Kia Sorento

stever

Schip1, you've about covered it. The down arrow works great for ignoring the other sort of posts. If you don't ignore the troll posts, don't be surprised if you get a response :-)

And congrats on the new ride!

Steve, Host

carspy01

Welcome aboard, and thanks for the postings! Let's all get back to the topic...

bigelm

Well, I must say that the question of AWD vs. 4WDH/L has gotten interesting but out of hand...

I had (in the past) a hard time trying to understand the concept of 4WDH/L vs. AWD. I do understand though but I think not everyone understands the functionality or purpose of it. Because I've never used 4WDH/L even in my mom's Trooper, I was always curious to find out how it worked. I must say that it was a high revving, noise making 4WD though. But in 4WDL, it wasn't as noisy but saw the different functions of both.

Anyway, the bottom line is that Sorento is a TRUCK not a car based SUV. But I do have to agree with one thing... it's kinda pricey to have the convenience of AWD or 4WD (TOD) with the alternative 4WDL on the Sorento. Though Sorento has RWD to it's advantage, which there may be a flame war for this but, it IS better than the FWD ever created.

So... having said that, the only way I would purchase the Sorento is with 4WD (TOD). I just don't believe in having a truck with just rear traction/WD...

mikesf

namely the CR-V, I can tell you that the Sorento is soooo much more. I also prefer the option of choosing whether I want to put it in 4WD rather than waiting for slippage to occur. I always hated the fact that I had to be on the verge of getting into a bad driving situation before the AWD kicked in. And having participated on an excellent CR-V discussion site for close to 2 years I can tell you that many a CR-V owner would have preferred choosing as well.

Cheers!

96_i30_5sp

I think you need to scroll up and read what TOD does. In summary, when engaged it starts with 15/85 F/R split and varies that up to 50/50. It senses wheel slippage and other parameters 200 times/s so the torque transfer is almost instantaneous. The TOD versatility was the main reason I decided to go with an auto Trooper.

schip1

I test drove 2 other Sorentos before buying one. None of the 3 exhibited the harsh ride you encountered. Suggest you demo another one. The one we bought has the auto load leveling option. It may be my imagination (and/or faulty memory), but I seem to think (or what to believe) that this one is smoother over speed bumps.

paisan

Most likely it was the fact that the car hadn't been preped yet. During shipping they put in lots of extra PSI in the tires so that they don't get out of round if they sit still for a few months. Chances are the dealer left the 40+ psi that is in them from the factory. That would give you a harsh ride.

-mike

Placeman

Do check your pressure. The Tire placard on the driver's door jam indicates 30 PSI. All 4 of the tires on my Sorento were at about 37. What a difference 7 PSI makes.

paisan

I wouldn't run em that low. I'd run em around 33-35PSI personally, but that's cause I'm drive pretty agressively and like a nice firm controlled ride. Generally I do 5psi over mfg recommended on most of my vehicles.

-mike

moonkat

Episode #2209 (as I recall) with review of Element and Sorento on PBS (2) 2 Nov, Sat at 5:00 pm EST.

fedlawman

30 psi cold will probably rise to 36+ when warm.

anonymous02

Thanks for that info, schip1. Is that a Kia thing, or a dealer thing?

paisan

All PSIs are supposed to be taken stone cold. So if a tire sidewall says max psi = 45 that's 45 cold PSI.

-mike

lok888

steve - I would like to see you how you rate on this SUV. The consumer rating is 9.0 now.

schip1

anonymous02, I assume it's a KIA thing, since it's printed on the window sticker and not listed separately along with additional dealer prep items. I have to admit, I never noticed it while shopping around for the Sorento. It'd be interesting to hear from the next person taking a test drive.

BTW, Florin Road Kia had the lowest ADM in my shopping experience. It was only $999 (which was waived, of course) with no superfluous items such as undercoating, wax, etc. The highest ADM I ran across was $6,000.

stever

Lok888, do you mean me? (lots of Steve's around Town Hall).

I tend to shop price, perceived value and the warranty is a big deal since I tend to drive a car for ~10 years.

The Sorento would be right up at the top of my list to shop hard. I'd have Troopers and Explorers (with lots of incentives) right up there too. I've had great luck with Toyotas, but not convinced the bang for the buck is there for me, and I tend to shop the underdogs hard anyway :-)

my .02 (today) - ask me again in '04 after the Sorento's have been on the road a while.

