Kia Sorento - what others?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Anyone got one of these things? Do you like it?

My Mom needs a new vehicle, wants a midsize SUV, and it seems to offer a lot of bang for the buck. I know it's mostly in my head but I have trouble getting around the fact it's a KIA - mostly for resale. If we got the 10 year warranty the states gets (I think that's what it is), it would be an easier choice. I know it's a decent car but the fact that so many people still think all KIA's are shit seems like it would make for poor resale. That said, she'd probably be keeping it for 6-10 years.

Usage would be commuting, a grocery getter, and hauling her plants & such around (she is a gardener too).

Top contenders are as follows, looking in the ~$35K range. Would prefer 2011/2012. Looking to buy new or 1 year old.

1) KIA Sorento - good size, awesome transmission/engine, and very high value. Downside is most people still equate KIA with garbage, which likely would affect resale significantly.

2) Toyota Venza - Awesome engine, looks good, built on the Lexus RX platform I believe, Toyota resale/reliability. Drawbacks are it feels "big", not as much cargo room, and it isn't as high off the ground.

3) Honda CRV - perfect size, Honda name/reliability, etc. Downside is it's probably the lowest bang for the buck (4cyl, 5speed tranny).

Ruled out:

Chevy Equinox
Hundai Santa Fe - (needs a refresh, otherwise it would be very interesting)
Toyota RAV 4 - (mom doesn't like them, side opening tailgate is awful, and it's due for a refresh...really wanted to like this one)
Mazda CX7 - Wasn't a fan, and I can't picture my mom turbo-timing the engine LOL
Mazda CX9 - Too spendy
VW Tiguan - too small, and very spendy
Nissan Rogue - too small, not a fan either


Still Need to Check out:

Ford Edge


Anything I'm missing? Going out for a bunch more test driving later in the week. Want to make sure I get everything in. Looking for smaller-midsize SUV's in $35k range.

Any & all input is appreciated! I usually forget about a few cars so I like to post it up here.

[Aleks]

If she's looking at Kia might as well look at Canada's best selling crossover: Dodge Journey, most power in class and new interior looks at least on par with Sorento's. Can get a loaded AWD for probably a lot less than Kia.

[A790]

My last Kia was awesome, no issues at all in the two years I owned it.

[Graham_A_M]

I`d give the Edge a good look. My co-worker loves hers... seems like a good all-arounder.

[EM1FTW]

Based on your criteria, I don't think you can beat the sorento

[corsvette]

My Cousin bought a Sorento new in 07 for his wife. He was happy for the first couple of years, and he can't say its been a bad vehicle, it kinda just started to have way too many issues as it aged. They have 140k on it now and are finding out exactly what "poor resale value" means, he's a one time Kia buyer.

[tch7]

Sorento or Edge.

I had a Sorento for a rental for a few weeks last year. Despite the initial stigma of being a Kia, it kicked ass. Loved the V6 - plenty of power with very reasonable fuel economy. Interior was very comfortable. Quality certainly appeared to be a few steps above previous generations, but resale will suck for a while yet regardless.

The Edge also has a great interior and good performance. Not quite as value packed as the Sorento, but the trade off is a statistically more reliable brand that will have higher resale. For that reason, I'd probably opt to go with the Edge...

[Sugarphreak]

...

[ballanation]

SUBARU FORESTER!!!

[Dynasty 88]

Parents have a 2011 Venza V6 AWD.

Do not buy one if you're looking for:

Fuel economy- it's terrible. More like a V8 suv.

Both material and build quality are poor. These things rattle and have cheap leather and plastics. Interior looks nice but is cheap.

My Parents had problems with the transmission slipping, Toyota replaced it under warranty. Supposedly not uncommon on this model. Future concerns about reliablity in general. (has 34,000kms and my folks are in their late 50's and drive nice) Seems to be more that a few out there having Venza issues. Just look up some consumer reviews on Edmunds or True Delta.

The good stuff:

Lots of power.

styling.

Awesome in the snow with AWD and winter tires.

High feature content, somewhat justifies the high price of a loaded model.

[Masked Bandit]

If resale value is big concern then I think you have to stay away from the KIA. I agree that they build much better vehicles today than they did even five or six years ago but it's still got that stigma attached. Of your choices I think the Honda CR-V is going to be your best bet. We've had one since the spring of 2003 and we could probably still get 50% of what we paid for it.

[98type_r]

Ford Edge is a decent choice, I've had one as a rental a few times when I'm travelling. In AWD its right at the ceiling of your price range though.
Have you looked at any of the Jeep models?

[Xtrema]

Are you just comparing specs or have you driven them all?

If she can get away with CRV, IMO that will be the 1st choice.

