1SICKReview= 2005 Kia Sorento
03-23-05, 02:27 PM
#1
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1SICKReview= 2005 Kia Sorento
I know, a Kia? Well MMarshall has told many here the Koreans are for real and totally different than they were 10 years ago. I have a good friend who's wife works for Kia so they get all the new ones. We hung out Monday and he pulled up in a new Sorento. My first thoughts "Holy RX rip-off". 
So that means a good thing, it is a good looking SUV. I walk around and everything seems well put together, I touch and it feels good, not obvious cheap. So I step inside
Again, the wood split in the console reminds me of the RX. That is all though. Its actually pretty well built inside. The plastics are pretty doggone decent. The colors matched well. The fake wood is what kills the mood. And the plastic on the lower doors is pretty cheap. Otherwise, very surprising
So to drive it, well, in all honestly, unless you have had a smooth Toyota or Honda, this SUV is perfect for most people. A very surprising drive. I say 0-60 around 9 seconds but it felt peppy. It turned well and never felt clumsy. I did find bumps and road irregularities were felt more than usual but nothing bad at all. The radio was decent and A/C/Heat worked well.
The cargo room is decent, its not a very large SUV but has space for most people with the rear seats dropped.
I came away shocked this was a Kia. Shocked. If you had me blindfolded, it could have been a Japanese SUV. Amazing and Kudos to Kia (now the 6th largest importer here of vehicles).
I didn't have my camera for pics so I took some from other sites.
192hp
217 lbs torque at 3k rpm
About the size of the RX 300, 180in long, 106 in wheelbase.
So that means a good thing, it is a good looking SUV. I walk around and everything seems well put together, I touch and it feels good, not obvious cheap. So I step inside
Again, the wood split in the console reminds me of the RX. That is all though. Its actually pretty well built inside. The plastics are pretty doggone decent. The colors matched well. The fake wood is what kills the mood. And the plastic on the lower doors is pretty cheap. Otherwise, very surprising
So to drive it, well, in all honestly, unless you have had a smooth Toyota or Honda, this SUV is perfect for most people. A very surprising drive. I say 0-60 around 9 seconds but it felt peppy. It turned well and never felt clumsy. I did find bumps and road irregularities were felt more than usual but nothing bad at all. The radio was decent and A/C/Heat worked well.
The cargo room is decent, its not a very large SUV but has space for most people with the rear seats dropped.
I came away shocked this was a Kia. Shocked. If you had me blindfolded, it could have been a Japanese SUV. Amazing and Kudos to Kia (now the 6th largest importer here of vehicles).
I didn't have my camera for pics so I took some from other sites.
192hp
217 lbs torque at 3k rpm
About the size of the RX 300, 180in long, 106 in wheelbase.
03-23-05, 05:20 PM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by magneto112
Alright!! K-Mart is moving up on in the world!! 
I won't add much to Mike's write-up...he's covered it pretty well. The average Hyundai and Kia product, quality-wise, today is very difficult to tell from the better Japanese makes. Perhaps their only remaining weakness is that a lot of Korean engines are still a little weak in the torque department.
My pastor, by the way, just bought a new FWD automatic Santa Fe...he LOVES it. Took it home for less than $16,000.
Last edited by mmarshall; 03-23-05 at 05:29 PM.
03-23-05, 08:05 PM
#5
Lexus Test Driver
Kia Sorento is not bad after I saw the cheap interior in the $40-50K GM SUVs and trucks in the auto show. Sorento starts as low as $22K. When is GM going to wake up and put some quality materials in their $30K+ vehicle?
03-23-05, 10:43 PM
#6
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
Forget K-Mart. Kia is now somewhere between Hecht's and Bloomingdales....not quite at Macy's level, but headed there.
I won't add much to Mike's write-up...he's covered it pretty well. The average Hyundai and Kia product, quality-wise, today is very difficult to tell from the better Japanese makes. Perhaps their only remaining weakness is that a lot of Korean engines are still a little weak in the torque department.
