My estimate in dealers trying to charge higher than MSRP was based on the posting above, reminding us that some Hyundai dealers did the same with the Santa Fe. And who would have thought of Hyundai dealers asking for MSRP then??? Remember? And, yepp, I bet they try, as the Sorento was extremely well received in Korea so far, and gained great reviews in Europe, and previews here. Saber86: I know you're new here, but take your time and go to the archived "Kia BL" townhall here on Edmunds-SUV, to read the beginnings of the "Sorento-adventure"... & welcome!
My Kia dealer called and I went by last night to pick up the new Sorento brochure. Still no exact pricing but he expects to have stock by September 15th. Edmunds has already covered the features in their First Drive review, but they haven't published the full set of dimensions. Here are a few in inches: Height 68.1 LX and 71.3 EX (EX has roof rack) Width 73.3 LX and 74.2 EX (EX has cadding on fender skirts) Aproach angle 28.4 degrees and departure angle 26.7 degrees Ft Head Room 39.7 LX and 38.3 EX (sunroof) Rr Head Room 39.5 LX and 38.0 EX Shoulder Room 58.9 Ft and 58.4 Rr Leg Room 42.6 Ft and 36.1 Rr Hip Room 55.3 Ft and 58.0 Rr Cargo Volume 31.4 and 66.4 (rear seats down)
Saw a Sorento in Edmonton today with private-owner plates. Will be checking with the dealer to see if they are widely available yet. Very pretty truck, especially from the rear quarter view. Much larger than I had assumed from the photos on the web. Using the data from Charlesm above, I note that the Sorento is exactly the same height as the Chevy Trailblazer; 1.5" higher than the Grand Cherokee, and 5.5" higher than the Highlander. In width the Sorento is .4" narrower than the Chevy, 1.9" wider than the Jeep and 2.3" wider than the Toyota. The Kia is, however shorter than all of these vehicles (Chevy -18.7"; Jeep -2.2"; Highlander -2.1". Interestingly, the Kia wheelbase is mid-pack at 6.6" shorter than the Chev, 0.5" longer than the Jeep, and 0.5" shorter than the Toyota. Our Korean friends obviously did their homework.
But you never know, that could have been a Kia Executive driving that Sorento. I seriously doubt it though.
Yeah, check your dealer. I've heard that dealerships usually sell the very first who enter the country to the person who pays, and I mean pays. Whoever bought it probably paid well over MSRP, which I think is ridiculous, for any car, whether it be Mazda, Kia, Ford, DC, or Honda.
But, that's the price you pay if you want something SOOOOOOOO bad.
I wonder whether Kia will do anymore of those "Durability Tests".
Anyone remember when they took that Sephia Coast-To-Coast for 200,000 Miles? They had the big Mileage counter on the top of the car? Amazing.
I figure they should give the Sedona to the most Wildest family. The subject is to take a Summer Long Driving Vacation. That'll surely be interesting.
The Sorento, I don't know. Some off road durability test, I guess? Maybe some sort of trail on the Rubicon??? I wonder what their marketing will be for that thing.
I was at a shopping centre in Ottawa yesterday, and when I returned to the parking lot, there was a Sorento parked close to my Santa Fe. The Sorento is beautiful. This one was a Merlot colour, with gold cladding and badging. It must have just arrived at the dealership, and the vehicle was plastered with dealer decals. I sure wish I was in the market for a SUV now, I would take a closer look at this great looking vehicle.
The Sorento mid-size sport-utility, which goes on sale next week, will be a key part of the company's growth, he said.
"It will be the highest quality vehicle we have built," Butterfield said. "It's exactly where we're going as a brand."
The 2003 Sorento, which will be the highest price Kia when it hits U.S. dealerships this fall, is expected to start at $19,995, including a $495 destination fee. The fully-loaded version will cost about $26,000.
According to pictures, the Rear Window does open..............I just wish it actually "rolled down" like in the Toyota 4Runner. HOW COME OTHER MANUFACTURERS CAN'T SEE THAT THE 4RUNNER WINDOW IS A GOOD IDEA???
I received my brochure from the dealership yesterday. The brochure mainly depicts the EX model. I was wondering can you get an EX model in a single - colored model rather than a two-tone color. I would like to get an all black model rather than a back-gray or black-beige.
Interesting, but I thought you can get an EX in black. They call the color cladding then "solid". Maybe it's not in the brochure - I don't have one yet - but on the color configuration page at http://www.kiasorento.com you can opt for the black/solid EX combination....
