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Kia Sportage 2005 and newer

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Comments

  • kcrnmalekcrnmale Member Posts: 47
    My wife has a 2005 Mazda Tribute which is the same SUV as the Escape. I have a 2005 Sportage. Both are V6 and AWD. My wife's car is much quicker on acceleration and handles better. The Mazda engine is noisier. The radio is decent but my Sportage is better. I think my Kia is prettier both inside and out. I think my Kia is a little more like a car than my wife's Tribute. My seats all fold flat including the front passenger seat. The Tribute's rear seats fold almost flat and the front passenger seat doesn't. I like my car better and she likes hers better. I think her Mazda will have a better resale value. The Mazda w/o side curtains will be fatal if you're ever T-boned by another vehicle (per crash test results), while the Kia has side airbags as standard. Just my 2 cents.
  • aunt_briaunt_bri Member Posts: 4
    Thanks Guys!! :shades:
  • kcrnmalekcrnmale Member Posts: 47
    Found your tire issue interesting. Oddly enough, I have over 16,000 miles on my 2005 EX V6 AWD Sportage, and the tires look great with plenty of tread left. Only rotated them once so far.

    Are your new tires the correct size and only "look" bigger, or did you buy a bigger tire? How do you like riding on them and how's the road noise?

    Thanks.
  • hfxnshfxns Member Posts: 74
    I have had no issues with steering. But obviously you should get your alignment checked, and you may want to consider getting rid of the OEM tires - they suck, and they limit mileage.
  • hfxnshfxns Member Posts: 74
    I concur regarding the dealership issues. I am Canadian, but I have been putting my mileage in Imperial measurement, even though its an inferior measurement system its not base ten), and the rest of the world uses metric.
  • hfxnshfxns Member Posts: 74
    Thank you!
  • hfxnshfxns Member Posts: 74
    Glad to hear its taught in the school system, it took forever for Canadians to convert. In fact my grade 3 class in the mid 70's was amongst to first groups in Canada to be taught the metric system.

    Most Canadians over 50 still go by miles, feet, inches, etc.
  • hfxnshfxns Member Posts: 74
    I also still have lots of tread life on my OEM tires, I will stick with them for at least another year maybe two.
  • mikdeemikdee Member Posts: 27
    These particular tires must've been defective from day one, when I bought it new off the showroom floor, I noticed the tires were very dry, & brown looking, no amount, or type of tire sidewall cleaner/shine would restore them for more then 2days, It always appeared as a new car with old tires, even though checking the tire thread when new, all looked just fine, as it should be? I've had good luck with BFGoodrich tires before on many vehicles, and even prefer this brand. Your tires may not be defective like mine. Anyway, I upgraded to a BFGoodrich Traction T/A (H-speed rated) in the same stock size 235-60R16, it appears to be a much better tire, the tread design is even more of an A/W aggressive design, also it is a directional tread. All around/all weather traction has been even better then before, they are a tad noisier, but not objectionable. I'm pleased, give them a try when needed, good luck, Mike
  • mikdeemikdee Member Posts: 27
    If you goto www.tirerack.com and put in your vehicle info, it will show you the original equipment tire for your car, in this case it is the BFGoodrich Traction T/A (Spec) tire. Which is a good tire for the money, suitable for this vehicle if it's not found to be defctive like mine were. Better yet, is the BFG Traction T/A (T, H, & V) just check the ratings graph right there, & compare. I upgraded to these: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=BFGoodrich&tireModel=Traction+T- - - - - %2FA+H
  • martintmartint Member Posts: 12
    How much of the exhaust system did you replace, since it has dual? Also did any of these changes affect the warranty? Any further info would be appreciated. Thanks
  • swamanswaman Member Posts: 6
    The exhaust was replaced from the cat on back. The new muffler has twin exhaust just like the original. I put different tips on. They look just like the Hyundai tips. No, it did not affect the warranty. I have not had any problems with the dealer and they upgrades sure make a difference. :D
  • mikdeemikdee Member Posts: 27
    "The exhaust was replaced from the cat on back. The new muffler has twin exhaust just like the original."

