Wheels that were worth the wait

Cameron Kenalty is “pretty into cars.” The 43-year-old’s social media pages are splashed with photos of sleek, dreamy models and shiny vintage classics, all pointing to a blog he proudly writes and runs titled Redline North.

It was in the fall of last year that the marketing professional, husband and father of two began to look for his next set of wheels. The family’s Nissan Pathfinder had served them well for six years, but as winter approached so did a desire to step into something solid, sturdy and new.

With a constant eye on the world’s latest and greatest automobiles, and so many options to decide from, he opted for the 2021 Kia Telluride EX (the Telluride recently won Best Large Utility Vehicle in Canada for 2021). Kenalty tells us why he loves his new vehicle:

“No kidding, just yesterday someone came up to me at the bank and wanted to talk about the car,” Kenalty said of his Telluride, which he purchased at Toronto Kia on Danforth Avenue. “The craziest part is that we ordered the car in November and finally just got it a couple of weeks ago — we waited 82 days — that speaks to how in-demand it really is.

“I had never thought of purchasing a Kia, but in the last few years they’ve been coming out with some excellent vehicles and there was so much buzz around the Telluride. My wife and I had to check it out and give it a test drive. Beyond the fact that it was really quiet, and overall had a nice drive and design, what it really came down to was the money. First off, with vehicles of this equivalent size and level you’re probably looking at $7,000 to $10,000 more on the price tag. But what’s really notable is the warranty: with the Kia Telluride you’ve got a five-year warranty where everyone else is offering three to four years. When you add that up alongside the beautiful design and features and all the car’s awards, it’s an incredible value for what you’re getting.

“Like everyone else we’re driving a little bit less these days and trying to save where we can — cars are my passion and we actually previously had three but decided it was time to go with one. We have a three- and five-year-old and will mostly use the Kia to cart them around. There are two great big car seats in the back and a really fun intercom system that allows you to talk to your passengers in the third row, play music or even mute certain sections of the car if someone’s sleeping,” Kenalty said. “We still haven’t even gone 1000 km yet. But we can’t wait to get moving.”