The 2008 Kia Sorento represents just the latest of the South Korean automaker's family friendly vehicles to offer a nice mix of price, performance and roominess.
Carrying a $20,995 base price, the Sorento costs a bit less than rivals like the Toyota RAV4 or Honda's CR-V, but provides comparable space, features and an industry-leading 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Motor Mouth recently checked out the Sorento EX 4x4 (base price: $26,195), upgraded with a $3,000 Luxury Package and $200 rear spoiler.
On the outside, the Sorento sports a beefy, SUV appearance.
A solid-looking hood and grille sweep back to large wheels and hefty doors with folding side mirrors. In back, the SUV's liftgate comes standard with a rear wiper and a windshield that pops open for easy loading/unloading.
Inside, the Sorento offers good headroom, legroom and hiproom for both driver and front passenger. (The driver's side comes standard with an electric seat adjuster.)
My test model's Luxury Package upgraded standard cloth upholstery with heated leather seating, adding in chrome accents and a leather-wrapped gear shift as well.
The Sorento's clean dashboard includes a big speedometer and tachometer, as well as smaller fuel and temperature gauges.
The model's standard AM/FM/MP3/CD stereo features 17 intuitive knobs and buttons clearly marked "AM, "FM," etc. (There are none of the cryptic labels like "Source" or "A.Lib" that show up on lots of audio systems these days.)
Similarly, the model's climate system - upgraded to dual zone on my test car as part of the Luxury Package - has relatively easy-to-use controls. However, two big knobs that you'd assume adjust fan speed actually control air temperature.
In back, the Sorento's 60/40 split fold-down rear seats provide good headroom and legroom, although hiproom is a bit tight.
The back seat can comfortably accommodate three children for even long trips, but three adults might find the space a little cramped after about 20 minutes.
All the way back, the Sorento's cargo area has room for perhaps two large suitcases.
However, you can get plenty of space for big items by folding down the rear seats. Unfortunately, that's a bit challenging, as you have to manually remove the rear head rests.
If you need still more cargo space, the EX comes standard with a roof rack.
Other nice standard features include 12-volt outlets for both the front and rear passengers. The SUV also has a plethora of cup holders, change holders, eyeglass holders and the like.
On the road, the Sorento EX's five-speed transmission, four-wheel drive system and 3.8-liter, 262-horsepower V-6 engine team up to provide a comfortable ride.
The model offers a "high-up" road view, along with good cornering and braking.
The Sorento likewise accelerates well, although my test car noisily revved up above 5,000 rpm in one tough situation (gunning the engine from 0 mph to 40 mph while going uphill).
Backing up and parking the Sorento are also a bit challenging given the model's size.
As for fuel economy, the EPA rates the Sorento at 15 mpg/city and 20 mpg/highway. That’s OK, but not incredible.
In terms of price, the Sorento EX's $26,195 sticker runs anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars below that of key rivals. (These include the $26,700 Honda CR-V EX-L, the $27,070 Toyota RAV-4 Limited and the $32,670 Saturn Outlook XR.)
The bottom line: Kias like the 2008 Sorento continue to impress Motor Mouth with their mix of family friendly features, roominess - and nice prices.
By Jerry Kronenberg / Motor Mouth
Boston Herald
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