2005 Kia Sorento reviews

Kia Sorento XSE 2.5 Diesel 2005

I bought one of these three years ago for pulling a catering trailer and uphill, few cars were overtaking whilst I was pulling a fully loaded trailer putting all the bog standard Focuses and 307s to shame. It boasts plenty of torque and even offroad capabilities surplus to that what Land Rovers can provide. As a road car, it looks great on the outside, comfy on the inside with semi-sports seating. It doesn’t handle corners well and isn’t quick off the mark, just massive torque for the bhp. It is very economical and handles the bio fuel just fine. The manual gearbox is very wide so isn’t good for people with short arms, like my wife. The interior is pleasant with a decent stereo sound quality, however the satnav is very dated providing only arrows and a voice. There is also the annoying drawback that you can not play a CD whilst the satnav is in operation! Cruise control is limited and you can’t accelerate whilst it is on and there is no button to decrease speed. Also getting in the thing isn’t the best experience and you can expect multiple bumps to the head until you get used to it unless you measure less than 5ft. The 18" wheels make the difference on looks and modern luxuries make it a better alternative to other budget 4x4s. Although there is no seven year warranty on this model, it is easy to see why KIA have confidence in their product. Not being a badge snob meant I could afford to get the economy Honda Sport Saloon and the Jag 400bhp to play with. Spend less for more...