Kia Sorento

ivygrnsorento

....Thank you for expressing your opinion here. That's what makes these types of Forums so fun and informational and controversial.

We all will make decisions about car purchases to meet our needs. If your looking for a SUV vehicle with good gas mileage, then I applaud your efforts and I hope you are happy with whatever your decision is.

And the simple fact that you were/are considering a Kia Sorento shows how far the Korean makers have come in the last decade....to be considered with some of the more established brands.

Happy motoring and good luck in your next vehicle purchase.

Mark

saber86

Do you know if mitsubishi makes the transmission for sorento? The sticker says transmission is from Japan.

paisan

I believe the tranny is an Asin. They are a well known Tranny/Diffy/Hub maker in Japan.

-mike

brooklyn1951

saber86- the Sorento transmission is made by Aisin-Warner (NOT Aisian-Warner) They are (AFAIK) a Japanese associate of Warner Gear (USA).

dindak

I'm not sure I'm ready to take the plunge on a Korean car yet, but the Sorento is certainly light years ahead of the Sportage. I have not driven one yet but the reviews have generally been decent so we will see how the vehicles hold up over the next few years.

saber86

Do you know if mitsubishi makes the transmission for sorento? The sticker says transmission is from Japan.

dlb14frost

lok888 Let me know what you think of the rain visor when you get them. I've been thinking about ordering a set. Thanks

saber86

thanks for the tranny info.

lilac0422

Well...I have finally purchased my Sorento after four months of longing for it. I have a Black and Gray EX with ABS, Lux Package, Load Level and Cargo Tray. I love it so much and can't seem to wipe the smile off my face. I want to thank everyone who participates in the forum because without all of you loving your Sorento's I am not sure that I would have know about how great it was. The only problem is that I am at work and my car is sitting out in the lot. Ha ha

lok888

dlb14frost - Not sure yet. I will properly buy the rubber mats first. A set of four (rain visor) costs $80 plus shipping. It is still too cold here to install the visor. I have to wait until the temparture reaches 60s to 70s here. The picture on the web site (Benz ML320) shows it is mounted inside the window channel, unlike the Vent Shade or the Kia one. It is a better looking one. I hope so_cali will tell us more about this. Also, one local dealer told the bumper guard will be here in March. Will see if the price is reasonable.

hciaffa

Lok888 I'm interested in the rubber mats when you get them. When I called weathertech they told me they did not have the mats for the Sorento yet that were close to a true fit. They told me that the mats are more of a universal fit and they have to be trimmed. Let us knoew how they are. I did buy the window vents from them. Like you the Kia ones are darker in the tinting but mount to the outside of the window this makes them look cheesy. Vent visor does not have them for the Sorento yet and they would mount to the inside of the channel. The ones from wethertech are assembled to the inside of the channel. the fronts ones are just (hard to explain) pressure fit to the channel and the rear ones also mount to the inside but use tape. True is has been to cold to assemble them here in New England but I am ready to mount them when it turns warmer. Up on the weathertech site they have an assembly video to look at and it shows how to assemble. You have to go to the page that has the Sorento vents and look for the video.
On the gas maieage... stop the bickering. If you wanted good gas mileage you would buy a sedan. Trucks on ladder frames give poor gas mileage. The Sorento wieghs in at close to 4000lbs. One of the heaviest for a mid size SUV. So what are you expecting. Cripes when we had our POS Forester it was getting 13 mpg in the city and 17 mpg on the highway so the Sorento to me is far better. Remember the est. MPG is posted on the window. If its not good enough for you walk away. Old Italian Proverb...Like what you buy.. buy what you like.

abc246

I see gas mileage does not bother you. Well it bothers me and I own two "Trucks on ladder frames" as you call them. I want to replace one of them, a 99 Blazer 4x4. The gas mileage has been calculated and tracked using a spreadsheet for every tank since new. I do city driving, live in a cold area with snow, tow, and travel on highways at very high speeds. I put 21k miles per year on this SUV and with all of this the last year average was 18.32 mpg and the year before was 18.28 mpg.

I like the Sorento but can not accept some of these mpg figures people are posting. I drive my current SUV very, very hard. The Blazer mpg yearly average includes beach driving in 4x4, winter driving in 4x4, remote start idle for 12 min every morning in below freezing temps, and about 500 miles towing with class 3 hitch. I think the mpg with this SUV is very good and it has a ladder frame.

