Topic: Test Drive: 2013 Kia Sportage SX

[Autos_Editor]

The Kia Sportage SX offers plenty of power, a good-looking package, and surprising features at value pricing.

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[Winterpeg]

Still a great looking cuv.....a STANDARD cargo cover!!!!, ooowee! but optional block heater? Bah!!!....should be standard for us chilly willy here.
I wounder if that ride would be too stiff .....the 'Peg's roads in winter are really bone rattling. 

[hemusbull]

No question overall very good equiped vehicle.
But 40 grand before taxes for a KIA with a gas mileage of 14l/100 kms?

[nlm]

A great redesign and powertrain looks good on paper. But that 740L of cargo with rear seats up seems below average and might be a turn-off for me if I was looking right now. Towing is surprisingly low too, not that many of these tow anything.

[Rupert]

Kia have a good line-up and this is a nice vehicle. They tend to have a large speedo which I like and no strange fonts like others. One thing I did not like, when looking at these cars in a shoping mall display, was the door handles. A handle is a handle I suppose but the chrome ones rattled and had a decidedly down market feel to them which gave a wrong impression to me of what was otherwise a nicely made product. The plastic body coloured handles were ok strangely and the Reo5 is on my short list for a small car if I buy at all. When you think of it, the handle is what you touch first...a solid feel to it sets you up for the rest.

[Blueprint]

I took part in a comparo of 11 cute-utes for the 2013 Guide l'Auto, and the Sportage EX-Luxury finished ... dead last.

Participants did not take well to its poor visibility, harsh ride (in June!), small cargo hold, cheap plastics and tinny radio (despite being the high-end one). It's the only one I drove where the stability control was triggered (someone had to try  ).

The similar Tucson Limited finished a couple positions ahead. There's a 4k$ gap between the two brothers, despite identical specs, giving the Hyundai the advantage in budget scoring.

But, as Fernando used to say: "It's better to look good, than to feel good!"

[aaronk]

Some friends of ours just got one, I'm not a fan. Interior feels dark and poor visibility. On the upside it looks great and even the base powertrain would be sufficient. But who decided that putting the turn indicators on the rear bumper was a good idea? There was plenty of space on the main brake light cluster to include some amber indicators, but the red ones are down on the bumper where nobody sees them.

[Jaeger]

One of the better looking CUVs on the market, IMO.  They can all get up there in price if you add every bell and whistle - but no-one is forcing you to tick every option box.

My pick of the litter hasn't yet arrived:  A CX-5 powered by something stronger than 6 half-starved hamsters.

[mixmanmash]

One of the better looking CUVs on the market, IMO.  They can all get up there in price if you add every bell and whistle - but no-one is forcing you to tick every option box.

My pick of the litter hasn't yet arrived:  A CX-5 powered by something stronger than 6 half-starved hamsters.

It's coming in January in the form of a 2.5 L Skyactiv with the 2014 CX-5.  Personally, I wish they offered the Skyactiv-D instead.  In Europe, the top CX-5 models are diesel only, and you can get them with AWD & MT.

[Fobroader]

What a great little vehicle. The only one in this class Id ever actually consider buying. So for only $2k you can get the engine with almost 100 horsepower more.......its strange people buy the one without the turbo. Good review!

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[carcrazed]

One of the better looking CUVs on the market, IMO.  They can all get up there in price if you add every bell and whistle - but no-one is forcing you to tick every option box.

My pick of the litter hasn't yet arrived:  A CX-5 powered by something stronger than 6 half-starved hamsters.

You mean... 4 half-starved hamsters?

[Fobroader]

One of the better looking CUVs on the market, IMO.  They can all get up there in price if you add every bell and whistle - but no-one is forcing you to tick every option box.

My pick of the litter hasn't yet arrived:  A CX-5 powered by something stronger than 6 half-starved hamsters.

It's coming in January in the form of a 2.5 L Skyactiv with the 2014 CX-5.  Personally, I wish they offered the Skyactiv-D instead.  In Europe, the top CX-5 models are diesel only, and you can get them with AWD & MT.

Is it gonna be more than 250 horsepower? If not, meh, Ill take this turbo Sportage.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[mixmanmash]

One of the better looking CUVs on the market, IMO.  They can all get up there in price if you add every bell and whistle - but no-one is forcing you to tick every option box.

My pick of the litter hasn't yet arrived:  A CX-5 powered by something stronger than 6 half-starved hamsters.

It's coming in January in the form of a 2.5 L Skyactiv with the 2014 CX-5.  Personally, I wish they offered the Skyactiv-D instead.  In Europe, the top CX-5 models are diesel only, and you can get them with AWD & MT.

Is it gonna be more than 250 horsepower? If not, meh, Ill take this turbo Sportage.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

No, but it won't be 4 half starved hamsters.  You want a Mazdaspeed CX-5.  Lol.

[Fobroader]

One of the better looking CUVs on the market, IMO.  They can all get up there in price if you add every bell and whistle - but no-one is forcing you to tick every option box.

My pick of the litter hasn't yet arrived:  A CX-5 powered by something stronger than 6 half-starved hamsters.

It's coming in January in the form of a 2.5 L Skyactiv with the 2014 CX-5.  Personally, I wish they offered the Skyactiv-D instead.  In Europe, the top CX-5 models are diesel only, and you can get them with AWD & MT.

Is it gonna be more than 250 horsepower? If not, meh, Ill take this turbo Sportage.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

No, but it won't be 4 half starved hamsters.  You want a Mazdaspeed CX-5.  Lol.

Thats what I said when I heard they were gonna saddle the poor thing with 150 horses.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[redman]

One of the better looking CUVs on the market, IMO.  They can all get up there in price if you add every bell and whistle - but no-one is forcing you to tick every option box.

My pick of the litter hasn't yet arrived:  A CX-5 powered by something stronger than 6 half-starved hamsters.

I believe you mean 4 not 6 ?

[libraman]

Beware of KIA. My experience has been that they advertise a great warranty but do anything to avoid honouring it.  Pretty much have to sue.

[hemusbull]

Come on, guys! We discuss real vehicles on the market now. It's obvious Hyndai/KIA missled us with the fuel economy of their new GDI family of engines and Mazda did similarly with the power of their SkyActiv four bangers.

[sailor723]

Kia have a good line-up and this is a nice vehicle. They tend to have a large speedo which I like and no strange fonts like others. One thing I did not like, when looking at these cars in a shoping mall display, was the door handles. A handle is a handle I suppose but the chrome ones rattled and had a decidedly down market feel to them which gave a wrong impression to me of what was otherwise a nicely made product. The plastic body coloured handles were ok strangely and the Reo5 is on my short list for a small car if I buy at all. When you think of it, the handle is what you touch first...a solid feel to it sets you up for the rest.

Interesting point about the door handles. I can remember a Mercedes exec saying the same thing at a dealer meeting back around 1990. "The first thing a customer touches on a car should be of the utmost quality".  Benz handles from that era were amazingly well finished.

I can also remember Benz touting the handles as a safety feature. If a door was jammed shut after a collision the handles were strong enough to use as an attachment point for rescue workers to tear the door off.

[Northernridge]

Looks good, seems good.

Must be something wrong with me though. I don't mind paying $75k for a luxury car but I have sticker shock when I see $40k for a small CUV.

$30 buys a loaded Accord (4 cyl) – ten grand less than the CUVs. Plus it's a car so it will go around a corner.

[Adam D]

Meh. It's a high rise hatch back. I would not be the least bit interested in this vehicle. It offers nothing more than the average car. I would much rather own a Sorento, or just buy a car.