Obviously, they have been on the lots for a while in Canada........sightings have proved it. (Private-Owner Plates)
Here in the US, I think Kia is a little reluctant to releasing them, because it is so high priced. I don't blame them. Would you just take $1,000 off of MSRP?!?!?!? It's too expensive. But, that was before we knew that it would be competing with the Jeep JGC, and Pathfinder, instead of Liberty and Escape.
Well, this is just me daydreaming, but does anyone think since DC owns 10% of the company (Hyundai) I wonder whether anyone has tried to 'shoehorn' the 4.7 DC V8 inside either the Sorento or the Terrorcan. Did I spell that wrong? HeHe. Wonder what mileage will be? I wouldn't think it would move a bit.
Black/Solid refers to the type of paint not the color of the cladding. It is black solid as opposed to black metalic. The Sorento does look better in a single color then with the two-tone paint job imho though. Hope an EX does not require the cladding, should be a separate option.
An EX, judging by the history of previous Pontiac Oops! Kia! Vehicles with Cladding, will be standard. It'll be hard to find a Solid EX, as is a Sedona (Which is sold out in some regions), or Sportage.
Greetings from Washington state! I have spoken with 2 dealers and they tell me they are stuck at the port in Tacoma waiting to ship and won't be ready until October. I was hoping for an earlier sell date, these vehicles are very sharp looking!
I would probably go for the EX and would find it hard to pass on the 4WD version of the EX while I was at it. I had heard that the 4WD EX would run $26,000 but it looks to be $24,100.
As per Automotive News today, Sorento will be here in October.
The new Kia Sorento mid-sized sport-utility will have a base sticker of $19,995, including destination costs, Kia Motors America said Tuesday.
The vehicle is scheduled to arrive in U.S. dealerships by October.
The base model Sorento LX has a 3.5-liter, V-6 engine and rear-wheel drive. The four-wheel drive Sorento LX will cost $21,795, including destination.
The upscale EX version with two-wheel drive will have a base sticker price of $22,795, including destination. The EX version adds features such as a roof rack, power moonroof and an eight-way power driver's seat. The four-wheel-drive EX model will cost $24,595, including destination.
Kia Motors America's COO Peter Butterfield said the Sorento is a key part of the company's growth strategy.
"It will be the highest quality vehicle we have built," he said. "It's exactly where we're going as a brand."
Great prices but EDA @ dealers in October? I was hoping for a test drive in Sept and get my hands on the freebie LOTR DVD - anyone see a demo at a dealer? The TV ads promo-ing this (freebie DVD with test drive showing a Sorento) are slick and it seems like a waste of ad $ if the Sorento don't make it to the dealers in Sept? Maybe Kia America will extend the promo ...
Well, if you want the free DVD, just go test drive any Kia (And still get the DVD).....you can. You can wait for the Sorento, and when or if you do, there will probably be a line waiting.................................
new pictures of the new 4-runner. I'll try to wait until the Sorento comes out to make a decision, but if the 4-runner comes out before the Kia does, I may decide on buying the 4-runner. The pictures show that this will definetely be competitive with Acura and the Sorento. Sort of the in between SUV.
Hi There, I have recently purchased the new sorento and was impressed with the test drive. It feels like a solid suv and power to boot. But i am waiting to recieve it, i bought the EX model which has the cladding and am getting a trailer hitch and undercoating plus rustproofing thrown into the deal. CAN'T WAIT !!!!
I know the price will be somewhat high, but after speaking with a dealer about the SUV. he stated that i would probalby have a hard time fitting in it, since I am 6'6" and have long legs. I will take a test drive though before I decide. Plus it just looks tooooo good!!!
Troops...I just drove a new base Sorrento....wow...real nice! My present vehicles are a 01 Mazda Tribute & a 03 Vibe. The Sorrento rides way better & is way quieter then the trib. Power seems very close. My Trib is a dx with AWD, v-6, power & appearence package & also with tow package. The new Sorrento base package retails for exactly what i paid for my tribute($30,570 fr included) The Sorrento is a wayyyy better buy. The only negative is fuel consumption is rated at 6 mpg. less then the trib(30 vs. 24) but most Kia owners are claiming they get a lot better then the posted figure. I get 26 hi-way mpg. ( cdn. gallon) on my trib. Anyway nice rig & definately on my list for a next vehicle.
