Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Custer City, Oklahoma

Custer City, OK Car Consumer Discussions

Re: I waited 10 months to buy [surfsalot]

by ksheff on Sat Jul 21 14:43:33 PDT 2007

Surfsalot - Glad Denny Hecker Rosedale found your perfect vehicle, I bought mine from their Inver Grove location. Funny you should mention them, I was out of town from July 11 until last night and had a cell phone call from the salesperson at Denny Hecker Rosedale I last dealt with on May 30. He asked if I had bought a Santa Fe yet, I said I was in Colorado Springs with my new Santa Fe, he was speechless and I wonder why he waited so long to follow up. There are more Santa Fe's in the mountainous west than I've seen in the Twin Cities. Loved the headlights that showed me a mule deer I probably wouldn't have seen with my old minivan headlights. Glad the buffalo in Custer State Park ignored me, I had to creep by them with only inches to spare on the gravel/dirt road I dared to take my new vehicle on. I brought along my dad's new portable Garmin navigation system since I didn't want it bad enough to wait until the 2008 Santa Fe came out with it. These last postings make it clear that if you are a Santa Fe buyer that wants a particular interior/exterior color, trim level and optional package, you might pay more for it because with the 2008's now in production there are not many 2007's left to pick from.

Re: Where in the world is pb2themax ? [kbshadow]

by pb2themax on Tue Sep 27 07:21:35 PDT 2005

OK, I'm back. We can all breathe a little easier now. :) Here's a few details from my road trip: 05 Double Cab 4x4 V6 Auto This was a 2800 mile road trip with a destination of Mount Rushmore, and stops in Chicago, Sioux Falls SD, Rapid City SD, and Des Moines IA. Most of the highways we drove on had 70 or 75 MPH speed limits. I could have gotten better mileage if I would've gone slower, but I just couldn't do it. 70 MPH was as slow as I could go. "Too much road and not enough time to get there." Keep in mind that I had about 700 lbs of passengers and gear. And I had the A/C running most of the time. I have a K&N air filter, fresh wax on the paint, and 33 psi in the tires. I got 22 MPG going 70 MPH. I got 17 MPG going 85 MPH; we got there faster but it cost me. It was basically like throwing 4 gallons of gas away. Going 70 mph I was able to get 400 miles out of one tank. Going 85 MPH I got 320 miles out of a tank. So I wasted about $10 worth of gas per tank when I had the pedal to the metal. I drove 90 and 95 MPH during one tank, and it didn't seem to get much worse mileage than when I was going 85. BTW, after the low fuel light came on I drove another 50 miles before filling up, and still had at least a gallon of fuel left. I tried all different fuel octanes and couldn't tell any difference in power, sound, or mileage. Most of the time I used 89 octane because it is the cheapest in most of the areas we drove. Their 89 octane is actually cheaper than 87 octane because the 89 octane has 10% ethanol in it. Even though ethanol is supposed to have less power than gasoline I didn't think that 10% would hurt much. I seemed to get about the same mileage, but I wouldn't use it in any higher percentages. Chicago was real nice, but expensive! The Badlands scenic route, Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park nature loop, and the Needles Highway are a must for anybody that happens to visit SW South Dakota. My Tacoma handled great through all the hills and twists of the Black Hills. I was very happy with how the truck performed. And it was as comfortable as a 2800 mile trip can get. The cruise control worked great. I only had to over-ride it a few times on some of the bigger hills. It will shift less if you keep it under 70 MPH. 1880 Town Wild Buffalo Got donkey slobber on my door. Needles Highway We're gonna need 4WD Low for this! My pregnant wife Me My Hommies (If you look close you can see 2 surveyors climbing down Lincolns' face.)

Re: Vapor Lock [woody555]

by dilbertzzz on Tue Jul 26 05:28:02 PDT 2005

Our family was in the area in June when the temperature was in the 90's. We had two adults, our 6 year old son, and our 4 year old daughter with our luggage; not overly loaded down. We stayed at Trout Haven on Hwy 385, and went up to Hill City one day, then Keystone, Mount Rushmore, through Custer State Park, and on to Rapid City the next day. I was even running low on fuel and bought gas where Hwy 16 splits off of 385. No problems, no hesitations. Now it's true we have the (relatively wimpy) 5.3 liter, so maybe that is the difference...? :confuse:

I like Mazda's, But..