The gas mileage with the Sorento will not be this good and I cannot accept they did not do their homework. I purchased a new a 98 Nissan Frontier 4x4 with 4cyl and 5 speed and got worse mileage than either my Blazer or Silverado 4x4. I think that it takes engineering to get good mpg and some of these companies are not doing it. The bigger companies like Honda, Toyota, and GM seem to be doing a much better job in this area. I do not want to go "backwards" on a new purchase 5 years later.

On the flip side I do like the Sorento look and interior. If it had a Toyota, Honda or GM engine I would have one now.

paisan

If you look back you'll see that the Sorento will cost less $ overall even with poor fuel economy... Can no one do math around here? Guess not.

-mike

stever

I'm lousy at it; luckily Edmunds has a True Cost to Own tool that'll estimate this stuff for you.

Steve, Host

lok888

hicaffa - I think I heard one poster saying he bought the rubber mats from WeatherTech. I have never heard from him again. He must be enjoy his Sorento very much and forgot give us an update. Anyway, the folks from WeatherTech told me a while ago that the front mats are fitted for Sorento. They really mentioned that is not custom fitted. And I believe the rear mats are unlike the stock mats which extended to the area underneath the front seats. For the rain visor, I have to watch the video first. I wonder if there is enough space to install the visor inside of the window channel. So_cali - you have to tell us more about this.

For the gas mileage - I didn't look at this as a big issue when I buy this good looking SUV.

so_cali

ask and you shall receive, my fellow sorento fanatics.

these WeatherFlectors are fantastic and they snap right in, in about 15 minutes for all 4 windows. they snap under the weatherstrip that comes on the window frame. they need no tape but the rear ones do have a strip of tape on them to help them stay in place, which in my opinion is not needed. they are a much cleaner install than the ones shown being sold by kia.

the WeatherTech ones are very easy to install and look fantastic as the photos of mine hopefully show.

other than that, if there is a specific question about them, i will try and answer it. I have been using them for over a month now and they are superb.

on another topic, i just got the BeneVento clip-on moonroof wind deflector and plan on installing it real soon. i will try and get some new photos posted once it's installed.

around 800 miles now on my alpine gray EX and it remains completely perfect without any problems whatsoever. what a GREAT vehicle! getting around 16+ mpg in town too! coming from a supercharged xterra that required premium fuel and got about 17 mpg, i am fine with what is just average fuel economy now using regular gas. this is such a FANTASTIC ride for the money in every other way, the mileage really is a non-issue in my opinion.

a gracious welcome to lilac0422 with her new black EX. post a link to some photos if you can. i think the black is a sharp color for the sorento and would enjoy seeing some pics of yours.

so_cali's sorento page

abc246

What facts did you base your not true statement on? According to Edmunds True Cost to Own Tool, the EX 4x4 had the highest cost per mile in its class! Just opposite of what you said! I even compared it to a Trailblazer LS 4x4 and the Chevy even had a lower cost per mile and lower cost after 5 years! The Chevy comparison still does not take into account my $1500 GM card rebate.

dindak

Yes, people can do the math. Point on gas mileage is, Sorento is worse than mostly anything in it's class especially given the HP rating. Because Sorento is cheap to buy, the extra gas is probably more than made up over the course of a few years but if the Sorento was a true bargain, it would have a better/ more efficient motor so that you wouldn't have to sacrifice mileage for price in the first place.

For this class of vehicle and 192 HP, 15/18 rating is poor and hence the extra money you spend on gas make it less attractive price wise. It's too bad because the vehicle seems to be a vast improvement over the Sportage.

lilac0422

Well after two days of ownership someone already hurt my car. I woke up this morning to a really nasty old car parked right next to mine (sadly I live in an apartment and no matter how hard I try someone always parks by me). I had a sinking feeling as I walked over and looked at the passenger side. Sure enough he must have hit my car with his door as I have white paint on my cladding. I don't know if it will come off or not. It doesn't look too bad but I was still really mad. Why are people so inconsiderate nowadays. I can't wait to move into my house in the country in a month so I can park in the garage. Anybody have any idea how I might be able to get the paint off? At least it doesn't look like he hurt my paint. I hate rude people.