    Hey swaman, You say it looks, and fits, just like the original, but is lower restriction, & has more sound, Fess Up, what's the muffler brand, and where did you have it done, so myself, & others here, might be able to do this also. I like a little sound from my car, as well as low restriction exhaust. thanks, Mike
  • martintmartint Member Posts: 12
    I would like to know a little more. By chance, did you just replace the air filter first and did thay make any noticible difference? What was the brand of muffler and was the exhaust pipe repalced with lareger diameter pipe.
    Thanks for the help.
  • sportagewantabsportagewantab Member Posts: 1
    We are seriously considering the Sportage as a replacement to our 1992 Subaru Legacy Wagon (204,000 miles!). Have looked at the Subie's, but they appear over priced and the Forrester is very small in the back seat. We drove a 4x4- 4 cyl-5sp Sportage, and while the vehicle itself (inside room, features, especially safety) where very good, the engine was not very rev-y. It seems it would get the job done and having lived with our old Subie w/120 hp. with have learned not to be in a rush. After reading the many complaints about poor V6 mpg, I'm a little liery of going with the V6. I would if I could get a 5sp, but not the automatic.

    Would like to hear from some 4 cyl owners about their experiences.

    Brian
  • swamanswaman Member Posts: 6
    OK, sorry it took so long to get back to you all. I unfortunately lost the paperwork but went out to look at the exhaust. The pipe is just a bit larger than the original. The muffler is a Magnaflow. And the tips are Silverline (these are oval like on the Tuscon). They also help with the sound. It is not loud by any means, but a nice little rumble to it. Let me know if you need any other information. Oh, I did replace the air filter first with a K&N and it did help a little bit. But there was a larger difference when the exhaust was done.
  • martintmartint Member Posts: 12
    Appreciate the info. Can you tell me how much the exhaust mods cost and where you had it done. I am in Los Angeles and not sure what place to talk to. Thanks.
  • martintmartint Member Posts: 12
    After I replied to your last message I looked up Magnaflow web site on the internet and doesn't appear to show any mufflers for KIA. The only thing they had was tips.
  • mikdeemikdee Member Posts: 27
    True That! I surfed, & searched myself for any exact replacement peformance muffler besides that one also, all to no avail, But you can get a variety of universal fits all perf. mufflers, to just slip on the pipe if you measure the pipe size, I'm guessing 2" pipe size will fit. You can get them with single or dual outlets, but you would have to use a Y adapter & some flex pipe, with 2 exhaust tips, in order to make it mock dual exhaust like the original.
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I started up a new topic dedicated to gas mileage for the Sportage and moved some of the posts from here to the new page. Please join in the discussion here: KIA Sportage: Real World MPG

    tidester, host
  • sportysuesportysue Member Posts: 2
    Hello All from Jamaica. I am looking for a front grille for the Sportage 2005 (new design) are they out yet? I also need to know where to get parts in Florida (closest place) for the undercarrige molding that has the air intake valve opening. I scraped mine on Jamaican roads - anyone out there have any leads for these?
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Hi, everyone. As you've probably noticed, we have been trying to refine the discussions into more narrowly focussed topics. Our objective is twofold. We want to make it easier for people seeking specific information about their vehicles to find it easily and without having to wade through hundreds or thousands of postings.

    To those ends, we will be shutting down the general make/model discussions and work exclusively with specific issues. This requires us to populate the make/model subsections with relevant, interesting and timely topics. Rather than having the hosts simply create boilerplate topics for each make/model, we feel that you, the owner, the make/model enthusiast and the prospective buyer can best judge what those topics should be.

    You can help by adding a discussion (it's easy!) or suggesting one here.

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    Your help and continued participation in the Forums is greatly appreciated! Thanks.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Talk with Len Hunt - Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors of America about "Leapfrogging" in the areas of vehicle innovation. Get exclusive takes from an industry leader about Kia’s quality, safety, product development and globalization in the automotive marketplace.

    Live Chat Event

    Wed., December 6th - 6-7pm PT, 9-10pm ET
  • gizmo6gizmo6 Member Posts: 1
    My dealer told me that the burning smell would be there for about the first 100 miles due to coating and painting of the engine. And sure enough, it went away after driving for about 100 to 200 miles.
    ;-)
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Talk with Ian Beavis – Vice President of Marketing of Kia Motors of America about building the Kia brand in the U.S. Get exclusive takes from an industry leader about Kia's quality, safety, product development and globalization in the automotive marketplace.

    Wed., January 17th - 6-7pmPT, 9-10pmET

    Here's the link or use the banner floating at the top of the discussions this week.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    And here's the transcript:

    "now we will focus on growth in each of the segments where our core products are - Spectra and Sportage."