I'm wondering how the "quality" of the vehicle struck you--fit and finish, etc. Also, you said the power felt similar to your Tribute. Can you describe that in any more detail? From the pictures I've seen, including a brochure of the vehicle I have, the Sorento is quite nice looking. Unfortunately, past Kias have not been rated very well by consumer magazines. I'm curious if they are "getting better" and good enough to really be competitive. One can usually 'bank' on reliability and resale value of Hondas, Toyotas, etc. The Kia would have to have improved considerably for me to take the plunge. I will say I believe the Santa Fe shows decent quality--improved over past Hyundais--company affiliated with Kia.
The fit & finish seemed very similar to my trib but the interior appoitments seemed slightly cheaper & thinner; alltho they fit well. The drivers seat does not go back as far on the Sorrento. When I drove the kia it seemed slower but looking at the speedo , the smoothness of the vehicle kinda fooled you & made you think you were going slower then you really were. The thing that really struck me was the quitness & smoothness on the hi-way...way better then my trib. The handling was not quite as sporty but was OK, since it is a lot larger vehicle.
Well fit and finish over an american car isn't gonna impress me much. I want to hear from someone who compared it to say a Toyota Land Cruiser or Montero
Just drove an EX with the leather and sun roof. Very nice. Extremely quiet inside, although the one that I drove had a bit of drive train resonance at about 50kph (30mph).
Very tight structure for a body-on-frame suv. I deliberately drove throught a rough construction site to check for chassis flexing. None noticeable. No groans or creaks. Very much unlike my recent Explorer and Jimmy.
Fit and finish throughout the vehicle is top notch. Everything appears to be put together very well. The leather seats, however, are not the same quality as those in our Sedona.
Other comments: smooth, quiet and powerful engine; great 10-speaker stereo (Delco??); loads of leg room front & rear.
Price quoted was $37,500 Hudson Bay Pesos (~US$24,000). In local currency this is $3,600 more than a Tribute ES and $7k to $9k less than loaded Trailblazers LTZ, Explorer Ltd or Cherokee Ltd. Interestingly, the Sorento price is within $100 of a similarly-equipped Jeep Liberty. Tough decision, but I would go with the Kia if just for the underfloor, aluminum spare wheel.
One in pewter(grey),the other (black,grey).My opinions.....Well,to be fair.I haven't test driven it,yet.To start with.I loved the look the first time I saw it at the NY Auto Show.....Now under close exam.......the paint seems to be thin..........brand new.already has small scratches.....yeesh!I know.New.Another misfortune.Loose rear passenger grip handles in the door.These might be sample defects...but alas,caveat emptor.(buyer beware).I still love the look.A beefier Lexus RX300....But they are here........at least in the good ole US
I have owned a KIA Sephia for almost four years now and have had no problems except what I have done to it (dented the gas tank going off-road). I bought it expecting it to fall apart in a few years (it was really a cheap buy), giving me an excuse to buy a more expensive car later. Unfortunately, it is still running fine and my new car keeps getting pushed back.
I will say that in some respects, I did get what I paid for. The paint is thin (there are numerous scratches, starting from almost day one) and it seems to dent really easy. I have noticed this on other older KIAs as well. The interior materials are a hard plastic and the carpet and seats are wearing thin. It has @ 32,000 miles on it.
However, the only thing keeping me from considering a new Sportage is its lack of engine power and shying me from the Sorento is the lack of a 5 spd. option. Quality, for this price, isn't a worry.
I got a call yesterday from one of the two Kia dealers in Austin to let me know they had received 7 Sorentos. I went by after work and took a look.
The EX is beautiful with very nice fit and finish inside and out for an under $25,000 vehicle. I don't like the LX nearly as much. The funny looking plugs in the location where the fog lights should be are a distraction from the lines of the body. Also, the colors of the particular LX models were a bit odd. One was sort of a Kelley Green and the other was Aqua. The EX models where Blue and White. One Blue EX with Beige cadding and leather sold while I was there. So, I won't be the first person in Austin with a Sorento.
I only got to drive an EX around the dealership including their back lot which is unpaved and has a few shallow holes in it. It road well in this limited test. The suspension handled the holes well and body was tight and quiet.
I was told that after the vehicles are prepped I can come back an take one of them out on the highway. I'll go back on the weekend after I do my homework on the value of my trade and the invoice price of the Sorento.
