Comments on: Kia Sorento Review http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/ Code, love, life, peace and dogs! Thu, 8 Jan 2009 19:19:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: richard ramsey http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-323471 richard ramsey Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:05:58 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-323471 2007 Kia Sorento LX...second Kia, traded in a 2006 Spectra EX only because my wife needed more room for hauling stuff with a home based business. Bought the first Kia jst for an econo-box about town.Found out it became our primary car quickly enough. So it was no suprise my wife went to the Kia dealership...really needed a van but didn\'t want the van image!! LOL Her Sorento was the loaded edition, has 4000 miles without a complaint and lots of grins.Definitely happy with the choice, and this from a family that has owned all the name brands....Jeep,VW, Volvo, Lincoln, Chrysler, etc. Parks like a small car, rides like a big car, has all the safety,warrantees, handling and comfort without sticker shock.Feel we got a lot more than we paid for!!! 2007 Kia Sorento LX…second Kia, traded in a 2006 Spectra EX only because my wife needed more room for hauling stuff with a home based business. Bought the first Kia jst for an econo-box about town.Found out it became our primary car quickly enough. So it was no suprise my wife went to the Kia dealership…really needed a van but didn’t want the van image!! LOL

Her Sorento was the loaded edition, has 4000 miles without a complaint and lots of grins.Definitely happy with the choice, and this from a family that has owned all the name brands….Jeep,VW, Volvo, Lincoln, Chrysler, etc. Parks like a small car, rides like a big car, has all the safety,warrantees, handling and comfort without sticker shock.Feel we got a lot more than we paid for

]]> By: 06 sorento IA http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-183837 06 sorento IA Fri, 29 Dec 2006 04:47:46 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-183837 We purchased an 06 Kia Sorento this spring, and so far we love it. Getting close to 10,000 miles on it now, and have had minimal complaints. Driver side mirror jiggles a little above 65mph and the middle dome light only operates by switching it manually. In the summer we towed our 19ft boat with it, and it performed satisfactorily. 4wd system seems quite capable. Now I am looking into remote start for it, and found that the vehicle is equiped with a theft deterrent module that requires the key to be in the ignition for the vehicle to start... Costly bypass systems are necesssary to use remote start. Has anyone had any luck getting it installed without paying nearly $200? Thanks We purchased an 06 Kia Sorento this spring, and so far we love it. Getting close to 10,000 miles on it now, and have had minimal complaints. Driver side mirror jiggles a little above 65mph and the middle dome light only operates by switching it manually. In the summer we towed our 19ft boat with it, and it performed satisfactorily. 4wd system seems quite capable. Now I am looking into remote start for it, and found that the vehicle is equiped with a theft deterrent module that requires the key to be in the ignition for the vehicle to start… Costly bypass systems are necesssary to use remote start. Has anyone had any luck getting it installed without paying nearly $200? Thanks

]]> By: Leigh Ann http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-163654 Leigh Ann Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:56:55 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-163654 I have a 04 Sorento and have pretty much loved the look/ feel of the car since I got it. The only problems have been electrical: headlights have gone out a couple times each/taillights/tag lights/ brake lights= and it\'s only 2 years old! Also, my transfer case broke as well. Well, it\'s not sounding as good now!! I\'m looking at the new Hummer H3- any word on those yet? I have a 04 Sorento and have pretty much loved the look/ feel of the car since I got it. The only problems have been electrical: headlights have gone out a couple times each/taillights/tag lights/ brake lights= and it’s only 2 years old! Also, my transfer case broke as well. Well, it’s not sounding as good now!! I’m looking at the new Hummer H3- any word on those yet?

]]> By: Gidget http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-139611 Gidget Thu, 03 Aug 2006 19:24:38 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-139611 I would never buy a kia sorento again. Mine burns 1 1/2 quarts of oil every 3000 miles and that\'s acceptable to kia standards. been in the shop over a month on electical problems the first month of ownership and the car was brand new. Over heated by a mal function on kias part. Now only 65,000 miles and the cv joints need replaced and the transfer case is broke. Never mis use this car. I never take 4 wheeling only highway miles. I would never purchase a kia again. My friend owns one and she has the same drivetrain problems. this is an 03 sorento I would never buy a kia sorento again. Mine burns 1 1/2 quarts of oil every 3000 miles and that’s acceptable to kia standards. been in the shop over a month on electical problems the first month of ownership and the car was brand new. Over heated by a mal function on kias part. Now only 65,000 miles and the cv joints need replaced and the transfer case is broke. Never mis use this car. I never take 4 wheeling only highway miles. I would never purchase a kia again. My friend owns one and she has the same drivetrain problems. this is an 03 sorento

]]> By: wantmoore http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1433 wantmoore Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1433 I'm actually planning to go test drive one of these this weekend for myself. I'd be interested in any other information you get from people on it. I’m actually planning to go test drive one of these this weekend for myself. I’d be interested in any other information you get from people on it.

