cu2 mods

[WarrenM]

Nice work dude, btw Infinity speakers?!? Thats what comes standard on the new Kia Optima.

You know those crappy excuses for speakers that Honda put in your CU2? They are none other than Alpines!!! The very worst speakers that I've ever seen, made by a company that can definitely make good car speakers. Infinity's retail speakers are slightly laid back but very natural sounding - not a shadow on the Hertz speakers though. Not sure if you know, but Infinity was the first company in the world to market a super-expensive domestic speaker - the Infinity IRS was considered for several years to be the best domestic speaker in the world, at a paltry US$65,000 when US$1 was real money.

[Fredoops]

You know those crappy excuses for speakers that Honda put in your CU2? They are none other than Alpines!!! The very worst speakers that I've ever seen, made by a company that can definitely make good car speakers. Infinity's retail speakers are slightly laid back but very natural sounding - not a shadow on the Hertz speakers though. Not sure if you know, but Infinity was the first company in the world to market a super-expensive domestic speaker - the Infinity IRS was considered for several years to be the best domestic speaker in the world, at a paltry US$65,000 when US$1 was real money.

You just made the Kia sound like a really good deal LOL!!!

check this out, sampling of the Infinity system in a Kia Optima, lightyears ahead of the CL9 and CU2 what do you think?

[WarrenM]

You just made the Kia sound like a really good deal LOL!!!

check this out, sampling of the Infinity system in a Kia Optima, lightyears ahead of the CL9 and CU2 what do you think?

Sounds quite good. Have you ever driven a Kia? Last one I drove sounded like a truck engine with the power of a motor scooter. Not a fun ride. They may have improved since then.

[Fredoops]

Try the new Optima... Just go and try it, I was very impressed, not at least the GDI engine, 148KW on 91RON while drinking the same as a CU2

The new Gen Theta engine is so advanced Mitsubishi and Chrysler is paying Hyundai/Kia for the right to use it.
The Current Mitsubishi Lancer and Lancer Evolution are running on modified HYUNDAI/Kia engine's (Mitsubishi 4B11/4B11T/4B12)

I'm waiting on the Optima turbo version to come out, 204KW, 365Nm, Less than 9L/100KM combined (still drooling over the Coupe version), only thing I'd do is swap out the terrible Nexen tyres for a set of Falken's or Sumitomos

[Rudy]

Try the new Optima... Just go and try it, I was very impressed, not at least the GDI engine, 148KW on 91RON while drinking the same as a CU2

The new Gen Theta engine is so advanced Mitsubishi and Chrysler is paying Hyundai/Kia for the right to use it.
The Current Mitsubishi Lancer and Lancer Evolution are running on modified HYUNDAI/Kia engine's (Mitsubishi 4B11/4B11T/4B12)

I'm waiting on the Optima turbo version to come out, 204KW, 365Nm, Less than 9L/100KM combined (still drooling over the Coupe version), only thing I'd do is swap out the terrible Nexen tyres for a set of Falken's or Sumitomos

That coupe rendition looks absolutely amazing and the sound quality above..wow. I just hope they bring the turbo here.

[buddah51au]

My opinion is the new optima is a huge step forward for Kia. The major problem for me is a fully sealed auto transmission, meaning you cant change the oil. Therefore the transmission is a disposable unit, not suitable for those who wish to keep a car longer than 5 years.

[Fredoops]

My opinion is the new optima is a huge step forward for Kia. The major problem for me is a fully sealed auto transmission, meaning you cant change the oil. Therefore the transmission is a disposable unit, not suitable for those who wish to keep a car longer than 5 years.

You can change it, it just got no dipstick is all.

[buddah51au]

I have checked with my dealer - Honda / Subaru / Kia / Suzuki Franchise, they say you cant even drain the oil, at least they haven't found any drain plugs as yet.

[WarrenM]

Sounds quite good. Have you ever driven a Kia? Last one I drove sounded like a truck engine with the power of a motor scooter. Not a fun ride. They may have improved since then.

The other problem I've found with Kia cars that I have driven is the lack of noise shielding of any type - wind noise, tyre noise, motor noise, exhaust noise all are above average. It sounds like they want to radically reposition themselves in the market, so I expect their lack of noise insulation is also being improved.

[Fredoops]

I have checked with my dealer - Honda / Subaru / Kia / Suzuki Franchise, they say you cant even drain the oil, at least they haven't found any drain plugs as yet.

The owners manual/logbook tells them to change ATF fluid every 60,000 miles under severe usage... So you have to be able to do it otherwise it won't be on the manual.

Tell the dealer people to read their workshop manual. again and if they STILL don't get it give them this:
See the link below, download the PDF "Auto_trans_fluid_service.pdf" (abotu 1/2 way down the page)it's the workshop manual for the 6spd auto tranny on the hyundai/kia platform. theres no dipstick to avoid contamination/oxidation.
http://www.hyundai-forums.com/t48206...ansmission.htm

It'll be interesting to see how many cars got ruined cause dealers don't know what they supposed to know.

The other problem I've found with Kia cars that I have driven is the lack of noise shielding of any type - wind noise, tyre noise, motor noise, exhaust noise all are above average. It sounds like they want to radically reposition themselves in the market, so I expect their lack of noise insulation is also being improved.

Engine is still nosier than the Euro (at least the CL9), but all Direct-inject engines are like that.

Ok back to topic anyone else had upgraded their sound system in the CU2?

[azn_k3nt]

upgraded? as in the speakers/subs and headunit? cbfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff i looked at it, too many speakers =="

just installed my k&n drop in filter for the cu2, its mintttttt =D fuel consumption kept dropping...now its about 7.2lt/100km

[WarrenM]

upgraded? as in the speakers/subs and headunit? cbfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff i looked at it, too many speakers =="

It isn't really that many speakers you need to replace - all you need to keep for great sound are a pair of front splits, centre front, and sub. If you have people regularly in the back, you may also want to put in replacement parcel shelf speakers. The big problem is that the head unit is equalised to try to compensate for the existing terrible speakers - replacing these speakers with good ones, and feeding them using the same signals, would be even worse than not replacing them at all. So you need a Digital Sound Processor which can pre-equalise back to normal (or completely replace the head unit which is a real bitch). Using a DSP which does automatic time alignment, such as the Alpine or JBL, means that you can get a sound system with a real stereo sound stage.