Recently, a second Kia dealer opened in Austin so I stopped by on the way to work this morning. They had 5 Sorentos. I was a bit taken back by the price, though. One EX had a dealer window sticker next to the factory sticker:
Wow! That's $2,700 over sticker price. I hope that doesn't hold up. I'd rather buy a year or two old Toyota SUV than risk $27,100 on a Kia that would lose a great deal of its value once I drive it away.
I'll let you know how I make out with the full test drive and negotiations. The vehicle is very nice and quite a bargain at say $23,000, but I it feels a bit over priced at $27,000.
You have got to be kidding! I wouldn't pay! Find another dealer. Also, this sounds just like what dealers did with the PT Cruiser, but they went as far as fake window stickers. Sure this wasn't one of them?
I think this KIA dealer is hoping someone will be foolish enough to pay $2,795 over MSRP. The KIA sticker wasn't faked. This dealer had his own sticker next to the KIA sticker.
There is no way I would pay any of this mark up. If the this dealer or the other local dealer are not willing to sell for less than MSRP I'll walk away. The economy isn't that good and in a few weeks I think they'll change their minds.
Yesterday I happened to be at the KIA dealership when their first Sorento was being delivered. It is a burgundy (Ruby Red) EX (gray leather interior), 4x2, without the Luxury package, but with the towing package.
This EX was very NICE! The exterior closely resembles an MDX. 'Fit & Finish', exterior and interior are very good, with no appearance of mismatched parts or pieces. To my surprise, even the ‘fake’ wood trim with chrome-like accents was appealing.
I will point out things that I did not recall seeing in the brochure:
The spare tire appears to be a full size with matching rims. The rear tail lights are very bright! All service points in the engine compartment are easily accessed. The engine block has a plastic shield-like cover over it. I’m not sure why.
The rear glass window release button was in an unusual place. The button is located on the driver's door arm rest, approx. 7" in front of the window controls, on the downward curve of the arm rest. It was not immediately visible, but is accessible. Three accessory plug-ins plus a small ashtray with lighter are available for plug-in gadgets. The front seat, center armrest is divided into two compartments. The main compartment uses a finger activated pull-up 'lever' for access. The cushion also lifts up to reveal a tray that separates the cushion from the main compartment. This tray is held closed by a very strong magnet.
I am 6'03", 250 lbs. My wife is 5'04", 115 lbs. We both had no problem finding a comfortable seating position in the 8-way power driver's seat. The adjustable height and tilt head rests have 5 or 6 settings for up and down and tilt forward. The headrests should accommodate anyone.
While my wife drove, I sat in the back seat for the ultimate test of comfort. The rear seat headrests do have a very good height adjustment, but do not have a tilt adjustment, as is the case with the front seats. The rear seat center arm rest, when folded down, is firm and supportive. The rear seats are not adjustable forward and back, nor is the seat back tilt-adjustable. The rear seats are as firm as the Honda CRV EX. That is to say firm enough for anchoring a child car seat but not like sitting on a bench. The seat bottom was a little low to the floor for my 6'03" frame, but nothing that I could not handle for a 2 hour trip. The rear doors have the combination door pocket and large drink holder as in the Honda Pilot. The brochure picture with the bicycle in the cargo area, with the rear seats folded, baffled me as to how the rear head rests could be against the back of the front seats. The answer is that the headrests are detached from the seat back. Then the rear seat bottom folds so that the back of the cushion comes up and forward against the back of the front seats. Then the seat back folds down were the seat bottom was. Then, here’s the designers’ smart-thinking part, the posts of the headrests are inserted into metal reinforced holes. With the Pilot and MDX you have to use storage space to keep the headrests from bouncing around, loose.
Both test drives revealed no wind noise, with very little road noise coming from the cargo area, (but you have to listen carefully for it). The EX had luxury car-like steering (with a very surprisingly tight turn radius) which will make U-turns and parking much easier. Compared to my ’96 Dakota, the Sorento was able to absorb bumps and potholes with a little hint of its truck-frame-ride making uneven pavement of no concern to my sport coupe-driving wife. Acceleration was more than adequate for merging with 75mph traffic with the shifting of the automatic transmission being noticeable but not traumatic. There was very little felt brake pedal resistance. This coupled with the quiet, sedan-like ride made judging the amount of force necessary to apply to the brake peddle a little difficult to judge. However, this could be because I am use to driving the Dakota. The “Multi-meter” can be difficult to understand and to adjust, making it necessary to refer to the owners’ manual. The “multi-meter” adjustments include: Celsius to Fahrenheit, the elevation from meters to feet and the compass declination.
