Ed Voyles Kia

I hate car buying and I don't mind saying I hate dealing with most car salesmen. I did not expect to buy a Kia, hadn't even really considered it. I'd seen a Kia Sportage on the road and it did sort of tweak my interest, but....not dramatically. I thought it might be sluggish or cheap or just not what I wanted. I wanted a car I could carry my father around in, pick up antiques or plants and still have it drive like a car. Most of the small SUVs look alike, drive like a truck, and just didn't feel like what I was looking for. My husband and I drove to Marietta to seriously look at a Suzuki Grand Vitara. If it was moderately acceptable, I'd intended to buy it. At the last minute, we decided it would be silly not to at least to look at the Kia to rule it out, and I'd pretty much made up my mind it was going to be unacceptable. The Kia dealership was right down the road from the other dealership, so we went there first to knock it out of the way. Fred at Ed Voyles Kia greeted me and my husband at the door. He intuitively assessed who was going to be the owner of the car and made sure he spoke to us both equally. He was respectful and seemed at ease (not "ON") as he asked what we were interested in and took us to the vehicles. (Kia sportage) He made sure my comfort level was met on the test drive (we are not from the area) and answered all my questions. He was patient as I looked at the different Sportages on the lot. I have been looking for a small SUV since Nov. 2009. Subaru Forester was an option, but it was a little larger than I wanted and sounded like a sewing machine and truthfully, I hated the salesman, who after meeting me immediately assumed I wanted to know about his family, children and how many cats he had. No. I wanted a vehicle and a good price based on national averages paid. That was the one thing he didn't supply. With the Internet nowdays, it's easy to know what a good price is if you've done your homework. You can see regionally what others are paying. Why keep up the game of the haggle and turn people off? Back to Fred at Ed Voyles Kia: Fred treated me like an intelligent consumer. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. He gave me drive out prices that were very good and competitive. Regardless, after looking at the Sportage, we thanked Fred and left and went to look at the vehicle we orig. drove to Marietta for, the Suzuki Grand Vitara. Fred was gracious to the end. Based on my experience at the other dealership, which had less to do with the salesman than the owner and the rather distasteful women in financing who let us sit in the "showroom" for twenty minutes while they peeked at us and waited for the owner to drive over, insult our intelligence and tell us the special Internet price was MSRP with the rebate applied, I wouldn't have bought a coke there if they were selling them half off. My husband and I left after a few choice words about consumer relationships, respect and bait and switch games. We drove back to Kia...Fred took us for a drive again and didn't assume anything outwardly. I felt the Kia Sportage LX really fit my needs better than any other model I'd driven. Price was not the deciding factor, but I got a fair quote and that sweetened the deal. I bought the Sportage. The more I drive my Kia Sportage, the more I love it. The V6 engine is more than enough power for me. It's responsive and I just love the compactness of the vehicle. It's also surprisingly comfortable. The back seat has more room that the larger Suzuki Grand Vitara and the seats fold flat for enlarging the cargo hold area, whereas the Suzuki did not, it has about a 4 inch rise where the seat folded down. The warrantee is also better. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a second Kia, and I'm surprised. I was so unfamiliar with the brand. Shame on me. I was shocked to look inside the Soul, a car that had previously not interested me at all. I was almost sorry