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Comments
Very much like the sorento in size, shape, even has the same TOD system, slightly more $ due to the reliable Isuzu truck history v. the lack of history for the Sorento.
I'm an Isuzu fan but if I were buying an SUV today it would be a hard tossup between the Axiom and the Sorento.
-mike
-What about running boards for the Sorento. I do not like the look of the side rails and would prefer running boards. Can anyone stear me in the right direction for those.
-Do you think the sunroof deflector is worth it. I can get it from the dealer for $89.26 including labor. There has got to be a comparable product for cheaper out there. Has anyone purchased either the Kia deflector or some other brand?
-I was also thinking about the chrome accents. Very pricey for aesthetics though. The whole set was quoted to be $190.72 w/install.
Sorry for asking if these questions have already been answered. I rarely have the time to browse the past postings. Looking forward to hearing what you guys think.
the one on car. But it is still doing a good job on snow.
I checked my dealer and they still have on info on the bumper guard and side step bars. I also prefer the running boards but Kia don't have that for Sorento. Sunroof deflector - I don't really care. The wind and noise don't bother me much. Chrome accents - I like the set for tail lamps. It really divides the back up, turn signal and tail lamp. But that costs me a big buck. Are you also interested to replace the light bulbs?
BTW, WeatherTech rubber mats and window deflector are the good accessories for Sorento. Try www.mats.com and www.autoanything.com
#1. I have read some reviews that say that Sorento just doesn't feel powerful enough for highway passing. Do you owners feel the same way? I read all the reviews and get mixed answers. I'd like to hear from the sources!
#2. Other tests show that the Sorento has very long braking distances from 60-0. How do you owners find the braking. Remember, I'm planning on getting one with ABS.
#3. Do you guys/gals notice a lot of sway on windy days? I must say that on a windy day, even the Pathfinder felt like a rocking ship on the highway.
#4. Some reviews say the steering is very tight while others say it is loose and numb. What do you guys think of it. I only test drove it on local roads and was very impressed. What is it like on the highway.
#5. My fiancee is really pushing me to get the Kia. She loves the warranty. Is the warranty really THAT great or is there a lot of fine print. Does Kia just want to give you false sense of security.
I'm really sorry for bombarding you with questions. I do appreciate the time spent!
Thanks again,
Mike
Just an FYI before I answer your questions. I bought my EX w/ Lux. & ABS a liite more than 3 weeks ago. I already have over 1000 miles on it (both city and highway driving) and couldn't be more pleased. Now onto your questions. :-)
1)If you are looking to run 100 mph get yourself another vehicle. If you are looking for passing power at 75-80 no problem in the Sorento.
2)Haven't had to slam on the brakes yet but other posters have been very happy with the ABS.
3) The higher you sit the more sway you have. :-)That being said even on windy days it's not a problem.
4)I was confused about the steering reviews also but it's very easy to steer/drive on both city streets and highways.
5)The warranty is that great. With the 10 yr/100k powertrain and 60k/5 yr. bumper to bumper you out of pocket cost during the first 60k should be for just routine maintence (oil changes etc.).
I hope this helps and it sounds like you have a smart fiancee. :-)
Good luck.
-mike
They also feel better on the road than in the showroom. :-)
1. I actually am still a little startled at times when I'm poking along at 35-40 mph and then floor it to pass someone. The Sorento really accelerates quickly up to about 70 mph. On the Freeway, cruising at 75-80mph, and need to pass someone...I can honestly say that I have not been discipointed with the power. Could it use more?? Of course it could. But all vehicles could. I certainly did not buy the Sorento to be a rocket ship...but overall I am satisfied.
2. Brakes with my ABS are much much better than my old Subaru Forester. Well, at least it feels that way. I would rate them as a little above average. But remember, all modern braking systems will bring a vehicle down to a stop pretty damn quickly. Plus, I have really been impressed by the way the ABS feels through the pedal. Real quick pulsations...It feels more refined than some other vehicles with ABS I have driven.
3. Its an SUV...nough said there.
4. Steering is on the light side...but after about 5 drives, you adjust to it...and you will never think about it again. The road feel is certainly not like a BMW....but again...I would say that this is a SUV on a box frame...so some of the road feel does get filtered out. But this side effect does not bother me so much as others.
5. Ahh....the warranty. Read the fine print...then relax and enjoy your new Sorento knowing you have the best warranty in the business.
Hope this helps...and good luck in your decision making process....and I agree with dbgindy...you have a very very smart fiancee.
