19. 8 gallon fuel tank. I feel it was very compelling. Ive not driven the current K900, but it is a lot to ask for a fancier interior over the Stinger. I like that it is a bigger car, but really Kia would need to allow for more choice for me to consider it. I did drive a 2017 Volvo S90. I did not like all the controls being on the screen. Price was high in my view when compared to the A6. Overall, I think the A6 is the best bang for the buck even though it is not in your list of comparison cars. Good room, good design, good power, good fuel economy, good range, good ride, and a good dealer network make the A6 a worthy contender against the Kia and the rest in the list in my view.
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N0rdman
It is a fact that most people cant help than being partial to the underdogs, look how many movies there are on that theme That said, Kia isnt a small car manufacturer today, although mostly know for less costly, I dont like to use the word cheap as that often denotes something of less quality, the fact is that while I didnt have much love for Kia or Hyundai, its close cousin, 20 years ago they are undeniably very reliable cars. A reliability is extremely important for me as a car consumer. Why? Well, many friends of mine has spent a premium on a more upmarket or even luxury brand, mostly German, and these cars have proven to be huge money pits They claim while they have had some problems were very good cars, and their mechanics have been very helpful. But hey Of course they are happy to help you spend your hard earned money when you come back to repair your car While I have just being filling the car with gas and washing it once and a while. The other reason is I love the low key almost stealthy nature of Kia and Hyndai luxury cars. I used to drive a Kia Opirus/Amanti as it was the most silent car I have ever ridden or driven and was comfortable as any full size sedan. Every time you said you could pick up a friend and often in the dark they jumped into the car and was simply stunned and amazed by the comfort, plush leather and wast leg space, just blowing them away every time brought quite some joy. If I could get one of these K900 in Europe; I definitely would
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It is a fact that most people cant help than being partial to the underdogs, look how many movies there are on that theme That said, Kia isnt a small car manufacturer today, although mostly know for less costly, I dont like to use the word cheap as that often denotes something of less quality, the fact is that while I didnt have much love for Kia or Hyundai, its close cousin, 20 years ago they are undeniably very reliable cars. A reliability is extremely important for me as a car consumer. Why? Well, many friends of mine has spent a premium on a more upmarket or even luxury brand, mostly German, and these cars have proven to be huge money pits They claim while they have had some problems were very good cars, and their mechanics have been very helpful. But hey Of course they are happy to help you spend your hard earned money when you come back to repair your car While I have just being filling the car with gas and washing it once and a while. The other reason is I love the low key almost stealthy nature of Kia and Hyndai luxury cars. I used to drive a Kia Opirus/Amanti as it was the most silent car I have ever ridden or driven and was comfortable as any full size sedan. Every time you said you could pick up a friend and often in the dark they jumped into the car and was simply stunned and amazed by the comfort, plush leather and wast leg space, just blowing them away every time brought quite some joy. If I could get one of these K900 in Europe; I definitely would
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Rachel So
I took that same leap of faith 10 years ago when I sold a BMW 3-series for a Hyundai Genesis, which proved to be a vastly superior vehicle anyway. I still drive that Genesis 260, 000 miles later and I have no plans to part ways with it anytime soon - I could probably get up to 400K or 500K easily. And the K900 is the same idea from the same company and even with the same basic platform. If I needed to run a livery service or I were a real estate agent then this car would make a ton of sense. For personal use, however, its not my cup of tea, its too big; for the price Id go back to Genesis and get G80, but my personal tastes would take me to something smaller and cheaper, like the Stinger and the G70. Or a more mainstream vehicle like the Hyundai Kona or Kia Niro. I used to be a big fan of German automobiles - I still also have a 2010 Mercedes E550 in the garage. And there is no denying that Germany is a much more modern/progressive society than South Korea especially when it comes to opportunities for women and the disadvantaged. But German cars are vastly overrated these days and Id gladly drive a Korean competitor any day. Japanese luxury models are turn-offs too these days. Domestics are hit or miss.
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I took that same leap of faith 10 years ago when I sold a BMW 3-series for a Hyundai Genesis, which proved to be a vastly superior vehicle anyway. I still drive that Genesis 260, 000 miles later and I have no plans to part ways with it anytime soon - I could probably get up to 400K or 500K easily. And the K900 is the same idea from the same company and even with the same basic platform. If I needed to run a livery service or I were a real estate agent then this car would make a ton of sense. For personal use, however, its not my cup of tea, its too big; for the price Id go back to Genesis and get G80, but my personal tastes would take me to something smaller and cheaper, like the Stinger and the G70. Or a more mainstream vehicle like the Hyundai Kona or Kia Niro. I used to be a big fan of German automobiles - I still also have a 2010 Mercedes E550 in the garage. And there is no denying that Germany is a much more modern/progressive society than South Korea especially when it comes to opportunities for women and the disadvantaged. But German cars are vastly overrated these days and Id gladly drive a Korean competitor any day. Japanese luxury models are turn-offs too these days. Domestics are hit or miss.
