Kia Rondo Replacements

[Bob]

Got the Autocheck report from the seller. He has only owned the car for 8 months. Said reason for selling is having a 2 year old and newborn (I suspect space may be an issue). Majority of the ownership period was in the Atlanta suburbs, which is better than Florida from a corrosion standpoint. In service date was 10/9/14 with 2,295 miles, so maybe it was a demo of some kind. In any case, the later in service date is good from a warranty perspective. I am going to get a sketchy Carfax to check the maintenance history and whatever else is on there.

[kevm14]

Of course this shows up today as well: https://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/d/ ... 12339.html

Good price for a manual car and looks clean. Too bad manual is off limits - I might have to give this some thought. This probably won't lose much more value, ever. I sent it to my Dad in case he's interested.

Man your dad should really buy that. And silver is probably the most invisible color on that car. Perfect for him. And it's local!! MR shocks. Forged wheels (2016 went to cast). It will probably be gone before the end of the weekend.

Fun fact: GM sold 12,860 of these over the 2014-2017 model years, and the most in the last model year, just like the Impala SS.

[Bob]

I know! I would actually be tempted by this if I could buy a manual, mainly to prove a point when I sell it for a profit after owning it for 10 years I looked it up and there were something like 24 2015 manuals in silver with a sunroof.

[kevm14]

OMG so rare. He must buy it. He won't....but he should have.

[kevm14]

Wow, so demo up to nearly 2,300 miles. Then the first owner drove it to 11k when it was certified and resold. Interesting. Then the current owner bought it in Feb with 60k or so? That's a lot of owners.
Demo
First owner to 11k
Second owner to 60k
Third owner to whatever it has now.

This and the accident may be less favorable for you at resale time. Make sure you are compensated. Maybe that's already reflected in the price. It probably is.

[kevm14]

Looking at Carfax.

LOL @ "one tire mounted"

WTF?

"Console" was replaced twice. The arm rest? For wear?

I like how the 2nd owner traded it in 2 months after the accident.

Vehicle color noted as Black in Feb....sigh.

I would say you may be using the CPO, but some of it may be BS stuff that you'll have the dealer do because it's free but you'd never take it in a dealer for if you were paying.

[Bob]

I am planning to call the seller today to try to work out a deal. Bargaining chips for my side: many owners, accident history (though the pictures of the damage show it wasn't significant, the fact that it's on Carfax is a resale liability), tires not as new as promised. I would like to be able to see that corner in detail in person to see how good the repaint was; however that's not really an option. My tentative plan, should we reach an agreement, would be to fly to PBI next Friday morning ready to buy. If the car doesn't meet my expectations, I can always get a one way rental and drive home, which would suck, but wouldn't cost me anything.

[kevm14]

The SS is still there. Would your dad please buy it already? This is literally killing me.

[kevm14]

Posting since it will likely disappear soon.

2015 Chevy SS - $29500 (Charlotte)
2015 Chevrolet SS
condition: excellent
cylinders: 8 cylinders
drive: rwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 57000
paint color: silver
size: full-size
title status: clean
transmission: manual
type: sedan
2015 Chevy SS
- Very good condition, no issues, all stock
- 6.2L engine w/ 6 speed manual transmission
- Clear bra on nose, hood, and front fenders
- New Pilot Super Sport tires 5000 miles ago
- Weather Tech floor mats (Stock mats included as well)

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Instrumented test for the 2015 with manual: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/20 ... est-review
13.0 sec @ 111 mph
Sub-title to article: Chevy builds the E39 M5 that BMW won't.
Anyone who knows what the E39 M5 is (and you would if you are a car enthusiast) will know this is a big deal.

The onset of winter in November made it tough to warm up the summer Bridge­stone Potenzas, but we saw strong track numbers. The run to 60 took only 4.6 seconds; the quarter-mile took 13.0. The automatic is a tenth of a second quicker in both measures because it’s easier to launch and lifting off the throttle isn’t necessary during shifts. That said, both the stick and the automatic clock 111 mph through the quarter.

Braking from 70 mph used 159 feet, an excellent performance, though six feet more than the SS we tested a year ago. But the pedal feels good, the brakes are easily modulated, and there was no fade. The skidpad result improved to 0.97 g (from 0.95), which is frankly stunning for a four-door.

Only 3,970 lbs, too. Pretty damn good for the interior space. Did I mention I love these?

[kevm14]

Another article: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/chevrol ... st-review/

If You Can Find a Better Sedan, Buy It

This whole article sums up why I love this car.

Pop quiz, hot shot: What's the most underrated car on the market? You're never going to guess, so I'm just going to tell you: the Chevrolet SS with a manual transmission.

Here's why: The Chevy SS is the car everyone says they want. The iconic LS3 sits under the hood. If you're not in the know, that's the General's ubiquitous naturally aspirated, 6.2-liter small-block V-8, and in SS tune it makes a square 415 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. These days, 415 hp might sound like a healthy riding lawnmower, but it's plenty of power. Especially because you can now opt to send every last pony to just the rear wheels via an honest-to-goodness six-speed manual. Having complete control over the engine makes a little bit of power feel like a lot and a good amount of power feel absolutely excellent. I was going back and forth between this SS and an automatic Dodge Charger Hellcat, and the SS didn't feel all that down on power unless I was hammering away. If 415 hp simply isn't enough gumption for you, is there an engine on the planet with more mods available than the LS3? Kinda doubt it. To recap: naturally aspirated V-8, manual transmission, rear-wheel drive.

The proof, it is said, is in the pudding. Check out the numbers. Zero to 60 happens in a mere 4.8 seconds, and the quarter mile is overcome in 13.2 seconds at 109.2 mph. Those are solid performance numbers, especially for a 3,906-pound four-door sedan. Is the automatic even quicker? Dunno. Haven't driven it. Haven't even planned on driving it. Whichever one you pick, the SS comes complete with Delphi's third-gen magnetic dampers. As a result, the SS can pull 0.95 g on the skidpad. Pretty dang great, huh? Also, go ahead and name another brand-new RWD four-door sedan with a V-8 and a manual. I'll wait.

To me, that's the point. BMW no longer makes a non-M 5 Series with a V-8 and a manual. AMG never offered a manual E-Class. Jaguar? No. Caddy? Lexus? Infiniti? No, no, and no. Which brings us back to the M5. The Chevrolet is better. No, really. Consider that the previous generation E60 M5 was a better driver's car than the current one, and despite the E60's sweet V-10, the previous-generation M5, the E39, drove even better. Funny enough, that M5 hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, ran the quarter mile in 13.1 seconds at 106.8 mph, and weighed more or less the same. Does the Chevy SS make a driver happier than an E39 M5? Future "Head 2 Head!" That said, the current M5 is nearly 4,400 pounds, and the Chevy is way more fun. As far as midsize sedans go, the SS represents rarified air. Especially if you like driving.

You're probably thinking, "The SS looks like a rental car." I know you're thinking that because every single one of my friends who has asked me what car to get in the last few months has said exactly that when I told them, "Get a Chevy SS with a manual." Here's what I say to the rental car visage critique: "Good." Yes, neck tattoos are getting as commonplace as tribal armbands once were, but sometimes it's OK to keep your inner badass to yourself. Until, that is, it's the proper time to unleash. Say, at a stoplight. Personally, I love the idea of a Q-ship, especially a handsome one like this. Never let 'em see you coming, just going. In the immortal words of Han Solo, "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid."

Back to 109 trap. I guess I'd have to rate it at 109-111. Or just say 110 and cover the split.