2012 Calendar Year End Holiday Sales Event (Video)

Make an end-of-year resolution with Kia's Holiday Sales Event. 2012 may be coming to an end, but the best time to buy a Kia is right now!

Coupons

Hey fans! Don't forget to stop by and see us this month to take advantage of our current special offers. You can get an Oil, Lube and Filter change for just $24.99, or a FREE Kindle Fire or Kindle Paperwhite with the purchase of a new vehicle! Hurry, these deals ends on 11/30.

Kia Donates $500,000 to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy Recovery

Hurricane Sandy pounded the Eastern Seaboard of the United States at the end of October, leaving millions of residents without power, or worse, without homes. South Korean automaker Kia is doing its part to support those affected by the storm, donating $500,000 to the American Red Cross, which is providing food, supplies and shelter for victims.

"Luckily, much of Massachusetts escaped with relatively minor damage from Sandy, but those in states like New York and New Jersey didn't fare as well," said Dave Campbell, general manager of Quirk Kia, a Kia dealer in Massachusetts. "During times like this, it's important to come together and support those in need, and Kia is answering the call by helping lift up communities as they recover."

The American Red Cross isn't the only charitable group that has recently received support from Kia. The automaker has teamed up with DC Entertainment to raise awareness for the comic book brand's We Can Be Heroes campaign, which fights hunger in the Horn of Africa by benefiting the nonprofits Save the Children, the International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps. With the help of West Coast Customs, RIDES magazine and Super Street magazine, Kia created five bespoke rides based on five members of the Justice League that were displayed at this year's SEMA Show, which ran Oct. 30 through Nov. 2.

Representing Batman, Aquaman, The Flash, Green Lantern and Cyborg, the five Kias even stood out amongst the tricked-out rides at SEMA, thanks to their wild paint and body modifications. Each vehicle was adorned with superhero-worthy features, from the utility throwing stars in the center console of the Batman-themed 2013 Kia Optima SX Limited to the spokes on the Green Lantern-inspired Kia Soul that were shaped like the character's logo.

Other Justice League vehicles on display at SEMA included a Kia Forte Koup painted with flames to pay tribute to The Flash, a scaly-looking Kia Rio5 honoring Aquaman, and a Kia Forte 5-door with bulging bodywork that conjured the strength of Cyborg. In the coming months, Kia will create models dedicated to Superman and Wonder Woman to complete the set.

While Kia's modified rides received plenty of attention at SEMA, their stock counterparts have been making waves in the showroom. The auto brand set a new October sales record last month, boosted by the popularity of the Kia Optima sedan and Kia Sorento crossover. More than 42,000 Kia models were sold in October in the United States, a 13-percent increase compared to the same month last year. Kia's year-to-date sales are now up 18 percent year-over-year through October.

"From the show floor to the sales floor, more and more people are seeing the appeal of a Kia," added Campbell. "Even with all of its success, Kia is always looking for ways to make the world a better place, so it's an auto brand you can feel good about as well."

Courtesy of Read Media

2013 Kia Optima Blake Time Travels - 1995 Free Throws (Video)

Watch Blake Griffin travel back in time with the Kia Optima SX to teach himself valuable life lessons.

Driving with Pets

If you're planning to take your pet with you on trips in the car, start early when the pet is young to get used to the routine. Short jaunts across town and back or easy day trips will get your pet used to the ride. A carsick pet can make the trip miserable for everyone.

A seat upholstery protector, such as a pet hammock or waterproof seat cover will make clean-ups easier in case your pet does get sick or has an accident.

Be sure to bring along cleaning supplies to avoid having to search out a place to purchase them at the last minute.

Make your pet travel experience fun and enjoyable by following these simple, common sense pet travel tips:

    Safely secure your pet while traveling. An unrestrained pet can become a deadly projectile in the event of a sudden stop or crash, causing serious injury (even death) to passengers. For example, an unsecured, 25-pound dog in a 40 mph crash becomes a 1,000-pound mass (half a ton) flying uncontrollably inside the vehicle.
    Dogs should be restrained with a vehicle pet harness designed for pet travel. Smaller dogs can be secured in pet car seats, which allow them to also see out, while being properly restrained.
    Never attach a restraining device to the pet's collar. Always use a harness to prevent injury.
    Cats should be contained in a crate, cage or pet car seat that is secured with a seat belt. Never allow a cat to roam freely in the vehicle, as it could get tangled around the driver's feet or get in the driver's sight of the road.
    Do not allow your pet to ride with its head outside of the window. An obstacle close to the vehicle could potentially strike your pet's head, causing injury or death, or dirt particles could get into your pet's ears, nose, eyes, or throat, causing health problems.
    It's a good idea to stop every couple of hours for your pet and you to stretch and walk around. Be sure to have your pet's leash handy to have control and so your pet doesn't run away in unfamiliar surroundings.
    Have your own supply of cold water, as fresh water is not always handy or convenient when you need to stop.
    Have your pet consume small amounts of food and water, but don't allow to overeat or drink if you still have more traveling to do. Reserve your pet's main meal for the end of the day.
    Leaving a pet in a parked car is never a good idea. Temperatures in confined spaces in the summer time can heat up fast, causing heatstroke — even death — to a pet. Extremely cold temperatures in the winter can be just as threatening, so be sure not to leave a pet in the car if the temperature is near the freezing mark.
    A pet first-aid kit is an essential item to pack when venturing out and should contain things such as antiseptic cream, assorted bandages, tweezers, eye drops, gauge, tape, and the like. Phone numbers for your pet's vet, the National Animal Poison Control Center hotline (            888-426-4435      ), and emergency pet hospitals in the areas where you plan to travel should be taken along.
    A travel tag on a pet's collar will help someone locate you should you and your pet become separated. The travel tag should contain information about where you are staying locally (while away from home), including addresses and phone numbers. A cell phone number is also a good idea since most people have one with them, especially when they travel.

