Kia Pushes Incentives on Old Models

Kia seems to be playing second fiddle in the U.S. to its Korean cousin, Hyundai, which sells nearly 50% more vehicles in America than Kia, and the automaker is growing more quickly. So it’s not surprising to see Kia offer plenty of incentives compared with Hyundai’s offers, which we detailed Tuesday.

Kia is offering either big cash or low financing deals across its entire lineup. New vehicles — like the Forte and the Soul, two relatively affordable compacts we’ve praised — see a combination of both. There’s $1,000 cash back on the 2010 Forte, which hasn’t been a sales success. The 2010 Sedona has $3,000 cash back, the largest discount for any minivan right now. Even the revised 2011 Sedona gets up to $2,500 cash back.

NHTSA Tests First Pickups Under New Rating System

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Tuesday released its first set of crash-test results for pickup trucks under the agency’s revised five-star New Car Assessment Program, which we detailed last month.

The four trucks tested were the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2011 GMC Sierra 1500, 2011 Ram 1500 and 2011 Toyota Tacoma.

Of that group, the Silverado and Sierra scored the best, receiving four stars for the regular cab, extended cab and crew-cab configurations. The results also include a tested Silverado Hybrid model. The Silverado and Sierra received five stars in the new “pole test,” which simulates a 20-mph side-impact crash into a 10-inch-diameter pole or tree at a 75-degree angle just behind the A-pillar on the driver’s side.

Best New Car Commercials

Now that we've announced that Cars.com will have two commercials at Super Bowl XLV, it got us wondering what the best car commercials on the air are right now. Is it just us or have there been some creative, undeniably effective new ads out this year?

Perhaps in a fractured media world — Twitter, Facebook, YouTube ... and TV — automakers have simply had to step up their advertising game, or maybe new products like the all-electric Nissan Leaf simply cry out for attention-grabbing marketing.

Whatever the reason, here are a few of the commercials we like in no particular order. Chime in with your favorites and give us grief for any that we missed.

Recall Alert: 2011 Kia Sorento, 2010 Kia Soul

Kia Motors is recalling 23,972 2010 Kia Soul and 11,213 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles over faulty installation of an ambient lighting system in those vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Soul’s speaker lights — which are standard equipment on the Soul Exclaim and Soul Sport and optional on the Soul Plus — and the Sorento’s optional accent lighting in the front and rear door trim panels on the EX trim may have been improperly soldered. When the lights are illuminated in certain conditions, an electrical short may occur and cause a fire.

Owners will be notified this month. Kia dealerships will replace the wiring harnesses for the lighting systems free of charge. Owners can contact Kia at 800-333-4542 or the National Highway Safety Administration at 888-327-4236.

2010|Kia|Soul

2011|Kia|Sorento

Kia Adds 0% Financing, Bonus Cash and Competitive Cash for June

If you want to buy a new Kia, the company is adding a lot of incentives to do so in June. Through June 30, every model is getting some type of cash-back offer, 0% financing or competitive and loyalty cash-back offers. Many have a combination of all three.

The competitive cash-back offer is a tactic used by many automakers. Even if you don’t trade-in your current vehicle, if you show proof of ownership you’ll receive between $500 to $1,500 cash back depending on the Kia you’re purchasing.

One standout model is the new Forte compact. In Chicago there’s a $1,500 cash-back offer or 0% financing for 36 months plus $1,000 in bonus cash if you use Kia’s financing arm. In addition, there’s a $500 competitive cash incentive. The deals are good for all trim levels, including the base model that starts at $13,695.

The new 2011 Kia Sorento has $1,000 cash back or 0% financing for 36 months. There's also $1,000 in loyalty cash, which you get if you currently own another Kia.

The 2010 Kia Soul has 0% financing for 36 months and either $1,000 in competitive or loyalty cash back.

Check out all of Kia’s deals on our Incentives page here.

Car Buyer Q&A: 2010 Kia Soul

Being an automotive journalist, I get asked all the time for advice on what new car someone should buy. And it’s not just family members who come to me; friends, co-workers and even people I have just met want to know what I think.

I'd say my advice is heeded about 25% of the time. Recently, one of my wife’s online social network pals asked about some recommendations for her family's situation. She wanted a second car that wasn’t too big and could handle kids in a pinch but not daily. They were thinking of the Hyundai Elantra as an economical and affordable compact.

I suggested a few more versatile suggestions, like the Scion xB, Kia Soul and Subaru Forester. And wouldn’t you know it, they actually got a Kia Soul. But when I asked the dad of 3-year-old twins, Dan Connelly, what swayed his opinion, it certainly wasn’t just my name dropping.

Cars.com Compares Box-Cars

The Scion xB has recently seen the introduction of competition in a segment that didn’t even exist a few years ago. The 2010 Kia Soul and the 2009 Nissan Cube get stacked against the 2009 Scion, and Cars.com reviewers Bill Jackson, Kelsey Mays and Joe Wiesenfelder have the task of sorting out the winner. From blind spots to seating comfort, the guys go down the list to find the best econobox on the market.

Cars.comparison: The Box-Cars (Cars.com)

Econobox Comparison Video

Although Scion was first on the scene with the xB, Kia and Nissan have introduced their own low-priced small, boxy cars, the Soul and the Cube, respectively. Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays has spent time in all three and rendered his verdict on each. If you’re in the market for an economy car, though, he suggests you might want to look elsewhere.

Reader Review of the Week: 2010 Kia Soul

“Nacho” from Auburn, Ala., begins this review by praising the new Soul for its innovative look and all the amenities it offers for a low price tag. As Nacho puts it so well, though, this car “is not the Holy Grail.” Nacho notes a number of areas where the car’s designers flubbed. Read the full review to find out why, on balance, the Soul earns a recommendation. Then post your own review here.

Honda Insight, Kia Soul, Toyota Prius Earn Top Safety Award

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released its latest crash-test ratings, and the 2010 Honda Insight, Kia Soul and Toyota Prius all earned the group’s Top Safety Pick award. The title goes to any model that scores the top rating of Good in front, side and rear crash tests. The cars also must be equipped with electronic stability control. All three of these cars come with that safety feature standard, although the Insight features it standard only in the top EX trim level.

IIHS considers all three small cars, though the Prius’ interior volume rates it as a midsize in EPA designations. The three join seven other small cars that have earned the Top Safety Pick award, but of those only the Scion xB, Subaru Impreza and VW Rabbit feature stability control standard. The Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer and Toyota Corolla offer it as an option.

2010|Honda|Insight

2010|Kia|Soul

2010|Toyota|Prius