Test driving is such an important facet of a the car buying journey, yet so few people utilize the opportunity to their full advantage. We want to explain why test driving is especially important in this day and age and cite some eye-opening statistics regarding the process.

According to Cox Automotive, 55 percent of consumers only test drive one vehicle at the dealership. Of course, that is the car they have their eyes set on. That is also the model they eventually end up buying. However, don’t you try on more than one hat or pair of shoes? In the same vein, you should get behind the wheel of multiple vehicles.

Why do people only test one car? The average vehicle on American roads is more than a decade old. Any new car is obviously going to feel superior. This is why when customers test drive a new car, they feel good about it and don’t consider testing out other models.

We recommend test driving more than one model, especially getting a feel for the technology offered, such as driver-assist and infotainment systems. These technologies have improved drastically in the past five years, some of which weren’t even available just 10 years ago. Visit our Kia our dealership and test out various models, such as the 2019 Kia Niro and 2019 Kia Sorento.

During the drive, notice how the steering feels in your hands. Is the seating easily adjustable and comfortable? How well does the car handle bumps on the road?

Make an appointment with Sansone Kia to take a few test drives. After you think you found “the one,” proceed to our Kia finance center near Woodbridge, NJ to determine payment and loan options.

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The 2020 Kia Sportage is slated for a spring 2019 release, and it just recently made its debut at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show.

For car enthusiasts, some of the tweaks for the 2019 model was immediately noticeable, which includes a revamped lower fascia that bisects the headlights. Speaking of lights, the turn signals have been upgraded with LED lighting. In the rear, tweaks have been made to the bumper, exhaust, and taillights. Kia has described the refreshed exterior as “sporty,” and we couldn’t think of a better word ourselves. This is especially so with the new alloy wheels, which Kia automakers described as a “distinctly European design.” If you happen to prefer neutral car colors, you may also be pleased to know that Steel Grey has been added to the existing palette options.

In the cabin, an extra dose of technology is evident. An eight-inch touchscreen is now standard equipment, which was previously only available in the top trims. New driver-assist systems have been added as well, such as driver attention warning, high beam assist, and forward collision warning. Visit Digital Trends to learn more about the technology-related upgrades.

Another interesting addition is the hybrid powertrain, EcoDynamics+. However, there is no confirmation whether this diesel engine mated to an electric motor will make a North American release.

You can wait for spring for the release of the 2020 model, or head on over to Sansone Kia right now to see the 2019 Kia Sportage. The latter, by the way, was elected the 2019 Editors’ Choice winner by Car and Driver. We look forward to welcoming this new Kia SUV to our Avenel, NJ Nissan dealership soon!

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Your choices are aplenty when it comes to a pre-owned vehicle. We recommend you visit Sansone Kia to see our expansive inventory, which constantly changes due to daily trade-ins. Our used inventory consists of two types: regular pre-owned and certified pre-owned (CPO) automobiles. Do you know the difference?

People who buy pre-owned are often concerned that the vehicle may end up being a clunker. At the same time, they could be hesitant about purchasing new, either because of budgeting concerns or worries about depreciation. A CPO car is essentially the middle-of-the-road option, and we have a lot to offer here at our Nissan dealership near Edison, NJ.

Yes, the car is pre-owned. Where it differs from a regular pre-owned automobile is that it satisfies certain criteria. It cannot, for instance, exceed a certain mileage, and it also must be a certain age. The certified label also means that it underwent a 150-point inspection at the dealership, ensuring all components are road-ready and reliable.

So, what are some advantages of opting for a certified pre-owned car? For one, you can be certain it hasn’t been in a major collision. Certified vehicles undergo a history check, which you can think of as an automobile’s version of a medical history report. Cars are ineligible for the certified designation if it has sustained significant body or frame damage.

Check out our certified pre-owned cars near Union, NJ. All models have undergone vetting from CARFAX and come with the report to back it up. Of course, if you prefer new, be sure to take a look at all that we have to offer, such as the 2019 Kia Rio and more.

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Super Bowl ads are extremely expensive. A brief 30-second clip can easily run in the eight-digit range. This is exactly why advertisers try to make their ad count by including celebrities, athletes, and social media personalities in their commercial to garner exposure. Kia did something a bit different this year; it invoked the importance of charity and giving back to the community.

The automaker’s ad featured no famous A-listers or even any new Kia vehicles for that matter. Instead, it featured a voiceover of a child saying that this ad is different from the glitz and glam of a traditional high-budget commercial. It ended with the child saying this ad was about “the rest of us,” before directing viewers to the Kia-sponsored charity, The Great Unknowns.

This organization funds scholarships for disadvantaged children and ensures their access to higher education. Families in lower income households may also apply. You can also become a subscriber and receive regular updates.