Bus or Train

    State and local restrictions usually prohibit pets from riding on buses or trains unless they are assisting visually impaired or physically challenged persons. Always check in advance with these transportation providers to find out what regulations they may impose.

Courtesy of Pet Travel Center

SEMA Kia/DC Entertainment Justice League Custom Vehicle Unveiling (Video)

Kia Motors America and DC Entertainment kicked off the 2012 SEMA Show in superhero style with five radical machines inspired by the members of the Justice League. You can check them out here!

6 common tire myths debunked

Tires are arguably the most important component on your vehicle. They are, however, among the least understood features. Allow me to list and pop a few common misconceptions about tires.

1. The tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) in my new car makes sure my tires are adequately inflated.
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The truth: TPMS isn't required to issue a warning until pressure is 25 percent below the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation. That's "well below the pressure required for safe driving," according to AAA and "barely adequate to carry the vehicle's maximum load," says the Rubber Manufacturers' Association. TPMS is intended as a last-minute warning before imminent tire failure, not as a monitor to make sure your tires are properly inflated.

Buy a quality tire gauge and set your tire pressure to at least the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation, which is found on the driver's door jamb. I'd rather you set your tires 3 or even 5 psi high rather than 1 low. Tire-pressure gauges can be inaccurate, and tires leak as much as 1 psi per month. Higher pressure improves hydroplaning resistance and, if you're like many folks, you may not bother to check your tires again for six months.

2. When replacing only two tires, the new ones go on the front.

The truth: Rear tires provide stability, and without stability, steering or braking on a wet or even damp surface might cause a spin. If you have new tires up front, they will easily disperse water while the half-worn rears will go surfing: The water will literally lift the worn rear tires off the road. If you're in a slight corner or on a crowned road, the car will spin out so fast you won't be able to say, "Oh, fudge!"

There is no "even if" to this one. Whether you own a front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive car, truck, or SUV, the tires with the most tread go on the rear. Don't believe it? Watch this.

3. A tire is in danger of bursting if pressure exceeds the "max press" number on the sidewall.

The truth: The "max press" number has nothing to do with a tire's burst pressure. The "max press" and "max load" numbers indicate the pressure at which the tire will carry the maximum amount of weight. A new, quality tire will not pop at an even multiple of the "max press." I'm sworn to secrecy about the exact burst pressure, but I wouldn't hesitate to double the "max press" of any new passenger-vehicle tire on a new wheel. But hitting a big pothole at super-high pressures may cause a failure.

4. The "max press" is where the tire offers its maximum cornering grip.

The truth: If you didn't read the previous point, do so now. Many law enforcement officers cling rigidly to the misconception that the "max press" is secret code for maximum at-the-limit traction. It's a coincidence that many low-bidder tires offer increased grip at 40 or more psi. But that's all it is: a coincidence. If I were going to race a stock ex-cop Ford Crown Victoria on street tires on a road-racing circuit, 45 psi front, 35 psi rear wouldn't be a bad place to start. (The tail would be, in Nascar lingo, too loose for safe street driving.)

5. Low-profile tires fitted on large-diameter wheels improve handling.

The truth: The short sidewalls of low-profile tires enhance the tires' response when the driver first turns the steering wheel. That gives the driver the (often false) feeling the tire has tons of grip. But after that initial movement, it's the tread compound—the stickiness of the rubber—that determines how well the tire grips the road. Also, the combination of a large-diameter wheel and low-profile tire is usually heavier than the original equipment. This means the suspension may not be able to keep the tire in touch with the pavement.

6. All tires with the same designation are exactly the same size.

The truth: Think all 225/35R19s (or whatever tire size) are exactly 225 millimeters wide and their sidewalls are exactly 35 percent as tall as the tire is wide? Not exactly. And unlike what's commonly believe, these designations are not about production tolerances.

All the tires of a specific part number or stock keeping unit (SKU) can be can be slightly wider or narrower than the nominal width and their profile can be slightly taller or shorter than the stated percentage. Why? A wider, taller tire puts more rubber on the ground, which is good for a performance tire. A shorter, narrower tire uses less material, thus reducing costs in a business where profit margins almost never break into double digits. So tiremakers might scrimp a bit here and there. It's a bit like how a 2 x 4 is not, in fact, 2 by 4.

