Kia Sorento

lok888

I don't disagree with you. But it is all about public demands. This is why SUV is getting so popular. Or many of us are still driving a big station wagon. No offense to station wagon owners. :-)

A new 5-speed shiftronic transmission could be true for 2005 model because it is already on Hyundai Santa Fe. I am sure many of us don't like 3rd row seat, especially in a mid-size SUV. But Kia may offer this to compete the Highlander. They (Toyota) only offered this option on its third year model.

As you know, some of these goodies are very useful. I doubt they are too experience to own, except the navigation system. I am not sure Hyundai Kia people are reading Edmunds or maybe they do. Maybe it is our fault to ask too much and always hope for the best stuffs. Maybe this is the reason why they don't make and ship us a stripped down Sorento with no power options and cost more to get an A/C and auto tranny like they do on new Spectra LX. But hey, that could cost us $15000 to own one. :-)

darcy14

From what I'm hearing from Kia is that the same 5 speed shiftronic that's in the Amanti will be available in the Sorento for 2005MY.
As far as why Kia won't offer a stripped out Sorento for cheap --- I think it's because they are bringing back the smaller Sportage for 2005, and it might cut into that market. From my POV, it's almost smarter to keep the price away from that $15000 so that they can hit the Sportage market harder and give a better value on $15000 than anyone else can.

iluvmysephia1

and I drive a 2001 Sportage 4x4, I feel that a comment on new Sportage pricing would be interesting. I'm at around the 77,400 mile mark on mine, and trading in is a ways off still, but I'm interested in the new Sportage. I paid $17, 075 for mine and I have surmised the 2005 Sportage pricing to be around $18,495, or numbers to that effect somewhere. Has anyone heard anything from Kia or their favorite Kia salesman about 2005 Sportage pricing? IMO Kia would be wise to keep new Sportage pricing as close to $17,000 as possible, yet $17,075 seems too low to price a new-world-order Sportage, agree? I mean, isn't that progress, increasing prices on brand new products from the same manufacturer?

mr_bots

Its impossible for them to put the 5 speed Shiftronic transmission from the Amanti or Santa Fe into the Sorento. Those are both front wheel drive vehicles with transversely mounted engines. The Sorento is a rear wheel drive vehicle with the engine mounted north-south. A transmission from a front wheel drive vehicle can't be put in a rear wheel drive one.

lok888

But the pictures tell me it (Korean Sorento) has the same transmission shifter with +/- setting which is similar to the Hyundai Santa Fe.

mr_bots

Well, its probably a completely new 5 speed transmission that is rear wheel drive, but uses a very similar shifter. I'm just stating that front wheel drive and rear wheel drive transmissions are completely different shapes and not interchangeable with each other.

june24

Is Hynudai Santa Fe also a 4WD vehicle?

lok888

Any EX owner - I noticed the front headrests are tilt-adjustable only when they are in low position. And they can't be adjusted when they are raised. Is yours do the same thing?

mr_bots

The engine and transmission are the same in both the FWD and AWD Santa Fe, the AWD just includes some type of differential that engages the rear wheels if the front wheels begin to slip. So its still primarily a FWD vehicle with a FWD transmission.

cmulqueen

I'm interested in hearing the opinions of anyone who has taken the Sorento offroad. If I buy one, it's very important that it be capable of handling difficult Rocky Mountain terrain (steep grades, big rocks and holes). What is the ground clearance front and rear? I have more confidence in the Jeep Liberty, but am open to consider the Sorento.

dried

I have a little information that might help. There are many degrees of "four wheel driving" so I'm just talking about the stock vehicle, no goofy tires or anything. I have not driven the Liberty so I can't compare head to head, but I'm sure it also does well. I can only compare to my Isuzu Trooper, but the Sorento handled at least as good if not better the the Trooper. Sorento is shorter in length, and is designed to have good clearance front and rear (no numbers handy), so going into holes and dips is pretty fun. It has skid plates on the bottom and in general is pretty clean underneath - but have a look for yourself. It is a truck frame, so it's pretty stable on the rough parts. The cg is lower than the Trooper as well, which keeps the swaying down a little. Seems like the Liberty has a higher cg just from the looks of it. Only thing it could have to improve the off road capability is some grab handles inside for the passenger.