She's not hauling people much and there isn't that much less room than Sorento.

My cousin did a Sorento/Pilot back to back test drive. As well equipped as Sorento is, he still prefer how the Pilot handles, especially for such a large SUV/Crossover.

[vtec4life]

My mom has had a Sorento V6 AWD for just over a year now. One model down from the top of the line. I was skeptical before they bought it but i think for the money its a great value. The interior is super sharp. The leather is nice (perforated) and the V6 has great power. She will have this thing for the next 10 years so they're not too worried about resale value.

They ended up paying approx 35K all in. I grinded the sales manager though. Make sure when negotiating to have them outline they factory discounts first if any, then negotiate from there. I think I managed another 2-3%. Sometimes they are sleazy like that but most are pretty good.

[94boosted]

While Kia resale isn't great now keep in mind it will only be getting better over the years, especially if Kia keeps up what they've been doing lately. While it probably won't be a match for Toyota or Honda resale it should be better than it is now 6-10 years from now when your mom wants to sell

[CanmoreOrLess]

Warranty is not 10 years:

http://kia.ca/pages/owner/Warranty.aspx?lang=en


TOTAL CARE OWNERSHIP COVERAGE

Our outstanding coverage includes:

5-year/100,000 km - Worry-free comprehensive warranty covering virtually the entire vehicle.*
5-year/100,000 km - Powertrain Warranty covering the engine, transmission, axles, differentials and driveshafts.*
5-year/100,000 km - Roadside Assistance covers you in case of mechanical breakdown anywhere in North America.
1-year/20,000 km - First-year adjustments covering consumable items such as bulbs, wiper blades, fuses, brake pads, etc.*
8-year/130,000 km - Major Emission Components that guarantee that the car will conform with government emission regulations.*
5-year/unlimited km - Anti-Perforation warranty on body sheet metal defects in material/workmanship.*

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by Aleks
If she's looking at Kia might as well look at Canada's best selling crossover: Dodge Journey, most power in class and new interior looks at least on par with Sorento's. Can get a loaded AWD for probably a lot less than Kia.

We drove one at the car show and it seemed OK. Didn't really blow us away. I found that from about chest-level up the materials were good, and it was very cheaply built everywhere else. I also think resale would be about as bad as it gets, but probably not a lot different than the KIA. Wouldn't hurt to get a refresher.

Originally posted by corsvette
My Cousin bought a Sorento new in 07 for his wife. He was happy for the first couple of years, and he can't say its been a bad vehicle, it kinda just started to have way too many issues as it aged. They have 140k on it now and are finding out exactly what "poor resale value" means, he's a one time Kia buyer.

I believe that would be the older one...the new Sorento is night and day different from the previous one. I *hope* that would solve any major reliability issues, but who knows.

Originally posted by tch7
Sorento or Edge.

I had a Sorento for a rental for a few weeks last year. Despite the initial stigma of being a Kia, it kicked ass. Loved the V6 - plenty of power with very reasonable fuel economy. Interior was very comfortable. Quality certainly appeared to be a few steps above previous generations, but resale will suck for a while yet regardless.

The Edge also has a great interior and good performance. Not quite as value packed as the Sorento, but the trade off is a statistically more reliable brand that will have higher resale. For that reason, I'd probably opt to go with the Edge...

We'll be driving them back to back this Thursday, and hope to rule one or the other out.

Originally posted by ballanation
SUBARU FORESTER!!!

Sorry, but that FOUR speed automatic transmission is a total deal breaker. Also, it's an absolute dog unless you get the XT model, and my mom isn't interested in turbo timing a vehicle haha. I like the vehicle otherwise though.

Originally posted by Dynasty 88
Parents have a 2011 Venza V6 AWD.

Do not buy one if you're looking for:

Fuel economy- it's terrible. More like a V8 suv.

Both material and build quality are poor. These things rattle and have cheap leather and plastics. Interior looks nice but is cheap.

My Parents had problems with the transmission slipping, Toyota replaced it under warranty. Supposedly not uncommon on this model. Future concerns about reliablity in general. (has 34,000kms and my folks are in their late 50's and drive nice) Seems to be more that a few out there having Venza issues. Just look up some consumer reviews on Edmunds or True Delta.

The good stuff:

Lots of power.

styling.

Awesome in the snow with AWD and winter tires.

High feature content, somewhat justifies the high price of a loaded model.

Interesting...that is kind of disappointing to hear actually, as I think the Venza is the current front-runner. It would have plenty of warranty, but if the transmission is a weak point that is something to consider for sure.

Originally posted by Masked Bandit
If resale value is big concern then I think you have to stay away from the KIA. I agree that they build much better vehicles today than they did even five or six years ago but it's still got that stigma attached. Of your choices I think the Honda CR-V is going to be your best bet. We've had one since the spring of 2003 and we could probably still get 50% of what we paid for it.

