Why is Group 1 Kia Hub City rated 4.5 stars on Google?
We are rated 4.5 stars on Google because 1,659 of our 2,045 reviews are five-star, about 81%, and Lubbock buyers write them about the people who helped them (Google, 2026). For a Lubbock buyer who wants a Kia, Group 1 Kia Hub City on 19th Street is the decision, and the reviews show why.
We were Gene Messer Kia before we took the Group 1 name, and much of the listing record still carries the old one. A 4.5 tells you how we treat people, and the Kia still has to fit your week in Lubbock.
Keep reading below, then schedule a test drive in Lubbock. Bringing your own numbers to the lot settles this faster than any spec sheet.
A 17.5-minute Lubbock commute is where a Kia earns its keep
A buyer with a short daily drive in Lubbock should start with the K4 and the Sportage Hybrid, and the reviews show we help people sort that out. The mean travel time to work in Lubbock city is 17.5 minutes, below the 19.3 minutes for the Lubbock metro area as a whole (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). That is a drive measured in stop lights and school zones, with few highway miles.
On that kind of drive, the price at the start and the fuel at the pump decide most of the cost. Kia lists the K4 at a starting MSRP of $22,290 for the LX and $28,390 for the GT-Line Turbo, so the sedan covers a wide range of budgets inside one model. The Sportage Hybrid with front-wheel drive carries an EPA rating of 42 combined mpg. The gas Sportage with front-wheel drive carries 28 combined. A buyer who drives 17.5 minutes to work every weekday sees that gap at the pump every week.
The Sportage is also the Kia Lubbock buyers pick most often nationwide. It was Kia’s best-selling US nameplate in 2025 at 182,823 units, up 13 percent from 161,917 in 2024, which Kia describes as the all-time best annual performance by a Kia model (Kia America Newsroom, 2025). Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and gas versions all sit under one name, so a commuter has real choices to weigh.
This is where the stars come from. Reviewers name the salespeople who sat down with them, and they name the service advisors who kept them posted. A commuter does not need a lecture on drivetrains. A commuter needs someone to match 17.5 minutes a day to the right Kia and the right fuel rating, and that is the conversation our reviewers describe.
Lubbock families get seven or eight seats from Telluride, Carnival and Sorento
A Lubbock family of seven or eight should start with the Telluride or the Carnival, and a family of six or seven should add the Sorento. Seats decide the question before anything else, because a vehicle that cannot carry everyone fails on the first trip. Kia’s LX trims show how far apart these models sit.
The Telluride LX seats eight. The Carnival LX and the Sorento LX each seat seven. The Sportage LX seats five, which suits a smaller household and a lower price.
| Model (LX trim) | Starting MSRP | Seats | Max towing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Sportage LX | $28,990 | 5 seats | 2,500 lbs |
| Kia Sorento LX | $32,390 | 7 seats | 2,000 lbs |
| Kia Carnival LX | $37,490 | 7 seats | 3,500 lbs |
| Kia Telluride LX | $39,190 | 8 seats | 5,000 lbs |
Every figure comes from Kia’s 2026 model data. The MSRPs are Kia’s suggested starting prices before destination freight, tax, title, license and dealer fees.
Safety counts for a family too. Five Kia models carry the IIHS 2026 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award: the K4 4-door sedan, the Sportage 4-door SUV built after May 2025, the Sorento 4-door SUV built after September 2025, the EV9 4-door SUV, and the 2027 Telluride 4-door SUV built after June 2026 (IIHS, 2026). A family can read that list and see the Sportage, Sorento and Telluride all on it, so the choice among them can turn on seats and budget.
The rating we hold at 4.5 matters here because a family is the buyer most likely to be sold more than it needs. Our reviewers describe the opposite. Cayden C. wrote that a salesman was patient and not pushy during a Sorento purchase, and that is the experience a family wants when seating and towing both have to add up.
A Lubbock weekend trailer has to stay under the Kia’s towing rating
A Lubbock buyer who pulls a trailer on weekends should shop by towing rating first, and the Telluride is the Kia built for it at 5,000 lbs. The rating is the limit for the loaded trailer, and it is not a target. A buyer who stays under it keeps the vehicle inside what Kia designed it to do.
The spread across the lineup is wide. The Sportage LX tows up to 2,500 lbs. The Sorento LX is rated at 2,000 lbs, and the Sorento EX and X-Line trims rise to 3,500 lbs, with the X-Pro SX Prestige AWD reaching 4,500 lbs. The Carnival LX is rated at 3,500 lbs, while the Carnival Hybrid drops to 2,500 lbs. The Telluride holds 5,000 lbs on every trim Kia lists.
That means two buyers who both say they want a three-row Kia can land on different answers. A family with a small utility trailer can stay under 2,500 lbs and choose on seats and fuel. A family with a larger trailer needs the 3,500 lbs of the gas Carnival or the 5,000 lbs of the Telluride, and should confirm the number for the exact trim on the exact vehicle before buying.
This is a place where a patient salesperson earns stars. A towing question has a right answer on paper, and the reviews say our people take the time to find it with the buyer. A buyer in Lubbock who tows should ask for the rating on the specific trim and expect a straight answer.
In Lubbock a Kia costs its MSRP plus 6.25% tax and county fees
A Lubbock buyer should plan on the Kia’s MSRP plus Texas sales tax plus a $10.00 county fee at registration. Kia’s suggested starting prices run from $22,290 for the K4 LX to $39,190 for the Telluride LX, with the Carnival LX at $37,490 and the Sorento LX at $32,390. The electric EV3 Light starts at $29,890. These are the manufacturer’s suggested prices, and they leave out destination freight, tax, title, license and dealer fees.