    Building the Kia Brand in the US
  • jamieannejamieanne Member Posts: 4
    Could someone please tell me why Consumer Reports has given the 2005-2006 Kia Sportages such dismal (much worse than average) reliability ratings? I haven't seen anything here that indicates this. Mostly I see that people really like their cars...except for fuel economy (me included)and that very few problems are reported. This is rather distressing - am I to expect my car to fall apart?

    Obviously, I'm not too car savvy. I just want it to run well!
  • crazedcommutercrazedcommuter Member Posts: 281
    I don't know why either. CR seems to get a bug in their butt about certain vehicles that continues for years. The Sportage is essentially the same as the Hyundai Tucson which is "recommended". Aside from a few sheet metal and interior tweaks they are the same vehicle. The Hyundai salesman even told us when we were comparing the two that if he were shopping for this car he would buy the Kia because it costs less and is the "twin" of the Tucson.
    I test drove about 21 vehicles before settling on the Kia. I thought that it was a better auto than the Honda, Toyota, Ford, Chevy, Nissan, or Mazda offerings. My neighbor is 75 years old and has been driving a 2002 for 5 years with no problems. She traded in her Explorer and kept the Kia. She still drives the Kia daily. Just my 2 cents on why I bought the Kia.
  • lucyinfinitilucyinfiniti Member Posts: 17
    In my opinion, CR has a bias against car makers for a long time. For example Not until recently did they even consider Hyundai a safe car to drive. They give bad ratings to Isuzus that are basically Chevys. I think because the car wears a Kia badge it automatically gets a bad reliability rating from them. We have a 2005 Sportage LX V6 4WD and with almost 35, 000 miles on it and it hasn't been in the shop for anything but the few recalls it had. We did have a problem with the tires wearing out quickly, but that was BF Goodrich's problem, not Kia's (will never buy BF Goodrich tires again). But to CR if they slapped Honda or Toyota badge on the Sportage they would rave about it. Just goes to show that not even the "experts" are closed minded sometimes. Hope this helps. :)
  • seniorcitseniorcit Member Posts: 4
    My 2005 Sportage EX now has its first problem. When cruise is selected and I attempt to set the speed, the set light flashes but will not stay on or set.

    Has anyone had this problem or know the cure?
  • boltguyboltguy Member Posts: 94
    Hi all,
    I have an '05 Sportage LX,V6, 4WD. If you have any knowledge of Kia's weird option packages in the U.S., you know the LX doesn't come with keyless entry or fog lights or heated side mirrors.

    Has anyone considered doing any of these mods using original OEM equipment? I know they would be more expensive than some aftermarket stuff, but I would rather not have to splice anything if I can help it, and would like to keep the warranty valid.

    I've researched the foglights somewhat, and it looks like you would have to purchase the foglight assemblies and you would have to install a new headlight stalk as the foglight switch is located on it.
  • crazedcommutercrazedcommuter Member Posts: 281
    Ax far as the foglights are concerned: aftermarket lights usually outperform the OEM lights by far in brightness and driveability. An aftermarket shop will install a rocker switch in an empty slot for the lights negating the new headlight stalk. I have an 06 LX AWD V6 with 11,000 miles and I've researched this same mod. I'm going aftermarket on the fogs. Also using Penzoil full synthetic oil and purolator pure one filters.
  • montreal_v6montreal_v6 Member Posts: 9
    Hello all,

    It's been a while!
    My 2005 ExV6 is going and going.
    I have done so far just 44.000 KM.
    No problem so far. The only thing are the well known Gas consumption and the tire that are gone (even though I change my tires for the winter's one).Very poor BF.
    I just had the news from another website that the Sportage is having a face lift and the direction more responsive then the multimedia console .
    Very tempting to change my Sportage to this new one, but I'll wait for the 2009 Soul.
    Any one with any thought?
    ;)
  • jrt2jrt2 Member Posts: 1
    My 05 Sportage LX has the same cruise control problem. It is very frustrating because it is an intermittant problem. I have taken it to the dealer five times, had a new switch put in and still have the problem- the cruise control light comes on and does not set sometimes. Sometimes the cruise light comes on and goes right off. I drive lots of miles daily and now since I am over the 60000 miles the problem is no longer covered by warrenty.... My cruise control switch is not located on the steering wheel, but on the the steering wheel column (under the windshield wiper switch) if that matters` is yours set up the same way? By the way, the last time I took it to my dealer, they suggested I take it to another Kia dealer, because my dealer couldn't correct the problem! Like who has time for that!
    Well, I love my Kia, however, I will remember this problem the next time I am ready to purchase another vehicle. Let me know it you get the cruise control fixed, because my dealer couldn't help me with mine..... :sick:
  • hawkspirithawkspirit Member Posts: 1
    Our 2006 Kia Sportage required new tires after only 22,000 of the 60,000 guaranteed. We had to pay about $200 as 'our part' of replacing all 4 tires. Now THOSE tires have only about 12,000 miles and are already down to 7/32 of the original 10/32. What gives with this tire wear?