In the place of the “4x4, Hi, Low” selector knob, the 4x2 EX had a “snow, on, off” selector knob. Of course the salesman did not know what this did. I’m still puzzled by this. There was a push-in button (with a green LED when “on”) on the center dash console, to the right of the BIG hazard flasher. This button has the diagram of the windshield with a wiper arm and a squiggly line on it. According to the owners manual, the rear glass and side mirror defroster are the same button to the left of the hazard flasher and the windshield has a defroster setting on the dial just below the hazard button. So (even after reading the owners manual) what is this button to the right of the hazard button for?
Since I’m just looking for now, I did not memorize pricing. CharlesM is right! The dealer mark up was at least $2500 above MRSP. The dealer's price sticker even had "$1" written in ball point pen next to the (typed) "695.00" destination charge. This made the price $1,695.00 for the destination charge. How's that for tacky? Adding $1,000 in ball point pen. Doing this makes a $25k+ Sorento $27k+.
And the dealer's "prep charge" is bogus also. I happened to be at the KIA dealership yesterday and today and watched them drive the Sorentos off the truck, to the lot, take the protective plastic off the exterior and interior, put the dealer-add-on price sticker on the window, then it was ready for test drives.
I'm sure the dealer did this to give himself bargaining room, but what he doesn't know is that I will NEVER pay at or above MRSP. If I have to, I'll wait a year to buy a used Sorento. Honda dealers did the same thing with the Pilot too. I don't care to pay above MRSP just to say that I was the first person in my neighborhood to own a Sorento.
The Sorento that I witnessed being delivered today is a Ivy Green [w/ tan (stone)leather interior] EX 4x2 with the luxury package. Included was the 6 disk, in-dash CD changer, chrome-like trim piece accents, automatic climate control, heated driver and passenger leather seats (and a few other things that I probably missed).
With a 5 year, 60k mile bumper to bumper warrantee and $10,000 less than comparably equipped SUVs I consider the Sorento a good buy for the ‘negotiated’ money. I’ll take two for the right price.
Went to the dealership close by and test drove the Sorento. Before my wife and I went out , I had the service manager lift the SUV on the hoist and walked it from front to back. For the most part, the truck appeared pretty substantial. However, while underneath the Sorento I noticed that the bumper doesn't extend past the frame width in the front or rear. The fog lights were actually screwed into the plastic facia. We're going to wait for the crash testing. RB P.s. Were please to see that the 4wd selector could actually be selected on the fly, tested it. Worked well.
The 'snow' on/off selector more than likely starts the vehicle in 2nd gear instead of 1st. My Mitsu Sport has that same feature. Suppose to reduce slippage on slick surfaces.
My bushbusting days may be over, But I'd "Steel" like some meat on the bun if you know what I mean. P.s. Checkout, the European web site they've got a diesel over there that gets 30mpg. Why can't we get someting like that.
I SYMPATHIZE WITH EVERYONE WHO HAS THE TRUCK BUG NOW AND HAS TO HAVE IT NOW.TAKE IT FROM ME, I BOUGHT MY OPTIMA SE V6 LEATH ABS BLACK 2001 WHEN THEY 1ST CAME OUT , AND I PAID VERY HARD FOR IT.NICE CAR,BUT IF I WAITED I WOULD HAVE SAVED ABOUT 3 THOU. THIS TRUCK DOES LOOK AWESOME, AND WOULD LOVE TO DRIVE AROUND TOWN IN ONE, BUT I KNOW I WILL LOSE LOTS OF MOOLA COMPARED TO WAITING SEVERAL MOS.ITS HARD TO WAIT BUT LOOK AT WHATS HAPPENED TO SANTA FES, AND PILOTS,AND ESCAPES. THEY ARE COMING DOWN!!I AM GONNA WAIT AS LONG AS I CAN, GET MY BLACK SORRENTO EX LOADED AND FEEL BETTER THAT I DIDNT PAY LIKE I DID FOR MY OPTIMA. GOOD LUCK
I would love to get my hands on a diesel engined Sorento - drove a 2.0L turbo diesel Fiat Tipo hathcback in the UK - but sadly, your average US Joe-and-Jane SUV buyer would not appreciate the beauty of an oil-burner. So we probably won't get this on our shores; the market dictates that Kia imports what (most) people want i.e. not diesels.