Texas motor vehicle sales tax is 6.25 percent of the sales price, minus any trade-in allowance (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, 2026). The trade-in allowance matters because it lowers the amount that gets taxed. A buyer with a vehicle to trade should ask how the allowance appears on the paperwork.
Registration adds a county layer. Lubbock County adds $10.00 in local fees at vehicle registration under the TxDMV fee chart effective January 1, 2026, the most common county local fee in Texas, where the statewide range runs from $0.00 to the $21.50 charged in Bexar and Cameron counties (Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, 2026). A Lubbock buyer pays at the low end of that range.
We bring this up because a rating of 4.5 is partly a rating of whether the numbers made sense to the buyer. Reviewers who write about a purchase tend to write about knowing what they were signing. A buyer who arrives knowing the MSRP, the 6.25 percent and the $10.00 can follow every line on the paperwork, and that is the buyer who leaves a good review.
We offer Lubbock Kia buyers pre-approval, service booking, loaners and parts
Our part in the decision is the work around the sale, and it is the part that keeps the stars coming back. We run an online pre-approval check, so a Lubbock buyer can settle the financing question before driving to 19th Street. The link goes to acceleride.genemesserkia.com.
After the purchase, our service department handles oil changes, tire service, battery service and brake repair. Service can be scheduled online, in person or by phone, and our site has a scheduling page for it. A shuttle service and loaners are available if needed, so a Lubbock owner whose Kia is in for repair does not have to rearrange the week. Our parts department offers rotating parts specials, which gives owners a reason to check in between visits.
Owners describe that care in their own words. Latoya J. left a Google review of us in October 2026: “My experience with GeneMesser KIA is always wonderful. Mr.John always takes good care of my needs. The team there is nothing but awesome!”
In a September 2026 Google review of Group 1 Kia Hub City, Traci G. wrote: “I’m never disappointed with Kia. They always take care of me. They make the process easy by using text to allow you to choose extra services or not, let you know when it’s ready & answer any questions you may have.”
A September 2026 Google review of Group 1 Kia Hub City from Jenny B. reads: “Thank you so much to Ryan Martinez for helping my husband and I with our new 2025 telluride S!!! We love it! You were so fast respectful and helpful we will for sure keep you in mind for our next visit ☺️”
Those three reviews cover a long-time owner, a service customer and a Telluride buyer. They sit inside the 1,659 five-star ratings that hold our average at 4.5, and they are the reason a Lubbock buyer can read the number as a description of real visits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Group 1 Kia Hub City the same store as Gene Messer Kia?
Yes. The Gene Messer Kia store on 19th Street is now Group 1 Kia Hub City, at the same address. Much of the listing record still carries the old name, so a Lubbock buyer searching for Gene Messer Kia lands on us.
Where is Group 1 Kia Hub City in Lubbock?
We are at 6006 19th Street, on the west side of Lubbock. Sales, parts, financing and service all sit at that one address, so a buyer can handle the purchase and later visits in one place.
Does Group 1 Kia Hub City sell certified pre-owned Kia vehicles?
Yes, alongside new and used Kia vehicles. To qualify as Kia Certified Pre-Owned, a vehicle must be less than 6 years old and have up to or fewer than 80,000 miles. It must also pass a 165-point quality assurance inspection carried out by a Kia factory trained dealer technician, with a Carfax Vehicle History Report run as part of that inspection (Kia Certified Pre-Owned Benefits, 2026).
Which Kia electric models can a Lubbock buyer choose from?
Our lineup includes the EV3, EV6, EV9 and Niro EV. Kia lists starting MSRPs of $29,890 for the EV3 Light, $37,900 for the EV6 Light and $54,900 for the EV9 Light RWD. The Niro EV carries an EPA certification of 253.0 miles of electric range.
Which Kia SUVs come as hybrids?
The Sportage and the Sorento both come as hybrids. The Sportage Hybrid with front-wheel drive carries an EPA rating of 42 combined mpg, and the Sorento Hybrid with front-wheel drive carries 37 combined. The Niro is a hybrid as well, rated 49 combined mpg in its base form.
What warranty comes with a new Kia?
Kia lists a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty across the models in our lineup. For a Lubbock owner who keeps a Kia for years, the powertrain term covers the longest stretch of ownership.
Group 1 Kia Hub City earns 4.5 stars fitting Kia to Lubbock buyers
The commuter with a 17.5-minute drive should look first at the K4 and the Sportage Hybrid, and the family that needs seven or eight seats should look at the Carnival, Sorento and Telluride. The buyer who tows should read the rating on the exact trim before signing. Each of those choices is easier with a team that listens before it sells, and that is what our reviewers describe week after week. For the Lubbock buyer who wants a Kia, we are the place to make the decision, and the 4.5 is the record of how we treat the people who do.
Group 1 Kia Hub City is the Lubbock Kia store behind the 4.5 stars
We are the 19th Street store in west Lubbock that sells new, used and certified pre-owned Kia vehicles and runs service, parts and financing on site. We hold 4.5 stars across 2,045 Google reviews (Google, 2026). We are part of Group 1 Automotive, which posted record full-year revenue of $22.6 billion, up 13.2%, and sold 459,000 new and used vehicles, a company record (Group 1 Automotive, 2026).
Cayden C. wrote in a May 2026 Google review of Group 1 Kia Hub City: “Andy Agard was very helpful and patient in our situation purchasing a Sorento. He was not pushy like most Saleman definitely recommend Andy and KIA.” A Lubbock buyer who chooses us gets a patient conversation, a Kia matched to the week ahead, and a team that stays with the car after the sale.
Group 1 Kia Hub City has new Kia vehicles in stock for Lubbock buyers, and you can see our current inventory online.
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.