As for the sterring it is a little lite compared to other vehicles but form what I read on the Sorento before we bought it in Nov that it had variable assit steering. A lite feel in slow speeds and stiffer in fast speeds. It does feel this way but at highway speeds it still feels a little less lite. But has anyone noticed the tight turning radius when going slow. Very tight and small turning circle.
#1 Passing and on ramp are not a problem.
#2 ABS should comes standard on EX. It is a good option to have. I don't know the data on braking. That's properly help a couple feet.
#3 Properly the height of the vehicle. I don't feel much big movement on a windy day.
#4 Speed sensitive power steering (on EX) - It should be tigh at high RPM (i.e. highway). And it should loose when parking and turns.
#5 Best warranty in auto industry. Remember, you can only find the roadside assistant on some high end automobiles. Others will cost you big bucks.
To "mike120877," various reviews put Sorrento's 60 mph-to-zero braking distance at 131 feet (right here on Edmunds, in three separate runs) and 139 feet (MSN). That is very respectable for a two-ton vehicle.
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/kia/sorento/100191610/roadtestart- icle.html?articleId=94937&tid=edmunds.e.roadtests.content...K- ia*
To "jeyone," do NOT and I repeat NOT use ArmorAll on interior surfaces. It will cause them to dry out and eventually crack. I used it on my exterio Kia hood logo (clear plastic) one day -- God only knows why -- and now it is cracked, opaque and "pitted." No experience with Vinylx but a good Google search should turn up valuable info.
Hope this helps.
ArmorAll Vinyl Protector - I used it for years on my other cars. I have no problem with cracking or fading. But it dries very fast (too much water?) and it attract more dust.
I thought I read that Armor-All reformulated their stuff to address the cracking complaints? I like 303 Protectant myself, but it can be hard to find.
Steve, Host
Dealer cost MSRP
EX cost $30,956 $33,795
LX package +$1800 +$2,000
Freight/pdi +$1095 +$1,095
A/C tax +$100 + $100
Gas Tax +$400 + $400
I ended up buying mine from Woodchester Kia, Mississauga, ON. Great bunch of guys, no pressure, they matched my lowest price and were really nice to deal with. paid $40,500 on the road. IE below MSRP. I bought a black ex-l. No complaints. Not even the mileage as I enjoy driving it too much.
May I ask you again on the MRSP, I think it's $36,195 for EX-L. Am I right?
When you paid $40,500, did it include vehicle price, PDI, A/C & Gas taxes plus GST/PST?
How much discount from MRSP should I expect?
Thanks
thanks!
~~IAN~~
There is a Mode button which will cycle thru the last 3 (or 4?) stations/CD listened to and there is also a seek button that will look for stations.
I hope that helps. :-)
Yes my 40,500 included everything but the license plate.
So if you work back towards the numbers above, I paid $1000 over dealer cost all in. so roughly $2000, or 6.5% below MSRP.
My Vehicle was not on the lot, they would've had to order one, but one came in a week after I put down my deposit.
If anywhere near Mississauga, I would recommend Woodchester Kia. We just got a follow up call asking if we're happy with our car, and the call was from our salesman, not a CSR.
Good luck!
Also don't forget that the MSRP is not representative of the ACTUAL selling price.
-mike
paisan/Mike is right on both his points.I bought my EX w/lux. pkg. & ABS less than a month ago and paid $200 over invoice. Also aside from a Jeep the Sorento is one of the very few 4X4 I'd feel comfortable taking offroad ( oops sorry Mike due to your posts I'll include the Axiom.
:-).
I would check out posts 2276 & 2279-2281 for some comparison info.
I hope this helps.
Duncan
IMHO, the Sorento looks *better* than the MDX, the ML320, RX300, the Pilot, Liberty, Murano, or 4-Runner... and *those* were the cars we were looking at when we were comparison shopping and decided on the Sorento. The Sorento simply offered (in our minds) the same ammenities and style at $10 to $20,000 less than what those other car manufacturers were selling.
And I'll let you in on a little secret... we got our Sorento *below* invoice price.
Sure, we made several compromises to make our final decision, but we haven't regretted it for a single day since we drove our Sorento off the lot. The Sorento isn't perfect, but it was the best harmonic convergence of utility, aesthetic and price available when we decided to buy a new car.
So, rather than make all of us here justify why we made a decision that was right for us, do what I did: research all the makes and models, packages, warranties and prices. You may just yet change your mind about the Sorento. Or you never will. Either way, I know I've got a great SUV that's truly a joy to drive every day.
