"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
06/27/2014 at 20:13 • Filed to: None
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"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
06/27/2014 at 20:13 • Filed to: None | 0
| 5 |
I really like these things for some reason, and the visibility seems to be awesome with those huge windows, which makes it a bold design by default in the Glass Allergy Era of automotive design. In addition, the Rondo is a nice little 7-passenger minivan that should be good on gas, and hopefully you can find a 4-cylinder model with a sunroof.
But of course Kia doesn't have the long reliability history of Toyota and Honda. So does anybody have experience with this minivan?
Unfortunately Kia stopped selling the Rondo down here, but at least Canada still gets it, and they even offer a manual transmission now!!!!!!
Textured Soy Protein
> dogisbadob
06/27/2014 at 20:16 |
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I have no history with it but on paper I kinda like it as well. I had a Mazda 5 as a service loaner one time and it was kinda nice actually, just slow as balls. Even being slow it was nifty. Rondo is in the same general ballpark.
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dogisbadob
> Textured Soy Protein
06/27/2014 at 20:25 |
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Of course, the Rondo can be faster since the V6 is is available, but I'd pass on it for gas mileage and serviceability reasons.
The 5 is also good because of the vast aftermarket support (suspension is exactly the same as the 3, which means access to all the brands such as Bilstein and Koni), and for a few years you could get a sunroof and manual transmission (but later on the sunroof became auto-only in the US but not in Canada).
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Textured Soy Protein
> dogisbadob
06/27/2014 at 20:28 |
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I don't think for a 5 I would mess with a manual or modifying it. I know it's doable, but to me it's a minivan, I want it to be comfy and stuff. I'd just keep good tires and brakes on it and make sure there's a way to hook up my phone to the stereo for Pandora & Spotify. And I'd definitely get the sunroof. Because the only car I've ever had without a sunroof was a Miata.
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dogisbadob
> Textured Soy Protein
06/27/2014 at 20:39 |
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Sounds good! Yeah, sunroofs are awesome. The one on my Lexus is huge and awesome. My previous car, an ES250, didn't have a sunroof, and I was so sad!
I wouldn't buy an automatic 5 though, especially if comfort is a high priority and no need for the aftermarket support. In that case, I'd go for the Rondo because of the much better style and visibility. Pandora and spotify don't matter to me. I just need a radio and CD player (changers are good too as long as they're reasonably accessible and not in the trunk). Come to think of it, the Rondo is probably easier to fit an aftermarket radio into (standard size vs special custom-shaped radios that are all the rage these days—and they go obsolete so quickly!)
FlipperB
> dogisbadob
04/09/2015 at 13:35 |
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I doubt you're still waiting for replies to this thread, but I've got 89K miles on my 2007 Rondo LX. Been quite dependable and extremely practical.
Randomly decided to search Oppo for "Rondo" and found this.