Any guesses when pricing will return to earth?

[Rendon2429]

Shop around and be patient. There are dealers out there that are selling at msrp. My dealer quoted me 6-8 weeks. He said he has had some that have been delivered 5 weeks after ordering. It seems like the lead time is getting shorter.

 

[rsa]

I am interested in the SX trim, but I can get a comparably equipped Toyota Highlander for nearly $4000 less than the Kia, so something just doesn't add up for me.

Is that a MSRP to MSRP price comparison?

Keep reading the forum and you'll find reliable dealerships selling at MSRP, some with mandatory extras, some not. One salesman here with a high, high volume dealer recently posted that custom orders are expected to be a three to four month wait.

 

[stecky]

Is that a MSRP to MSRP price comparison?

Yeah I was doing it in my head so I was off a little. Here are the actual numbers:

Highlander Limited FWD
$46,060 (MSRP including destination) - $1500 (customer cash) - $4,000 (discount either negotiated or using a car buying service) = $40,560

Telluride SX FWD
$43,360 (MSRP including destination) - $500 (finance cash - assuming I could buy one off the lot before that offer expires on 01/04) = $42,860

Difference = $2300 more for the Telluride

 

[2020Telly]

I keep hearing people suggest that their Kia dealer took a “custom” order. I have the impression that the Kia dealer ordering system does not take “custom” orders. Rather people are placing very specific configuration requests and the dealers are trying to match the requests with their dealer allocations. The problem I see is your probability is lower the more specific you get and even harder if you are working with a low volume dealer that gets fewer allocations meaning you may be waiting longer. If I were buying today I would be scouring www.failcat.com for the most common trim, color, options and packages that suit my needs and desires being assigned to my state and looking for the dealer and my area that gets the most allocations to increase my odds then hope that a higher volume dealer is going to sell close to MSRP, or else be looking to buy from an out of state dealer online and make a road trip or pay the shipping. Is this logic flawed?

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[leninator]

I keep hearing people suggest that their Kia dealer took a “custom” order. I have the impression that the Kia dealer ordering system does not take “custom” orders. Rather people are placing very specific configuration requests and the dealers are trying to match the requests with their dealer allocations. The problem I see is your probability is lower the more specific you get and even harder if you are working with a low volume dealer that gets fewer allocations meaning you may be waiting longer. If I were buying today I would be scouring www.failcat.com for the most common trim, color, options and packages that suit my needs and desires being assigned to my state and looking for the dealer and my area that gets the most allocations to increase my odds then hope that a higher volume dealer is going to sell close to MSRP, or else be looking to buy from an out of state dealer online and make a road trip or pay the shipping. Is this logic flawed?

That is exactly what my dealer told me and I had my car in about 5 weeks. We worked with them and got the car that was closest to our wish list.

 

[stecky]

Yeah I was doing it in my head so I was off a little. Here are the actual numbers:

Highlander Limited FWD
$46,060 (MSRP including destination) - $1500 (customer cash) - $4,000 (discount either negotiated or using a car buying service) = $40,560

Telluride SX FWD
$43,360 (MSRP including destination) - $500 (finance cash - assuming I could buy one off the lot before that offer expires on 01/04) = $42,860

Difference = $2300 more for the Telluride

The main reason I am looking at the SX trim is for the following:
Memory seating
Homelink
(Both of these features should really be standard on EX and above)
Surround view camera system
The brown interior

 

[2020Telly]

Yeah I was doing it in my head so I was off a little. Here are the actual numbers:

Highlander Limited FWD
$46,060 (MSRP including destination) - $1500 (customer cash) - $4,000 (discount either negotiated or using a car buying service) = $40,560

Telluride SX FWD
$43,360 (MSRP including destination) - $500 (finance cash - assuming I could buy one off the lot before that offer expires on 01/04) = $42,860

Difference = $2300 more for the Telluride

It comes down to are: a more spacious third row, more cargo space and a longer warranty worth $2,300?

Remember the 7-passenger Telluride is 3 in the third row and captains chairs in the second row. The Highlander has what some believe to be less comfortable 3rd row with just two seats. Captains chairs make access to the third row achievable without sliding seats.

