Car Batteries: How to Avoid a Breakdown

Kia's Take on Blake Dunk Challenge - 3D Facebook Game

We received a great review from Ray this week on cars.com!

Ray D. 
Hamden, Connecticut 
Apr 18, 2013

"I just leased my second Kia from Executive Kia. Back in October, we leased a 2013 Kia Sorento, and could not be happier with it. The salesman at the time was Jeremy Carrol, and he was very professional and very thorough. I really felt like Jeremy had my interests in mind, and certainly knew his stuff, especially with regard to the Sorento. We could be happier. Now, moving forward to my most recent dealings with Executive, I just leased a 2013 Kia Optima EX, and the salesperson was Mike Schweikert. He was also very professional, and knew his stuff. I told Mike exactly what I wanted to accomplish, and he delivered. I was actually at the dealer longer than I expected, but that is only because Mike was so personable. We talked about everything, and it seemed like I had known him my whole life, by the time I walked out of there. We are looking forward to dealing with Executive in the future, and I would highly recommend them."

It's rewarding to get so much praise from our wonderful customers. Thank you all so much. Read our cars.com reviews here!

Clippers' Paul wins Kia Community Assist Award for April

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul is the recipient of the "Kia Community Assist Award" for April in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community, ongoing advocacy, and philanthropy, the NBA announced today.

Kia and the NBA are honoring Paul for his commitment to the well-being of youth, as well as his continuous efforts through the CP3 Foundation. The six-time NBA All-Star is passionate about using his influence to enhance the work of national and international non-profit organizations to help communities around the world. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Paul is showing his support as a spokesperson for Prevent Child Abuse America, a national organization that works to ensure the healthy development of children. Paul is currently featured in Prevent Child Abuse America's Ties for a Cause campaign, with proceeds benefitting the organization, and also participated in a fundraising auction to raise additional funds for the organization.

"I learned at an early age that you can make a major difference in someone's life by supporting your community," said Paul. "Community service is not something I have to do; it's something I want to do. While donating money is important, it is also important to be visible in the community and sharing time with people so that they know you care."

Paul demonstrates an even greater commitment to service through the CP3 Foundation, which strives to enhance and promote education, health, sports, and social responsibility for youth and families. Established in 2005, the foundation focuses on enriching communities through a number of initiatives, including the Nathaniel Jones Scholarship Fund, the CP3K Walk for Kids, CP3 Afterschool Zone, and the Jada Paul Prom Dress Giveaway.

This month, the CP3 Foundation held its 2nd annual Jada Paul Prom Dress Giveaway for 130 high school juniors/ seniors. Teenage girls from the Los Angeles area took part in a day full of dress selection, beauty giveaways, and motivational speakers.

Prior to tonight's home game against the Memphis Grizzlies, NBA Cares Ambassador Bob Lanier will be on hand to present Paul with the "Kia Community Assist Award." Paul will receive the David Robinson Plaque with the inscription, "Following the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson who improved the community piece by piece." In addition, Kia and the NBA will donate $10,000 on Chris Paul's behalf to the CP3 Foundation.

Kia Motors has been an NBA Cares partner since 2010. The league presents the "Kia Community Assist Award" monthly throughout the season as well as a final award at the end of the season to recognize players for their year-round charitable efforts. The award honors the NBA player who best reflects the passion that the league and its players have for giving back to their communities. 

Source: nba.com

How to save on gas and get better gas mileage

How to save on gas: I have always been told that idling your car saves gas, because it takes much more gas to start your car.

Turns out I was wrong.
 
I learned that if you idle for only 10 seconds, your engine uses as much gas as it does when you start your engine. Yikes! If you round up to two minutes? It uses the same amount of fuel that it takes to drive 1 mile.

Not only will this tip save you tons of gas and money, but it will also help preserve the environment and cut down on pollution. I don't know about you but I'm sold!

Here are more gas-saving tips:

Check your tire pressure. You can get as much as 3.3% better gas mileage when your tires are filled properly!

Change your oil on time. Your car uses more gas when it's in need of an oil change.
 
Buy your gas on Wednesdays. Gas prices typically go up on weekends, so fill up mid-week.

Carpool! Drive with someone whenever possible, or trade off driving your kids to school with a friend.

Condense your trips. Try to get all your shopping done in one day rather than doing little trips every day.

Walk. If there is a park a few blocks away, walk rather than drive. It's shocking how much you can save by cutting out a drive here and there. Plus, this is better for the environment AND your health.
 
Take note of gas prices. It's easy to pull into the nearest station and fill up without really noting the pricing. Take note every day of what the gas prices are, and FILL UP when you see a good deal.

Warehouse stores. Buy gas from Costco or Sams Club...they often times have great discounts.
 
Take advantage of fuel perks. Some grocery stores offer discounts on gas when you buy groceries. If you buy groceries there anyway, top off your tank! Better than paying full-price somewhere else.

Pay with cash. At some stations they offer you a discount if you don't buy your gas with a credit card.

Change your tires. Make sure you have the right size tires for your car, and that they are in good condition. This makes a big difference.

Change your air filter. A dirty filter causes worse gas mileage.

Don't speed! This helps your gas mileage, AND your wallet by avoiding speeding tickets

Use cruise control. Driving with cruise control when on the freeway gets you WAY better gas mileage.

Take off easy. Gunning your car and taking off with speed burns through unnecessary fuel. Try to take off slowly when at a red light or stop sign.

So there you go! Simple tips to help you save on gas. How do YOU save on gas?

