2014 Kia Cadenza – Look Out Germany, Korea’s Gaining Ground!

The 2014 Kia Cadenza turned out to be a real surprise, in a good way. Up to this point, my husband and I have had the opportunity to review a good number of cars. However, this was the first time I had to pry the keys out of Frans’ hands. Driving this just felt ‘right’ to him and he didn’t want to give up the comfort, power, and room. He only let me drive here and there because he knew I was the one who’d be writing the review.

2014 Kia Cadenza – More Than A Pretty Face

Don’t let the modern, snazzy body fool you. This is a full-fledged luxury sedan with a 3.3L V6 engine (giving it a very nice vroom-vroom factor) and electric everything. Heated steering wheel, rear power sunshade, power tilt and telescopic steering wheel, leather interior, paddle shifter, Infinity sound system, adaptive headlights – the Cadenza pampers you from top to bottom (literally – gotta love those heated/ventilated seats). If you’ve never tried it, having a power adjustment on the steering wheel is the bomb! You can actually set it just right and make minor changes without compromising driving safety.

The design of the Kia Cadenza is classic and tasteful. It has a fully digital (TFT) display so everything is extremely clear and easy on the eyes. The most pertinent information is shown front and center in the dash including fuel efficiency, turn-by-turn navigation, trip information, music selection, etc. However, I personally liked the analog clock found in the middle panel. It was a nice touch of sophisticated style that appealed to my 30-something self (much of the younger generation can’t even read analog clocks anymore though).

Navigation is detailed and simple to follow. It even shows you which lane to be in at interchanges. The ‘button’ parking brake is nice since it automatically turned off when driving, a nice feature for those that have a tendency to forget to release it. Faux wood grain generally seems overdone to me but the dark, glossy finish somehow works very nicely here.

When considering any vehicle that will be used primarily as a family car, adequate leg room in the back is vital. Even with the driver seat extended all the way back, there’s still about foot or so of space left. This is more than ample room for lanky teenage legs to stretch out. The Cadenza also has the perfect spot to set your phone and/or wallet, right next to the lighter, USB port, and aux port (all of which we need these days). Oh, and did I mention the MONSTER trunk?!

Seasonal Performance

While California’s winter has been practically non-existent, we did get to enjoy the aah-factor of the heated steering wheel on a few cooler days. Take caution, though, as the wheel warms up pretty quickly and retains that heat for a good while. During our loan period, there was a bit of rain. The automatic wipers were so nice as it would slow down or speed up based on the rain fall. One of my pet peeves is when the wiper is going more than it needs too (yeah, I’m weird like that).

There was one not-so-good thing we noticed though. When it was raining, drops would stick on the back-up camera. The display would then be blurred so much that it was hard to make anything out until we wiped the lens dry. I’m not sure if this is common or just a placement oversight but it basically rendered the feature useless in a bit of rainfall.

Conclusion

The term ‘luxury sedan’ tends to bring up a certain age range of drivers. However, the 2014 Kia Cadenza breaks that stereotype. It’s got the looks, it’s got the goods, and it provides serious competition for other brands in this class. With a fully-loaded (and I mean all the ‘bells and whistles’ options) price of about $41,000 and an average 22 mpg, you can get a great car that just feels good to drive and will turn some heads while doing so.

For more reviews & car-related tips, visit my automotive site for women & families, DrivingMamas.com.