Dave

hciaffa

in the past months Truck Trnd magazine they pitted the Sorent against the the Jeep Liberty and and the Suzuki traveling through some bad rocky trails and the Sorento came in second just behind the Liberty. I have taken mine on some rough tank trails and some rocky roads in my area and it is the All Wheel Drive model but what makes this stand out is that it has a switch to engage 4lo so it can even go into rougher areas. Here is the web site-
http://www.trucktrend.com/roadtests/suv/112_0404_suvs/index5.html

cmulqueen

Thank you both for the input and the web link. This will help in my decision.

sonnyrocker

I just came back from vacation with my Sorento, put 2,000 miles on it with no problems. We went white water rafting at Ocoee river, TN. During our trip, we took our Sorento to do some 'roadless' traveling to see some waterfalls. It handles great with good clearance, even if our Sorento is only 4x2. I am confident that a 4x4 Sorento will get the job done with ease on rougher paths.
The only thing, which I didn't do, is to take it cross a river bed to get to another waterfall. The water is not really deep (but I am not sure how deep), but I didn't want to take a chance with my brand new Sorento. We just stopped, hang out and do some sight seeing and then turn around. Has anyone drove the Sorento through river beds? If so, how does it handle?

stever

I crossed a river bed to get to a waterfall some 30 years ago when I lived in Chattanooga and had a CJ-5. Not sure where it was any more. Back then I was heavy into canoeing but the Class IV section of the Ocoee was dry since the flume hadn't fallen apart yet.

The main thing is to cross streams at fording points only. Tread Lightly. Chances are a designated crossing will be safe and you won't tear up the stream and the stuff living in it as much. If in doubt, walk it first.

Steve, Host

suvshopper1234

I am searching for something used in the $10,000-17,000 price range.

One kid, a 2000# boat, maybe a larger boat soon, maybe a camper soon. I want a full frame, solid axle SUV with "boxy" shape and looks. Gas mileage inconsequential, need enough room behind back seats for a dog to sleep and turn around in, and also for lumber, mulch, boat gear, camping gear, etc. I don't need leather and prefer not to have a third row of seats. A roof rack is almost mandatory as well. This will be used in blizzards and on the dunes for fishing.

Have looked at or considered Trooper, Axiom (parking lot only), Mountaineer, Pathfinder, Rodeo, Grand Cherokee. Saturn wagon and Passat wagon are nice, but front wheel drive and no frame are the death knell for them. A real wagon (RWD and frame) would really suit nicely, but the only one I see is the Magnum which isn't in the price range.

Anyhow, to the point. Is the Axiom a decent hauler of goods and people? Is it reliable? Strong puller? How is it offroad? How is it in sand? In snow?

Thanks.

Obviously some of these don't fit my criteria completely, but isn't everything a compromise.

That said, will a used Sorrento come in favorably? Also, will this thing take 31X10.50 or equivalent tires?

suvshopper1234

I wanted to put this in a second message to keep it separate from the other.

Are there lift kits available for the Sorento? If so, how much clearance do they gain (what size tires)?

What is the rear end ratio and make on these?

Any good links to offroad pictures of these?

Thanks again.

cartman1

Hello. I love the way the Sorento feels, handles, and all of the offers. But in the back of my head I hear "It's a Kia". My question is...I travel a lot, long distances, mainly from San Francisco to LA and back. Is the Sorento realible, and will it make it every time for years to come? I know my Honda will always make it, but will the Kia? Please give me some samples of seasoned traveled Sorento owners.

ivygrnsorento

Hello. Hopefully some of my experiences and research can be of help here. First of all, I have a 2003 Kia Sorento with over 48,500 miles on it. The only major problem I've had to have addressed where faulty brake rotors at the 26,000 mile mark. Kia replaced the rotors, calipers and pads because of warped rotors both front and back. Other than that. Nothing.

I was worried about purchasing a Kia... just like many others. But I did my research, read everything I could. I test drove everything in my price range. Thank god I drove the Kia last, because I was extreamly impressed. I figured if the Kia was a POS in the first year or so, I'd bite my lip and trade it in. But so far this Sorento has been one of the best vehicles I've ever owned. I think the word is getting out about the Sorento, because I've noticed many on the roads these days. I live in Colorado, and they seem to be all over the place!

