South Korea Is Monopolizing My Driving Experience

[MineralMan]

It just occurred to me this morning, as I downloaded the Android Auto app onto my brand new Samsung A10e smart phone that when I plug it into the USB port in my KIA Soul's console to enable Google maps and hands-free phone and text services, that I'll be using two products from South Korea's leading corporations together. Who would have thought a few decades ago that South Korea would be on the leading edge of technology? I'm old enough to remember the Korean War, vaguely. I remember my father, who flew B-17s in WWII, worrying about being called back into the military for that war.

And now, I'm plugging a South Korean smart phone into my second KIA Soul. Will wonders never cease?

The world has changed dramatically since the 50s, when I was growing up in Southern California. I hope it survives Donald Trump. It would be a crying shame if it did not.

[Kali]

1. Heh

Same car and phone here, though much older versions of both I am sure.

[MineralMan]

4. The new entertainment console in the 2020 KIA is

pretty remarkable, even on the base model of the Soul. It integrates with Apple Car Play and Android Auto seamlessly, although you do have to tether the phone to it with a USB cable. That requirement will probably go away in the next year's version of the car.

We used the system with my wife's Apple iPhone on a road trip a couple of months ago, and it was pretty awesome. She just had to say, "Directions to [address]" and the Google Maps lady got us to some pretty obscure locations in South Dakota, even routing us around some construction on I-35 and I-90.

She also got several texts, which were read aloud to her by the system, and answered them by dictating a voice response, which was accurately translated into text.

Amazing stuff, to me, anyhow. I can visualize what went into programming all that stuff, and it's hugely complex. But, it works. Hard to believe.

[Liberal In Texas]

12. Your phone doesn't connect with Bluetooth?

In my 2019 Kia Niro the phone connects every time I get in the vehicle. You can connect with USB, but there doesn't seem to be any reason. There is also a wireless phone charger in the front of the console.

Kia is making some nice cars these days and they're actually reasonably priced.

[Wounded Bear]

2. Yeah, remember when anything from Japan was "cheap crap?"

Hard to reconcile how things have changed.

[MineralMan]

5. Indeed I do. I also remember when that changed completely,

and Japan was innovating faster every year. Now, South Korea is doing much the same. Meanwhile, politics is helping to hold our own development of technology back. We're no longer a player, really, in many areas. We need new leadership desperately.

[Cartoonist]

3. Korea

I once rented a room in a Korean home. They let me plug into their cable. I never learned Korean, but thanks to subtitles I was exposed to a lot of their culture.

I have a Samsung 📺, but miss the shows.

[MineralMan]

6. Yes, and Trump is close to throwing a monkey wrench into

the works in Korea. Unless we win next year, we could lose a great deal.

[Johnny2X2X]

7. Wife has a 2108 Soul

Apple Car play is remarkable. Seamless integration of mobile device with the touch screen and voice microphone of the vehicle.

25 years ago we never dreamed of anything like this.

And Kia makes great vehicles, very well designed and thought out while being easy to maintain, stylish, and very very reliable.

[MineralMan]

10. It's not just KIA, of course. Lots of cars have that technology available.

KIA puts it into its base models, which is somewhat remarkable, since they're among the least expensive cars out there. I agree with your assessment of their design and manufacturing quality. Our 2013 Soul was great. The 2020 we just bought is truly an amazing little box on wheels!

[49jim]

8. I bought several golf

shirts in Florida several years ago that were tagged made in Viet Nam. I just turned 70 (9/1) and remember all the turmoil from the late 60's related to the war. Sometimes it's strange to see the labels and not think of that time. However, my draft lottery number came up at 225 and my LI draft board went to 200. I was able to begin my teaching career at 22 and retire at 53 in 2002. I continued to teach in retirement ( pre-school classes) at local community college finally ending in 2016. So after 45+ years time to relax.

[RainCaster]

9. Korea has learned what Detroit is still working on- quality

For the second year, JD Power's Initial Quality Award has gone to three Korean companies- Genesis, Kia, and Hyundai. It wasn't even close...

For the second year in a row, the three brands of Hyundai Motor Group have bested the rest of the industry — by a significant margin — in J.D. Power's closely watched annual U.S. report card on new-vehicle quality.

It wasn't close.

The Initial Quality Study again had Genesis — Hyundai's 3-year-old luxury brand — on top with only 63 problems reported per 100 vehicles, an improvement from 68 problems in 2018. Kia finished second, as it did last year, with 70 problems per 100 vehicles, followed closely by Hyundai, as both improved slightly from their 2018 scores. It was Kia's fifth consecutive year as the top-ranked mass-market brand in the survey. The three Korean brands were followed in the top 10 by Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Nissan, Dodge, Lexus and Toyota, which ranged from 83 to 90 problems per 100 vehicles.

For perspective: Ford's 83 was closer to the industry average of 93 than it was to third-place Hyundai's 71.

So why hasn't Detroit been able to do this? Japan has, and now Korea has also bested those who initially owned that market segment.

[MineralMan]

11. Yes. So it seems.

We had our 2013 Soul for seven years. Aside from a couple of minor recalls that took less than an hour to implement, we experienced zero problems with it. I expect the same from our new 2020 Soul.

Last winter, I put a set of new tires on the 2013 Soul. The tire shop, of course, checked front end alignment for free, because that generates extra income for them. Despite our pothole-ridden streets, the alignment was still spot on, after almost 7 years of driving. The tire shop guy said, "We hate KIAS here. We almost never have to do an alignment on them."

And here's the kicker: The KIA Soul remains one of the most affordable cars available in the marketplace. It has top safety ratings, as well. 5-year/60,000 mile overall warranty and 10-year/100,000 mile power train warranty, too.

Taking a look under the hood and under the car, and the attention to detail in design and manufacturing is clearly evident.

In 2020, KIA shifted the Soul onto a new chassis design and started using special high-strength steel in its body panels, to improve the safety of the car even further.

Some will say that this hurts jobs in the United States, and they could be right, but as a consumer, I look for overall value in the products I buy, and KIA delivers that in spades.

[hunter]

13. My parents and my wife's parents drive Korean cars and have Korean smart phones.

I'm a Luddite. My flip-phone doesn't talk to cars nor do my 20+ and 35+ year old cars talk to phones.

My wife's dad and my dad were both in the military during the Korean War. It was the luck of the draw they didn't end up there. My wife's dad was a Navy medic serving with the Marines and my dad was a very nearsighted Radar O'Reilly Army medical clerk.

My wife's dad did get to see an atomic bomb explosion up close and march towards ground zero as stuff was still burning all around, never mind the fallout, it'll all scrub off in the shower. He was on the boat to Korea when the Armistice was declared and diverted to Japan where he remained for the rest of his service.

With any luck Trump will destroy the Republican Party.