    I am guaranteed by BFG, my KIA dealers, and the tire guy that the tires are the correct ones for that vehicle, yet none of them can offer a reason for the extremely quick wear. I asked all of them if it had to do with the faact that it is also a 4-wheel-drive and they looked it up and said the tires were correct.

    After seeing a couple of posts here on similar problems, I really would like to know what is going on!
  • hawker5hawker5 Member Posts: 1
    hi guys, i just bought a used 05 ex v6 with 4wd but i dont have a manual.
    is the 4wd lock an on the fly or do you have to stop to engage. and is this an AWD or not.
    the salesman was useless.
  • bchapman1bchapman1 Member Posts: 1
    My Sportage has recently begun accelerating while driving down the road. RPM's go from 2000 to 6000 in an instant and accelerates, without warning...almost backended a car the other day. The RPM's also drop in an instant and the car feels like it's pulling back/de-accelerating. (made a large knocking sound when this happened the other day) Often when I slow down or come to a stop it cuts off/won't idle. I had the throttle cleaned and had a new air filter put in but it didn't help. The dealership wants me to spend about $600 to see if they can figure out what the problem is...doesn't show up on diagnostic test. Dealership mechanic drove and it happen to him but he had no idea what was causing it. Does anyone have any idea what is causing this?
  • mikdeemikdee Member Posts: 27
    Hey hawkspirit, I have the same issues, I have a 2005' Hyundai Tucson LX 4WD V6 Auto (sister car), my 1st set of BFGoodrich Traction T/A "Spec" tires wore out by 13k miles, in a deal with BFGoodrich, I got the better BFGoodrich Traction T/A H rated tires at a discount, and they wore out by 20k miles, finally I gave up & went with Cordovan touring tires by Cooper, and they're almost done at 30k miles now, even tho all tires wore evenly they wore much too fast, I'm looking for new tires my 4th set at 56k miles! I heard these cars wear them out prematurely because they have ESP, & They're AWD instead of 4WD like the previous Santa Fe, I guess that's also why the gas milage is not so good on these either. My previous 2002' Santa Fe LX 4WD V6 Auto got 87k on the tires, and 24-30mpg highway milage, go figure?!
  • illimeyillimey Member Posts: 3
    So, in a moment [OK, more than a moment] of madness last week I bought not 1, but 2 I4 5spd Sportages! 1 is 4x4, the other is 4x2. I couldn't resist the combination of rebates taking the price down below invoice PLUS 0% for 5 years, so traded in an '05 Element EX AWD and an '06 base [but slushbox] Sonata.

    The entire Element Owners Club [most active SUV forum on the 'net] think I'm out of my tree. Hopefully years of safe, comfortable and enjoyable Kia ownership will vindicate my decision...

    :D

    Anyhoo, obviously I like the trucks [comfortable, attractive, well equipped even at base LX 5spd level, reasonably fun to drive....], and two test drives coupled with some serious research were enough to give me the confidence to go ahead with the madness.

    :surprise:

    The only slight downsides are the lack of remote lock operation, and the fact that the side mirrors are not heated [my '06 Sonata spoiled me for ever with that sweet feature - very handy indeed here in Chicago winter wonderland!]

    I've had 3 Hyundai's in the past, and never had a problem [apart from an Elantra that constantly needed headlight bulbs replacing]. These are my first Kias, but I'm hopeful that I'll have the same good experiences reliability wise with them as I've had with the other Korean machines.

    Right! I'm off to start a tire thread....

