LA AUTO SHOW: Would You Consider The New K900 If The Badge Didn't Say Kia?

"Kia" or not, it would depend on the price point. If the price came in at the equivalent of a low-end S/7/A8/LS, then no. If it came in at the low-end of a E/5/A6/GS, then yes. Reliability would still be a huge concern for me.

Reliability for the cars mentioned is negligible. Most people buying cars at this price range (S/7/A8/LS/E/5/A6/GS) don't put to much emphasis on reliability unless you are on a budget trying to drive something you can barely afford. How many 1 percenters you hear complaining about their Land Rovers?

Well, I put emphasis on reliability for any car I drive. Guess that makes me special.

There already is a car like this out there that doesn't have the KIA name, it wears a BMW name and I already would consider that.

That's their problem. They want to sell other people's cars but put their name on it and only the cheap are listening. They won't admit they're cheap but it boils down to the fact the basement price got their attention and they're too ashamed so they make up BS excuses like its not about price or this or that.
It's the same story with Apple and Samsung phones. People really want an iPhone but for whatever reason (price, envy) they decide to go Android and claim the OS makes them a computer super user when most people haven't got a clue about what any of the phones can actually do beyond calls, internet and email.

What makes you think that everyone wants an iPhone? Envy? LOL! I look at iPhone users as sheep. I'm loving my Galaxy Note 2. It makes an iPhone look like a toy, which is what it is. A toy. An iPod with a phone app. I'm not sure what planet these apple fans live in, where they think that everyone is in love, or should be in love with apple products. I've never purchased an Apple product in my life and I never will. F Apple

I'm sure that moving background on Android makes you a computer hacker. Most people are too dense or cheap to realize that Android is just an immitation iOS.

If iOS didn't exist, neither would Android.

I like how the BMW i8 copied KIA's shifter. Damn Germans, always stealing stuff from the Koreans.

Yes, ENVY because they want an iPhone but also want to pretend they're independent so rather than being an iSheep, they'll be Android androids instead, believing iOStoo is better than iOS because the background moves and Android generally comes with a free phone from Korea.

Nope.

You know, every now and then, you run across a girl for whom it’s monumentally important for others to think she’s classy, so she dons an evening gown (which doesn’t fit perfectly, and whose style and construction is lacking), long gloves and a tiara (because she believes that’s what classy people wear). The only people who’re impressed are her co-workers back at the diner.

To me, this car smacks of economy company trying ever-so-hard to make the statement, “I’m classy.” They have a ways to go.

Ballpark starting price will be $50k US we're told…

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How much is it equipped like this show car? The styling is extremely derivative (the front end is BMW, the side and back are Lexus) but it does look very nice inside. I'd certainly look at this over an Equus.

If the luxury automakers like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz can keep making more and more cheap and tasteless cars like CLA, A class, B class, 1 series, i3, A1, A2 and so on, I do not see what the problem is here.

And I bet this car lasts longer than any of those as well.

Under $30,000, people buy for value: reliability, drivability, looks, maintenance, etc. They understand the compromises and are willing to give up prestige and presence for the tangibles of the car experience. That's why Honda/Toyota does so well in this price range - design conservatively and over deliver on everything else.

But once you get in the $50,000 + category, you are talking intangible reasons why people buy the car: prestige, envy, reputation, "fitting in" at the country club, etc. It looks Lexus a while to break into this country club audience. My dad bought a first generation LS400 (because I convinced him it was so much cooler than a BMW) and he spent on average 10 minutes per day explaining to his colleagues what a Lexus was. After a decade of branding and positioning, Toyota has successfully raised Lexus to a respectable echelon, but it is still second class to equivalent MB models - and considered a "luxury" value leader, still below MB/BMW in terms of general public prestige, but likely above Audi for non-auto enthusiasts.

I know at least 9 people who own either an S series or 7 series, and none of them cared about "reliability" when they made their decision. The 2 people who bought the LS both told me they wanted prestige without paying the extra $20K for an S, and this would them by. Anecdotal, yes, but I suspect not the minority.

quizz very well put. I have been going through a similar experience your dad did. I am in medical devices sales; I drive (mostly) and fly all over the south east, based out of JAX. I purchased an LS460 because of value, eventhough I liked the S-Class better it was about $15k more that I was willing to pay for. Most of my customers question my decision and recommend that I should go with a German brand for my next purchase. Like you stated these guys don't care about "reliability" especially when its negligible at this level, they care about "prestige & image" and owning the perceived best product. I know all the other LEXUS owners don't want to hear this but it's the truth, this is why we have to spend time here convincing other people to consider us at the same level. Personally, it doesn't bother me as much as other people in this site who are just too fanatical. Who know what I will purchase next but I am keeping my options open and looking at both Japanese and German brands. As for American brands, I like the new Cadillac CTS with the twin turbo engine but I am not fully convinced yet.

If I was in the market for a luxury barge, this would be on my list. I can get a comfortable daily driver and not have to pay 7 series money.

Never..

The transmission reminds me of the BMW it comes out of.
Being a Kia just pours salt in the wound.

It's a lovely car, but I would not buy one because I already own a car that so many foolishly despised because of its badge, a wonderful VW Phaeton. These things take time, and look at the years it took for Audi's A8 to gain the recognition it deserved. Kias are very good cars, this design is lovely if a bit complicated inside the interior. In due course it will happen. It took the Japanese so many years to get good sales, it takes fewer now for Kia and Hyundai. Let's see if the Chinese care enough to make a decent car once.

Uh, no. It would need to lose the Kia badge (and also NOT be a Hyundai or Volkswagen) and a couple of doors for me to consider it. And I for one still get a laugh from hearing the words "$50,000 Kia". It will take quite some (more) time for me to shed this perception.