My pastor, by the way, just bought a new FWD automatic Santa Fe...he LOVES it. Took it home for less than $16,000.
I won't add much to Mike's write-up...he's covered it pretty well. The average Hyundai and Kia product, quality-wise, today is very difficult to tell from the better Japanese makes. Perhaps their only remaining weakness is that a lot of Korean engines are still a little weak in the torque department.
My pastor, by the way, just bought a new FWD automatic Santa Fe...he LOVES it. Took it home for less than $16,000.
Mmarshall, I think he means K-Mart as in Kia-Mart.
I just bought the Consumer Reports for 2005 cars today in the airport and it had some good reads. I agree, can't wait til the Koreans get more wide spread respect from the rest of the world.
James
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03-24-05, 02:05 PM
#8
Lexus Connoisseur
Originally Posted by magneto112
Alright!! K-Mart is moving up on in the world!!
03-24-05, 02:16 PM
#9
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
Forget K-Mart. Kia is now somewhere between Hecht's and Bloomingdales....not quite at Macy's level, but headed there.
I won't add much to Mike's write-up...he's covered it pretty well. The average Hyundai and Kia product, quality-wise, today is very difficult to tell from the better Japanese makes. Perhaps their only remaining weakness is that a lot of Korean engines are still a little weak in the torque department.
My pastor, by the way, just bought a new FWD automatic Santa Fe...he LOVES it. Took it home for less than $16,000.
I won't add much to Mike's write-up...he's covered it pretty well. The average Hyundai and Kia product, quality-wise, today is very difficult to tell from the better Japanese makes. Perhaps their only remaining weakness is that a lot of Korean engines are still a little weak in the torque department.
My pastor, by the way, just bought a new FWD automatic Santa Fe...he LOVES it. Took it home for less than $16,000.
His wife would know, she probably drives one ...
All jokes aside - I'm not very impressed with the Sorento. I say save another 3-7 grand and get a Subaru Forester or even an Infiniti FX or something. If you "can't" save 3 grand - then you don't need to be buying a 25 thousand dollar SUV that rumbles along at 13 mpg.
M.
03-25-05, 04:16 AM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by whipimpin
Please - that 3.5 liter eats gas like a hungry big-rig driver downing insta-nuke burritos at the truck stop.
His wife would know, she probably drives one ...
All jokes aside - I'm not very impressed with the Sorento. I say save another 3-7 grand and get a Subaru Forester or even an Infiniti FX or something. If you "can't" save 3 grand - then you don't need to be buying a 25 thousand dollar SUV that rumbles along at 13 mpg.
M.
His wife would know, she probably drives one ...
All jokes aside - I'm not very impressed with the Sorento. I say save another 3-7 grand and get a Subaru Forester or even an Infiniti FX or something. If you "can't" save 3 grand - then you don't need to be buying a 25 thousand dollar SUV that rumbles along at 13 mpg.
M.
But you won't have to save much...if any. Foresters start at 21K for base-engine versions with stamped-steel wheels...a good deal as an inexpensive snow machine where you don't want expensive wheels to get f- - - ed up by road debris. Upmarket L.L Bean and Turbo Foresters run 26-28K. Hyundai's and Kia's warranty, however, is almost twice what Subaru's is......10/100 and 5/60 versus 5/60 and 3/36.
The Infiniti FX......particularly the 45......is not in the same class as the Sorento or Forester. You cannot compare them. I'm not sure that either the FX35 or 45 are really worth what they cost.
You will have to pay a lot more for one than just 5-7K extra. They have a jarring ride....especially the 45 with its lower-profile tires and stiffer suspension, and the interior IMO is not up to luxury-SUV standards.
Still, though.......it's hard to beat the Koreans for value. The Sorento has quite an interior for 25K and, while not quite to Lexus standards, is pretty well-built. You say you are not impressed with it......your opinion noted.......but you may be selling it a little short.
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