by hjr2 on Mon Dec 08 09:24:04 PST 2003

just like Mitsu, they have been around for what, 3 decades, or at least 25 years? They still are struggling: Why? See the review below from TCC, daily news, dec8,03 If they could do this..... then they'd gain more customers. 2004 Kia Amanti A luxurious sedan marks a real departure for Korea’s number two. by Bob Hall (2003-12-08)   SAN DIEGO- Say Kia to most people and you'll get predictable responses, something on the order of, "Korean cars like Hyundais, right?" Or "they make cheap cars for college kids and have that big warranty." So what's your response as a knowledgeable auto enthusiast? How about, "they're good entry-level cars with a great warranty and now they're making a minivan and a sport-ute too." If you're really good you can identify the latter as the Sedona and Sorento, respectively. Prepare to seriously re-examine your Kia pre-conceptions, brothers and sisters. For the Amanti is coming soon to a Kia dealer (they hope, an exclusive one) near you. The "premium big sedan" is not only unlike any previous Kia, but also given its $25,535 starting price, it conceivably could be the most car for the least money available in the U.S. Skeptical? That's understandable. As journalists gathered here for the Amanti's press introduction, most expected to drive nothing more than another version of Hyundai's XG350 sedan. Well, remember the old saw about what happens when you assume? Surpassing Buick "The Amanti's platform is about a fourth-generation evolution of the XG350's," said Kia public relations director Kim Custer, "with improved side impact protection and four inches of additional length. Plus they're not built in the same plant; no Kias or Hyundais are." To expand the comparison a bit, besides the additional 4.1 inches of length (1.9 of which is wheelbase), the Amanti is 0.9 inch wider and 2.6 inches longer than the 2004 XG350. But it weighs 370 pounds more, which might explain the Hyundai's slightly better fuel economy, 17 city/26 highway vs. Amanti's 17/25. Power for both is a 3.5-liter, dual-overhead cam V-6 with a cast iron block and aluminum cylinder heads. In the Amanti, it produces 200 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque, the latter delivered with a very flat torque curve, Custer said. The XG350 delivers a little less, 194 hp and 216 lb-ft. Both cars utilize a five-speed automatic transmission with a sequential manual mode. But hey, why am I comparing them? According to Custer, "We're not trying to compete with XG350. Ours is a completely different type of car, roomier and more quiet." Kia says the Amanti's main competitors are the Buick LeSabre, Chrysler Concorde, and Toyota Avalon. As good a car as the XG350 is, the Amanti does surpass it (marginally) in every published interior measurement save rear hip room, and we can personally attest to its quiet. During our 150-mile drive, my driving partner and I commented numerous times on Amanti's smoothness of operation (up- or down-shifts and tire noise for example) and how little noise filtered into the cabin. Not having first-hand knowledge of the generations of evolution involved, I would say that Kia's engineers have worked some magic with the Amanti's platform. Its ride quality is superb ¾ practically Lexus-like smooth ¾ with its double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension soaking up bumps and undulations with aplomb. Safe inside Part of the credit goes to the attention paid to Amanti's unibody to ensure high torsional stiffness, which also helped in front and rear impact resistance. Reinforced A- and B-pillars and increased overlaps between the rear door side-impact beams and the wheel arches are expected to give Amanti superior side-impact and offset crash ratings. Thanks to a total of eight airbags ¾ really a quantum leap in standard equipment in this price range ¾ occupants inside should be in pretty good shape no matter what happens. To help prevent the worst from happening, four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated in front) with anti-lock are standard. They ride behind 6.5-by-16-inch, nine-spoke cast aluminum wheels wearing 225-60 tires. There's no optional wheel or tire, but Continental Teves' Electronic Stability Program, traction control and brake assist are a $550 option package, but it's available only after you've opted for two other packages costing $1805 and $900. Not quite a pyramid scheme, but it would be nice if you could get those extra safety features without also paying for a sunroof, leather seats, an up-market Infinity sound system, et al. That said, a completely loaded Amanti lists for $28,790, and as I said above, it's a lot of car for the money. Another mechanical reason why is its steering, something the Kia folks didn't really talk about much. We found the power rack and pinion system outstanding. As we negotiated the twists, turns, curves, and hills of California Route 78 (one of our favorites) from Escondido east to Santa Ysabel, the steering proved responsive and precise with a great on-center feel. We exercised the transmission's manual mode during that portion of our drive as well, to maximize our driving pleasure. While Amanti may never tempt those whose hearts are set on a 5-Series BMW, Kia's big sedan needs apologize to no car for its fun-to-drive factor. It makes us believe in the "big doesn't have to be boring," advertising tagline Kia will use to push Amanti beginning in January. Classical influences Like some recent BMWs, the Amanti's styling might be questioned by some. Kia calls it "Neo-Classical" and "heavily influenced by European design themes." You might call it derivative and see previous generation Mercedes-Benz headlamps, a Chrysler Crossfire grille and a formal-looking C-pillar that could've come from half-a-dozen cars. Beauty, as always, is in the beholder's eyes. The Amanti looks pleasant enough, although some of its styling cues look better or worse depending from where you view them. Inside the cabin there's much to laud; the Kia folks proudly pointed out little touches such as solar glass all around, chrome step plates, window surrounds to reduce rattles, and lighted steering-wheel redundant controls. No question that the Amanti is an important car for Kia, a "breakthrough" in their words. "A way to move the brand to the next level," Peter Butterfield, President/CEO, Kia Motors America told us. "Any time you move a brand up market you have issues of perception. It's a challenge to our marketing people to get customers to put us in their competitive set." At least Kia has given their marketing folks one heckuva car to work with. And anyone not considering the Amanti in their shopping considerations is making a big mistake. 2004 Kia Amanti Base price: $25,535 Engine: 3.5-liter V-6, 200 hp/220 lb-ft Transmission: Five-speed electronically controlled adaptive automatic with manual sequential control, front-wheel drive Length x width x height: 196.0 x 72.8 x