Folks, it’s that time of the month again – specials on your favorite new Kia models are here! Check them out, and then schedule your test drive online today!

First, we have the 2018 Kia Forte LX*. This is a fantastic sedan that’s perfect for the whole family… or for the professional on the go! Wherever you’re headed, you know you’ll enjoy getting there behind the wheel of the Forte LX. And even though it’s a brand new 2018 model, you can lease it for only $99 a month for 24 months with a down payment of $999! This is an incredible deal on a car you’ll love!

Next up is the 2018 Kia Optima LX*, another fantastic sedan with an aggressive grille that’ll let everyone on the street know that you have arrived. Whether you’re cruising through the city, enjoying that fantastic Albany skyline or just stopping at Bella Napoli for some creampuffs for that brunch at your mother-in-law’s, this car will turn heads no matter where you’re going. And it’s easier than ever to be the center of attention – you can lease the Optima LX for only $218 a month for 36 months… and pay absolutely nothing when you sign the lease.

For the more environmentally conscious, the 2017 Kia Optima PHEV* is the perfect choice. Because it’s a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, you’ll be getting over 100 MPGe and will never have to worry about stopping to fill up the tank. The best part, though? You can lease one of your own for only $248 a month for 36 months, with $0 down at signing.

If you’re more of the SUV type, you can choose between the fantastic 2018 Kia Sportage LX* or the 2018 Kia Sorento L*, both SUVs with Kia’s great engineering and the toughness to tackle anything from soccer practice to inclement weather to a spur-of-the-moment weekend adventure. You can lease the 2018 Sportage LX for $248 a month for 36 months with $0 due at signing (sales tax is included in the monthly payment!) and the 2018 Sorento L can be yours for 36 months for only $268 a month and $0 down!

If any of these great new vehicles appeal to you, head down to Destination Kia today and take a test drive! You’ll fall in love at first sight!

*All specials expire on 2/28/2018. See specials page for details.

Just because winter is already here doesn’t mean that you can’t check up on your car and make sure it can handle the weather that’s still yet to come. Sound like a plan to you? Here’s how to ensure that your vehicle is ready for this upstate winter!

• Make sure your radiator and coolant are in good shape – i.e. the level of your coolant is where it should be and your radiator is in working order.

• Use your garage! Clean it out if it’s full and start parking your car in it.

• If you don’t have a garage, use a car cover.

• Check your defrosters and make sure they work properly.

• Fill your windshield washer fluid, preferably with fluid that contains non-toxic antifreeze.

• Check your windshield wipers and consider replacing them with wipers specifically meant for winter use.

• Check your battery, which means checking the connections and the electrical system as well. Replace your battery if it is dying.

• Put your snow tires on your car if you have them. If not, consider investing in a set, or investing in tire chains or other tire traction accessories.

So, you know you’re supposed to get your oil changed every six months or 3,000 miles. Well, what if I were to tell you that this fact is not necessarily true? The frequency of your oil changes actually depends on these factors, among others:

• The age of your car

• The type of oil you use

• How many miles are on your car

• What conditions you usually drive in

• How hard you drive your car

Yeah, I know, I probably just turned your world on its head. It’s okay! We can get through this together. All you need to do is schedule your next oil change with us, and when you’re in the shop, talk to one of our service professionals about how often you specifically should get your oil changed. We might surprise you – and hopefully pleasantly!

Did you know that one of the most important and helpful things you can do for your vehicle is to check your oil at least once a month? Yeah, it is. Don’t know how? It’s very easy, and we’re about to tell you how to do it. Remember that this isn’t a substitute for regular oil changes, and only your dealer can tell you how frequently you should get your oil changed. Check out how to check your oil, and then remember to do it once a month.

• Open the hood. Prop it so it stays open.

• Locate the oil dipstick next to the engine. It should have a yellow handle and/or be labeled.

• Pull out the dipstick and wipe it on a clean cloth or paper towel.

• Dip the stick all the way back in.

• Pull it out again and look at the oil level. If it’s in the middle of the hatched/indicated area, you’re good. More is better, less is okay, but if you’re lower than the area you need to get your oil topped up and have your system checked for leaks.

• Look at the oil quality and color. If there are a lot of particles or if the oil looks sludgy, you need to get it changed as soon as possible.

• Put the dipstick back in.

• Close your hood.