]]> By: Justin http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1434 Justin Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1434 Pending price limit... the Land Rover Freelander is a sweet compact SUV. The Chevy Equinox doesn't seem like a bad mid-size car either. Pending price limit… the Land Rover Freelander is a sweet compact SUV.
The Chevy Equinox doesn’t seem like a bad mid-size car either.

]]> By: Ryan Boren http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1438 Ryan Boren Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1438 You could look into AWD wagons like the Subaru Outback. The 2005 Outback 2.5 XT is quick and has more ground clearance than most SUVs. If you've been a member of <a href="http://www.imba.com/">IMBA</a> for at least six months, you can get it at dealer invoice. You could look into AWD wagons like the Subaru Outback. The 2005 Outback 2.5 XT is quick and has more ground clearance than most SUVs. If you’ve been a member of IMBA for at least six months, you can get it at dealer invoice.

]]> By: Mark http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1439 Mark Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1439 Those are good choices Justin and Ryan. I have to look into the Outback and the Equinox. (The Freelander has too many bad complaints about the dealer and the car) Those are good choices Justin and Ryan. I have to look into the Outback and the Equinox. (The Freelander has too many bad complaints about the dealer and the car)

]]> By: dennis http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1440 dennis Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1440 The Nissan XTrail is worth a look. The Nissan XTrail is worth a look.

]]> By: John Owens http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1627 John Owens Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 http://mindfulmusings.net/weblog/2004/10/27/kia-sorento-review/#comment-1627 I have one, love it, gas mileage not that great, but it's a real SUV on a truck frame, no unibody here AND it's not an unreliable front wheel drive vehicle that has limited towing capacity! I have one, love it, gas mileage not that great, but it’s a real SUV on a truck frame, no unibody here AND it’s not an unreliable front wheel drive vehicle that has limited towing capacity!

]]> Mindful Musings » Kia Sorento Review

Mindful Musings


10/27/2004

Kia Sorento Review

Filed under: — Mark @ 11:48 am

Do you know of anyone that owns a Kia Sorento? Do you own/drive one yourself? I am looking into buying a larger vehicle for myself (and my growing family) and have been delving into the compact SUV market. I am looking for relatively good mileage (I know thats hard to get, but the Ford Escape hybrid is a major possibility, though I don’t believe in Version 1.0 of anything), comfort in long drives, and some aesthetics.

Every review and every customer comment that I have read points to the fact that the most popular compact SUVs from the most popular makers are very unreliable. The Ford Escape produces about 50 lemons out of a hundred cars, the Jeep Liberty is uncomfortable, is a gas guzzler and has various mechanical problems, the Saturn Vue simply sucks in every way, the Honda CR-V is stripped down, weak and with few features and a plasticky interior, I don’t like the Rav-4, I’m never buying a Hyundai again (so the Santa Fe is out of the question) and the Mazda is sucky.

This leaves me with very few choices. They include the Mitsubishi Montero (and one other that I did not look into), the Kia Sorento and a few other lesser known models. Out of these choices, I find that the Kia Sorento, by a large margin, is the highest rated among customers.

Does anyone have any other suggestions that I should be looking at?

15 Comments »

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  1. I’m actually planning to go test drive one of these this weekend for myself. I’d be interested in any other information you get from people on it.

    Comment by wantmoore 10/27/2004 @ 2:43 pm

  2. Pending price limit… the Land Rover Freelander is a sweet compact SUV.
    The Chevy Equinox doesn’t seem like a bad mid-size car either.

    Comment by Justin 10/27/2004 @ 5:54 pm

  3. You could look into AWD wagons like the Subaru Outback. The 2005 Outback 2.5 XT is quick and has more ground clearance than most SUVs. If you’ve been a member of IMBA for at least six months, you can get it at dealer invoice.

