The Kia Telluride is perfect for individuals who want a spacious mid-size SUV with a great towing capacity. On the other hand, the Kia Sorento is perfect for those who desire a fuel-efficient mid-size SUV. But is the Kia Sorento a good car?
Yes, Kia Sorento is a good car for those who desire a powerful, reliable, efficient, comfortable, and affordable mid-size SUV. On the other hand, it is not ideal for people who want a large, luxurious, practical, and highly advanced mid-size SUV.
History of the Kia Sorento
The Kia Sorento is a mid-size crossover SUV made by Kia. This SUV has been in production from 2002 to date. The first Kia Sorentos features a body-on-frame chassis. Nevertheless, this was changed in 2009 when all Kia Sorento models start to feature a unibody chassis.
What’s more, the Kia Sorento features different layouts, including front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and all-wheel-drive. Some of the popular engines offered in different Kia Sorento models are 2.4-liter Sirius II I4, 3.3-liter Lambda V6, and 3.8-liter Lambda V6 engines.
So far, Kia has had four different generations. The first generation was made between 2002 and 2009, the second generation from 2009 to 2014, the third generation from 2014 to 2020, ad the fourth generation from 2020 to date.
Features of the Kia Sorento
Appearance
The Kia Sorento is beautifully designed and very appealing to the eye. Furthermore, it comes with lots of top-notch exterior features that make it stand out from the competition. Some of the fantastic exterior features include 19-inch machine-finished alloy wheels, clearcoat paint, body-colored door handles, deep tinted glass, headlights-automatic high beams, and LED brake lights.
The interior is also very impressive as it comes with various modern features. Some of them include a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a heated leather steering wheel, a full-cloth headliner, and much more.
The Kia Sorento comes with a wheelbase of 110.8-inches, a length of 189.4-inches, a width of 74.8-inches, and a height of 66.7-inches.
Performance
The performance of the Kia Sorento may vary according to the trim option you select. The Kia Sorento has a total of 11 trim options, with the LX being the base trim, while the X-Line SX Prestige is the best-performing trim. They also offer an SX-P PHEV trim, which is a hybrid car.
When you select a high-performance trim, expect to receive up to 281 hp, produced by a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. On the contrary, the base model comes with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that delivers up to 191 hp.
Comfort and cargo space
As stated earlier, the Kia Sorento is pretty comfortable and spacious. Passengers in the first and second rows will be very comfortable. However, adult passengers in the third row won’t be so comfortable. Besides, it does not feature a lot of trunk space at the back, making it less favorable than the Kia Telluride. It has a total of 13 cubic feet of space, but this can be increased by folding the third-row seats.
Safety
Kia provides some of the safest SUVs on the market. The Kia Sorento is not an exception. This mid-size crossover SUV comes with many outstanding standard safety features, such as lane keep assist, forward collision warning, lane tracing assist, rearview camera, lane departure warning, forward automatic emergency braking, and much more.
Fuel efficiency
Finding a high-performance and big SUV is not easy. However, the Kia Sorento does well as it’s spacious and efficient. It has an EPA rating of 24 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. This is better than most of its competitors like the Hyundai Palisade and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Price
The Kia Sorento is affordable as it offers exceptional features for less. The base model goes for about $37,885, while its competitors like the Hyundai Palisade go for $36,545, and Jeep Grand Cherokee for $40,120. So, the price is pretty fair.
FAQ
How fast is the Kia Sorento?
The Kia Sorento comes with a variety of engine options. As a result, different trim options may perform differently. Nonetheless, the fastest Kia Sorento trim produces a maximum of 281 hp. On top of that, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.6 seconds. Additionally, it has a top speed of 127 mph.
What are the common problems with Kia Sorento?
The Kia Sorento is a lovely, spacious, and reliable mid-size crossover SUV. But like most cars, the Kia Sorento also comes with several issues. Nonetheless, the common problems with the Kia Sorento are engine failure, loss of power, jerking while changing gears, faulty door handles, headlights burnout, and noisy air conditioner.
Which is the least reliable Kia Sorento model year?
Kia Sorento has many reliable and fascinating models on offer. Nonetheless, some models are very problematic and should be avoided at all costs. Some of these model years include the 2004, 2006, 2013, and 2014 model years. These cars usually have problems like engine failure, airbag issues, electrical issues, and light problems.
Is Kia Sorento a good daily driver?
Yes, Kia Sorento is a good daily driver compared to most cars in its class. This is because it is easy to maintain and fuel-efficient. The Kia Sorento comes with an EPA rating of 24 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. Most of its rivals use more fuel and are costlier to maintain.
However, if you’re looking for a perfect mid-size SUV for city driving, this is not an ideal car for you. This is because it is quite big, which might make parking to be somewhat difficult. Additionally, it won’t be easy to maneuver in traffic.
Conclusion
The Kia Sorento provides good value for money. Thanks to the spacious and impressive interior, excellent fuel efficiency, and sleek design. It is also reliable and affordable. But as expected, the Kia Sorento also comes with a few common issues that users should handle in good time for the car to last.
Besides, it is vital to select a Kia Sorento model year with fewer issues as not all model years are reliable.