I have put money down on a Kia Niro and hope to take delivery next week. In the "estimated price" which would include WA state sales taxes and the infamous documentation fee, there is a line item, and I don't have that paperwork in front of me, but it's something along the lines of an insurance identification package. It cots $399. Documentation fee is $150. When we asked what that charge was for, he explained that they would put the VIN in the windshield and on just about every part imaginable. Maybe some extra stickers that say "Car is Protected by XYZ" or something. It is supposed to deter theft and aide in the recovery process if the vehicle were stolen and would be rewarded with car insurance discounts galore. Since we weren't signing anything other than a deposit check, I didn't think too much about it, but later I wondered if they were just softening me up for the underbody coatings and Scotch Guarded seats. The little bit I could turn up about it says that it's probably just VIN etching and that if you really want that done, you can do it yourself with a $20 etching kit. Or I'm sure you could have something similar done at a car stereo or window tinting place for a lot less. If it's what I think it is AARP even says it's a rip-off. Many identified the cost as being in this $300 to $400 range. The last new car I bought was a 1987 Subaru which offset the earlier poor choices of 1984 Dodge Caravan and 1985 Ford Windstar and allowed me to break the must-trade-it-in cycle. I do clearly remember the many things that are thrown at you as "must have" extras that "everybody buys". I'm pretty good at saying No, but are there any that have merit? Which dealership option will require the stiffest upper lip?
The only extra to consider is an extended warranty. It is negotiable and can cover the entire car for ten years. However, depending on how long you think you will have the car, you may not need this either as Kia already has a pretty strong warranty.
The biggest additional cost item we took on was the extended coverage (note this is not the same thing as a warranty - Kia has an excellent warranty, it doesn't take care of the things I seem to do to all my vehicles i.e find a nail/screw with a tire or fix a chip in the windshield from a rock). Within the first two weeks of ownership, I used the extended coverage for a complete replacement of the windshield because some road debris cracked it beyond repair. At over $850 in parts, service and calibration that section of the extended coverage has already paid for itself and then some. Ultimately I hope I wasted money and never put the other parts to use (honestly though, I know me and it is a matter of time till I use the tire portion as well as I seem to attract nails/screws - but the extended coverage is there when I do find one).
