Car Reviews
Kia’s K4 Hatchback – ROAMIN’ HOLIDAY
Kia’s K4 Hatchback
ROAMIN’ HOLIDAY
I enjoy the road trip, but a road trip requires money and time – and at this lifestage both are in short supply. A chance, however, to use a Kia K4 Hatchback on a roundtrip from Northern Virginia to Clearwater, Florida – via Chattanooga going down, and Savannah, Charleston and North Carolina’s Outer Banks on the return – presented a rare opp to enjoy new zip codes and see just how accommodating $30K of Korean hatch could be.
As noted in last week’s overview of Kia’s K4 Hatchback, instead of a car-based SUV Kia has provided a car-based car…with, of course, a 5th door (hatch) instead of a more conventional trunk. With its K4, the end result is a design better unified than the sedan counterpart, along with a shorter overall length that provides heightened tossability. But that shouldn’t be confused with disposability.
For more granular details, see the K4 Hatchback review posted earlier at txGarage.com. With two available powertrains, and a price range between the mid-$20s and low-$30s, the K4 Hatchback is accessible in a way few cars – and even fewer crossovers – are. And while not a hybrid, we saw 34 miles per gallon while driving at moderate speeds on state highways between Savannah and Charleston, and you could expect the same.
Our trip began with 8+ hours of driving from the DC area (roughly 30 minutes SW of downtown DC) to Chattanooga, where we had a dinner date with my Tennessee-based cousin Paula and her husband Bill. I knew little of Chattanooga beyond Volkswagen having an assembly plant there, but it offers scenic beauty, an energetic vibe, and one of the nicest Mexican restaurants we’ve come across: Taqueria Jacisco Ania. Admittedly, it’s tag is hard to pronounce – but the food was great, service wonderful and of-this-century vibe perfect. We could have stayed longer and, on some level, should have stayed longer. Instead, we’ll go back.
Another eight hours on the following day got us to Clearwater, Florida. My wife’s sister Kay and her husband Tony have a 10th floor condo on the beach, and the view from their deck is amazing. Tony is a retired Dallas restauranteur – you may remember Papillon or Farfallo – and still likes to ply his guests with food and drink. (And since Tony’s retired, rather than present you with a check he lets you run a tab…) Again, we could have stayed longer. And again, we’ll go back.
The return home, via Charleston for lunch at Poogan’s Porch (again, busy!) landed us in Savannah on the first night. The bed was provided by the Fairfield Inn, a Marriott property less than a ½-mile from the river. And dinner – not coincidentally – was at the River House. Although tough to get a table – even on a Tuesday – it was well worth the wait. The dinner (a pecan-enhanced salmon with sweet potato) was everything you might have hoped, service was again excellent…and I think we charged the bill to Tony!
There’s something undeniably compelling when you juxtapose old architecture with an established riverfront. In walking beside the waterway you’ve essentially left this century along with the previous century. It’s time travel you can actually buy into without the Netflix/Outlander subscription. And the following morning there are two downtown Starbucks locations, one of which opens at 5:00.
Wednesday took us up the coast to Myrtle Beach. And if you play miniature golf or simply like a t-shirt shop, than Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is your zip code. Our hotel, The Shelby, put us right on the beach, and while our one-night stay (and a wind chill) precluded time at the pool, it looked like just the place to chill…if, of course, the wind chill allows you to chill. The room was great, and the following morning’s breakfast was better fare than you might expect from a mid-priced hotel. The only downside: Mr. Shelby hadn’t signed the headboard…
The next night – are you seeing a pattern here? – took us to North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where Tina had taken a gamble on the First Colony Inn at Hags Head. Her gamble paid off, as we found the ‘vintage’ property charming, and not too different from its early ‘30s origins. (Were it not for the 3rd floor location of our room, FDR might have slept there!).
History is just down the road at the Wright Visitor Center. And while I’ve known the brothers’ story, seeing the actual site where man took his first powered flight is memorable. As is noted in the center’s presentation, Wilbur and Orville’s success built on the work of earlier experiments, but theirs was the first powered flight, and in its time was as amazing as anything – and everything! – done in the last century. The area is justifiably proud of its contribution, and the Wright Visitors Center is well worth a visit.
On Friday we returned to Northern Virginia, with the Kia’s odometer showing roughly 1,800 miles of driving, and none of it fatiguing. Volkswagen’s GTI is arguably more fun to drive, but probably less fun to own. If looking for roughly the same experience with a higher hip point, Kia will sell you the Seltos. And if looking for hybrid efficiency, those same friendly folks will sell you the Kia Niro.
If, however, you’re looking for a fun, comfortable way for two people to go down the road, the K4 Hatchback is hard to beat. And at just over $30K, it probably can’t be beat.