Steve, Host

saber86

I always thought dealers filled up the car as a courtesy/complimentary for purchasing the vehicle at their dealership? I purchased ford, toyota, and honda and they always clean and fill up it with gas when i pick it up.

diploid

Same here. Even when we bought used cars, they still came with compimentary full tanks of gas. Never bothered asking if it was a ____(insert brand here) thing or if it was a dealer thing. Regardless, it had always made sense to me to have a full tank of gas with a car purchase.

wenb

I think that Kia wants to be know as a value leader, not just a cheap vehicle. As they increase the quality of their vehicles, the price will go up.They are a fast growing company. Remember the Japanese makers started out cheap and then introduced higher end goods.When Kia does a croosover car based on the Elantra, it will probably be cheaper than the Outlander.

lavoie1

I am still shoping. I won't buy until the spring, so my wife and I are making a short list. We tried the Mazda Tribute today. We did like it, but I found the ride of the Sorento more impressive. The tribute is nice, but when you try to equip it a little, the price goes way past the Sorento. Now, we are comparing car base Vs Truck base SUV here. The Truck base (Sorento) has a nicer ride and is cheaper.

To get the Tribute I would need (remember I need to tow a hard top), it would cost me the price of the Sorento EX. To get it down to the price of the LX, I needed to get the Tribute 2WD.

The shortfall of the Sorento Vs the Tribute: The name (it is scary to buy from a young company, and a new model with that...) and the gaz mileage (the Sorento's gaz mileage is the big thing in my mind right now).

So far, I have two vehicles on my short list. The Tribute and the Sorento. For what I want to do (haul), I know the Sorento is a better vehicle.

One of the element I insist on is the service at the dealership. In my mind, if they don't have "outstanding" service before they sell, imagine what it will be after!!! I went to a Jeep dealer to try the liberty. The guy was arrogant and patronizing (and he had no clue of what he was talking about!). Asked him to go for a test drive but he needed to refuel the vehicle first. We waited 10 minutes and left. We were not impressed by the finish and size of the Liberty neither.

Both the KIA and Mazda dealers were above average. The thing I appreciated was that when I emntionned the Sorento being on my short list to the Mazda dealer, he did not try to squash it. Not at all. He even said that the axle of the Sorento was certainly more solid then the Mazda and a truck base SUV was probably a good idea to tow my trailer. This kind of honesty is rare.

Anyway, two on my short list of veh below $35K (CA). We will look at the Blazer, but its price is way up there here. I don't think we will be able to afort it.

Last note is that the Sorento are really moving here in Fredericton. This is a small town of 75 000. I have seen at least five Sorento in and out in a month. Everytime I go to the dealer, there is new ones and the old ones are gone. Up here, the LX is a wonderful package for $31K (CA) and the EX is the completely loded model at $35K. You can't get anything (midsize) at this price. I would say that the Sorento is at the top of my list for now.

stockey

I saw the review of the Sorento from motorweek today,and they said the Sorento as everything to be a screaming success,and that also the competition will be screaming,BTW,the 0 to 60 sprint took 9.1 seconds,who said the Sorento was underpowered.

anonymousposts

9.1 seconds is slow compared to the class leaders. But it's also not a dog as the previous Camry LE auto took 10.3 seconds to 60.

schip1

steve_HOST: "The Sorento would be right up at the top of my list...ask me again in '04..." Yeah but, Steve...in two years, people will have caught on to this great bargain, demand will drive prices up, so you better get a new Sorento, PRONTO!

wenb: "I think that Kia wants to be known as a value leader..." I agree 100%. I'm still giddy with how much came as standard equipment. We've had ours for almost a week and I still haven't found any flaws, except for maybe weak radio reception.

lavoie1: "...the Sorento's gaz mileage is the big thing in my mind right now." Sorento's gas mileage of 15/20 concerned me also, before we purchased our EX 4x2. I rationalized it this way: assume I'll get 18 mpg, as others have reported. If I buy an econo-box getting...say 36 mpg, I would save $775 in gas money per year (I drive approx 20,000 per year; regular gas in Northern CA is about $1.40 per gallon right now). No way would I buy a sub-compact, so realistically, a better mileage car/SUV may get me 22 mpg. At that mileage, savings drop to $280 per year. To me, it's worth spending an extra $280 to drive a Sorento. We haven't had our Sorento long enough for a fill-up yet. I'll report mileage when we do. BTW, EPA range for highway is 17-23, so I'm hoping for the best!

anonymousposts: "9.1 seconds is slow compared to the class leaders." The stock holders of your class leaders will love it if you would spend an extra $5,000 to $10,000 to save 0.5 seconds as you race to the next stoplight.

stockey: thanks for all that info. That program is going to be re-broadcast in our area Sunday. I'll try to catch it then.

stever

heh, good point Schip1, but I've only had 3 cars since '82 and I hope not to be due for a replacement until '09. But we could use a second car....

