There is no question that Kia is moving up in the world. I remember the days when this little Korean automaker was what you bought when you couldn't afford anything else and simply needed to get from point A to point B.
And there are still a few of those cars in its lineup, including the Soul, which you can get with zero options for $15,495, and the base Rio sedan for $14,440.
But for the 2014 model year, you have more options. And even that $15K car can turn into $25,000 really quickly if you want all the whistles and bells such as heated seats and steering wheels.
So, it shouldn't surprise you that Kia is now offering a large sedan with a base price of $35,900. All-new for 2014, the Cadenza comes standard with features such as Bluetooth connectivity, navigation, Sirius XM Satellite radio with a 3-month subscription, rear back-up camera, leather seats, heated front seats, push-button start, steering wheel paddle shifters, front LED positioning lights, heated and power-folding mirrors, rain-sensing windshield wipers and a back-up warning system. All standard. All in a Kia.
The pricing/option structure for the Cadenza is fairly simple. There are two trims, the Premium and the Luxury. The Premium is really well equipped and offers two option packages and some minor options. The Luxury model just comes with everything and prices out at $43,200. No options available.
The test vehicle was a Premium model dressed to the nines with the Technology package ($3,000) and the Luxury Package ($3,000), which added features such as blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, advanced cruise control, panoramic roof, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel and ventilated driver's seat.
As-tested price for the Cadenza was $41,900.
In comparison, let's take a look at a few of the luxury alternatives. The Lexus ES base price looks good at $36,620, but once you add the Ultra Luxury Package, which comparably equips it to the Cadenza, you're now looking at a price of $47,507. If you look toward Acura, the RLX starts at $48,450, and goes up from there as you add options. Think the Americans will do better? The Lincoln MKZ has a base price of $36,190, but once you add the appropriate equipment group and packages, the price is $46,140.
One of the features I truly appreciated as a petite driver that was included in the Luxury Package is the cushion extender. That way, I could have a seat bottom that fit my short legs, but my fiancé, who is taller, would be able to adjust for his comfort as well.
The interior of the Cadenza is built for comfort. The seats are cushy without being excessively plush, and I particularly appreciated the lumbar support. All the knobs and dials are easy to reach, and the controls are fairly intuitive.
Interior fit and finish is fairly well done except for one thing: The steering wheel in the test vehicle rubbed against something when it turned. It was either ill-fitted or there is something that sticks up and causes a whirring sound with the wheel rotation. It wasn't consistent with every wheel turn, which made it even more annoying. I would normally hesitate to say anything, as this could just be a one-off problem. But I have noticed this in at least one other Kia model.
While the Bluetooth was fairly easy to use and connect, it should be noted that initial pairing must occur while the car is in park -- which most vehicle owners will take care of at the dealer. But if you buy a new phone and forget to pair until you're driving home, you'll have to wait until you can put the car in park to sync. The voice commands are intuitive, and the car seemed to recognize my voice fairly easily. I especially liked that when you place a call via voice command, it asks for verification before it starts dialing.
One thing I do not like about the voice commands and hands-free calling in the Cadenza is the mic placement. It's on the left side near the window, and it's behind the visor. This is bad for a few reasons. One, you can't drive with your window down and talk on the phone. Two, petite drivers with a far-forward seating position will have a hard time being heard because the mic actually ends up behind their heads. And three, if there's anyone else in the car who wants to be picked up through the mic (like a sibling in the front seat who wants to take part in a conversation with your parents), they won't be heard.
Cadenza comes equipped with a 3.3-liter, direct-injected V-6 engine that delivers 293 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. This is an amazingly powered engine. Launch is fast and merging with highway traffic is a breeze. I thoroughly enjoyed my highway time in this car.
While I also enjoyed my city time due to a smooth suspension and phenomenal interior quietness, I probably pushed the power a little too much because my city fuel economy was pretty dismal. The first few days of my test had zero highway miles, and I was averaging 12.9 mpg. EPA estimates city fuel economy of 19 mpg. When I did finally get some highway drive time in, I only managed to bring my average up to 17.3 mpg, and my single-way highway average was just 26.3. EPA estimates a highway fuel economy of 28 mpg.
So, buy this car for the clean smooth power, not the incredible fuel efficiency.
The overall design of the Cadenza is upscale and conservative with a little bit of flash and dash. I like the strong, lean exterior lines, which would be a bit boring if it weren't for the attractive wheel covers.
Cadenza is one of those cars that purists might turn their noses up at. It is, after all, a (cough) Kia. But for those of you who want to fly under the radar or who are looking for whistles and bells without the inflated price, Cadenza is for you. For just more than $40K, you can have pretty much every option you can imagine on an attractive car with a great engine and a smooth ride.
After driving the Cadenza, I'll be really curious to see what Kia could possible do with the K900 it just introduced at the LA Auto Show. And if this is Kia's equivalent to the Hyundai Genesis -- Will there be an Equus equivalent in the future?
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