 

[PittPa]

I would say the aesthetic quality of the car alone is worth $2,300. The car caught my eye when if first came out and I wasn't even close to being in the market for one. Being that you can get all the comes with it in a car that looks great is a gamechanger. If we didn't care what cars looked like, we would be all driving Subaru's. HAHA

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[stecky]

I would say the aesthetic quality of the car alone is worth $2,300. The car caught my eye when if first came out and I wasn't even close to being in the market for one. Being that you can get all the comes with it in a car that looks great is a gamechanger. If we didn't care what cars looked like, we would be all driving Subaru's. HAHA

I mostly agree with you (though I would argue toyotas and/or hondas instead of subaru... lol)

Aesthetics are very important to me. It's the main reason I have always driven Hondas instead of Toyotas. I have on multiple occasions tried to talk myself into a Toyota, but they are just so boring! Toyota has made some strides recently (I like the interior of the new Highlander), but it seems to me it is too little and too late. Both Toyota and Honda have rested on their reputations and now other brands are passing them by.

My main hold-up really is just money. I'm coming from a Passport so the amount of money I would have to add just to get the Highlander would be a stretch. So even though I agree that $2300 is worth it, I just don't see how I can swing it right now.

I'll probably wait until I can save some money. I think if I compromised and got the Highlander I would regret it.

 

[Mweiland]

The main reason I am looking at the SX trim is for the following:
Memory seating
Homelink
(Both of these features should really be standard on EX and above)
Surround view camera system
The brown interior

If interested we have a FWD dark moss with butterscotch available 1/25 ETA. Sold at MSRP less incentives. Located in Minnesota

 

[stecky]

If interested we have a FWD dark moss with butterscotch available 1/25 ETA. Sold at MSRP less incentives. Located in Minnesota

Thanks... That sounds nice, but as I said, money is an issue for me right now and I am nowhere near Minnesota

 

[2020Telly]

@stecky If you went with a slightly used Telluride the warranty would drop down to basically the same as a new Highlander and you might be able to get a discount. I would not consider the Pilot because of the timing belt. I prefer a timing chain.

Then again, waiting and saving more is the most sound and logical approach.

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[leninator]

The main reason I am looking at the SX trim is for the following:
Memory seating
Homelink
(Both of these features should really be standard on EX and above)
Surround view camera system
The brown interior

All good reasons. LED headlamps and HC audio are great reasons too. I believe the brown interiors are the only ones with black headliners also, Good luck

 

[PassingTime]

Thanks... That sounds nice, but as I said, money is an issue for me right now and I am nowhere near Minnesota

I did a comparison drive one after another. My 2 cents, Toyota over rated and not what it's reputation was years ago. My wife drives 2016 Camry not impressed with that either because of road noise, poor navigation system that has never worked properly with voice commands, and rough ride to mention a few. This is coming from someone (me) who has in the past said "I would never own a KIA." Toyota was noisier. rougher ride, worse all around visibility to name a few IMO.

 

[Tejaseagle]

Hello all... I am new here and new to Kia (always been a Honda/Toyota guy). I really like the new Telluride, but I am experiencing sticker shock. I have always been a negotiator and have never paid MSRP in my life, much less above MSRP. Is there any sign that things are starting to calm down or is there still no end in site?

I am interested in the SX trim, but I can get a comparably equipped Toyota Highlander for nearly $4000 less than the Kia, so something just doesn't add up for me.

Am I missing some key piece of information?

Thanks in advance

Reference buying a highlander. My niece bought one last year. We took a trip in it recently. The road noise is horrible. Her two boys get car sick every time they ride in it but never get car sick in any other vehicle. You can feel like a slight swaying in it when you ride in second row seats.
Now I've always been a Toyota lover so this surprised me.

 

[PassingTime]

@stecky If you went with a slightly used Telluride the warranty would drop down to basically the same as a new Highlander and you might be able to get a discount. I would not consider the Pilot because of the timing belt. I prefer a timing chain.

Then again, waiting and saving more is the most sound and logical approach.

Test drove both the Pilot and CRV when I was considering new SUV, They were both 2020 models I believe but I asked sales rep about timing belt and pretty sure they said all their engines now have timing chains. Belts are problematic and need changed at regular intervals so I agree about avoiding them. Might want to double check what sales rep told me that they have gone to chain because NCTelly is certainly correct about it on some years and models and I don't know when they would have changed and sales reps are not always right.

