Kia furnished a car for me to drive to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
I never thought I’d be thrilled to be behind the wheel of a Kia. Until I drove the Sorento
I’m an automotive snob. I admit it. Everything about so-called affordable cars has always bothered me, from the “try harder” names like Aspire, Focus, and Protege’ to the plastic-y finishes and confidence rattling sound of tinny door shutting.
Car doors should always shut with a solid “Ka-Chunk!”*
My penchant for luxury has driven me to choose higher end, higher cost autos for most of my adult life. The exception being our (cough, choke) Minivan. Ah the van… we got the most loaded model possible and I still feel like I’m driving a school bus every time I get in. I don’t love driving our van and I’m always on the lookout for a substitute – some sort of vehicle that I can cram our entire family (of 6) into, that I actually enjoy driving.
Hello Kia Sorento.
My first impression of the Sorento, curbside, was that it wasn’t big enough. How could I possibly fit us all in comfortably (I have two teens and a kid that is still in a carseat) along with all our stuff?
It was a needless worry. On all but long trips there is plenty of room for 6 humans. We traveled “heavy” with our baggage on our road trip to San Diego and 5 passengers without a single worry. Back home we made school runs and trips to friends for sleepovers with all three rows deployed. Comfortably.
The third row was deceptive. My daughters were quite comfortable back there, on their own. I should also note that on our longer trip, my kids sat three across in the backseat, without argument. That might have been in part due to the handy outlet back there. My five year old plugged in his iPad and we didn’t hear a peep.
Up front I could have sworn I was driving a luxury vehicle. All my must have boxes were checked off:
- Acceleration – I won’t compromise on this. I spend a fair amount of time on the freeway daily, in and out of the carpool lane and across multiple lanes of traffic. I need passing power.
- Super Responsive steering – The Sorrento felt like a sports car. The suspension was a lot tighter than my Lexus and Honda. It felt a lot more like driving an Audi or a BMW. I felt completely in control at all times.
- Tech Central – It took me no time to figure out the Nav and phone sync systems. I was able to plug my phone into the USB and poof, download my address book. The Navigation was easy to use and who doesn’t like Satellite Radio?
- Toasty Buns – You may laugh at me for making seat warmers a must but you’ve clearly never had a cold bum on a frosty day. The world is a brighter and better place when your car has bun warmers. The Sorento over delivered with a seat cooling fat to boot (pun intended). I tested this out on a hot day after I hit the gym and all I can say is YES.
- Safety Monitoring Systems – I need a car that protects my family, period. The safety feature I really appreciated in the Sorento was the blind spot monitoring system that beeps to let you know it’s not safe to switch lanes. As I mentioned above – I do a lot of fast freeway driving, often at rush hour. I have to change lanes frequently as I make my way to the carpool lane and exits to assorted highways. Weaving my way through some hair raising traffic with a car full of loud kids is easily the most stressful part of my commute. The blind spot monitor eased some of that. I still checked twice and put on the blinker with each lane change but having this feature on was a comfort and confidence booster.
Here’s where I get all… but wait! There’s more.
The Kia Sorrento that I tested had a variable engine which means the mileage was insanely awesome. Hit the Eco mode when you cruise on the highway and cuddle with the dollars that remain in your pocket.
The massive moon roof shed a lot of light on the cabin, but it also opened things up… WAY up. It made the interior feel even more spacious and comfortable.
The Kia Sorento impressed my big brother.
My oldest brother is a car geek. Cars are his one true passion. Any love of cars I have, is probably due to my early exposure to his tinkering and car trading as I grew up. Name a car, he’s probably owned it. He reads automotive mags and consumer and online reviews fanatically. He test drives cars on weekend at dealerships for fun.
He was in town when I was testing the Kia Sorento and it made him a little giddy. I got a lecture about the engine from him, and for a second there, I think he was jealous of me and my blog. Ha! Sibling win! Perhaps I can assign him some car reviews and get the sister of the year award in the future.
So while it may not mean much to my fans, my brother’s approval is the gold standard to me. He is now considering buying a Kia Sorento for himself. I can’t blame him.
I didn’t think I was a Kia kind of girl. But it turns out I am. I was sad to hand this car back!
* The Kia doors definitely close with a ka-chunk. There was nothing tinny or cheap feeling about the finish or interior of this car. I hesitate to brand it affordable, due to my own associations with that label.
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