Courtesy of Yahoo Autos

POW Bracelet Leads To Plano Meeting 40 Years Later

Call it fate, chance or even a divine appointment. A woman just happened to come across the name of the man whose POW bracelet she wore 40 years ago.

When the two got the chance to meet, she called it an answer to prayer.

Jerry Singleton didn’t know when he bought his red Jeep with manual transmission, it would take him back in time to the years when he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

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Nor did he know that his new Jeep would become the vehicle that would bring him to Karen Judd, who had never met him but felt connected to him by the POW bracelet she had worn with his name on it when she was in junior high school.

“I bathed in it, slept in it. It was always on,” Judd said.

Jerry Singleton’s name showed up in a file one ordinary day in June at the Huffines car dealership where she works.

“What a coincidence. I just couldn’t believe it,” Karen said.

She checked the age on the key pad sitting on her desk.

“It would be about the right age, with the same name. And, just to see the POW plate, I just said, ‘It’s him. It’s gotta be him!” she said with a smile.

It was him. Karen met him the very next day.

“I didn’t hardly sleep the the night before, ’cause I was excited,” she said.  “To actually physically meet the person that you had prayed for so, so hard.”

What were the chances?

Jerry lived in Colorado when he joined the Air Force. Karen, who was just 14 at the time, lived in Dallas. Jerry eventually moved to Burleson. They finally met in Plano 40 years later.

“I was delighted to meet her personally just to Say, ‘Thank you,’” he said.

More than a thousand others have returned their POW bracelets directly to his address. He remains thankful for each one he receives.

“I get tears in my eyes. I get a lump in my throat. And, I thank the Lord again,” he said.

Some attach a sentimental note.

“At long last, your bracelet will be where it belongs. I’ve kept it far too long,” he read, beginning to choke up.

Jerry Singleton was a 25-year-old helicopter pilot on a rescue mission just south of Hanoi when the enemy took down his helicopter.

“It caught fire instantly. So that all through the cargo area there was just massive flames,” he said.

The crew bailed out with parachutes. Jerry landed in a tree. He had third degree burns on his wrists and leg, places where his fire resistant suit didn’t cover his skin.

He had only been in Vietnam a month. He would spend the next seven years, three months and a day in Viet Cong captivity at the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, the one POW’s called ‘The Hanoi Hilton.’

“As one of the guys said, ‘When you went there, you could hear the screams of past years of torture,’” Jerry said.

But Jerry said the torture eased once the Vietnamese found out about the bracelets and the growing American support for the POW’s.

“God answered their prayers on my behalf,” Jerry said.

“It was just my way of saying, ‘Okay, I can make a difference,” Karen said.

It can be said that you may never see an answer to prayer in your lifetime. And then again, you just never know when it’s going to show up.

Jerry Singleton became a Military Chaplin after his release from his Hanoi prison cell. He’s 72 now and retired but still speaks to groups about his POW experience.

 

Courtesy of CBS DFW

Here's A Tip To Extend the Life of Your Car

Fix bad weatherstripping immediately.

If your weatherstripping is letting rainwater leak into the interior of your car, take a look at it and decide if you can repair it or if it needs to be replaced. Small leaks can be handled with brush-on seam sealers. Resecure loose sections, not otherwise damaged, with trim adhesive. Torn sections may be repaired with special caulking available at auto parts stores. You may also be able to extend the life of worn-but-intact sections by inserting foam rods, available at automotive stores, into the hollow section of the weatherstripping. If you decide to replace entire sections of gasket, don’t simply buy generic stuff such as you’d use around the house. Buy a product that matches your car’s original weatherstripping — it’s available in a wide variety of profiles from dealerships and automotive mail-order catalogues.

Take a look at our special offers!

Hey fans! Stop by and see us this month to take advantage of our current special offer. You can get an Oil, Lube and Filter change for just $24.99! We look forward to seeing you.

Sorento SEC "Auburn" (Video)

Proudly built in West Point, Georgia. The 2013 Kia Sorento is the official vehicle of the SEC. Because what makes the SEC great, also makes the Kia Sorento great. Click here to check it out!

DC and Kia Motors Unveil Their Hero Inspired Vehicles

Kia Motors America (KMA) and DC Entertainment kicked off the 2012 SEMA Show today in superhero style with five radical machines inspired by the members of the Justice League: The Flash Forte Koup, Aquaman Rio 5-door, Cyborg Forte 5-door, Green Lantern Soul and the previously unveiled Batman Optima.  Built by West Coast Customs, RIDES and Super Street, each of the vehicles feature custom artwork by legendary comic book artist and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee and are intended to raise awareness for DC Entertainment’s “We Can Be Heroes” giving campaign to help fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.  Each Justice League character was assigned to a specific Kia vehicle based on personality and key attributes to create these five iconic works of art on wheels. 

The cars will be available for auction later this year with all the proceeds going toward the 'We Can Be Heroes' campaign.

Also later this year we will get to see the Wonder Woman and Superman inspired Kias, along with a final car featuring all seven members of the Justice League. For now you can check out the released photos below.

Courtesy of Super Hero Hype