hollier1

You might try taking some carnuba wax and hand buffing the area where the white paint is. That generally works for me when some inconsiderate jack [non-permissible content removed] swings their door into my car. In 1981 I owned a brand new Camaro Z28. I pulled into a convenient store to get a Coke. As I was sitting in my car a woman about 20 pulled next to me and swung her door into my car hard. I got out, saw the fresh ding she put on my car and brought it to her attention. She laughed about it. I was so pissed that I threw my full can of coke into the side of her car. I guess she didn't think it was funny anymore as she ran into the store screaming, "Your crazy" Pay backs are hell.....

fmunoz1069

Has anyone installed side steps on their Sorento? Kia says they will not be available until mid march.

regfootball

i would actually tend to agree with dindak here on the mileage thing and its not often i agree with him.

lilac0422

Thanks for the advice. I will try that and hope it works. At least it is on the passenger side so it is not a constant reminder of the inconsiderate idiots in the world. It is such a relief to wake up in the morning and see no one parked around me. Thanks again.

paisan

I did not use Edmunds "cost to own" I was purely talking the amount of $ you save by buying a Sorento will far outweight the slightly higher gas bills. Obviously you are going to argue every point I make cause that is your nature, but I'll spell it out for yah again....

Toyota 4-runner Limited v. Sorento EX w/Luxury Package

Toyota:
MSRP: $39,290 (V8 required for auto-leveling system, Limited required for leather)
Milage: 15/19

Sorento:
MSRP: $27,795
Milage: 15/18

Mitsubishi Montero Sport XLS:
MSRP: $32,522
Milage: 16/18

Chevy Blazer:
MSRP: $29,831 (no leather option)
Milage: 15/19

Chevy Trailblazer:
MSRP: $36,637
Milage: 15/21

Sorento Saves you based on 100K of City Driving @ $1.60/gal fuel:
4-Runner: 11,495
Blazer: 4,727
TrailBlazer: 8,842
Montero Sport: 4,060

Sorento Saves you based on 100K of Highway Driving @ $1.60/gal fuel:
4-Runner: 11,027
Blazer: 4,259
TrailBlazer: 7,572
Montero Sport: 4,727

The above figures are based on information from carpoint.com (Milage, MSRP, and Trim information) All trucks above unless otherwise noted are AWD/Auto-4wd, Leather, Self Leveling Suspension, Moonroof, 6-cd changer with Cassette.

-mike

dindak

One thing you are completely ignoring is HP and hence you are completely missing my points. All the vehicles you list easily out class Sorento by a long shot in power and still get better mileage.

Comparing the Sorento to vehicles closer in power /ability / functionality and size like the Rendezvous or Highlander, the cost differences are smaller. Also, comparing a V8 Toyota to a V6 is of course going to skew things in your favor mileage wise..

Yes, the Sorento is cheaper still, but it's still not the bargain you think it is because over time you will pay more every full up, You pay the gas for 260 hp and get 192 hp and to me that is where the Sorento looses it's appeal.

Some people don't care, but as gas approaches $2 / gal, more and more people will notice.

paisan

Those are very close in both towing capacity, size and LOW RANGE and OFF-ROAD Ability. A highlander and a Rendevous are not at all in the same class. I should have added in the Axiom as well though cause that is in the same class.

-mike

lok888

so_cali - I was amazed the front set can be mounted inside of the window channel without tape. Nice picture. A close up look of the rain visor will be nice. Actually, I saw a ML320 on the street with the same visor. It is very good looking than the one from Kia and Vent Shade. Have you bought the rubber mats from the WeatherTech? I want to see how it is look. For the sunroof visor, I don't know if I need one. I was driving with the sunroof open and the wind noise doesn't brother me and the front passenger much. Right now, I am waiting to hear from the dealer about the bumper guard.

dindak

The fact remains, the Sorento lacks the HP and torque of the other SUVs with the same or better gas mileage. Argue it all you want, but the engine is not efficient. As the review in the local paper says, "The Sorento needs every last one of it's 192 HP".

Don't get me wrong, I like the vehicle in general ( I said before a quantum leap from the Sportage). I just think I would wait for a better motor before considering it more seriously.

paisan

You are trying to compare things that shouldn't be compared. One could argue that the Rendevous and the Highlander are weak compared to say a camry or malibu both of which have more power/weight ratio going on since they are a different class of vehicle! Or in an extreme case, a motorcycle! I didn't realized that we were out drag racing our SUVs...

-mike

abc246

If only it were that easy.

