Hooniverse “Are These Cars Still Selling?” Weekend – The Kia Spectra, Amanti, Rondo, and Borrego
Welcome to another Hooniverse Weekend Edition. This weekend I am taking us into another direction as many of you have commented that I have been simply posting about cars found on the internet that are for sale, and contriving a theme to group them together. So what if I do? They are entertaining, and it seems to get you all talking. Taking this criticism to heart, I decided to do a little research, and came up with this weekends theme; “Are These Cars Still Selling” Weekend.
Here is the premise… I looked at the latest sales charts from each of the car companies, and uncover some unusual activity, like this post in which I uncovered the fact that the Kia dealers sold one brand new Spectra in 2011, and this model has been discontinued for at least two years! Make the jump to see what else they sold this year.
Kia has been on a roll since the introduction of the Kia Soul, and subsequent models have helped the company achieve record sales growth. With that explosive growth, dealers inevitably have a few of the older models on their lots that become a bit stale. There are ways for the manufacturer to make these models go away, and with every month these cars stay on the dealer lots it gets more expensive.
So with the sale of the aforementioned Spectra, the Kia dealer sold an Amanti, as well as 44 leftover Rondos. Since Kia dealers have the reputation of being one step above the “Buy Here Pay Here” used car dealerships, selling off leftovers should have not been as hard as it is for other makes.
One final statistic, just in the month of October, Kia dealers sold 10 Borregos, a model that never saw the success that Kia was hoping for. What is your take on why the Kia dealers held onto these models?
Related posts:
- Hooniverse Do You Miss It Weekend – The 2008 – 2010 Kia Rondo
- Hooniverse Weekend Edition – Like, I’m Selling this Range Rover, like for-sure, totally!
- Saturday Question – How Much Do You Think a Car Dealer Should Make Selling a Car?
- Hooniverse Weekend Edition – Some of my Favorite Cars from Last Weekend
- Hooniverse Weekend Edition – Cars You Should Know – The 1999 to 2001 Dodge Ramcharger
I wonder was that selling price was for that one Amanti sold in 2011? Fire-sale discount, I'll bet. Kia discontinued the Amanti almost two years ago and there wasn't even an official 2010 Amanti listed by Kia, so the poor remaining example must have been gathering dust on the dealer's lot all this time. But even a fire-sale price might be too much for this sad and ugly roly-poly Korean take on a Buick LeSabre.
A non-car guy coworker said he was picked up at the airport in a Kia and we narrowed it down to the Amanti. He was gushing about how luxurious it was… I told him he needs to get out more.
No, he was right to a point. The Amanti did have a roomy and superficially nice-looking interior with a lot of gadgets and goodies – enough to impress for a short ride. It was also quiet and smooth when driven gently. Spend some serious time inside the Amanti or try to push it when driving and that's when the car's weaknesses really become obvious.
I'd like to know as well. While it's not a car for me, I can think of worse things to buy at a bargain basement price.
The only thing that'd stop me is that for the same money, the Hyundai Azera doesn't look like an ill-proportioned googly-eyed Town Car.
I first read Avanti in the headlines, but then I saw it was Amanti. Nevermind. I'm not a fan of Kia although I love the Kia Rapping Hamsters.
The Borrego, a lower-cost alternative to the BOF Explorer, was only in production for a year, as it was a sales disappointment. It landed just as the economy started to decline. If it had hit the market a couple of years earlier, it could have sold well. I still see them around where I live.
I know a guy who bought a Buick Terraza minivan, that had sat unsold on the dealer's lot for three years. He got a screamin' deal on it,, and the full warranty, even though it was three years old. The dealer also sold Pontiacs and GMCs, and also had a few unsold Montanas along with more Terrazas. GM's minivan efforts were poorly-conceived and half-hearted. For example, to make a flat floor with the third seat folded, they installed a three-inch-high box, or platform, in the back. So when you open the liftgate, there's a three-inch step up.
The Borrego doesn't surprise me. I looked at buying one and got a Sorento instead. The gas mileage just scared me to much. The interior was nice. The ride was nice. It has some cool gizmos for the price like a USB adapter and such. For my family of five it was a good vehicle. It's just that I couldn't get past that 13/15 rating.
So one sitting on the lot for two years could have been anything from a demo that owner used in a snow state to the shop rental. It just was never registered but was still used.
I will come out and say I liked the styling for a SUV. It wasn't to derivative and you knew you werent going to see many others.
As for the length of time. In 1997 I sold a 95 Paseo to a customer brand new. So I know a car can sit on a lot for two years without getting much attention. We also had a 95 Supra, which sold after the Paseo, and a 95 Land Cruiser if I remember right. I made a nice amount of money selling the Paseo. It was one of my bigger sales since it had a spiff of $1000 or $1500 to make it go away.
I feel like if Kia advertised the Borrego almost exclusively in boating magazines, it might've done alright. Then again, I come from a town which bought an astonishing number of Astros and Safaris for years because of their boat hauling capability.
Wait, the Amanti was made until at least the 2010 model year?
The only thing I liked about these was the LED front turn signals. Tried to rent one at Love Field several years ago for a non-stop blast back to Portland, OR, in the winter, but they said it was "in-town only".
Wound up with a Taurus. Could have been worse, but that would have required effort.
There was no "official" 2010 Amanti, but it was sold well into 2010.
Man…two year old leftovers.
That can't be good. There are going to be warranty claims on aged rubber items.
Yeah, those turn signals are gigantic. I know a retired lady that owns one, and it's a decent car.
I never had seen an Amanti (Opirus in Brazil) before until my neighbour bought one last year. He must be one of the 20 people in Brazil that have one.
My Mitsubishi Sapporo was built and shipped in 1988, according to tags and the VIN, but it's registered as a 1990 car. Must've been an uneventful two years in a warehouse.
The Amanti looks like like a W210 knockoff. Benz discontinued that model in 2002- the Amanti was released a year later.
With styling that will blend in anywhere, this easily could be the biggest selling point.
I see more of a mix of Jaguar and shrunken Town Car in the styling than Mercedes.
Parked next to a brand new Kia Rondo in NY just two days ago. I know it was a new purchase as the proud driver informed us about the great deal he got. I guess that we will see at least one sold in November 2011. I had to do a double take as I can't remember ever seeing one on the road before. I should have asked him what he cross-shopped it against. Any ideas? Mazda 5?
The guy bought a leftover 2010 Rondo – it was officially discontinued in the US in August 2010. The Rondo is still being sold in Canada.
I was about to say the Chevy Orlando, but like the 2011 Rondo, that's Canada-only (we buy a lot of Mazda5s here too – minivans and economy cars do well with us). So, uhh, compact crossovers are pretty much all that's left. Is the RAV4 still available with a third row?
I have *never* seen a RAV4 with a third row…. in Canada's disgruntled beard (the U.S.)
The Spectra looks quite good in that picture. Well, no it doesn't. "Remarkably inoffensive" is closer. Makes me want to build some crazy sleeper out of one.
Borrego… that's not a Subaru? It looks so much like the blandlifted Tribeca. I probably wouldn't notice the difference on the street, given my apathy for both of them.
My first impression of the Amanti was 'a logging truck full of ugly trees has tipped over on this E-class'. It hasn't aged well, either.