Kia Sorento Pros and Cons: What To Know When Weighing Your Decision
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The Kia Sorento is a popular mid-size crossover SUV selection from one of the most popular brands in the nation, offering three rows of seats and plenty of room for large families or groups of people. Of course, the Sorento isn’t perfect. There are some areas where it excels and others where it falls short.
Are you interested in purchasing a new or used Kia Sorento? If that’s the case, you must be familiar with the Kia Sorento pros and cons. In today’s piece, we’ll discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the Kia Sorento. Read on to learn more about the Kia Sorento to make the best possible decision.
What We Love: Kia Sorento Pros
Let’s kick off this list with some of the areas in the list of Kia Sorento pros and cons where the car excels. These make a big impression on the positive side of the scale.
Plenty of Second Row Room
Although the Kia Sorento can be a little tight in some areas, it still offers plenty of room in the second row for passengers to relax. According to kia.com, the second row provides 41.7 inches of legroom, which is .3 more than the 41.4 inches offered in the first row. It’s great for everyone to stretch out during a long road trip.
The second row is tighter in the head, shoulder, and hip department than the first. However, it’s leaps and bounds ahead of what is provided in the third row when attempting to squeeze in as many passengers as possible.
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Excellent Standard Features
The Kia Sorento comes with excellent standard features. The base model, the Kia Sorento LX, comes with an 8-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth wireless technology, ample driver assists safety technology, and more. These work to keep the driver safe and offer comfort at the same time.
As with any vehicle, the more you pay for the trim the more standard features will come with the system. The highest trim, the Kia Sorento X-Line SX Prestige AWD, comes with standard features like a 12.3-inch instrument cluster display, Bose Premium audio system, memory driver’s seat, and more.
Easy Infotainment Features
Infotainment in the Kia Sorento is easy to use and looks sleek on the dash. From Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to Bluetooth Wireless Technology with Hands-Free Connectivity, there is much to take advantage of, and it won’t take too much to customize your driving experience to your liking.
The touchscreen display integrates seamlessly into the front of the car, making the lower-end price point look much better than other competitors. The more you pay for your trim, the bigger the screen will become and the fancier the interior.
Available Turbocharged Engine
Finally, the Kia Sorento offers an available turbocharged engine for those who want to get a little more kick out of their driving experience. Drivers report that, with the turbocharged engine equipped, you can have a decent amount of fun with the small SUV the Kia Sorento.
Many competitors to the Kia Sorento only provide one engine and don’t open up any pathways for interested customers to take their engine to the next level. Kia Sorento keeps this in mind and provides individuals with a pathway towards a better driving experience.
What We Dislike: Kia Sorento Cons
No list of Kia Sorento pros and cons would be complete without the other side of the spectrum. Let’s dive into the negatives, too.
Less Than Ideal Base Engine
We talked about the awesome turbocharged upgrade that the Kia Sorento has, but unfortunately, the base engine offered without paying more for the upgrade isn’t the best it could be. The 8-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive selection offers 191 horsepower at 6,100 rpm.
The less powerful engine also means you won’t get great fuel economy out of the Kia Sorento system. According to fueleconomy.gov, the base engine provides the Kia Sorento with a mileage of 24 in the city and 29 on the highway for a combined mpg of 26. It’s less than ideal if you have to commute constantly or truck your family around for various activities.
THE KIA SORENTO YEARS TO AVOID
We’ll tell you which Kia Sorento years to avoid. We’ll make it easy for you to pick a used Sorento that won’t have you spending most of your days at the workshop for unnecessary repairs.
Tiny Cargo Space Behind Third Row
If you fold down the third row, there is enough room to fit plenty of cargo in the car. Unfortunately, with all three rows up, there is barely any area left for suitcases, bags, and beyond. According to kia.com, cargo space with the third row lifted measures 12.6 cubic feet.
This number is terrible when comparing it to the room with two rows up at 45 inches to the room with one row up at 75.5 inches. If you must carry around cargo on every trip, ensure you don’t need to fill the third row for the best results.
Cramped Third Row
The first and second rows of the Kia Sorento provide enough space for the head, shoulders, hips, and legs, but the third row falls short and can be uncomfortable for fully grown adults to try to fit into.
For instance, the headroom in the third row is 36.8 inches, 3-4 inches less than the first and second rows. The legroom is 29.6 inches, which is more than 10 inches shorter than the first and second rows. The hip and shoulder room are similar and fall short of the other rows, again, by about 10 inches.
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Should You Buy a Kia Sorento?
We’ve looked at the Kia Sorento pros and cons, so now it’s time to consider one final item. Is it worth it to purchase a Kia Sorento?
If you want a three-row SUV and want to stick with a budget, the Kia Sorento is an excellent option. It’s one of the lowest-priced options in its class and provides solid features. However, the Sorento doesn’t have as much space as other competitors.
Avoid 2004, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 selections. They require expensive repairs and won’t be worth the investment at the end of the day.
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