There are definite advantages to having a truck frame, and some people are willing to pay for this. For instance, I'd take a Sorento offroad anyday of the week but would never even think of attempting offroading with an Escape/CRV/Tribute/Etc. Towing? I'd like to see you put a 5000lb trailer behind that CRV or Escape and feel comfy towing it!
Now your needs may not involve offroading, towing, or any one of the multitude of other things that a Sorento can do better than the cute-utes, which means the Sorento isn't for you.
What reasons do you have for getting an SUV? That's the question that needs to be asked here. If it involves soccer fields, mall parking lots, and "oh i'd never be caught dead in a mini-van" then one needs to look at themselves and see if they are really kidding themselves.
-mike
Last point you "don't respect a car whose sticker price is a joke"???? If you are paying sticker on your new car purchases you need to take one of us along next time you go car shopping. :-)
The best value is different for everybody.....
Do you really need all that frame to go off roading, which most SUV buyers don't do. The only advantage I see with Kia is the warranty.
The stickers on a loaded Escape and a loaded Sorento where both in the 27K + range. Assuming both cars have discounts of 0% financing and 1K cash back, I would value the Ford's better mileage due to the more modern unitized body. I would expect the Kia to list for several thousand less to reflect it's lower labor rates in Korea. The low price of their regular cars was what brought them into the US market in the first place. I'm looking for a slightly bigger replacement for my '97 CRV. The Sorento specs were a bit bigger then my needs but I expected to see such a great price and was shocked. The very heavy weight and
3.5L six only producing 192HP seems like a bad design move. The 3L Ford V6 gets 19/24 mpg not 15/18. Sure an Envoy gets those numbers, but that's a 4.2L motor also puling a porky SUV. I think I see why Honda doesn't have to offer cash back and low interest loans to push its SUV's.
-mike
Look for Ford Escape Hybrid next year if you are concerning the gas mileage. It runs up to 35 mpg. As far as the horsepower, you have to test drive the Sorento before really compare it with others.
-mike
171hp to the wheels from 190hp at the crank, dang! That is some low loss driveline!
You don't happen to have the dyno sheets that you could scan, I'd like to take a look at the torque curves etc.
(and I'm not trying to bust your balls, I'm just in utter amazement)
-mike
Power of the engine announced by the manufacturer:195 hp
Real power with the engine according to our AUTOSTOP/Visualtech results: 203 hp
Power to the wheels according to our results AUTOSTOP/Visualtech:171 hp
The announced power of the KIA V6 engine of 3,5 liters is of 195 horses. Our result of the bench shows that the power of the engine is of 203 horses. it's 4% more than the announced power. At the wheels, that means power of 171 horses.
http://www.auto-stop.net/index.php?section=essais
-mike
Now she's eyeing the Toyota Highlander, which although not a truck is bigger, boasts more horsepower, supposedly handles quite well on its Camry-based frame, and gets better gas mileage. On top of that, it's a Toyota and should be as if not more reliable than the Kia and its resale should hold up much better. We'd probably buy a 2001 model, AWD Limited with leather, and try to get an extended or aftermarket warranty to 5 years/60K miles or even 7/100K if reasonable.
Has anyone compared these two vehicles directly and, if so, can you provide impressions? Thanks in advance.
I must admit, since we don't tow and most of the "off highway" driving we do is packed/loose sand, not big rocks, I'm beginning to see the wisdom in her preference of Highlander. Even though I continue to think the Sorento is very good looking, sports a terrific combination of amenities, has a great warranty and I respect its truck-tough construction.
-mike
But I WON'T go minivan! ;-) We like to travel light (which is why the Sportage has worked so well for us the past six years) and see no need for THAT much space. We're purposefully avoiding the 3rd row seat for exactly that reason. That way I'll be able to take my girl plus three friends to her soccer practice (or ballet, or skating, or whatever) but not the whole dang team.
Resale not a HUGE deal but my wife feels as if we tossed away a few grand with the Kia versus, say, a RAV-4 or CR-V (both of which would have gotten completely stuck in some of the places we used to go). We like to keep vehicles at least 2-3 years post-payoff, too, so by then the difference can be marginal.
Thanks for your input.
Here is a pic of one offroad
http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/sia_trail/SIA_Trailride-pics-01.html
Also check out the Subaru Owners Club on here for tons more info.
-mike