Tire sizes are limitied at the moment. I upgraded my tires to BF Goodrich All Terrain TA's, 245/75/16. This is the biggest size tire you can fit based on Discount Tires specs. Of course, this is without any modifications to suspension and wheel size. I've been looking to upgrade the suspension and ride height a bit, but have found little support or products for the Sorento at the moment. I've been told a few companies will have some products out by early 2005. We'll see.

As far as rear end make and ratio... I would have to look it up. I do know the transmission is made by Aisin. Thats about all I know off the top of my head.

If you have anymore questions. Ask away... I'm sure I can give a remark that is either helpful or not. Take care.

danderson

I have put 29,000 miles on my Sorento in the past 16 months. I've had to take it in twice because the engine light was on. Otherwise no problems at all. My previous vehicle was a Toyota 4-Runner. The Sorento is much more comfortable and fun to drive. I drive it very hard - no rattles, squeaks or noises. The only complaint to date is the mileage. I get about 15-16 mpg, but again I accelerate hard and cruise at 80+ mph on the freeways.

danderson

I own a 2003 Sorento EX. My headrests tilt-adjust at all heights.

lok888

Thanks for your reply. Mine don't, only when they are not raise. I will check with my dealer to see if there is a problem for both front headrests.

hsilva

I'm getting a rear mounted snow plow, made for light trucks and mid-size SUV's. It mounts on a class III trailer hitch, has hydraulic lift, weighs about 350 lbs, and you pull the snow (as opposed to pushing). I'd be using it for residential plowing only (myself and my sister), but since my RWD volvo sedan can't do this I'm in the market for a mid-size 4WD SUV. I know a Ford Explorer can take this but the Sorento seems comparable for size and power, with a little more luxury. Any comments on how the Sorento might handle this would be appreciated.

lok888

I haven't seen one (rear mounted snow plow) in New England area before. But interesting to watch the video from Drive Super Plow in NY. The video shows it did a pretty good job on a long straight driveway. You just pull the snow instead push with front mounted snow plow. I think Sorento 4WD should do it. The towing capacity for Sorento is 3500 lbs. with factory tow hitch.

ggreen

it is me , my wife and 1 1/2 year old son. i'm a bmw guy ( 2002, 533i and now a '91 735il) i need a new car for family reasons(and after a new top end, brakes and diff in the last 6 weeks on the il, i don't trust it anymore) and thought a 2004 dealer demo kia ex might do the trick. i've read some of the problems post and am getting cold feet on the kia. (should i stick with the honda, toyota or new VW suv) i guess you can't get away from the old saying "you get what you pay for" but i thought the kia was a up and commer, with goo bang for the buck. what do you all think?

paisan

Well let's see...

Toyota: Sludge in their Engines
Honda SUV/Minivans: Blown Tranies Left and right
VW: Known for their electrical gremlins

I don't own a Sorento, however I know a few owners and have checked em out. I'm very impressed with them.

-mike

dbgindy

I've owned a 2003 EX 4X4 since April of 03. I have over 23,000 miles on it with no problems......

jason86

I've got a 04 EX, had it for 3 months now and its been great. We had one problem, the rear hatch was sticking. We brought it, they looked at it for about 5 minutes, said 'we'll order a replacement', and a week later it was back in and fixed. The service manager even asked me how I liked it, and that he liked the color combo I had (black with beige cladding) and was getting sick of working on his acura all the time and thinking of getting one. I would recommend it. The VW's are going to cost you twice what the sorento costs.

lok888

My 2003 Sorento has 23000 miles now. There have been several warranty repairs but Kia dealers were on the top of it and some with follow up calls. My relative's 2000 Honda Odyssey (traded with '04 Sienna now) caused him a lot of troubles and dealer couldn't figure out some car problems. I also bring my Camry to Toyota dealer for service. But I can't get the same customer satisfaction like Kia does. Maybe I have good luck with my Kia dealers. BTW, you need to pay extra for roadside assistant for Honda and Toyota or join AAA.