Steve, Host

anonymous02

For $280, it sounds like it is worth it to you.

I suggest you check out "I don't like SUV's, why do you and try to tell THEM that little tidbit."

What do you think, Steve?

;-)

mikesf

is a bit on the low side (comparable to a Cherokee with a 6). That is to be expected of a 3.5litre 6. I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm not driving a CR-V any longer.

Cheers!

tidester

Let's help him out! Here's the link: I don't like SUVs, why do you? ;-)

tidester, host

bored

Well, I saw it this morning. Was a nice review...except the part where they described the handling. DUH! It's a truck! What do you expect? Other than that, a nice review. I liked it.

I also saw the Sorento standing in the same angle as the Lexus RX 300. Anyone see the striking resemblance from this angle? That has got to be the most copied SUV...when it comes from the looks department. At other angles, it doesn't look so bad, but that one takes the cake... At least the back side has its own unique look...

Like other reviewers, they also praised the Sorento's exceptional off-road ability.

Anyone suddenly fall in love with the Honda Element? My only gripe with it is that it doesn't have 4WD Low, and some type of frame...

lavoie1

Very nice article indeed. Everyone seems impress by the Sorento. I wish they stopped comparing truck base SUV with unibody SUV. If people want a toy, they can buy a CRV or a Rav4. The ride and the mileage are much better. But you really drive a car which only looks like a SUV. If you want off road capability or to haul something, you need toughness. To get toughness, the ride and gaz mileage will suffer. There is a need for both type of SUVs on the market, but people should not try to compare both. It all depends on what you need.

diploid

For most people, buying a car that only looks like an SUV is a great choice. You know, sort of like buying a Sorento...it only looks like a Lexus, but it's really not one.

jeepster4

Lexus, a Toyota Camry that looks like a SUV...the modern definition of SUV in a world where a Volvo tall station wagon is MT's SUV of the year.

diploid

You make it seem as if it's a bad thing.

anonymous02

#681 of 683 by diploid
"For most people, buying a car that only looks like an SUV is a great choice. You know, sort of like buying a Sorento...it only looks like a Lexus, but it's really not one."

You know, sort of like buying a Lexus...it only looks sort of like an SUV, but it's really not one!

hciaffa

As many have posted here on the Motorweek Review which was encouraging, I just finished reading the Motor Trend SUV of the year award. It went to a Volvo priced at around the high 40's. The Sorento was listed as one of the tested vehicles and it had small write up. To many of the testers it was a very surprisiing vehicle to which it took on many other name brand 4x4's. It was a confident vehicle in driving through the trails and it offered a very good comfort level as well as the options foud in it. Many options that other SUV's do not offer unless you start paying thruogh the nose.

hciaffa

As I wrote in a earlier post we have been looking at the Sorento's for some time and comparing them to other SUVs, wether they are truck type and or crossovers. And my wife picked the Sorento. Though we have been waiting for about 3 weeks now for our dealer to locate one, the EX model, in the color she wants, Ivy Green. He had about 7 in other colrs and they went like crazy. Anyway over the weekend he called and said he located a green EX with luxury package so we negotiaoted a pretty decent price,now he has to get it down from mid state in Mass. if that dealer won't let it go we'll just have to wait for about 4 more weeks because thats when the next shipment from Kia to NJ will have a green one for any dealer in CT. and it allocated to our dealer. Waiting....

slow43

Nice new commercial for Sorento.

I am shopping for a new vehicle. I really like the Sorento but I am going to wait to hear some owner opinions after the "new car" has wore off. I have a neighbor with a 2000 Sportage that stays in the shop. When I buy a new vehicle, I do not want to know the shop manager, his assistant, and mechanic first name even if all the work is done under warranty.