Comments
Saber86: I know you're new here, but take your time and go to the archived "Kia BL" townhall here on Edmunds-SUV, to read the beginnings of the "Sorento-adventure"... & welcome!
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Edmunds has already covered the features in their First Drive review, but they haven't published the full set of dimensions. Here are a few in inches:
Height 68.1 LX and 71.3 EX (EX has roof rack)
Width 73.3 LX and 74.2 EX (EX has cadding on fender skirts)
Aproach angle 28.4 degrees and departure angle 26.7 degrees
Ft Head Room 39.7 LX and 38.3 EX (sunroof)
Rr Head Room 39.5 LX and 38.0 EX
Shoulder Room 58.9 Ft and 58.4 Rr
Leg Room 42.6 Ft and 36.1 Rr
Hip Room 55.3 Ft and 58.0 Rr
Cargo Volume 31.4 and 66.4 (rear seats down)
Yeah, check your dealer. I've heard that dealerships usually sell the very first who enter the country to the person who pays, and I mean pays. Whoever bought it probably paid well over MSRP, which I think is ridiculous, for any car, whether it be Mazda, Kia, Ford, DC, or Honda.
But, that's the price you pay if you want something SOOOOOOOO bad.
Anyone remember when they took that Sephia Coast-To-Coast for 200,000 Miles? They had the big Mileage counter on the top of the car? Amazing.
I figure they should give the Sedona to the most Wildest family. The subject is to take a Summer Long Driving Vacation. That'll surely be interesting.
The Sorento, I don't know. Some off road durability test, I guess? Maybe some sort of trail on the Rubicon??? I wonder what their marketing will be for that thing.
What are your suggestions?
Also, called every dealer in San Diego, no one will give a firm date.
The Sorento mid-size sport-utility, which goes on sale next week, will be a key part of the company's growth, he said.
"It will be the highest quality vehicle we have built," Butterfield said. "It's exactly where we're going as a brand."
The 2003 Sorento, which will be the highest price Kia when it hits U.S. dealerships this fall, is expected to start at $19,995, including a $495 destination fee. The fully-loaded version will cost about $26,000.
-mike
Anyone know?
Here in the US, I think Kia is a little reluctant to releasing them, because it is so high priced. I don't blame them. Would you just take $1,000 off of MSRP?!?!?!? It's too expensive. But, that was before we knew that it would be competing with the Jeep JGC, and Pathfinder, instead of Liberty and Escape.
An EX, judging by the history of previous Pontiac Oops! Kia! Vehicles with Cladding, will be standard. It'll be hard to find a Solid EX, as is a Sedona (Which is sold out in some regions), or Sportage.
http://www.kia.com/091602.shtml
I would probably go for the EX and would find it hard to pass on the 4WD version of the EX while I was at it. I had heard that the 4WD EX would run $26,000 but it looks to be $24,100.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
The new Kia Sorento mid-sized sport-utility will have a base sticker of $19,995, including destination costs, Kia Motors America said Tuesday.
The vehicle is scheduled to arrive in U.S. dealerships by October.
The base model Sorento LX has a 3.5-liter, V-6 engine and rear-wheel drive. The four-wheel drive Sorento LX will cost $21,795, including destination.
The upscale EX version with two-wheel drive will have a base sticker price of $22,795, including destination. The EX version adds features such as a roof rack, power moonroof and an eight-way power driver's seat. The four-wheel-drive EX model will cost $24,595, including destination.
Kia Motors America's COO Peter Butterfield said the Sorento is a key part of the company's growth strategy.
"It will be the highest quality vehicle we have built," he said. "It's exactly where we're going as a brand."
-mike
-mike
which has the cladding and am getting a trailer hitch and undercoating plus rustproofing thrown into the deal.
CAN'T WAIT !!!!
From the pictures I've seen, including a brochure of the vehicle I have, the Sorento is quite nice looking. Unfortunately, past Kias have not been rated very well by consumer magazines. I'm curious if they are "getting better" and good enough to really be competitive. One can usually 'bank' on reliability and resale value of Hondas, Toyotas, etc. The Kia would have to have improved considerably for me to take the plunge. I will say I believe the Santa Fe shows decent quality--improved over past Hyundais--company affiliated with Kia.
