DeDivahDeals

Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Posts Tagged ‘test drive’

Car Shopping – Kia

Last Sunday, hubby and I went looking at cars (here) to replace our son’s 2002 Hyundai Elantra.  We only looked at used vehicles so today my son and I went to Martin Kia to look at new ones.  He was interested in the Kia Rio so we walked through the lot peering inside, checking the prices and reviewing the safety records.

Kia Rio 5 door

I guess the dealers inside sensed we weren’t looking to make a purchase because no one came out to greet us until we were about to leave.  The internet has really changed the way people purchase their cars so the dealers can give you more time to browse and are in less of a rush to make a sale.

From the exterior the 2013 Rio 5 Door was the perfect size, the interior features were standard and included driver, passenger, front side and side curtain airbags, with 4* NHTSA safety rating.  The estimated gas mileage of 28 city/36 highway wasn’t great but considering my son doesn’t travel far it was acceptable.

March 2013 032

Same features in the Rio 4 Door

Martin Kia

Saturday we will visit a Hyundai dealership to check out the new Elantra, make a comparison and hopefully an opportunity to take test drive.

De Divah Deals Signature


2012 Chevy Volt Tour

GM has taken their showrooms on tour traveling to various locations giving people an opportunity to test drive their 2012 Chevy Volt electric cars. Haas Group International, a tenant in our office park hosted the event this week. The showroom was set up in the upper parking lot where several vehicles were parked next to information podiums, others were lined up to be test driven. As a thank you for participating you were eligible to enter a drawing for an iPad, and were given a free insulated tote bag.

Before the test drive you needed to show your driver’s license, and if you wanted to enter the drawing, complete an entry form. A wrist band was placed on your arm and then you stood in line for the next available car. It was like standing in line for a ride at Disney but much quicker! A rep sat in the passenger seat and I didn’t drive far but it didn’t take long to realize that the vehicles are definitely worth the investment. If not for the fact that it uses electric at less than $2.00 per charge, plugged overnight into a 110volt or several hours in a 220volt outlet. It was a smooth and quiet ride, had quick pickup and was not sluggish. The dashboard controls looked futuristic without being overly distracting. The comfort and roominess was amazing, my co-worker and back seat passenger is 6 feet, and she was comfortable, noting that her son who is 6’7, would also be comfortable driving this vehicle. We also gave a video testimonial which can be heard here.

GM is offering participating companies a discount and in addition to the government’s rebate program it is a great incentive to purchase if you are in the market. The wheels in my head were spinning because my 180 minute daily commute is costing me almost $100 a week in gas, and my son is eyeing my car as his own. If you get a chance stop by a Chevy/GM dealership and give it a test drive or if you’re lucky, they’ll roll up to an office park next to you.

This would have been a great birthday gift!