Care and Maintenance Tips Keep Your Car Running in Top-Notch Condition

Don’t forget the filters.

There are several filters (the main ones are oil, fuel, transmission, and air) important to preserving your car engine, and they should be changed according to the schedule in your owner’s manual or as follows:

    Change the oil filter at least at every other oil change — every change is even better because the old filter contains nearly a quart of dirty oil that will remain with the new, clean oil. If you change your oil yourself, wipe the filter threads with an anti-seize lubricant, available at auto supply stores.
    Check the air filter every two months and replace it when dirty or as part of a tune-up. Air filters are generally easier to get to than oil filters.You find them under the big metal lid in a carbureted engine or in a rectangular box in a fuelinjected engine — check your owner’s manual for the exact location. Extend the life of air filters by blowing them clean with compressed air.
    Despite claims by makers and dealers that some newer fuel filters never need changing, it’s smart to have it done once a year. A clogged fuel filter will cause poor engine performance (hesitation and starting difficulties) and is an early warning that there may be corrosion in your gas tank.
    Change your transmission fluid filter after the first 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of driving and every 25,000 miles (40,000 km) or two year thereafter.

Road Test: fun, powerful '12 Kia Sorento

In 2003, Kia introduced the midsize Sorento SUV, which for a while replaced the Sportage, which had been the brand's only sport utility since the South Korean automaker arrived in the United States in the mid-'90s.

The Sportage two years later was reintroduced as a compact crossover, and remains in the Kia lineup.

But the Sorento has racked up much better sales, and that continues this year.

Kia had sold 26,011 Sorentos through March, compared with 9,888 of the smaller Sportage.

There was no 2010 model for the U.S. market, but a completely redesigned Sorento went on sale in early 2010 as a 2011 model, based on the architecture of the Hyundai Santa Fe.

It was the first product to come out of the new Kia factory in West Point, Ga., which now also builds the Santa Fe on the same assembly line.

With the remake, the Sorento switched from a truck-style body-on-frame configuration to a crossover unibody design that offers more interior space, with room for up to seven passengers.

The exterior was all new, with Kia design cues such as wraparound headlights lined up to the sporty grille (in a nice, friendly grin).

For 2012, prices range from $21,250 for the base front-wheel-drive model with a 2.4 liter, 175-horsepower engine and six-speed manual transmission, to $34,850 for the fully loaded, V-6 powered SX all-wheel-drive model, which I tested.

My Kia was fun and easy to drive, with lots of power.

Handling was responsive and secure, thanks to features like anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic stability control, and downhill brake/hill-start assist control.

The 3.5 liter V-6 engine delivered 276 horsepower and 248 foot-pounds of torque. The six-speed automatic transmission shifted smoothly.

Inside, the SX was very comfortable, with just-right thigh support; power heated/cooled driver's seat with lumbar support; tilt/telescopic, leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel with controls for the audio system, Bluetooth wireless devices, and cruise control; and dual-zone climate control with an ionized air filter. An ECO indicator alerts the driver when achieving optimum fuel economy, to help adjust driving habits to stretch the time between fill-ups.

Five passengers can sit comfortably in the front and middle seats, and two additional can fit in the third seat, if necessary, but that seat is quite small and is probably good only for children or very short trips.

 
2012 Kia Sorento
PRICE: $21,250

PRICE AS TESTED: $34,850

EPA FUEL ECONOMY: 21 mpg city; 29 mpg highway

ENGINE: 2.4-liter, upgradable to 3.5-liter V6

POWER: 175 horsepower at 6,000 rmp

HEIGHT: 67.3 inches

LENGTH: 183.5 inches

WHEELBASE: 106.3 inches

CARGO SPACE: 72.5 cubic feet

BOTTOM LINE: Fun, easy to drive with lots of power

 

Courtesy of Long Island Newsday

Care and Maintenance Tips Keep Your Car Running in Top-Notch Condition

Wax to protect your car’s paint job

No way around it! Waxing your car is work. But it’s satisfying work that will help keep your car looking new. Car wax preserves paint by slowing oxidation and forming a barrier against bird droppings, sap, and pollution. Plus driving a nice shiny car is just plain fun.

Here’s what to do to ensure the maximum in protection:

    - Liquid and spray waxes are tempting to use — they make the car shiny with less work than rubbing in paste wax. But there’s still no beating paste wax for the hardest, longest-lasting finish. Look for paste with a high carnauba wax content.
    - Apply a thin, even coat of wax to the car’s surfaces with a damp sponge. Avoid applying too much, or it will be difficult to remove and some residue will inevitably mar your finish.
    - To avoid fine scratches, use a clean, soft cotton or microfiber cloth to remove wax once it has dried.
    - Apply an extra coat of wax to the nose and hood. The wax film in these areas wears away quickly.

Kia Racing Scores Back-to-Back Top Fives During Pirelli World Challenge Doubleheader At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Kia Racing's Infinity Audio Optima program made its first visit to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course a memorable one as Michael Galati scored back-to-back top-five finishes in his No. 36 Infinity Audio Optima in round 10 and 11 of the Pirelli World Challenge. The rain-soaked Mid-Ohio track was arguably the toughest competitor today for all drivers, but Galati and teammate Mark Wilkins in the No. 38 Infinity Audio Optima kept their noses clean and put on a good show for the race fans who braved the weather.

Michael Galati secures back-to-back top-five finishes in the No. 36 Infinity Audio Optima in round ten and eleven of the Pirelli World Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

"The No. 36 Infinity Audio Optima performed very well today," said Galati, whose turbocharged Optima carried an additional 22 pounds of rewards weight thanks to recent success. "The track was a big challenge at the start with how wet it was, and we struggled a little bit putting the power down, then it started to dry out towards the end. We got some valuable points today and look forward to wrapping up Kia Racing's first season in the Pirelli World Challenge championship on a positive note at Sonoma in a few weeks."

Mark Wilkins, driver of the No. 38 Infinity Audio Optima, carrying an extra 44 pounds of ballast per World Challenge competition regulations, ran close behind teammate Galati for much of the 50-minute race and secured his second seventh-place finish of the weekend. The performance marked the sixth time in eleven races that both Optimas finished in the top ten, an impressive record for the manufacturer's rookie season in the series.

"What a wet and wild race it was for us at Mid-Ohio today," said Wilkins, who has stood on the Mid-Ohio podium as a Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype driver in the past. "This was really our first time trying out these Pirelli rain tires, so we were a little cautious at the start of the race. It was great to see Michael lock up two more top-five finishes, and I'm proud to add to the string of top tens that Kia Racing is accumulating. The guys did great work all weekend to prepare these awesome Optima racecars, and I can't wait to get back behind the wheel for the season finale at Sonoma at the end of the month."

The final round of the Pirelli World Challenge takes place at The Raceway at Sonoma on Saturday, August 25 at 12:00 p.m. PT. Check out live race status, photos and updates at www.facebook.com/kiaracing, and watch live streaming race coverage at world-challengetv.com. Race fans can also tune in for television coverage of rounds ten and eleven on the NBC Sports Network Saturday, August 25 at 1:30 p.m. ET. (Time and date subject to change. Check local listings).

Courtesy of Kia Media

 

2013 Kia Optima Has Arrived

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