-mike
Very tight structure for a body-on-frame suv. I deliberately drove throught a rough construction site to check for chassis flexing. None noticeable. No groans or creaks. Very much unlike my recent Explorer and Jimmy.
Fit and finish throughout the vehicle is top notch. Everything appears to be put together very well. The leather seats, however, are not the same quality as those in our Sedona.
Other comments: smooth, quiet and powerful engine; great 10-speaker stereo (Delco??); loads of leg room front & rear.
Price quoted was $37,500 Hudson Bay Pesos (~US$24,000). In local currency this is $3,600 more than a Tribute ES and $7k to $9k less than loaded Trailblazers LTZ, Explorer Ltd or Cherokee Ltd. Interestingly, the Sorento price is within $100 of a similarly-equipped Jeep Liberty. Tough decision, but I would go with the Kia if just for the underfloor, aluminum spare wheel.
http://autonet.ca/EdmontonDrive/Stories.cfm?StoryID=6419
I will say that in some respects, I did get what I paid for. The paint is thin (there are numerous scratches, starting from almost day one) and it seems to dent really easy. I have noticed this on other older KIAs as well. The interior materials are a hard plastic and the carpet and seats are wearing thin. It has @ 32,000 miles on it.
However, the only thing keeping me from considering a new Sportage is its lack of engine power and shying me from the Sorento is the lack of a 5 spd. option. Quality, for this price, isn't a worry.
-mike
The EX is beautiful with very nice fit and finish inside and out for an under $25,000 vehicle. I don't like the LX nearly as much. The funny looking plugs in the location where the fog lights should be are a distraction from the lines of the body. Also, the colors of the particular LX models were a bit odd. One was sort of a Kelley Green and the other was Aqua. The EX models where Blue and White. One Blue EX with Beige cadding and leather sold while I was there. So, I won't be the first person in Austin with a Sorento.
I only got to drive an EX around the dealership including their back lot which is unpaved and has a few shallow holes in it. It road well in this limited test. The suspension handled the holes well and body was tight and quiet.
I was told that after the vehicles are prepped I can come back an take one of them out on the highway. I'll go back on the weekend after I do my homework on the value of my trade and the invoice price of the Sorento.
Recently, a second Kia dealer opened in Austin so I stopped by on the way to work this morning. They had 5 Sorentos. I was a bit taken back by the price, though. One EX had a dealer window sticker next to the factory sticker:
MSRP . . . . 24,305.00
ATP . . . . . . 795.00
Market Adj. . 2,000.00
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Total . . . . . 27,100.00
Wow! That's $2,700 over sticker price. I hope that doesn't hold up. I'd rather buy a year or two old Toyota SUV than risk $27,100 on a Kia that would lose a great deal of its value once I drive it away.
I'll let you know how I make out with the full test drive and negotiations. The vehicle is very nice and quite a bargain at say $23,000, but I it feels a bit over priced at $27,000.
-CharlesM
You have got to be kidding! I wouldn't pay! Find another dealer. Also, this sounds just like what dealers did with the PT Cruiser, but they went as far as fake window stickers. Sure this wasn't one of them?
There is no way I would pay any of this mark up. If the this dealer or the other local dealer are not willing to sell for less than MSRP I'll walk away. The economy isn't that good and in a few weeks I think they'll change their minds.
-CharlesM
This EX was very NICE! The exterior closely resembles an MDX. 'Fit & Finish', exterior and interior are very good, with no appearance of mismatched parts or pieces. To my surprise, even the ‘fake’ wood trim with chrome-like accents was appealing.
I will point out things that I did not recall seeing in the brochure:
The spare tire appears to be a full size with matching rims. The rear tail lights are very bright! All service points in the engine compartment are easily accessed. The engine block has a plastic shield-like cover over it. I’m not sure why.
The rear glass window release button was in an unusual place. The button is located on the driver's door arm rest, approx. 7" in front of the window controls, on the downward curve of the arm rest. It was not immediately visible, but is accessible. Three accessory plug-ins plus a small ashtray with lighter are available for plug-in gadgets. The front seat, center armrest is divided into two compartments. The main compartment uses a finger activated pull-up 'lever' for access. The cushion also lifts up to reveal a tray that separates the cushion from the main compartment. This tray is held closed by a very strong magnet.
I am 6'03", 250 lbs. My wife is 5'04", 115 lbs. We both had no problem finding a comfortable seating position in the 8-way power driver's seat. The adjustable height and tilt head rests have 5 or 6 settings for up and down and tilt forward. The headrests should accommodate anyone.