Are you looking for ways to increase your fuel economy without having to get another new car? Well, Kia’s coming a long way in terms of fuel-efficient vehicles and even electric vehicles, but if you’re not ready to make the switch just yet there are several ways you can increase those MPGs in the vehicle you’re driving now. Check them out!

Don’t speed! It’s illegal, to begin with, and it decreases your MPGs. We all love to go fast on the Northway, but try to stay closer to the speed limit and see how it helps!

When driving on highways, use your cruise control. Speeding creates a lot of accidental acceleration and deceleration – with cruise control on, that’s eliminated. If you stay at a reasonable speed, that’s just the icing on the cake.

Don’t idle your vehicle. Idling not only wastes fuel but harms the environment. Restarting your car uses less gas than just a few seconds of idling, so just think about that next time you double park on Lark Street!

If you have a storage box or rack on your roof, switch to something that serves the same purpose but that’s rear mounted. It helps your vehicle be more aerodynamic, which saves fuel.

Finally, be safe. When you are driving, really focus on safety and being a model driver. When you focus, you’re more likely to drive in a way that maximizes your MPGs. Who knew!

If you are anything like me, you’re both an avid road tripper and also really really addicted to being prepared for anything. If you fit this description, I have the list for you! This is a long list of the things you might want to keep in your vehicle in case of things like boredom or real emergency – so feel free to pick and choose your favorites (or at least the things you think you’ll need the most) and then put them in some sort of storage device in your car. Thank me later!!!

In The Car

• Blankets and pillows

• Music

• Folding chairs

• Reading material

• Camera

• Cash for toll roads

• GPS

• Binoculars

• Wet wipes

• Puzzle books and quiet toys for kids

• Pen, pencil, notepad

• Tissues, paper towels, toilet paper

• Small bags for garbage

Vehicle Emergency Kit

• Flashlight, roadside signal flares or reflective cones/warning signs

• First aid kit

• Booster cables, wrenches, screwdrivers (basic tool kit)

• Gallon jug of water

• Extra washer fluid, oil, transmission oil, brake fluid

• Rags, workshop towels, old blanket

• Gloves

• Spare belts (alternator, fan and air conditioner belts)

• Candle, warm clothes, heavy blanket (for winter travel)

• Duct tape and WD40

Sometimes it feels like my car is a needy child. It’s always hungry for more gas, it pitches a fit in the cold weather. The oil always needs to be changed. Thank goodness I don’t need to put my car through college, I’d be in trouble! Uggg, so much effort to keep my car running! What’s the point!? Actually, why DO we need to change the oil in our cars? What does the oil even do for our car? Is it really necessary to put all this effort and money into our cars? As with most things in life, there is, in fact, a rhyme AND reason for the things we must do. So if you enjoy the benefit of driving yourself to work on a freezing cold morning such as this when the temperature was 1 degree, check out this cool info about why your oil is important to your car.

1. Lubricates the engine. All the moving parts that enable your engine to work create heat and will wear down the engine dramatically without proper oil lubrication. Make sure to refer to the owner’s manual to see what specific weight and grade of oil the vehicle requires and ensure it is kept at the recommended fill volume.

2. Temperature regulation. As mentioned above, your engine creates heat with all the moving parts. So, by maintaining clean and sufficient amounts of oil you are preventing too much friction and over-heating of the engine.

3. Protects engine from dirt. Dirt and dust manage to show up in the most unlikely places. I don’t know how it does it, I’m not a dirt scientist, but it just does. When it comes to your car, dirt particles are deadly to engines. Over time, dirt can cause corrosion and decrease the life of an engine oil traps that dirt and dust and breaks down into “sludge.” The ultimate goal, keep the engine clean, and it will stay working longer. Changing oil is an important part of keeping the engine clean.

4. Improves gas mileage. In addition to overheating, poor engine lubrication can lead to increased fuel consumption, so make sure there is enough clean oil in the engine.

5. Increases lifespan of the vehicle. Much like a diet of just fast food, not taking care of your vehicle will decrease its lifespan. By keeping up with maintenance you’ll be able to keep your vehicle running well much longer than if you don’t.

As it turns out, changing your oil and keeping up with your vehicle’s regular maintenance is actually important. Your car isn’t just being an overdramatic child. It needs these things to function.  Here at Destination Kia, we have a variety of service coupons that make this regular maintenance even more affordable. Come see how affordable and convenient routine maintenance and repairs at Destination Kia are. To make things even better, when you buy from Destination Kia you get 3 years of oil changes and car washes FOR FREE! Stop by today!