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221ddj
I own a volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription. I hate the car. It looks beautiful, but everything else about it was poorly thought out. The reliability alone would prevent me from ever getting another one. The infotainment system is nice looking, but slow to respond. Some may say no its not but if you get in the car in cold weather and you want to turn the heat on. you have to wait for everything to go through the power up cycle before you can tap on the screen to get to that menu and then you have to wait for it to actually process all of your inputs. This is a 1 or 2 second experience in most cars, probably a good 10 in the S90. I have been to the dealer for repairs at least 6 times in the first 18 months. The ride noise is not Luxury car level. Long story short - when my lease is over, I will be falling over myself to give this POS back to Volvo. The new design language is easily the best you will find at the price point, but it is also the least reliable vehicle (to my knowledge) at this price point. I still think Jags and Rovers are potentially worse, but I would never experiment with those brands.
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I own a volvo S90 T6 AWD Inscription. I hate the car. It looks beautiful, but everything else about it was poorly thought out. The reliability alone would prevent me from ever getting another one. The infotainment system is nice looking, but slow to respond. Some may say no its not but if you get in the car in cold weather and you want to turn the heat on. you have to wait for everything to go through the power up cycle before you can tap on the screen to get to that menu and then you have to wait for it to actually process all of your inputs. This is a 1 or 2 second experience in most cars, probably a good 10 in the S90. I have been to the dealer for repairs at least 6 times in the first 18 months. The ride noise is not Luxury car level. Long story short - when my lease is over, I will be falling over myself to give this POS back to Volvo. The new design language is easily the best you will find at the price point, but it is also the least reliable vehicle (to my knowledge) at this price point. I still think Jags and Rovers are potentially worse, but I would never experiment with those brands.
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Paul
I leased a V8 KIA K900 on a whim back in December of 2015 given a very attractive lease. I drove the 2015 K900 for the last 3 years and must say it was one the best cars I have ever driven. The car provides a level of luxury, size and options you will not get without jumping into the 7 series BMW or S series Mercedes. The car was equipped with all the comforts, performance (ride would probably be too soft for some) and technology that far surpassed any other car. I originally had a 2-year lease in order to check it out and had to extend it for 2 (6) month terms because KIA stopped making them for 2 years. KIA made me a believer and I was planning to lease a new one once it came out in 2019 but unfortunately the leasing incentives were not attractive and therefore caused me to look at the other luxury brands. The other cool part about the car was that there were so few on the road which no doubt made it unique. Good luck to KIA.
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I leased a V8 KIA K900 on a whim back in December of 2015 given a very attractive lease. I drove the 2015 K900 for the last 3 years and must say it was one the best cars I have ever driven. The car provides a level of luxury, size and options you will not get without jumping into the 7 series BMW or S series Mercedes. The car was equipped with all the comforts, performance (ride would probably be too soft for some) and technology that far surpassed any other car. I originally had a 2-year lease in order to check it out and had to extend it for 2 (6) month terms because KIA stopped making them for 2 years. KIA made me a believer and I was planning to lease a new one once it came out in 2019 but unfortunately the leasing incentives were not attractive and therefore caused me to look at the other luxury brands. The other cool part about the car was that there were so few on the road which no doubt made it unique. Good luck to KIA.
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bdoleza
This is a brilliant value luxury car, no doubt about it. Ive heard a couple of verified horror stories about Kia reliability, but reliability just isnt something you can reasonably gauge in anything other than an FCA offering, so I wouldnt make that a consideration even if my own money was on the line. To me the Kia K900s worst enemy isnt a flashy Beemer or an overpriced Caddy, but rather its worst enemy is the Genesis brand. This is a question I have for you JDubbs07: would you delay your purchase of a K900 in order to give yourself time to assess a Genesis G70? I have to say, if it was me I probably would. The thought of an affordable luxury car with that ridiculous Kia Stinger engine and rear-wheel drive 8-speed is just too attractive to me to pass up. The K900 may still win the battle in your mind JDubbs07, but I would at least put them head to head before deciding on one or the other.
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This is a brilliant value luxury car, no doubt about it. Ive heard a couple of verified horror stories about Kia reliability, but reliability just isnt something you can reasonably gauge in anything other than an FCA offering, so I wouldnt make that a consideration even if my own money was on the line. To me the Kia K900s worst enemy isnt a flashy Beemer or an overpriced Caddy, but rather its worst enemy is the Genesis brand. This is a question I have for you JDubbs07: would you delay your purchase of a K900 in order to give yourself time to assess a Genesis G70? I have to say, if it was me I probably would. The thought of an affordable luxury car with that ridiculous Kia Stinger engine and rear-wheel drive 8-speed is just too attractive to me to pass up. The K900 may still win the battle in your mind JDubbs07, but I would at least put them head to head before deciding on one or the other.