The ad is a dramatic departure from past ads, which featured Hollywood elites like Pierce Brosnan, Steven Tyler, and Melissa McCarthy. The automaker also gained recognition a few years back for ads featuring digitized dancing hamsters. This year, though, it’s all about using the money to help children in need rather than footing a celebrity’s exorbitant appearance fee.

While no new 2019 Kia models were promoted, you can check out the 2019 inventory for yourself by visiting Sansone Kia. Models like the 2019 Kia Sportage or Kia Optima require no fancy ads to resonate with consumers. Our Kia car dealership serving Woodbridge, NJ also gives back by providing new car incentives and used car specials! Don’t forget to view our service and parts deals, too!

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The 2019 Detroit Auto Show just concluded, and Kia automakers made the most of the moment with the debut of the 2020 Kia Telluride. The three-row SUV will become a production vehicle starting next year.

Once the Kia Telluride hits our Kia dealership in Avenel, NJ, it will present consumers with a full-size SUV option. Families will appreciate its eight-person capacity and family-oriented technology. The exterior design is purposefully boxy, which pays homage to SUVs of the 90s and early 2000s.

Additional design characteristics of this new Kia SUV include projector headlights, vertical taillights, a tiger nose grille, and a broad bonnet. The interior is clad in luxury materials with its heavily padded and quilted leather and brushed metal trimming. Buyers have the option to add heating to the first- and second-row seats, while a built-in intercom system dubbed Driver Talk comes equipped, which enables the driver to communicate to the backseat occupants without having to shout over the traffic noise.

Of course, being a family vehicle, safety is a priority. Kia automakers are well aware of this and have incorporated Kia Drive Wise, which comprises a collection of the latest safety technology. This includes lane departure alert, automatic braking, and lane keeping assist, among many others. It also boasts the brand’s patented Safe Exist Assist, which can detect vehicles approaching from the rear and prevent the driver or the rear passenger from opening the door until the car has passed.

When it comes to capability, the Kia Telluride is designed to perform. It comes equipped with a 3.8-liter V6 that churns out 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. Whether smooth pavement or rough terrain, the Telluride can get you to your destination seamlessly. It offers an on-demand center-locking differential and available Snow Mode. To boot, it integrates four different drive modes to tune your ride’s performance: Comfort, Eco, Sport, and Smart.

The Kia Telluride isn’t available yet, but you can check out similar SUVs such as the 2019 Kia Sorento at our dealership as soon as today. Visit us at Sansone Kia for the latest models and the most up-to-date news in the industry!

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Motorists have various policies to consider when insuring their vehicle. On top of their regular coverage, they may opt to add gap insurance. Not many people are familiar with gap insurance or how it works, which is why our Kia dealers serving Union, NJ will explain the ins and outs of gap coverage in a laymen-friendly manner.

In its most basic terms, gap insurance essentially covers the difference between your car’s actual value and what you still owe on it. Let’s look at an example to see how it works.

Let’s say you were in a collision where the other driver was at fault. An auto shop determines the car is totaled beyond repair. However, you still owe, say, $10,000 on the car loan. The vehicle’s actual cash value, though, is only $8,000. That means your insurance will only pay $8,000. The remaining $2,000 comes out of your pocket. This is where gap insurance comes into play and can cover that $2,000.

We recommend gap insurance as a safety net if you drive a leased car or are still making payments on your vehicle. We suggest looking up Kelley Blue Book to determine the cash value for your particular vehicle model and year. If the gap between what you owe and the actual cash value is beyond what you’re comfortable paying out of pocket, gap insurance is a smart choice.

Are you shopping for a car? Come by Sansone Kia and see our finance department near Union, NJ. We will go over your insurance options with you whether you are buying a new or pre-owned vehicle. We have plenty models in stock, such as the 2019 Kia Sorento or Kia Optima.

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Kia leads the way in self-driving and safety technology. At the 2019 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, the automaker announced a suite of new autonomous technology to be released over the course of the next decade.

The plan is to release partial autonomous technology by 2020, with a full integration to self-driving capability by 2030. The plan began in 2016 when the brand adopted the Advanced Driving Assistance System (ADAS) back in 2016. The system has since been renamed Drive Wise.

Kia representatives introduced an autonomous concept known as Real-Time Emotion Adaptive Driving (R.E.A.D). This advanced system uses bio-signal recognition technology, a form of artificial intelligence that can accurately determine the driver’s state of mind, such as whether he or she is fatigued. The system monitors your heart rate and reads facial expressions; the data is used to automatically adjust cabin conditions. If the system detects driver fatigue, for example, it may switch on the AC to get a blast of cool air into your face and wake you up.

R.E.A.D was also unveiled alongside the upcoming V-Touch technology. The latter employs a 3D camera and gesture control to monitor your eye and finger movements. This enables the driver to adjust settings using motion gestures and without ever touching the infotainment screen.