How much less when you buy the demo? Do you still get the same deal on new ('04 or '05 model) one after all the incentives and dealer discount?

hciaffa

I was in the same boat as you. We were in the market for a newer vehicle and I did a lot of looking, reading and testing of various cute utes and larger SUV's. We traded in a Subaru Forester that the warranty had just expired. We had nothing but problems with it and as soon as the 3 yr warranty expired we traded it in for a Sorento. I was skeptical at first as well but my daughter had a Hyundia which was invovled in a real serious accident and they walked away from it with a couple of bruises. She bought another Hyundia so I figured that was the last thing to convince me. I know Hyundia doesn't build Kia's but since they bought the company they have turned Kia around. Our 03 Sorento is a EX with Lux package, bought new in Oct of 02 and we have about 18000 miles on it. No problems except for a faulty window switch. We have driven from Ct. to Canada and all over upper state NY and through some mountainous area and that vehicle just goes. Through some bad New England snow and rain. With the Lux package the all wheel drive handles very good in the winter and in heavy rains. To us the vehicle is fun to drive and I don't feel like I get beat up in driving it. To be honest the only thing I can find fault is the gas mpg, but many vehicles that have the weight and engine as the Sorento have poor mileage as well. Good luck on your decision.

goldsuv

Actually, Hyundai-Mobis builds the rolling chassis modules for the Sorento (along with the 3.5L Hyundai engine). It's interesting to note that Hyundai-Mobis will be building rolling chassis modules for the 2006 Jeep Wrangler.

tadpole

The Sorento uses the same engine from the old NL Pajero(the one with the quad-cam V6)befor it went SOHC.

tadpole

It makes alot of sence to focus on breathing and exhaust to try and gain better fuel economy.
In Australia,all serious 4 wheelers fit what is known as a snorkel which is nessesary if your driving through deep water, as the name suggests.The snorkel also keeps the bulk of the dust out of the air filter,the fact that the air intake is now at roof height.Having the air pickup in cool air and out front improves induction no end. As the air is cooler this helps increase power as the air / fuel charge is expanded once in the engine (cold air has a smaller mass thus the engine will swallow more of it and then expand more once inside)
Of corse the more air that goes into the engine means it needs to exit at a faster rate thus the exhaust must be modified to suit.
My GSX-R-600 I used to race, has "Ram Air" induction and the snorkel gives the same effect.
Once my Sorento gets here I plan to do a few mods like the snorkel as well as ditch the 44 gallon drum of a muffler.

ggreen

Thanks! your are funny!

ggreen

thanks jason, I was looking at the same color combo, yes the VW is way more expensive, thanks fore the feedback

ggreen

yea, there are lots of choices for a mid size suv. thanks for your feedback and i will keep the sorento in the hunt. I like it styling a lot, but had concern regarding the realiablity.
some of the post in the problems fourn are wicked and down right scary!

tadpole

Anyone here been bush in their Sorento ? What about vehicle mods, are there many Kia Sorento owners who have modified their rigs to suit true 4 wheel Driving ?

tadpole

I've read plenty of stories of some people on here souping up their rigs with fancy trim work and some have put on lift kits but has anyone tried fitting a "Roo Bar" (as in Kangaroo)to their 4bees ? Another name we call them here in Australia is "Bull Bar" and as the name suggests they are fitted to save major damage to the front end in the event of a meet with said bush beasts.
If anyone here has fitted a "Bull Bar", is it compatable with the Air bags ? Any feedback appretiated as I intend to fit said barwork to my Sorento when it finaly gets here.

Cheers

stever

Every time I've researched bull bars I wind up looking mostly at Australian sites. Seems like your government regulates them lots more than they are in North America. Quite a few get imported here from your part of the world too.

You may find some options and info at www.sema.org.

