I have been given compensation for this post by Kia Motors. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
The other week, I packed my bags for a quick jaunt to the Charlotte Auto Show. To be specific, I was invited by Kia to check out their Ride and Drive event during the show. Thanks, Kia!
Charlotte is about a four hour drive from where I live, which I didn’t mind at all because since last September I’ve been riding in style in my first new car — the 2016 Kia Soul I purchased. It’s just a happy coincidence that I already drive a Kia and got to attend this event!
I didn’t know what to expect because I’d never attended an auto show or a Ride and Drive event before, but luckily it wasn’t intimidating at all. As far as I could tell, the crowd was mostly families, which was a relief as I was expecting to be surrounded with hardcore car enthusiast dudes.
I headed over to the Kia Ride and Drive booth and checked in with the friendly staff there, letting them know I wanted to do some test drivin’. They gave me a card with a list of the models that were available to test, I chose one, and then a staff member breathalyzed me (my first one!), took some information from my drivers license, and led me through a brief survey about my thoughts on the Kia Brand.
Hangin’ with the Kia Soul hamster at the Kia Ride and Drive booth
There was a brief wait while my chosen car returned from its previous test drive, and then a Kia representative walked me out to the car. Like a good blogger, I made sure to make him wait while I took a bunch of pics. 🙂
2018 Kia Niro
The car I chose to drive was the new Kia Niro in the top trim level. It was STUNNING with its sporty shape and deep jewelbox teal color, and because it’s a hybrid it gets excellent gas mileage and is friendly to the environment to boot.
We spent one glorious city block together, and we fell in love. Wish I didn’t have to say goodbye. *sniff*
Luxury trim inside the Kia Niro
Before I headed back inside to give another model a whirl, I embarrassed my friendly Kia rep by making him take this picture of me:
After driving the Niro, I took another survey to measure whether my thoughts on the brand had changed, and I received a Target gift card for my participation!
The second vehicle I decided to try was the Kia Sedona — a super sporty minivan that, to me, looks more like an SUV.
Now, I’d never driven a minivan before or really taken the time to explore the features of one, but the Sedona pleasantly surprised me. Its passenger area was wildly spacious. Like CRAZY spacious — the second row seats reclined and had leg rests. I was shook. As I told the Kia rep when I was done driving the Sedona, “Now I see why people like minivans.”
If you’re in the market for a new Kia and have the chance to attend a Kia Ride and Drive event, I highly recommend it. It’s a great way to get a feel for the different models and have your questions about the cars answered without any pressure from sales staff. Actually, it’s fun even if you’re not in the market for a new car. 🙂
Thanks again to Kia for sponsoring my participation in the Ride and Drive!
