Is Group 1 Kia Hub City a good dealership?
Most people judge a dealership by one number, the star rating on a map listing. A rating only opens the question. A good dealership is one whose record you can check, in order, before you drive in.
We are Group 1 Kia Hub City, the Kia store at 6006 19th Street in Lubbock, and below we run those checks on ourselves.
Keep reading below, then schedule a test drive in Lubbock. Bringing your own numbers to the lot settles this faster than any spec sheet.
Five checks that tell you if a dealership is good
Run these five checks before you visit any dealership: the rating and how many reviews sit behind it, whether reviewers name real staff, whether price and trade value are put in writing, what the service lane’s record says, and whether the lineup fits what you want to drive. A store that passes all five has earned your Saturday.
Each check asks for something you can see from your couch. Reviews are public. Staff names are in the reviews. Price and trade value are either shown or they are not.
| Check | What to look for | Where we answer it |
|---|---|---|
| Rating and review count | A high average across thousands of reviews, with most at five stars | Google, 2,045 reviews |
| Named staff | Reviewers who write down the name of the person who helped | Reviews from Scott H., Inge P., and Liz T. |
| Price and trade value | Numbers shown on a specific car, with your trade valued online | Online trade valuation and pre-approval |
| Service record | Repeat customers who return for oil changes, tires, and recalls | Service topics in our reviews |
| Lineup fit | The exact model and trim you came for, new or certified | The full Kia range on 19th Street |
Group 1 Kia Hub City is the Gene Messer Kia store on 19th Street
If you remember Gene Messer Kia, you already know this store. It is the same address, 6006 19th Street, now under the Group 1 name. Group 1 Automotive is one of the largest automotive retailers in the US and UK.
Plenty of third-party listings still read Gene Messer Kia, and one reviewer in August 2026 still wrote about “great people at Gene Messer.” If you search the old name, you will land on the same lot. We won’t waste your time decoding the details.
Google gives us 4.5 stars across 2,045 reviews
Our Google rating is 4.5 stars across 2,045 reviews, and 1,659 of them are five-star, about 81% (as of 2026-09-17). That is a deep record, and most of it is perfect marks.
A rating that high on a count that large is hard to produce with a handful of friendly customers. It takes thousands of separate visits ending well. We are Kia’s sole franchise in Lubbock, so there is no second Kia store in town to weigh us against. What you are weighing is which Kia you want and whether this is the place you want to buy it and service it.
Kind staff is the topic our reviewers raise most
Google counts the subjects reviewers volunteer. Kind staff leads at 67 mentions, and oil changes come second at 46. No-pressure selling, appointment scheduling, and tire rotation fill out the list.
| Topic reviewers raise | Mentions on Google |
|---|---|
| Kind staff | 67 |
| Oil change | 46 |
| No pressure sales | 24 |
| Appointment scheduling | 15 |
| Tire rotation | 13 |
Nobody asked these customers to write about staff. They did it on their own. In a July 2026 Google review, Kaycee R. wrote the line that sums up that count: “The staff is very nice and extremely helpful. Best experience with a dealership ever.”
Buyers name the salespeople who handled the paperwork
A name in a review is the hardest proof a dealership can earn, because anyone can check it. In a June 2026 Google review, Inge P. wrote: “He explained the process and provided great support by handling everything from Taxes to Title and Insurance as well as License plates to make my new used car ready to drive home.”
That is the work we mean when we say we guide and do not push. Texas charges 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on the sales price, minus any trade-in allowance (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, 2026). Someone should walk you through that line before you sign, and our reviewers say someone did.
In an August 2026 Google review, Liz T. described a second purchase with us: “we got approved, signed everything, and were out the door”. She had already done this once with us and came back.
We put the price and your trade value in writing
You see pricing and terms on a specific vehicle, and you value your trade online. We sell at market pricing, with no haggling theater and no hidden fees. We do not claim to be the discount store.
Trade value is where buyers get surprised. In July 2025, 28.2% of trade-ins involved negative equity (Edmunds, 2025). A plain number up front is how you find that out before you are standing at a desk.
In a July 2026 Google review, Scott H. wrote that “By the end of the visit, I was confident that I was getting a fair deal which had not been my experience with a previous dealership in Dallas.” A fair deal is one you can explain to someone else afterward.
You can also do most of the work from home. 63% of recent buyers said blending online and in-dealership steps is the ideal way to buy (Cox Automotive, 2026). That is how we run it: shop, value your trade, and get pre-approved online, then finish on 19th Street with those steps already done.
Service reviews cover oil changes, tires, and scheduling
A dealership you buy from is a dealership you will see again. Dealerships wrote more than 276 million repair orders in 2025 (NADA Data, 2025), so the service drive is where most of the relationship happens.
Ours is on site. It handles oil changes, tire rotations, warranty work, and recall work, with ASE-certified technicians and genuine parts. Those subjects sit near the top of what reviewers raise, right behind kind staff.
