Kia (& Hyundai) have really come a long way in recent years. It's a big credit to their decision to nab Peter Schreyer from Audi. He has done wonders for them.
I had some experience with their economy car offerings: I had been driving Subarus (Legacy GT & Tribeca) for 15+ years. Well, my son wanted to buy my Subaru Legacy GT. He had a 2003 Hyundai Elantra GT at the time, so he gave it to me as partial trade for my Legacy.
I drove the Elantra for a while. It was an interesting mix of economy car w/ some nice touches, but it was definitely an economy car. I ended up selling it cheap to a friend who needed a commuter car.
My wife had an accident in our Tribeca in 2016, so I started looking for replacement possibilities. The Audi Q7 was a strong contender, but my kids were getting bigger. They didn't enjoy the 3rd row of the Tribeca, and the Audi Q7 wasn't really any bigger than my Tribeca inside, so it was time to step up to something bigger yet.
I had previously seen the Sorento and Santa Fe at the Atlanta Auto Show and was impressed with what they offered, but the Sedona was more spacious, so I went with a '16 Sedona SX. It's been a great family vehicle. The SX trim gave me a taste of all the luxury options Kia had to offer, and felt like a step up from a lot of other brands, so when it came time to get myself a commuter car, Kia was the first place to look.
The Optima wasn't quite enough - it looked and felt like mass-market transportation (and I see them everywhere - I didn't want to be just another Optima owner), whereas the Cadenza is a cut above. I don't see too many of them around, so there's a bit of exclusivity, and it has some nice luxury touches. In short, it was just what I wanted.
I was tempted by the '17 revision, but after the Stinger came out I read some articles saying they were bringing the twin-turbo 3.3 to the K900 and the Genesis line, so I was envisioning the Cadenza getting the same engine in the next revision.
So my logic was, if I go with an older Cadenza, it'll be easier to justify stepping up when it gets the turbo motor, while going with a newer Cadenza now would make it harder to justify a new one in a couple years.
When I found a '14 SX-L for a good price, I jumped on it.
), and added the new emblem stickers to the wheels. I'm looking for a way to mod the fog lights. I don't love the stock ones. Other than that I LOVE this vehicle! And other than a few small stubborn bubbles that showed in the applique I'm happy with the exterior mods. 
