Kia Sorento test Drive

-THE LOOKS.

I think the new Sorento looks fine. But a bit more generic than the previous version was when it came out.
Sure, next to a toyota Highlander, it looks fantastic.

I guess they just went a little bit conservative on this one.
Especially when compared to the really good looking new Sportage.

-INSIDE.

The interior is very well put together. It looks good, if a bit generic.
But most of the plastics are pretty hard to the touch.
Which would be OK on the base model, but my loaded SX AWD model was almost $36 000.

The seats are comfortable and roomy. Although access to the 3rd row wasn’t very easy, and it is pretty small once back there.
I guess this is where you would put the smallest members of the family.
And they would end up really close to the rear hatch. Not where I would want to keep small kids.
And, like most 7 seater crossovers, you have to make a choice between people or stuff.
Once all the seats are full, there is almost no room left in the trunk.

The stereo sounded very good. But again, the iPod has to be exposed when plugged in.

-THE DRIVE.

-Ride.

The ride, in my opinion, is the biggest problem of the car.
Instead of feeling sporty, it ends up feeling a bit too harsh. Almost all the time.
Unless the road is perfect.

I don’t mind a sporty ride, like the one in the Sportage. But this goes along more like a luxury car.
So the roughness really doesn’t belong here.

-Steering.
the steering is the usual “light and accurate”.
It has less of a Nintendo feel than the one in the Sportage. And it is just fine for family duty.

-Engine.
The 3.5 Liter V6 is amazingly smooth and quiet.
And there is always plenty of power.
It matches the best from anywhere.

The V6 AWD is rated at 19 City and 25 Hwy.

While I got about 16 to 17 only in the city ( the average for the class), I was able to achieve about 27 on the freeway.
Not great, but pretty much was everything else is getting.

-SO???

The new Sorento is a fine SUV.
And a big success for Kia. They just sold over 100 000 this year.

Comparing it to the competition, a similar Highlander is about $1000 more. Which isn’t a big difference.
But an EX V6 model with everything is about $33 000.
I would actually choose a loaded EX instead of the SX I tested.

And the cheaper 2.4 Liter version might also just be fine for many people.

Even though my favorite in the class is still the Mazda CX-9, I think the Sorento should be on the shopping list of anyone looking for a family SUV. And it can be cheaper than the Mazda.

The Sorento is also made in the US. Which, I think, is always a good thing.