    Comment by Ryan Boren 10/28/2004 @ 9:34 pm

  4. Those are good choices Justin and Ryan. I have to look into the Outback and the Equinox. (The Freelander has too many bad complaints about the dealer and the car)

    Comment by Mark 10/29/2004 @ 1:00 am

  5. The Nissan XTrail is worth a look.

    Comment by dennis 10/29/2004 @ 7:54 am

  6. I have one, love it, gas mileage not that great, but it’s a real SUV on a truck frame, no unibody here AND it’s not an unreliable front wheel drive vehicle that has limited towing capacity!

    Comment by John Owens 1/5/2005 @ 3:39 pm

  7. I bought A new 2004 ex Two wheel drive IT Has 30,000 Miles on it And we love this car.it is a little
    heavy on fuel but is reliable.and we feel safer in this auto with the hevy boxed frame. and other
    safty features .

    Comment by James Pritz 1/10/2005 @ 2:58 pm

  8. As a previous loyal Ford owner, I would be reluctant to buy any thing Ford these days. I think those IPOD people from Apple designed Ford cars before they moved on and stole Creative Labs idea. As for Kia, I’ve seen many happy people who bought them, but I also see many unemployed US autoworkers who suffered from the greediness of thier employers as to looking for not how to build a better product, just one made in a country with cheap labor rates. So I’ll stick with my old American Made product- a TOYOTA.

    Comment by G Michael Leonard 2/28/2005 @ 2:35 am

  9. Stay away from the Equinox. It is basically the same as the Vue, just a little larger. The ride is very bumpy and the materials are typical GM cheap. It’s too bad you don’t like Hyundai. I own an Elantra & I know many people who own the Santa Fe and the love it. If you consider going a little larger, take a look at the Pilot. It’s a great SUV and probably a little cheaper than the Xterra.

    Comment by Mark 3/23/2005 @ 11:39 pm

  10. Kia and Hyundai merged a few years ago and have gone through a re-org. They are one and the same now. Must say first impressions are good.

    Comment by Dennes 6/7/2005 @ 8:53 pm

  11. I would never buy a kia sorento again. Mine burns 1 1/2 quarts of oil every 3000 miles and that’s acceptable to kia standards. been in the shop over a month on electical problems the first month of ownership and the car was brand new. Over heated by a mal function on kias part. Now only 65,000 miles and the cv joints need replaced and the transfer case is broke. Never mis use this car. I never take 4 wheeling only highway miles. I would never purchase a kia again. My friend owns one and she has the same drivetrain problems. this is an 03 sorento

    Comment by Gidget 8/3/2006 @ 3:24 pm

  12. I have a 04 Sorento and have pretty much loved the look/ feel of the car since I got it. The only problems have been electrical: headlights have gone out a couple times each/taillights/tag lights/ brake lights= and it’s only 2 years old! Also, my transfer case broke as well. Well, it’s not sounding as good now!! I’m looking at the new Hummer H3- any word on those yet?

    Comment by Leigh Ann 11/2/2006 @ 9:56 am

  13. We purchased an 06 Kia Sorento this spring, and so far we love it. Getting close to 10,000 miles on it now, and have had minimal complaints. Driver side mirror jiggles a little above 65mph and the middle dome light only operates by switching it manually. In the summer we towed our 19ft boat with it, and it performed satisfactorily. 4wd system seems quite capable. Now I am looking into remote start for it, and found that the vehicle is equiped with a theft deterrent module that requires the key to be in the ignition for the vehicle to start… Costly bypass systems are necesssary to use remote start. Has anyone had any luck getting it installed without paying nearly $200? Thanks

    Comment by 06 sorento IA 12/29/2006 @ 12:47 am

  14. 2007 Kia Sorento LX…second Kia, traded in a 2006 Spectra EX only because my wife needed more room for hauling stuff with a home based business. Bought the first Kia jst for an econo-box about town.Found out it became our primary car quickly enough. So it was no suprise my wife went to the Kia dealership…really needed a van but didn’t want the van image!! LOL

    Her Sorento was the loaded edition, has 4000 miles without a complaint and lots of grins.Definitely happy with the choice, and this from a family that has owned all the name brands….Jeep,VW, Volvo, Lincoln, Chrysler, etc. Parks like a small car, rides like a big car, has all the safety,warrantees, handling and comfort without sticker shock.Feel we got a lot more than we paid for

    Comment by richard ramsey 9/24/2007 @ 4:05 pm

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