[Phantasm22]

i'm trying . i bought 5-7 lexus car (is250 , is350 , gx460 , rx350 ...) before and never ever pay over the MSRP but this is my first time i go with KIA and surprise about the price they give me and the way they treat me . the man who talked to me on the phone just ask me DO YOU THINK YOU CAN PAY FOR $15K MORE TO GET IT ? LOL

You may have to call out of area places to get more reasonable pricing. Inventory is scarce and there is a lot of competition from buyers. Could be worse though. You could be trying to buy a house in this crazy market.

 

[mtonne]

You may have to call out of area places to get more reasonable pricing. Inventory is scarce and there is a lot of competition from buyers. Could be worse though. You could be trying to buy a house in this crazy market.

All San Antonio and Austin-area dealerships are tacking on $3-5k. Called a dealership in Dallas the evening of the 30th and have one reserved at MSRP. Arrives the 15th. They sent me the VIN and paperwork via FedEx.

 

[whizzy]

All San Antonio and Austin-area dealerships are tacking on $3-5k. Called a dealership in Dallas the evening of the 30th and have one reserved at MSRP. Arrives the 15th. They sent me the VIN and paperwork via FedEx.

Congrats - which Dallas dealer did you reach out to? I am looking for one in the same area? Also, what trim did you get?

 

[UN-Limited]

All San Antonio and Austin-area dealerships are tacking on $3-5k. Called a dealership in Dallas the evening of the 30th and have one reserved at MSRP. Arrives the 15th. They sent me the VIN and paperwork via FedEx.

Great find! Make sure they don't force you into "dealer options" like low-jack, or paint protection for an extra $3k. Also, get all financing terms agreed to before you take delivery. Read my experience with DeMontrond Kia in another thread if you want to see all the ways they bait/switched me.

 

[Nikhil Paul]

A little late to the forum but a proud owner of Astra Blue SX trim. Circumstances of buying the car was so random because someone rear ended my CX-9 and totalled the car in May. With two toddlers we always thought minivan should be the next purchase but the accident made it a necessity. Luckily was able to get hold of the SX trim which was in transit and I put down $500 as a deposit. I had to pay only $500 over MSRP as a markup ( started off with $1000 but negotiated it down to $500). Even though I was a bit upset with it initially, looking at the trend I feel it was a steal. Same dealer is asking for $8000 in markup now after 3 months. Absolutely love the car after 3500 miles. Everyone talked about the pros but I will mention couple of cons which were not listed anywhere or I might have missed.
1. Body roll and suspension - the car has terrible body roll and soft suspension. Happened to be seating in the third row one time and even a careful turn of the steering wheel sends your stomach on a roller coaster ride. Soft suspension will let you know of the faintest bumps on the road for sure.
2. Sunroof - just a shame you don't get a sunroof even after paying close to 48 grand on a car.

Apart from this, I absolutely love the purchase. Honestly I haven't seen a single carnival out here in Texas until now and have been asked by atleast 10 people oh what car is it. Definietly a head turner in traffic lights !!!!

 

[Nikhil Paul]

Great find! Make sure they don't force you into "dealer options" like low-jack, or paint protection for an extra $3k. Also, get all financing terms agreed to before you take delivery. Read my experience with DeMontrond Kia in another thread if you want to see all the ways they bait/switched me.

I got mine from DeMontrond Kia in May. Luckily mark ups have not been crazy back then and I paid only ( still paid ) $500. The sale person was great but the financing was a pain in the butt. Luckily I pride myself in knowing my stuff and kept rebutting the finance guy whenever he threw a curveball. If I try to write everything he said this post would sound like a rant. Do your due research before purchasing. Know your credit score and see if you qualify for the Kia offered rate and ask for it. Finance department will never let you have it the first time and would come up with a ridiculous offer with the monologue yeah with your score the best rate we could give is yada yada....also never let them insert a GAP into your financing. You could get a GAP from your auto insurance company for a fraction of amount than what they would offer you.

 

[UN-Limited]

I got mine from DeMontrond Kia in May. Luckily mark ups have not been crazy back then and I paid only ( still paid ) $500. The sale person was great but the financing was a pain in the butt. Luckily I pride myself in knowing my stuff and kept rebutting the finance guy whenever he threw a curveball. If I try to write everything he said this post would sound like a rant. Do your due research before purchasing. Know your credit score and see if you qualify for the Kia offered rate and ask for it. Finance department will never let you have it the first time and would come up with a ridiculous offer with the monologue yeah with your score the best rate we could give is yada yada....also never let them insert a GAP into your financing. You could get a GAP from your auto insurance company for a fraction of amount than what they would offer you.

Yes, timing was key. Glad you stuck to your guns and came away with a reasonable price.

 

[SK77X]

A little late to the forum but a proud owner of Astra Blue SX trim. Circumstances of buying the car was so random because someone rear ended my CX-9 and totalled the car in May. With two toddlers we always thought minivan should be the next purchase but the accident made it a necessity. Luckily was able to get hold of the SX trim which was in transit and I put down $500 as a deposit. I had to pay only $500 over MSRP as a markup ( started off with $1000 but negotiated it down to $500). Even though I was a bit upset with it initially, looking at the trend I feel it was a steal. Same dealer is asking for $8000 in markup now after 3 months. Absolutely love the car after 3500 miles. Everyone talked about the pros but I will mention couple of cons which were not listed anywhere or I might have missed.
1. Body roll and suspension - the car has terrible body roll and soft suspension. Happened to be seating in the third row one time and even a careful turn of the steering wheel sends your stomach on a roller coaster ride. Soft suspension will let you know of the faintest bumps on the road for sure.
2. Sunroof - just a shame you don't get a sunroof even after paying close to 48 grand on a car.