Destination, leave a Kia under the tree for me.
I heard you have the new Soul
Destination, so hurry down to Alb’ny tonight!

Destination, a Forte, Optima, and Sorento too, BLAZE BLUE
Right on their Specials page
Destination, so hurry down to Alb’ny tonight!  

Think of all the perks you’d miss
Look all these Kia’s on their specials list!
Puppies and babies they don’t include
But 3 years of oil changes sounds pretty good!

Destination, A little birdy mentioned to me, a spree
At the Colonie Mall
From Destination, so hurry down to Alb’ny tonight!

So Hurry down to Alb’ny tonight
So Hurry to Destination tonight
Hurry

*For more details and qualifications for these special offers go to the Destination Kia Specials page on our website.

A few weeks ago on our Destination Kia blog we discussed the different kinds of vehicle maintenance that is safe for you to do on your own and the following weeks we’ve been covering how to actually do those pieces of maintenance. This week: Spark Plugs. Changing your spark plugs is a relatively simple and quick process that can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on how many plugs you have. It costs around $15 to do this yourself (the price of new spark plugs). Here is how to do it:

1. Locate the spark plugs by following the thick, rubbery wires under the hood of your car. Depending on the number of cylinders in your engine, you will find four, six, or eight spark plugs.

2. Start at the end of the row of spark plugs, pull the wires off the plugs by grasping the wire as close to the engine as you can then pulling or wiggling it a bit. Only pull off one wire at a time.

3. After you get the first wire off, attach a spark plug socket and extension to a ratchet. Set your ratchet to loosen, slide it over the plug as far as it will go, then remove the old plug.

4. Install the new plug by screwing it in by hand then tightening with a wrench.

5. Reattach the spark wire plug. Then repeat with each spark plug, one at a time.

So now you know! Granted, it’s winter weather out there and is getting pretty cold, so if changing your spark plugs yourself feels like more work than it’s worth, you can definitely stop by Destination Kia and we’ll be happy to do that for you! Or if your vehicle requires work more complicated than changing your spark plugs, we’ll be more than happy to help with that too. Destination Kia is here to help!

Identify Your Bulb Type

Welp, my headlights have gone out. How will I ever survive?!?!? Daylight only extends to 4PM, so I guess I’ll just have to live at my office now. UNLESS I can change the dead bulb in my headlights? WHAT?! It’s not as complicated as I thought! AMAZING! So how do you change the bulb in your headlights? Follow these helpful steps below and you too can enjoy the glorious benefits of night time driving!

Tools for the Job

Owner’s manual: Your owner’s manual will have more than just the type of bulb you will need—it will also show you where your bulb is placed and how to switch out your headlight.

Screwdriver: While newer vehicle models don’t use screws to hold any of the parts in place, you may need one for an older vehicle.

Safety glasses: Always a good idea to keep yourself safe.

Steps to Change a Headlight

1. Open and prop your vehicle’s hood.

2. Remove the power connector from the back of the headlight. This may require a slight turn to get it loose.

3. Remove the dust cover from the back of the headlight. This also may require a small twist to get loose.

4. Some cars have a clip that holds the bulb in place. Press down on this clip to release the light bulb.

5. Grasp the housing of the bulb and pull it out. This step may require a little wiggling to get it loose. Do not pull the bulb by the glass or tug the bulb roughly. You could cause it to break.

6. Holding the old bulb and new bulbs by their housings, compare to make sure they match.

7. To guarantee your bulb is free of dust and fingerprints, gently wipe it with a pre-moistened alcohol wipe or rubbing alcohol on a dust-free cloth.

8. Line up the bulb housing with the open socket and insert carefully. Make sure it’s secure.

9. Slide the bulb back in place and twist if necessary to make sure it’s locked into its spot.

10. Replace the clip (if you have one), dust cover, and power connector.

11. Turn on your headlights to ensure the bulb and connection are working.

12. Close the hood and pat yourself on the back!

Now you know! That wasn’t too hard, was it? If you just responded to that question with, well actually it kinda was and I never in my life want to do that again, the good news is that you can head over to Destination Kia and they will be happy to replace your headlights for you! Stop by today!