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1Stopvocalshopping
I purchased a V8 K900 VIP last year after owning two M class BMWs, four 5 series & a couple of S class Mercedes and I have never looked back. The maintenance on these German cars made my mind up because they were not worth keeping after the warrantys expire. This was an excellent video, but I want to make one point, my car has the panoramic roof, V8 and soft-close doors and reminds me more of the S class & 7 series I owned (in terms of features. It definitely has more room than the E or 5 series I previously owned. But, you have to get past the name Kia and if you do, you will be pleasantly surprised. Way I see it with regard to German luxury sedans, been there done that and this cars gives up nothing. just puts more money in my pocket.
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I purchased a V8 K900 VIP last year after owning two M class BMWs, four 5 series & a couple of S class Mercedes and I have never looked back. The maintenance on these German cars made my mind up because they were not worth keeping after the warrantys expire. This was an excellent video, but I want to make one point, my car has the panoramic roof, V8 and soft-close doors and reminds me more of the S class & 7 series I owned (in terms of features. It definitely has more room than the E or 5 series I previously owned. But, you have to get past the name Kia and if you do, you will be pleasantly surprised. Way I see it with regard to German luxury sedans, been there done that and this cars gives up nothing. just puts more money in my pocket.
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William Fisher
Alex, One of the things I really like about your reviews is that you include one metric it seems everyone else forgets about CABIN NOISE. My three hot buttons for a vehicle are 1) Safety 2) Handling 3) Quiet and I would add value as my 4th choice. I tend to stay with a car that is more on the Value Luxury scale with three Hyundai Genesis in my past and now driving a Cadillac CT6. I chose the CT6 for its quiet and handling. If you value Cabin Noise yourself I dont know how you could choose the Volvo S90 over the Kia. I test drove the Volvo and would have bought it but for the cabin noise. I would love to know what the quietest car youve driven is. This was a great review and I have added you to my Subscription list based on it, so thank you.
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Alex, One of the things I really like about your reviews is that you include one metric it seems everyone else forgets about CABIN NOISE. My three hot buttons for a vehicle are 1) Safety 2) Handling 3) Quiet and I would add value as my 4th choice. I tend to stay with a car that is more on the Value Luxury scale with three Hyundai Genesis in my past and now driving a Cadillac CT6. I chose the CT6 for its quiet and handling. If you value Cabin Noise yourself I dont know how you could choose the Volvo S90 over the Kia. I test drove the Volvo and would have bought it but for the cabin noise. I would love to know what the quietest car youve driven is. This was a great review and I have added you to my Subscription list based on it, so thank you.
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Mark G
Alex, Id get the K900 over the S90. The S90 is just not very convincing and seems a bit tinny, and its quality seems skin deep to me. I think the K900s design is subtle and timeless, a gentlemans car. Put better tires on it as you said in the video, and youll be running rings around the Volvo, and doing it in style, and in a relaxing, quiet environment. Also, I think the K900 is more European looking, especially inside, than the Volvo. Volvo, along with BMW and Mercedes lately seem to be so focused on the Chinese and other non-Western customers, that they are overdoing the gadgetry and the opulence to please them.
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Alex, Id get the K900 over the S90. The S90 is just not very convincing and seems a bit tinny, and its quality seems skin deep to me. I think the K900s design is subtle and timeless, a gentlemans car. Put better tires on it as you said in the video, and youll be running rings around the Volvo, and doing it in style, and in a relaxing, quiet environment. Also, I think the K900 is more European looking, especially inside, than the Volvo. Volvo, along with BMW and Mercedes lately seem to be so focused on the Chinese and other non-Western customers, that they are overdoing the gadgetry and the opulence to please them.
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Darren Persad
Coming from an owner of older Audi, BMW, Volvo, and even Maserati vehicles of generations past, the K900 is absolutely no joke. I do wish our markets could look past the badge and understand what a tremendous value is being offered to them here. Although I will hang onto my current cars for a while longer, when the time comes for me to add another vehicle to the fleet, I will absolutely cross-shop the K900 with other, more well-established makers. The last generation was a phenomenal vehicle, the original Asian-market model was superb, and this is just as wonderful. Great review
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Coming from an owner of older Audi, BMW, Volvo, and even Maserati vehicles of generations past, the K900 is absolutely no joke. I do wish our markets could look past the badge and understand what a tremendous value is being offered to them here. Although I will hang onto my current cars for a while longer, when the time comes for me to add another vehicle to the fleet, I will absolutely cross-shop the K900 with other, more well-established makers. The last generation was a phenomenal vehicle, the original Asian-market model was superb, and this is just as wonderful. Great review
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