It's definitely a point of consideration, but the flip side is she usually keeps cars for 6-10 years and will be retiring soon, so it will see even less use after that.

Originally posted by Xtrema
Are you just comparing specs or have you driven them all?

If she can get away with CRV, IMO that will be the 1st choice.

She's not hauling people much and there isn't that much less room than Sorento.

My cousin did a Sorento/Pilot back to back test drive. As well equipped as Sorento is, he still prefer how the Pilot handles, especially for such a large SUV/Crossover.

My dad has gone out and driven them all except the Edge, and I've driven about half of them, but seen them all in person. This Thursday I'm going to drive the rest of them so he has a second opinion. Going to drive a Sorento, Edge, and Venza back to back. I think I'll make sure we have another look at the CR-V too.

Seems to be a lot of love for the CR-V's here. I think we'll have another look at those for sure. I REALLY like them, and I believe they are excellent cars. I know my dad isn't a fan of the 4cyl engine, and prefers the bigger V6's which I think is the hurdle. It's close to the same price as all the V6 competition so it seems to offer less value. Definitely haven't ruled it out though.

Originally posted by vtec4life
My mom has had a Sorento V6 AWD for just over a year now. One model down from the top of the line. I was skeptical before they bought it but i think for the money its a great value. The interior is super sharp. The leather is nice (perforated) and the V6 has great power. She will have this thing for the next 10 years so they're not too worried about resale value.

They ended up paying approx 35K all in. I grinded the sales manager though. Make sure when negotiating to have them outline they factory discounts first if any, then negotiate from there. I think I managed another 2-3%. Sometimes they are sleazy like that but most are pretty good.

.

Yeah the Sorento powertrain is actually exceptional. The transmission is one of the VERY VERY VERY few that actually shifts down with minimal throttle pressure. Most other cars you need to essentially floor it to get it to kick down. One thing my dad mentioned when he drove the CR-V is that it was all but impossible to get it to kick down a gear, and with a 4cyl you will want it to do that all the time.



Thanks for all the input guys, it's helpful.

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
Warranty is not 10 years:

http://kia.ca/pages/owner/Warranty.aspx?lang=en


TOTAL CARE OWNERSHIP COVERAGE

Our outstanding coverage includes:

5-year/100,000 km - Worry-free comprehensive warranty covering virtually the entire vehicle.*
5-year/100,000 km - Powertrain Warranty covering the engine, transmission, axles, differentials and driveshafts.*
5-year/100,000 km - Roadside Assistance covers you in case of mechanical breakdown anywhere in North America.
1-year/20,000 km - First-year adjustments covering consumable items such as bulbs, wiper blades, fuses, brake pads, etc.*
8-year/130,000 km - Major Emission Components that guarantee that the car will conform with government emission regulations.*
5-year/unlimited km - Anti-Perforation warranty on body sheet metal defects in material/workmanship.*

Yup I'm aware. That's why I said "if we got the 10 year warranty the states gets...." Thanks anyways though

If we did get that 10 years up here, I think the decision would already be made. That's what I was getting at.

[codetrap]

Originally posted by Graham_A_M
I`d give the Edge a good look. My co-worker loves hers... seems like a good all-arounder.

My Dad just bought a fully loaded one, and it's nice and all, but I found the ride quite rough. The other thing was I found the "carputer" very slow in response, and there's really too much going on in the console technology wise.. too many distractions.. (and I'm a geek)

I'm still loving my Outlander XLS, so I'd be happy to recommend it.

I ruled out the CRV because it has a 1500lb towing capacity, which severely limits you for any fun stuff down the road...

[85regal]

scanned through the post..didnt see the hyundai tucson mentioned..worth a look

[Tomaz]

Subaru Forester XT. Turbo timer? It's not like she will be doing the Dakar Rally. She shouldn't need to turbo-time it if leaving it stock. That should go for almost any factory turbo vehicle. I am almost certain your mom will be heating that turbo up enough require a cool-down.

Ford Edge - Def worth a look. I found it to be a bit slow, but comfortable and loaded with the stuff I would want. There are a few owners I know that really do love this SUV. One of them was a previous X5 owner!

The new Ford Escape might be an option to look at seeing they will be released in the near future. I am quite taken by the new looks and could be had in the price range. But if she is looking for a year or two old, I wouldn't touch them with a 10ft. pole.

Toyota Venza - I looked at them, drove them, and was overly unimpressed. Now hearing about the tranny issues and fuel mileage, I see no point in considering them.

Sorry, i cant comment on any of the other vehicles you are looking at.