A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to review the Kia Cadenza. You probably know the car I am talking about – it’s the one that has the commercial with sexy” music in the background that makes you feel all sultry until the next commercial comes on after it. {Missed it? View it below!}
Once you get in the car mood from watching the video, keep reading to see what I found “sexy” and a few areas that I felt needed improvement. {Is it true that a woman can never be 100% satisfied? LOL}
Kia Cadenza Review
Kia Cadenza Review
Rather than tossing out a lot of stats like “this full-size sedan comes with a 293 HP 3.3 liter v-6 engine…” – you can read all that stuff on Kia’s website, I will cover the stand out features we loved about the car {and a few things I would like to see changed}.
I drove the Cadenza alone, with just Bob, and with the entire family. Everyone agreed that the Cadenza offers a smooth and comfortable ride. Even my 6′ 1″ son was able to fit in the backseat and not feel claustrophobic.
Kia Cadenza Review
LITTLE THINGS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
If you live in Las Vegas, you will really appreciate this automatic sun shade that appears when you turn the car off. It’s brilliant as how many of us have sun shade {or would take the time to place them here} for the rear window of your car?
Talk about the little things that matter…. how about this first aid kit that attaches anywhere to the sidewalls of the trunk. I don’t need to go into detail as this one speaks for itself. Expensive addition? No. Much needed? YES!
Imagine yourself enjoying the exhilarating feeling of driving on the open road, wind coming in from your sun roof, favorite tunes pulsating throughout the car, and you have succeeded in getting into a driving nirvana. Are you there? Now imagine yourself in that zone and almost side swiping another car… yep, it’s okay to admit this happens to you. The jolt from almost merging two metal beast into one will kill the mood for the rest of the night. With these side mirrors with blind spot monitoring, they offer you the protection to not lose that feeling.
I didn’t realize that I had a “dirty car” until I saw that my camera picked up the fine Las Vegas dust. UGH. Ignore it and check out those buttons above. The one that really got me going was the butt cooler… I mean seat cooler. Again, living in Las Vegas we will take anything to cool us down when it gets too hot and this button helped hit the spot.
LETS TALK SEXY
Yes, I will admit it… I am a woman who thinks big rims are sexy! LOL. Check out these high-performance tires and sexy rims on the Kia Cadenza. Another thing to admit is I think my husband had tire envy as I caught him several times in the driveway staring at them and then looking at the rims on our car.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
There is nothing that frustrates me more than getting behind the wheel of a car and not being able to immediately figure out which buttons I need to be pushing to get the results I want. No fumbling here as the Cadenza is logically laid out for everything you need at your fingertips.
I love the sensitivity of the backup system as it covers a wider area than what I am used to. The first time it beeped in the parking lot I was looking around to see what it was picking up in its sensors. Winner winner!
The Cadenza we drove had a robust navigation system with many ways to search for what you are looking for. My only complaint was I was looking for an overnight service which I knew was close to where I was and it wasn’t picking it up as an option. {Maybe the maps needed to be updated?}
UNDER THE HOOD
Those who know me know I like to drive fast. Trips from Las Vegas to California thrill me as I get to mix in with the crazies and push the limits of my car. No, I didn’t push the Kia Cadenza but it does have an impressive 0 – 60 time of 6.3 seconds… not bad for a full size sedan. Around the open roads I did take it to about 80 – 85 MPH and it’s a smooth ride – you don’t feel that you are going this speed. No road noise, no shaking, … nothing.
THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE
I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I have looked at an analog clock to tell the time. I was constantly looking at my steering console and middle dashboard to see the time only to realize the time display is not where I would expect it and to make it harder…. I had to do a double take to read the clock. Not good if you are trying to tell the time while driving.
Both of our current cars have a good amount of shading at the top of the windshield. I am not sure what the industry standard is for this but every little bit of tinting helps in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, I felt this was lightly shaded and very little of it at the top.
I am not sure why anyone in the US would want to see KM/H but I didn’t notice it until my first panic attack while driving. I was scooting along around 65 – 70 MPH and glanced at my dashboard to see a number over 100. WHOA NELLY that got my blood pumping. I am sure I could probably change this option but forgot to thumb through the owner’s manual to see if it can be changed. Either way, not sure why KM would be there.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The most memorable moment during the review period was when I pulled up to a store and there were two men outside chatting. Alex and I got out of the car and started walking into the store as one of the guys cat calls the car! Nope, not us… the car. “Oooohhhh weeee! Lot at that hot new Cadenza you are driving!” Unsure how to reply, I just smiled and kept on walking with my head down only to find out later he was going to be my cashier! LOL
With any Kia, the warranty and roadside assistance can’t be beat. Kia builds a great automobile that offers comfort, competitive gas mileage, and reasonable pricing.
The Kia Cadenza is the perfect car for folks who take long drives {the comfort} or need a roomy inside. While it would be perfect for our family, it’s a bit large for a car for one of my kids. {We are still looking for cars for our adult children and the front runner so far is the Kia Optima, which is the one at the top of my son’s list so far.}
Have you taken the Cadenza out for a spin yet? What are your thoughts?
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