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[2020Telly]

Test drove both the Pilot and CRV when I was considering new SUV, They were both 2020 models I believe but I asked sales rep about timing belt and pretty sure they said all their engines now have timing chains. Belts are problematic and need changed at regular intervals so I agree about avoiding them. Might want to double check what sales rep told me that they have gone to chain because NCTelly is certainly correct about it on some years and models and I don't know when they would have changed and sales reps are not always right.

Google will disprove the Honda sales rep pretty quickly. I read that all 2021 Honda Pilots still use timing belts. They aren’t horrible but you have a bigger expense down the road that many people don’t pay close attention to right away that could cause more damage to an engine. Proving timing chains will tend to be more reliable. A chain lasts longer and if it fails is more likely to break and not need to be monitored for wear and you get it replaced with no long term effects to other parts (usually). But a belt tends to wear out over time and you may not notice it, or prolong replacing for too long, you could do damage to other parts. It is true most modern cars use timing chains, but Honda is an exception.

There are always exceptions, the Mini Cooper uses a timing chain that had a horrible reputation for a few years that caused a number of failures and massive recalls. But in general chains are better than belts and likely a good reason why we see 10 yr / 100k warranties on some vehicles but not on others.

 

[SC300ES]

Thanks... That sounds nice, but as I said, money is an issue for me right now and I am nowhere near Minnesota

I know you said you're in no rush but then why not keep what you already have?

 

[stecky]

I know you said you're in no rush but then why not keep what you already have?

I just meant that I have a vehicle I can drive until I figure it out. I just bought my Passport 7 months ago and thought I was making the right choice so I don't want to buy something else until I am sure about it. I wish there was a place to rent one for a week or two so you could really try it out. Also, the wife is not on board (yet)

The things I don't like about the Passport are all things I knew about before I bought it, but I thought I could live with them.

1. The transmission. It takes a really long time to shift between park, reverse, and drive and it sometimes shifts harder between gears than I would like.

2. The infotainment system. It sounds pretty good when it's working properly, but it frequently disconnects from Android Auto despite trying multiple cables and cleaning the usb port. Recently it has decided to start freezing occasionally and there doesn't seem to be a way to reset it so we just have to wait it out until it decides to start working again.

3. No adaptive cruise control below 25 mph. Even my old CR-V could do stop-and-go. I tried adding an aftermarket self-driving system, but I still had trouble getting it to work below 25 mph.

4. Safety systems are too sensitive. It is always yelling at me for something and fairly regularly thinks we are about collide with something even though there is nothing there.

These last two are just annoyances and not deal breakers

5. Push-button gear shifter. Maybe I am just getting old, but I still haven't gotten used to it

6. Engine auto start/stop. Yes, I realize the telluride has this too. They really need to let you customize it so it defaults to off if you don't like it.

 

[YAH DEF]

I just meant that I have a vehicle I can drive until I figure it out. I just bought my Passport 7 months ago and thought I was making the right choice so I don't want to buy something else until I am sure about it. I wish there was a place to rent one for a week or two so you could really try it out. Also, the wife is not on board (yet)

The things I don't like about the Passport are all things I knew about before I bought it, but I thought I could live with them.

1. The transmission. It takes a really long time to shift between park, reverse, and drive and it sometimes shifts harder between gears than I would like.

2. The infotainment system. It sounds pretty good when it's working properly, but it frequently disconnects from Android Auto despite trying multiple cables and cleaning the usb port. Recently it has decided to start freezing occasionally and there doesn't seem to be a way to reset it so we just have to wait it out until it decides to start working again.

3. No adaptive cruise control below 25 mph. Even my old CR-V could do stop-and-go. I tried adding an aftermarket self-driving system, but I still had trouble getting it to work below 25 mph.

4. Safety systems are too sensitive. It is always yelling at me for something and fairly regularly thinks we are about collide with something even though there is nothing there.

These last two are just annoyances and not deal breakers

5. Push-button gear shifter. Maybe I am just getting old, but I still haven't gotten used to it

6. Engine auto start/stop. Yes, I realize the telluride has this too. They really need to let you customize it so it defaults to off if you don't like it.

#6. I'm guessing this is where we are now and the Telly is no exception. Automakers need this to be the default.

You know what I don't like about the Passport? That it's a totally generic Honda experience. Been there and done.