    See you there!
  • hhcnursehhcnurse Member Posts: 2
    the exact same thing is happening to my 2006 sportage. Dealer says diagnostics turns up nothing. Major safety issue. I would be curious to see if anyone else has a clue what causes this.
  • lucyinfinitilucyinfiniti Member Posts: 17
    If they're the BF Goodrich's we had on our 2005 Sportage, they are defective. BF Goodrich won't admit it. After a long yelling session with their customer service we took them to an independent tire dealer who said the rubber was cracked, warped, and defective. He said of his over 30 years of tire work he has never seen such low quality rubber. We replaced with them some Coopers, which aren't all that much better right now, but anything is better than the BF's, we will never buy that brand again. I recommend going with Goodyear, Firestone/ Bridgestone or Japanese--Toyo's are really good and so are Yokohamas.
  • teb123456teb123456 Member Posts: 1
    You might have a mechanic check the idle speed control sensor. when this sensor goes bad the idle goes up and down similar to your problem :)
  • tdentontdenton Member Posts: 1
    I'm having the same problem with the cruise control on my 2005 Kia Sportage. The first time it happened, one of the brake lights also went out. When I replaced that brake light, it started working properly again. But now it's doing it again. I'll turn the cruise control on, the "Cruise" light will turn on, but when I hit the "Set" button, the "Set" light will flash on but won't set. Or sometimes it will set, but then the cruise control will just turn off a few minutes later!! Very, very frustrating since my commute is 40 miles each way. Please let me know if someone finds a solution to this problem. :(
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Update: the Sportage is now Recommended by CR and its predicted reliability is "above average".

    Only about a dozen posts here in the past year. Doesn't anyone buy or own Sportages any more?? I am looking for a vehicle to replace our aging minivan, and my wife just loves the Sportage--thinks it's really "cute". I like it because of its safety gear, roomy interior, and price--there's a good lease deal right now that fits our financial plans. We drove a jade green LX I4 AT yesterday--very comfy and roomy, and enough power although it won't burn any rubber. If we can get a decent price for our van, we will probably pull the trigger on it this month.

    P.S. the other purpose of this post was to move the number off "666"... just not a good number for a car I might be driving soon. ;)
  • jamieannejamieanne Member Posts: 4
    Maybe there aren't many posts because there aren't many complaints! I have an 05 EX and have had absolutely zero problems, except each brake light burned out once...big deal. The only irritation for me is the gas consumption, (I average about 19 mpg...but mine is an AWD which makes a difference). The car is fun to drive, has an amazing warranty, is very comfortable even on long trips, has lots of room, carries a variety of loads because of the 40/60 back seat split, plus the front seat folds flat for extra long items. It's the best! Notice that the consumer ratings are consistently high - better than the competitors. I also like the safety features, especially since my son just turned 16 and got his license - do you hear the sound of fingernail gnashing? - We go to the mountains to snowboard and the car handles very well. I hope it works out for you as well as it has for us! Oh - I'm glad CR has come around. It seemed that they were basing their opinions on prejudice, not fact. I would recommend going for the stronger V6.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Even if there's no problems, it's OK just to come and talk about your car now and then--as you just did. :)

    I am in penny-pinching mode on this vehicle and frankly the LX has everything we'd want, except remote locking. But I'm not going to buy an EX V6 just to get that. My first minivan was a '91 Caravan, 2.5L I4, 100 hp, pulling a little more weight than the Sportage I4 does with 140 hp. So the I4 will do. Will get a little better fuel economy than the V6 also. My middle son will get his license this fall, and this will be my wife's around-town daily driver, so safety is the main concern.

    One thing we like about the Sportage is all the leg room in back, and the reclining rear seats with center armrest. It should be a pretty nice highway cruiser for the few times we take long trips. It seems you have found that to be the case. How long are the trips you've taken in your Sportage?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Even though Kia sales are up this year, Sportage sales, like most SUV sales, are down. Down by half from last June in fact.

    Forbes
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Uh... duh. But they are still ideal vehicles for some of us. The Sportage will actually provide better fuel economy than what we have now, an MPV.

    The drop in Sportage sales is probably why there are big incentives--$2500 rebate plus $500 competitive bonus. And a really good lease deal--0.00065 money factor for 36 months. Remember back a couple of years ago when the discussion here was about the dearth of discounts on the Sportage? Not any more!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I was thinking that the drop in Sportage sales is probably why activity was slow in here - fewer new owners yakking about their rides and fewer potential owners wanting to find out stuff from current owners.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yeah, and then there's folks like iluv who went over the wall to the Mitsubishi camp. ;)
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