Steve, Host

paisan

I used to import for http://www.ECB.com.au who makes alloy ones that are super strong! I currently have a bullbar bumper replacement on my trooper from www.ARB.com.au

-mike

tadpole

Thanks Steve,Mike for the links.
I ended up buying a Pajero Bumper/Bar to suit a NL ? Anyway I intended to replace the bumper with the Bull bar as is the norm and as the width is exactly the same as the Sorento front, 1863mm, this was a bonus.The only problem is the Sorento's bonet/grill extends into the midle of the bumper below the lines of the bottom edge of the headlights so I've decided to just fit the bar over the top of the original bumper.Fits like a glove and looks great! This will save mucking around with the inner wheel arch sheilds not to mention repositioning the windscreen washer bottle ect ect.The fit is perfect.Will need to fabricate some brackets to bolt the whole lot together.A plus by mounting it away from the body a tad is if I hit anything then the bar has room to bend in a bit befor clouting bonet ect.

paisan

Yup that was the big thing when I had the bull bar (before I did the ARB bumper replacement) was that it stuck out about 6" in front of the bumper so if I hit anything it would have leeway before hitting the car, same now is the case with the ARB.

-mike

norne

is 2005 model will be available with 5 speed AT?

tadpole

The 5 speed automatic is available with the tiptronic feature here in Aus on the 05 spec Sorento's.
I have the manual and today did some heavy duty trail blazing out the back.It would be interesting to see how the Auto copes with steep downhill decents ect, that an Auto would tend to run away even in low ?.Dose the Auto have a lock on the torque converter ? The Hundy Tucson has this feature as it is only available with the automatic.

dealer13

I posted almost same question to another room couple of months ago but appreciate if anyone who is sure could answer. I have a 2003 Sorento CRDi Automatic with shift on the fly part time 4WD with limited slip rear diff. Unfortunately the part time system makes things complicated. I live in Istanbul and this big city is rather hilly and it gets rainy for at least 4-5 months.And you always appreacite a bit more traction. Here are the questions...
1) May i use 4HI while climbing the hills (city roads remember! i felt one rear wheel slipping last day while taking a turn on this hilly road when i was 2HI)
2) can i use 4HI on the highways when
it is raining or would that kill my transfer case.

Unfortunately they do not sell TOD here so we are stuck with part time 4W!!!
Thanks for any feedback

jasonc

It ususally tells what you can and can't do in the owners manual. I'd think you would be ok shifting into 4HI for short periods of time as long as you weren't going too fast. My 2004 owners manual says not to go over 45 mph in 4HI. If you did do that I would do it sparingly, only on the steepest area's or in extremely heavy rain for very short periods of time. I'm not an expert but I wouldn't personally take a chance putting my Sorento in 4wd on the highway unless the conditions were extreme.

lok888

1) Use 4HI is fine unless you travel slow like under 40, 50 mph. It gives you maximum traction off-road or on snow. It is prefect for climbing hills. You can switch to low range (4LO) for steep hills.

2) I would use 2HI on highways and city driving. But I think 4HI is fine for wet pavement. And I believe the front wheels still have 20% power (80% in rear) in 2WD mode. So you still have some traction in the front.

hciaffa

I have a 03 Sorento with the TOD but I also have a Ranger with part time 4WD as well as having driven many other trucks. When I have to go up a hilly road and it is dirt covered I put it in 4WD and just take it easy as long as its dirt. I even put it in 4WD when it is raining out as it gives the truck better traction. I just take it easy and I don't speed. You can do this if you are driving in a straight road but if you must make turns just take them a little wider and not tight as this will bind up the axles. Driving on dry roads is not acceptable. But then it is recommended to turn on your 4WD once in a while to keep the system lubricated. Again if you do it on a dry road drive a straight distance then turn it off. By the way do you live in Turkey or are you in the service stationed there. My mother is from Istanbul.

dealer13

Thanks for the answer. Shift on the fly is 100% rear drive when in 2HI mode. The front diff gets disconnected totally under normal conditions. Therefore all you have is a typical rear drive car handling. Limited slip helps a bit but not enough especially if you are climbing a winding hill in the city in dry weather. Hope Turkish distributor would start importing TOD next year. There is 6 month queue now for brand new ones and i paid exactly first hand price top buy my second hand Sorento (it was at 5000 miles). I believe if i sell it now i could even make a profit out of it.

dealer13

Your answer brings me to a conclusion that in a city like Istanbul you should definitely own TOD. Part time is useless unless you spend time offroad from time to time. Coming back to your question I am a turk and live in istanbul. Spent couple of years in Pennsylvania when i was studying almost ten years ago. Is your mother a Turkish citizen too?