While my wife drove, I sat in the back seat for the ultimate test of comfort. The rear seat headrests do have a very good height adjustment, but do not have a tilt adjustment, as is the case with the front seats. The rear seat center arm rest, when folded down, is firm and supportive. The rear seats are not adjustable forward and back, nor is the seat back tilt-adjustable. The rear seats are as firm as the Honda CRV EX. That is to say firm enough for anchoring a child car seat but not like sitting on a bench. The seat bottom was a little low to the floor for my 6'03" frame, but nothing that I could not handle for a 2 hour trip. The rear doors have the combination door pocket and large drink holder as in the Honda Pilot. The brochure picture with the bicycle in the cargo area, with the rear seats folded, baffled me as to how the rear head rests could be against the back of the front seats. The answer is that the headrests are detached from the seat back. Then the rear seat bottom folds so that the back of the cushion comes up and forward against the back of the front seats. Then the seat back folds down were the seat bottom was. Then, here’s the designers’ smart-thinking part, the posts of the headrests are inserted into metal reinforced holes. With the Pilot and MDX you have to use storage space to keep the headrests from bouncing around, loose.
Both test drives revealed no wind noise, with very little road noise coming from the cargo area, (but you have to listen carefully for it). The EX had luxury car-like steering (with a very surprisingly tight turn radius) which will make U-turns and parking much easier. Compared to my ’96 Dakota, the Sorento was able to absorb bumps and potholes with a little hint of its truck-frame-ride making uneven pavement of no concern to my sport coupe-driving wife. Acceleration was more than adequate for merging with 75mph traffic with the shifting of the automatic transmission being noticeable but not traumatic. There was very little felt brake pedal resistance. This coupled with the quiet, sedan-like ride made judging the amount of force necessary to apply to the brake peddle a little difficult to judge. However, this could be because I am use to driving the Dakota. The “Multi-meter” can be difficult to understand and to adjust, making it necessary to refer to the owners’ manual. The “multi-meter” adjustments include: Celsius to Fahrenheit, the elevation from meters to feet and the compass declination.
In the place of the “4x4, Hi, Low” selector knob, the 4x2 EX had a “snow, on, off” selector knob. Of course the salesman did not know what this did. I’m still puzzled by this. There was a push-in button (with a green LED when “on”) on the center dash console, to the right of the BIG hazard flasher. This button has the diagram of the windshield with a wiper arm and a squiggly line on it. According to the owners manual, the rear glass and side mirror defroster are the same button to the left of the hazard flasher and the windshield has a defroster setting on the dial just below the hazard button. So (even after reading the owners manual) what is this button to the right of the hazard button for?
Since I’m just looking for now, I did not memorize pricing. CharlesM is right! The dealer mark up was at least $2500 above MRSP. The dealer's price sticker even had "$1" written in ball point pen next to the (typed) "695.00" destination charge. This made the price $1,695.00 for the destination charge. How's that for tacky? Adding $1,000 in ball point pen. Doing this makes a $25k+ Sorento $27k+.
And the dealer's "prep charge" is bogus also. I happened to be at the KIA dealership yesterday and today and watched them drive the Sorentos off the truck, to the lot, take the protective plastic off the exterior and interior, put the dealer-add-on price sticker on the window, then it was ready for test drives.
I'm sure the dealer did this to give himself bargaining room, but what he doesn't know is that I will NEVER pay at or above MRSP. If I have to, I'll wait a year to buy a used Sorento. Honda dealers did the same thing with the Pilot too. I don't care to pay above MRSP just to say that I was the first person in my neighborhood to own a Sorento.
The Sorento that I witnessed being delivered today is a Ivy Green [w/ tan (stone)leather interior] EX 4x2 with the luxury package. Included was the 6 disk, in-dash CD changer, chrome-like trim piece accents, automatic climate control, heated driver and passenger leather seats (and a few other things that I probably missed).
With a 5 year, 60k mile bumper to bumper warrantee and $10,000 less than comparably equipped SUVs I consider the Sorento a good buy for the ‘negotiated’ money. I’ll take two for the right price.
Duckfuz
RB
P.s. Were please to see that the 4wd selector could actually be selected on the fly, tested it. Worked well.
-mike
P.s. Checkout, the European web site they've got a diesel over there that gets 30mpg. Why can't we get someting like that.
-mike