Now factor in (using the Trailblazer as an example) $4000 off MSRP the Chevy dealer will drop the price. Then factor in the $3000 rebate. Then factor in $1000 GM Card rebate if you have it. Then factor in resale value unless you plan to keep the SUV for 10 years. Do all the math and you will find that the result is what Edmunds states, the Sorento cost the most to own! This is my problem. I do however like the looks better than the Trailblazer so I am not sure what to do. I know the KIA will cost me more in the end and will have to put up with much less power and less MPG.

paisan

I was using MSRPs because everyone has all kinds of discounts, including Kia on the Sorentos, the only level playing field would be MSRP to MSRP... Also if you plan to not keep it for 5-10 years, then the 100K worth of fuel would be meaningless, meaning that slightly less milage factor is totally insignificant, no?

-mike

dindak

You are grasping at straws now.

Facts are facts and the Sorento V6 is low in power and high in fuel consumption vs anything else on the road. I'm comparing Sorento to the vehicles you are providing and it's still a lost cause.

I thought you were an Isuzu fanatic / loyalist anyway? Why you are endlessly defending the Sorento engine is beyond me.

paisan

Ergo I will defend any vehicle that has great VALUE. I personally feel the Sorento has great VALUE for the $$$$$. There is no argueing that for the $ you can't buy another Bonefide SUV that is essentially back to basics in that size. 190hp isn't that bad, you make it sound like it's got a 4-banger in it. Have you even driven one? Does it feel THAT weak? I have driven one and the power is more than adequet for highway driving, towing 5000lbs, etc. etc. When I want to race I take my SVX to the race track

-mike

dindak

No doubt it's a still a good value, I have always said that. My only critique is that it's not as good a value as it initially seems as it's poor gas mileage (vs HP output) eats up some of that "value". You can't say I'm wrong cause the facts back me up.

dindak

LOL. What does mileage vs HP have to do with anything?

Are you joking or are you looking for more straws to grasp? Stick your head in the sand and ignore the facts all you want, I don't care. You are just arguing for the sake of arguing.

abc246

Even worse, some people are reporting lower MPG than the window sticker. I have been reading these posts and some are reporting 12 and 13 mpg. This is what I get towing what a Sorento weighs with my SUV that was rated 16 city 21 highway.

paisan

Is that Torque, and REAL WORLD useage is what matters, not what is on paper. Like I said, if the milage were off by 5mpg or something crazy like that, yeah the point might hold water but 2mpg is not that big a deal and over 100,000K miles that is about ~$1000 which comes out to $.01 per mile!!!! Excluding the whole "it costs less to buy" arguement. The difference between 15mpg and 17mpg over 100,000 miles is roughly $1000 @ 1.60/gal which comes out to roughly $.01 per mile, which is nothing IMHO.

-mike

hciaffa

Anyway this discussion is getting to heated up on the gas mileage issue. Like I mentioned before if the gas mileage isn't good enough then don't buy the Sorento. Paisan most of us feel like you. The sorento seems to be and is proving to be a winner. Lets get on with other items of interest.

Motorweek had its review Sunday afternoon on a local Public TV station on the Sorento and I believe it was the one shown in November but adding some more off road footage. The review was very favorable and it gave high praise to the interior as it meet or beat vehicles in its class and as for going off road it was very sure footed and competent on the trails. Braking was rated as good to very good. Fit and finish was rated excellant and equal to many German and Japanese brands and the price was the coup de gra. Nough said.

dindak

from your examples

torque
Sorento - 217 ft lbs
Blazer - 250 ft lbs
Trailblazer - 275 ft lbs
4-Runner - 320 ft. lbs.
Montero - 248 ft lbs.

paisan

Hmm i'm talking real world as in non-paper version....

I have only 230lbs of torque on my Trooper that outweights the Sorento and it tows 7500lbs without problems. So 217 in the sorento REAL WORLD wise should be fine, depending on gearing.

Is that Montero above Montero or Montero Sport? And at what RPMs do they attain these torque outputs? What are the curves on these? Heck, the turbo in the Subaru WRX produces 217lbs of torque from a 2.0l 4cylinder, so on paper you could say it's quite strong, yet towing is not reccommended with it. The upcoming Forester will have 235lbs of torque at 2500 or 3000rpms, so would that instantly make it a good tow rig? I doubt that too. Once again the "theoretical" people bring the internet to an alltime low... I will refrain from responding anymore to this topic...

-mike

dindak

Oh I see, real world. Always good to argue with a non quantifiable set of parameters like that.

Are you done yet?

saber86

what is the point with continue argument over mpg, hp,and torque..the Hp and torque are just numbers and just that numbers. If the vehicle meets your need, the way it rides, and offers adequate power than go buy one. If not, than go buy something else.

