My wife and I spent quite a few months test driving different SUV's. We seemed to be getting nowhere fast in our search for the SUV that would best suit our purpose. Those we had looked at were, Hyundia Santa Fe, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Saturn Vue and Mazda. We were unfamiliar with Kia and had not even had it on our list of trucks to drive. We saw one on the road and were immediately struck by it's somewhat unique and good looks. We went directly to a Kia dealership, test drove their demo and within 1/2 hour had purchased a new Sorento EX.

We were impressed by the quietness of the drive train and smoothness of ride. The interior was better laid out and all controls fell easily to hand. This was definitely well above the other vehicles we test drove. For me the big advantage was the Sorento was a true 4x4. Others offered partime or on demand 4x4 but none offered the option of selecting full 4 wheel drive. One of the big determining factors was it's 5,000lb towing capacity, unlike others that topped out at 2,500-3,000lbs.

We have had our Sorento for six months and my wifes love affair has not diminished. For the first time she actually looks for an excuse to go out and drive. The vehicle has proven absolutely trouble free (as it should at 6 months) and has preformed as anticipated.

The engine has a good power range with 200hp but a higher ratio final drive would improve the mph/1000rpm which would promote a bit better fuel mileage, which seems to be the vehicles only downfall. The on demand 4x4 is flawless. During winter driving the transfer to the front wheels is almost instantaneous when required promoting smooth acceleration in snow and ice conditions.

Handling is adequate, but that comes from someone who drives a BMW M3. Evasive maneauvers can be performed with relative safety, even at high speeds.

We have every option on our EX with the exception of leather seats which my wife did not want. The 10 speaker stereo system with CD and cassette capacity is even satisfactory for our audiophile kids. We will add a cd changer as it is a pain in the butt carrying lots of cd's up front.

The big downfall, fuel economy and high cost of insurance. It may not be any better or worse than other SUV's in it's class but it was quite a jolt to the pocket book after driving a Toyota Corolla.

All in all, dollar for dollar, we still feel confident that we got the best bang for the bucks with our Sorento.
Amount Paid (US$): 26,000.00
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: EX Automatic 4x4