Source: funcheaporfree.com

Mapping the connection between car and driver

Most of us spend a significant amount of time in our cars, so it’s not a stretch to think they can become an extension of ourselves both physically and emotionally. In fact, this is an idea we wanted to explore further, and you might have read our earlier post about an experiment we were working on to see if we can map the emotional connection between car and driver, specifically with our all-new Kia Cerato (Forte). Today on Kia-buzz, we wanted to present our readers with the results of our experiment, which can be seen in the video above.


A combination of motion detection, bio feedback and computer graphics all came together to visualize the emotion and dynamics provoked by driving of our new compact sedan.

For this experiment we used 3D generative art as a reference, creating automated graphics based on data points and input we received from a set of test drivers. Our goal was to measure the driver’s physiological reactions when driving, and express them through 3D art. The idea itself was unusual, but ambitious and interesting nonetheless. To program and create the visualization, our computer graphic artists were inspired by an art technique called Croquis, which involves drawing with light and quick pencil strokes, which fittingly led them to title their work as“Cerato Digital Croquis Art.”

The experiment first started by connecting monitoring devices to the all-new Cerato and biofeedback instruments to drivers. They then went through a variety of driving conditions on our test track, which was similar to the conditions of our proving grounds but with some added twists. In order to evoke and capture a variety of emotions – drivers had to turn sudden corners, drive through narrowing roads, and react to sudden situations– like giant boulder-sized rubber spheres falling from the sky. That last one was ridiculously unnecessary, but we needed to do it for the sake of science.

3D graphic art was used to visualize the relationship between car and driver from the data we were capturing. The lines represented the Cerato’s movements or driving dynamics and the red particles reflected the driver’s physiological and emotional changes.

On this narrowing road the silver lines represent the car’s straight and steady direction, and the red particles show a more neutral physiological state.

Source: KiaBUZZ

Trips with Tia Mowry ft. 2014 Kia Sorento - Son's First Tricycle Episode 1

NYIAS: Kia Demonstrates Spread of Fuel Saving Tech

A tour of the New York International Auto Show unveils many trends in the car making business. But, the obvious dominant consumer demand is fuel economy. To that end, we're seeing more specified fuel saving technologies find their ways into very affordable makes and models.

Case in point, the new Kia Rio I'm seeing on the NYIAS floor.. The most affordable car in the Kia line (climbing to around a maxed out $18,000), the Rio is the automaker's entry level vehicle. But, it now comes with an optional Start/Stop function. The self-explanatory feature kills the engine briefly when the engine is idling and the driver's foot is on the brake – at red lights, for example, The moment the braking foot is lifted, the car starts again and is immediately ready for travel. That is now available on a vehicle most drivers can afford.

Admittedly, this is not the most Earth shattering news I've ever reported. Still, it serves to prove a point. Until even a year ago, Start/Stop was a newer feature seen more often in elite makes. 

It's a definitive sign that automakers are turning to any and all available technology to squeeze better fuel economy numbers out of all their cars. As gas prices climb well through $4 per gallon range, it's getting to the point where the fuel economy numbers are more important than the actual sticker price.

Source: Crave Online

2014 Kia Cadenza Premium Sedan New Car Commercial

Is your car looking a little shabby after the long winter?

Get it sparkling clean at Executive Kia! Check out our service specials on our website for deals like this and more!

We just received a great new review on DealerRater!

sollars 
Wallingford, Connecticut 
Mar 29, 2013
Overall Score: 5
"I recently totaled my vehicle and was in need of another one. I searched various places on the internet and found a 2008 toyota yaris with only 3,100+ miles at executive kia in wallingford. Jermaine and Theresa worked really hard in letting me and my husband get the vehicle the same day."

Read more of our reviews on DealerRater!

Kia Adds Some Upscale Touches to the Soul

Introduced on Wednesday, March 27, 2013: 2014 Kia Soul

What is it? An all-new version of a car that helped spark a niche of boxy-yet-charming urban runabouts and introduced Kia’s enduring hip-hop Hamsters, which delighted even jaded auto journalists by performing with human break dancers on Kia’s stage.

Is it real? It’s hard to believe that a car whose looks were inspired by a backpack-wearing wild boar could reach showrooms – let alone be a hit. But this redesigned Soul looks to continue the car’s youth-favoring, bass-thumping run.

What they said: Orth Hedrick, product planning director for Kia Motors America, acknowledged that the Soul’s impressively upgraded cabin drew from leading European compacts, including the Mini Cooper. “We really wanted that high-design feel,” Mr. Hedrick said. “We looked upmarket and pulled from the best of the segment.”

What they didn’t say: A new crop of urban utilities, including the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman, are vying for the Soul’s target audience, but the Soul sharply undercuts most of them on price.

What makes it tick? A pair of direct-injection 4-cylinder engines include a 130-horsepower 1.6-liter and a 2-liter with 164 horsepower. The Soul is slightly longer, wider and roomier. A 29-percent stiffer chassis, new front subframe, reworked suspension and sound insulation aim to improve the previous version’s somewhat noisy ride and handling. And the Kia is almost ridiculously well equipped, with available features including heated and ventilated seats for four passengers, heated steering wheel, leather seats, touch-screen navigation, an Infinity sound system and Kia’s UVO e-services system.

How much? How soon? The Soul goes on sale this fall; figure on a sub-$16,000 base price.

How’s it look? Unlike Toyota, which essentially ruined its boxy Scion xB by making it grow up and leach out the Gen-Y appeal, the Soul looks more sophisticated without losing its edge. Bursting with appealing details, the Soul shows the talented hand of the design chief Peter Schreyer, the former Audi designer. The body’s funky sculptures include a swelling, blacked-out tailgate and vertical LED tail lamps. The soft-touch interior gets a fine sport steering wheel, the Soul’s signature light-pulsing speaker enclosures and a new shifter.

Source: New York Times