Do you know ford focus hatch back model produces 170 hp with a engine that is 2.0 which is more than toyota or honda's 4 cyl engine. Again what is the point?

You seem to be so concern with MPG than why not just get a minivan which will give you a higher MPG and more interior space than any typical midsize suv today.

lok888

hicaffa - I missed that show. But it is good to hear all these favorable reviews. This properly the best car Korean ever made.

Oh! Maybe someone can answer this for me. Occasionally, I notice this... I made a complete stop at the light with foot on the brake pedal. It's maybe for 30 seconds or a minute long. As the light turned green, I left my foot from the brake. Before I hit the gas pedal, I felt there was an extra force coming from the rear wheels that kind of pull the car a bit. It was just strong enough to feel that shack from the brake panel.

hciaffa

We notice this also when we come to a stop. I stopped buy a brake shop and the tech was good enought to explain. First off he asked if this is the first 4 wheel disc brake we have owned and I said yes. Apparently this can be a common thing with 4 wheel disc brakes. It feels like a thump or bump which is the rear pads disengaging from the rotor. Because most of the braking is done with the front brakes the rear don't get used that much so they get some rust or dust on the pads and rotor an they stick causing the noise or feeling of a thump. He said to have the system checked and cleaned next time in for service. Nothing to worry about unless you hear a scraping sound then the calipers are sticking.

lok888

hicaffa - So I am not the only one. Anyway, I doubt his explanation I have nothing like this before for my Accord with 4 wheel disc brake. My original thought was the weight of the vehicles (4??? lbs vs. 2??? lbs) and RWD (RWD most of the time unless when TOD applies or 4Lo was selected) will pull the car a bit after I release the brake pedal. I am not worry about this. But I will mention this to the service I get the first oil change. Thanks.

ivygrnsorento

...would you like to argue the Price vs. HP issue? I think all this crap about MPG and HP numbers start to become more clear when looked at this way....and in my opinion...is just as important.

Now...I will say this...I agree with what you are saying (over and over )...but as you can tell, most of us that have purchased the Sorento were not worried or concerned so much over the less than great mileage. It was all the "other" great things about the vehicle that overshadowed the mileage shortcomings.

Do you really believe that gas mileage should be the focal point when considering a purchase of an SUV?? I think your kidding yourself if you do. Why purchase a Buick RDV over the Pontiac Venture? Same platform...but one is a mini-van, and the other a "SUV". The mini-van gets better gas mileage. What your expectations are of an SUV is up to you...and obviously you have hit a nerve with some of us here. But you have to understand...most of us don't really care.

dindak

If you don't care about mileage then hey, the Sorento is a great value. Gas is more expensive due to higher fuel taxes up here so I look at these things when shopping around. The Sorento certainly caught my eye in terms of looks and price, but I was very disappointed in the mileage. I was even more disappointed when I saw the mileage vs. the power.

All that said, the Kia is still a good deal, just not as good as I thought. I will consider one if they can make the engine more efficient in the future. Till then, it's a bit too thirsty for me when gas is selling at about U$2 / gallon up here.

Enjoy your Sorento!

edlund

Hi!
Im waiting for the Sorento to come here to Sweden,
i have seen that many people think the V6 engine with 195 hp is to weak!, the Sorento i look for has 4 cylinders and 139 hp, what is you peaple think about that engine?

carspy01

Hi, there and welcome aboard! I haven't been here for a while, but to all of you a friendly "hello again".
Edlund: We here in the US and Canada will only get (so far) the 3.5l V6-engine. In Europe you will have the choice of a) the Diesel b) the 2.4l 4-cylinder and c) the 3.5l V6. The 2.4l will be the Hyundai Sonata/Kia Optima resp. Magentis (Europe, Asia & Canada) derived engine. It is a good engine. Check out, however, the Diesel version of the Sorento. You will loooooove the torque!

StevePIII

I am ready to buy the Sorento as soon as Wednesday but I am VERY CONCERNED about the side air bags and my two childern. I have Little and Beautiful 2 Year old girl and a wonderful 4 year old boy.(I know the Beautiful and Wonderful are not necessary on a Car forum, but I can help it, I love my kids.) I am having some diffucilty getting information other than this was a great concern in 1998/1999 by the nhtsa. Does any Sorento Owner have kids who will be riding in the back and/or are concerned about this???