Last week I went to the Kia dealer for a test drive. The salesman told me they were flying off the lot and I would have to pay MSRP. I counted six on the lot and I asked why they had six on the lot? He told me that these were "spoken for". I drove by today and these six vehicles are still on the lot. Is there some place where all dealer salesmen go to learn sales lying - I mean sale training?

diploid

You can't rephrase it if I've already said it:

"For most people, buying a car that only looks like an SUV is a great choice. You know, sort of like buying a Sorento...it only looks like a Lexus, but it's really not one."

By replacing "car" with "Lexus" isn't technically rephrasing it!

anonymous02

carspy01

Great posting!

iluvmysephia1

Love the moving graphics! That marks the first moving graphics cartoon-type animation-art that I've ever seen on an Edmunds thread! Woo-hoo!
Oh, the Sorento's gotta be the best bargain in an SUV EXCEPT Kia's Sportage. Both body-on-frame REAL off-road SUV's. My Sportage received it's 30,000 mile service today and seemed to take the medicine pretty well. Long day at the doctor, though!

kmees

Wanted to get some feedback on whether the Sorento 4X2 has a rear wheel Limited Slip Differential. The dealer told me it does as part of "snow mode",which I am pretty sure is not the case. Can only find mention of a LSD on the 4x4 front to back. thanks

anonymous02

Also, what is the brand (manufacturer) and model type of the rear end? Dana? Other?

aggie1987

I've been following this message board for about 2 weeks. Am in the
market for an afforadable mid-size SUV and the KIA seems to fit the
bill pretty well. Although I feel like if I buy one, I'll have to apologize
for it repeatedly, "Yea, I bought a new car...but it's a KIA, I'm sorry."

Anyway, called the local credit union to determine what a balloon payment
would be. Have heard that Korean cars have terrible resale value. So was anticipating
an awful residual value however it was better then I expected and surprisingly
in line with other comparables (ie, Mitsu Sport, Liberty, Xterra, Trooper).

The residuals quoted by my Credit Union were as follows:

LX - 2WD, $5K down, Finance $15K, 5 Years, 15K mi / year = $197/mo, Res: $6,150
LX - 4WD, $5K down, Finance $17K, 5 Years, 15K mi / year = $228 / mo, Res: $6,650

kmees

Wanted to get some feedback on whether the Sorento 4X2 has a rear wheel Limited Slip Differential. The dealer told me it does as part of "snow mode",which I am pretty sure is not the case. Can only find mention of a LSD on the 4x4 front to back. thanks

paisan

I believe all of them have a rear LSD.

Snow mode starts you in 2nd or 3rd gear so that you don't spin the tires.

-mike

jeepster4

Only the 4wd has a LSD. See www.kiasorento.com.

hecny

Has anyone experienced shopping for the Sorento in the NYC area. I am interested in the EX 4X4 in Diamond Silver. I have visited a couple of dealerships and have not found one. I have been told by one that the Silver will be difficult to get.

bigelm

so you can buy what they have available. We cannot emphasize more to "shop around". I know you said you've visited a couple of dealerships. But someone telling you that Silver will be difficult to get is a load of crap. The Sorento's are barely on the road so there are plentiful shipments coming in. I'm sure you'll find your Silver... How far are you willing to travel to get yours? That's the question ;-)

schip1

#686 by hciaffa and #698 by hecny: too bad you're not closer to the West Coast, specifically Northern CA. While shopping for our Sorento, I remember distinctly seeing an Ivy Green EX in at least 3 dealerships. Diamond Silver ones were also plentiful (which is what we got). As for general availability, the very first dealer I visited 3 weeks ago had 14 Sorentos on his lot. A week later, his website listed 24. Today, the site lists 33: http://www.folsomlakekia.com/

So hang in there, guys. The East coast dealers will have tons of choices very soon! BTW, I agree with bigelm's comment....that some dealers will tell you anything to get you to buy what they have on the lot. About a month ago, someone reported a salesman told him a ship sank in the Pacific, taking 2,000 Sorentos to the bottom and that's why there's a shortage!!!!

schip1

Well, filled up for the first time last night and got 17.6 mpg, on a 60/40 mix of highway/city driving. I think this is about what other owners have reported. I expect (or hope...) it will be higher next fill up. Although the dealer did give me a full tank, the gauge was right at FULL, whereas I topped off the tank, pushing the needle passed the last marker. So maybe 17.61 next time?