Ask any service department two things before you trust it. Who will you talk to, and how will they keep you updated? Our reviewers answer both with names, and you will meet two of them in the section on how we work.
We sell and service Kia only, and the full lineup is here
Kia is the brand on our lot, so everyone here knows one lineup cold. That runs from the K4 and K5 sedans through the Seltos, Sportage, Sorento, and Telluride, the Carnival, and the EV3, EV6, EV9, and Niro EV. New, used, and certified pre-owned inventory all sit in one store.
The lineup has outside proof. Five Kia models carry the IIHS 2026 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award (IIHS, 2026). In the 2026 Initial Quality Study, the Carnival ranked highest in the minivan segment and the K4 ranked highest in the compact car segment (J.D. Power, 2026).
If you want a certified car, Kia sets the bar. A Certified Pre-Owned Kia must be less than 6 years old with 80,000 miles or fewer, and it passes a 165-point inspection by a factory-trained technician (Kia America, 2026). If you want another maker, you will shop elsewhere. If you want a Kia, you can see all of them in one visit.
A good dealership holds up when you check it
You came asking whether a single rating makes a dealership good. It does not, and the five checks above are why: a deep record, named staff, plain price and trade value, a service lane customers return to, and the lineup you want. Lubbock has one Kia franchise, so the question left for you is which Kia, and whether our way of selling and servicing it suits you.
We built our process around those checks. The next section shows how it runs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Group 1 Kia Hub City the same as Gene Messer Kia?
Yes. Gene Messer Kia was the name of the store at 6006 19th Street before it took the Group 1 name, and the address is the same. Some third-party listings still carry the old name.
Is Group 1 Kia Hub City the only Kia dealer in Lubbock?
Kia operates one franchise in Lubbock, and this is it. Buyers in Wolfforth, Shallowater, Slaton, Levelland, and Plainview drive to the same 19th Street store.
What do reviewers say about the salespeople?
They name them. In July 2026, Scott H. credited Ryan and Adam, and in August 2026, Liz T. credited Joe, each in a Google review. Kind staff is the most common topic across our Google reviews at 67 mentions.
Can I get pre-approved before I visit?
Yes. You can value a trade and get a fast online pre-approval before you step into the store. Then you pick a vehicle, see pricing and terms on that specific unit, and finish in store.
Does Group 1 Kia Hub City sell certified pre-owned Kias?
Yes. We sell new, used, and certified pre-owned Kia vehicles. A certified Kia must be under 6 years old with 80,000 miles or fewer and pass a 165-point inspection.
Does Group 1 Kia Hub City handle service and warranty work?
Yes. Our service and parts departments are on site and handle oil changes, tire rotations, warranty work, and recall work. Reviewers raise oil changes second most often, behind kind staff.
Does Group 1 Kia Hub City sell any brand besides Kia?
No. We sell and service Kia only. If you want to cross-shop another maker, you will need to visit a different store.
How Group 1 Kia Hub City takes you from online pre-approval to keys in 5 steps
The checks above only matter if the buying process keeps the promise they test. Ours runs in five steps: browse new, used, and certified Kia inventory, value your trade and get pre-approved online, choose a vehicle with pricing and terms on that unit, complete the purchase in store, and come back for service, parts, warranty, and recall work.
Our customers describe that last step best. In a July 2026 Google review, Elsa G. wrote: “KIA Lubbock has always been my number one place to go for auto service. I’ve been going there for over 10 years.” In an August 2026 Google review, Christina G. wrote: “Kyle showed a level of customer service that goes above and beyond what I expected.”
We guide and do not sell. Everything on this page is something you can check before you visit, and we would like you to.
Group 1 Kia Hub City gives you a record you can check before you drive in, and the 19th Street store is where you finish the check. Value a trade and get pre-approved online first, then come see the Kia you picked.
Group 1 Kia Hub City answers this question against the specific vehicle in front of you rather than the model in general. Value your trade and get pre-approved online, then see us at our Lubbock showroom, or call (844) 402-3025.
Disclaimer: Vehicle features, specifications, pricing, options, and availability may vary based on production timelines and dealership inventory; images are for illustrative purposes only. Starting MSRP figures are national and exclude destination freight charges, tax, title, license, and dealer fees. Standard and available equipment varies by trim, configuration, and model year; confirm the specification of the individual vehicle before purchase. Maximum towing and payload ratings depend on cab, bed, drivetrain, and equipment configuration; see the vehicle’s Owner’s Manual and trailering guide for limits. Electric range and charging times vary with battery, configuration, temperature, terrain, load, and driving habits. Safety or driver assistance features are no substitute for the driver’s responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. Financing and pre-approval are subject to credit approval. Contact Group 1 Kia Hub City for complete details regarding current vehicle inventory, pricing, and equipment.
