I was never a big car guy growing up. I know, now you want to take away a couple of my man cards. It was just never a big interest of mine. I was the artsy, fartsy kid who was going to french art house films and learning the newest moody, alternative song on the guitar. It wasn’t until I bought my first car, that I finally experienced how you could bond with one.
The first car I ever owned was a ’92 white Mustang. “Sasha” was beautiful! The first time I drove her on an open highway my mind completely cleared. I forgot about everything that was going on in my life and I felt incredibly relaxed. Over the next few years I found that no matter where I was driving, whether it was the grocery store, work or even school… I felt relaxed when I was behind the wheel of that car. It was like having a best friend on four wheels and Sasha and I shared a lot of good times.
Since I’ve gotten married and had a kid, I’ve had a few family cars. They were all fine, reliable vehicles that got my family and I from point A to point B. Nothing was wrong with any of them. I did especially like the Saturn Vue that we used to have. It was great for a young family. But, for whatever reason, GM discontinued production on Saturn and we didn’t feel a connection with any of their other brands.
Because of my blogger/social media job, I get invited to hang out with many different companies and get an insiders look into what makes each of them tick. Almost two years ago, Kia asked me to come to Milwaukee and see their Racing Team compete over a weekend. I had a great time, it was one of the best trips that I’ve been on.
A year later, I was invited to drive a few of their cars in San Diego. My wife was with me and we really enjoyed the entire experience. We started getting to know a lot of the people who worked at Kia, including executives, engineers and PR.
It wasn’t until I did another drive for Kia, through the winding roads of Middleburg, VA that I got that feeling again. The same feeling I had the first time I drove Sasha. I was completely relaxed and all the annoyances in life just faded away. My mind felt clear and the smile on my face was ear to ear.
Without even realizing it, Kia was becoming the car brand that was right for our family.
My wife and I began to feel like we were part of the Kia family and we didn’t even own one of their cars. It was a little surreal at first. We wondered if it was all just an act. Did they have nefarious plans for us at a later date? Were they going to take us into outer space and harvest our brains to satisfy a giant bug like creature? Nope. Kia is just a company that has a lot of good people, working hard to make a quality product that’s safe and reliable. In turn, when you buy a Kia, you’re becoming part of a larger family who always has your best interest in mind.
We’ve been driving a Kia Sportage for almost two months now, and it’s hard to imagine driving anything else. I guess we are now an “official” Kia Family.
I have received product and compensation from Kia. All opinions and love of Kia are my own.