Apart from this, I absolutely love the purchase. Honestly I haven't seen a single carnival out here in Texas until now and have been asked by atleast 10 people oh what car is it. Definietly a head turner in traffic lights !!!!

Yeah we still have our CX-9, and the steering feel, body roll and suspension are night & day. ... But then so is the difference in capacity and overall cabin space.

 

[rockassical]

Some EX ordering and delivery experience here. We live in Blacksburg, VA and were lucky to find a KIA dealer (www.hartmotors.com) in Salem, VA in early July who sells Carnivals at MSRP. We went there and put a deposit on an EX model on July 10. The sales person first told us he will try to get the model from another dealer and we should get the car in two weeks. But it turned out it was very hard because other dealers all sell above MSRP and weren't willing to do the trade with him. So we had to wait for about one month before the sales person called us again telling us he got one EX coming in 10 days, which was an order that another dealer put previously but ended up not wanting it. And finally, the EX was delivered to the dealership and we picked it up on Sept 2. We only drove the car a couple of time and had positive feelings about its agile handling and sufficient power.

 

[nalev]

Carnival inventory continues to be low around my area (NJ). I'm considering ordering out-of-state and having it shipped to me. I've never done that before so would appreciate any advice on best practices and info on things to watch out for. For example, is it better to let the dealer arrange transportation or should I find my own shipping company? If the latter, any advice on known companies to use? Also if the vehicle is damaged during transport, I assume I would get fully refunded without any issues?

 

[UN-Limited]

Carnival inventory continues to be low around my area (NJ). I'm considering ordering out-of-state and having it shipped to me. I've never done that before so would appreciate any advice on best practices and info on things to watch out for. For example, is it better to let the dealer arrange transportation or should I find my own shipping company? If the latter, any advice on known companies to use? Also if the vehicle is damaged during transport, I assume I would get fully refunded without any issues?

Depending on how far you're willing to search, it may be easier to just buy a plane ticket to the dealer's city and drive the vehicle back home. Otherwise, yes, shipping the car is pretty straight forward. The dealer likely has a company they use regularly who won't be the cheapest but should be reliable, and most importantly, INSURED. If anything happens to the car during transit (even a rock chip), the insurance will cover it. If shipping 1,000 miles or less, you can probably expect to spend around $1k.

Or spend $150 on a one way ticket and enjoy the road trip home.

 

[Burner]

I used a fellow forum member's advice and ordered a Flare Red / Black SX-Prestige Carnival with Jennifer at Classic Kia in Waukegan IL. I'm not making too many hopes it will be delivered this year, but having the order placed fast, hassle-free and, most important, at MSRP, sealed the deal for me. They are the first dealer to not invent taxes and fees for ordering from out-of-state.

 

[sdj]

Great deal! You will love it! That's exactly the color, trim and interior I have!

 

[ithrowpoop]

Called around the San Francisco bay area, dealerships were asking for 9k above MSRP for factory orders and anything in stock. It's so crazy like everyone said. I guess I'll just be patient and wait until next year. I'll continue monitoring this forum to see when things get better.

 

[Phantasm22]

Called around the San Francisco bay area, dealerships were asking for 9k above MSRP for factory orders and anything in stock. It's so crazy like everyone said. I guess I'll just be patient and wait until next year. I'll continue monitoring this forum to see when things get better.

I guess they figure if they can do it for Tellurides then they can do it for Carnivals. If you need it sooner rather than later look at dealerships out of state that are willing to work with you on shipping it to you. You might find you can get one in hand for ~$1k over MSRP inclusive of shipping.

 

[specializedby]

Does anyone happen to know if there is a Carnival VIN tracking website, similar to that of the Telluride VIN tracking website (failcat.com)? I know failcat.com is a Telluride enthusiast-operated website, and am looking to see if there is/are Carnival enthusiasts who have created a similar tracking website. Really interesting information on the failcat.com website, and you're able to pull up the window sticker and all.

 

[Phantasm22]

Does anyone happen to know if there is a Carnival VIN tracking website, similar to that of the Telluride VIN tracking website (failcat.com)? I know failcat.com is a Telluride enthusiast-operated website, and am looking to see if there is/are Carnival enthusiasts who have created a similar tracking website. Really interesting information on the failcat.com website, and you're able to pull up the window sticker and all.

Sounds like an opportunity waiting to happen. How does the tracking work?

 

[Bhenry]

Decided to see about getting one. Holding out for a Prestige only.
Found a local dealer has an SX coming in within a couple of weeks with the popular blue and orange combo.
Was going to take it till found out it is only SX. No up charge.
May check around to see if anyone has one coming in.
I don’t mind ordering one if a dealer will do it.
I’m in no hurry.

 

[specializedby]

Sounds like an opportunity waiting to happen. How does the tracking work?

Here is the link in the Telluride forum that explains how Failcat.com was created by its members: Telluride VIN Lookup - The History.

In its simplest form, I'm trying to find where on the Kia website one can find the US production information, as stated in phase 1 of development of Failtcat.com, "This is still kept up to date today. This data was extrapolated from the Monroney sticker (window sticker) that KIA published on their US website for US production."

 

[UN-Limited]

Decided to see about getting one. Holding out for a Prestige only.
Found a local dealer has an SX coming in within a couple of weeks with the popular blue and orange combo.
Was going to take it till found out it is only SX. No up charge.
May check around to see if anyone has one coming in.
I don’t mind ordering one if a dealer will do it.
I’m in no hurry.

You should've grabbed that deal. Dealers are charging $5-10k above sticker all day in most places.