Finally, R.E.A.D will also have music-response vibration seats, where the seats vibrate in conjunction with a song playing on the radio. This allows occupants to feel the song rather than just listen.

Come by Sansone Kia and see our new cars for sale near Staten Island, NY. In the next decade, models like the 2019 Kia Optima and others will have new self-driving technology. This will improve safety, comfort, and overall driving experience.

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The 2020 Kia Soul marks the debut of the compact crossover’s third generation. Car enthusiasts got a first look of the model at the 2018 LA Auto Show in December. For the most part, the vehicle retains its signature boxy look. But at the same time, there are some noticeable touch-ups.

Despite maintaining its boxy shape, the exterior does have sharper creases and a slightly longer body. The headlights have also been tweaked and now have a narrower and more squinty shape. The taillights in the rear wrap around the body. Other reworks include a two-tone grille.

A total of six trims are available, some of which come with brushed metal accents, black plastic fenders, and fog lights up front.

The interior includes a revamped infotainment system with a 10.25-inch HD touchscreen with split-screen capability. Audio is enhanced with a 640-watt Harman Kardon speaker package; the wattage is double that of the speakers from the current 2019 model.

Cargo capacity has also increased to a total of 23.8 cubic feet, or an increase of five cubic feet over the previous model.

Under the hood, buyers have the option of the standard 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine or an upgrade to the 1.6-liter turbocharged powertrain. With the latter comes a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic transmission.

The 2020 Kia Soul is slated for release in the first half of 2019. Keep an eye out for it now that January is here! In the meantime, the 2019 Kia Soul is available now at our dealership. A new car is the ideal way to start off the New Year! Come by our Kia dealership serving Staten Island, NY today to learn more about this new vehicle that’s set to hit our showroom soon!

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The 2019 Kia Stinger has been rightfully getting a lot of hype. Though it has yet to reach dealerships, including our Kia dealership serving Woodbridge, NJ, it has already received a lot of positive reviews from testers. You can find many of these reviews from reputable news and automobile sites.

One reviewer was Jared Fogelson who rated and reviewed the sports sedan on Forbes. What did Fogelson have to say? He praised the vehicle’s 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder engine and the push-button ignition. He especially appreciated the car’s handling, saying the “steering is nicely weighted.”

Another reviewer is Matthew Guy who submitted a review from the auto site The Truth About Cars. What was his take? He described the vehicle’s interior cabin as “more than welcoming.” This may seem like a generalized statement. However, the comment says a whole lot when you take into consideration the fact that the Kia Stinger is a compact sedan and the reviewer is a towering 6’6″.

Yet another review comes courtesy of The Car Connection. The site lauded the Kia Stinger for its “sleek style and well-tuned ride and handling.” The reviewer especially loved its redesigned body panels, which consists heavily of creases and scoops.

It should be noted that with the purchase of the Kia Stinger comes a generous warranty that covers basic repairs for the first 60,000 miles or five years of ownership. Our dealership’s service center handles all the basic maintenance and tune-ups.

Come by Sansone Kia to learn more about the new Kia Stinger. The 2019 model isn’t available yet, but we have the 2018 Kia Stinger in our inventory, ready to be taken for a test drive!

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Many car buyers regularly compare two models within the same class, and sometimes even within the same manufacturer, when searching for their next vehicle. We stand behind our Kia models 100 percent, and we believe they beat out a lot of the competition. One recent comparison we’ve had the pleasure of creating is between the 2019 Kia Optima and Volkswagen Passat. How do these two sedans fair in a head-to-head comparison?

Let’s start with performance. The Kia Optima offers three different powertrains, all of which render impressive ratings. The standard 2.4-liter turbocharged I-4 delivers 185 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, and the 1.6-liter churns out 178 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. Topping off the lineup is the 2.0-liter I-4 with 245 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.

While the Volkswagen Passat offers an efficient powertrain, it fails to catch up to the Optima. It only comes equipped with one 2.0-liter engine, and it’s worth just 174 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque, which is significantly less than the standard ratings in the Optima.

Additionally, the Kia Optima creates a safer experience behind the wheel. It offers options for active headrests, an Around View® Monitor, and driver alert monitor, all of which are not even available in the Volkswagen Passat. Heated side mirrors come standard in the Kia Optima, with a heated steering wheel as available. The VW Passat, on the other hand, only offers heated side mirrors in top models. There’s not even an option for a heated steering wheel in any trim level.

Stop by Sansone Kia to see the winning 2019 Kia Optima. The sedan holds up well in an exceptionally crowded and competitive vehicle segment. From our new car inventory to our Kia service center near Woodbridge, NJ, you can count on us to be there for you every step of the car ownership way.

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