[Closed] Kia Sportage

neighbour has one. seems a good bit of kit. I would have got one if we didnt get the Freelander instead.

Brother has the old one. Its been pretty reliable, & happily hauls a 1500kg chavavan.

A mate had the old style and never let her down once other than a broken aerial in 7 years. Some of the parts were expensive compared to main manufacturers. It wasn't the best car on the road and the all the controls felt plasticy.
I test drove the previous shape it was much better handling and although still not a great road car. The interior was much better quality with softer touch materials that felt more positive. I would have rated it as an equal to the X-Trail we test drove at the same time.
Not driven the latest Sportage but I'd imagine it much better again with solid mechanicals.
Personally I'd rather have an estate than a softroader as they are still more practical.

"Personally I'd rather have an estate than a softroader as they are still more practical. "

guessing you live in the south of england then?

If have a sportage as a family car any day - several colleagues have them from all generations and no one has a bad word to say about them - if you accept they will never return great MPG or set the world alight handling wise but for towing caravans and getting the family about in the snow - they are grand.

Just no use for a 4x4 or need to tow a caravan.

* added to favourites *
On my shortlist of vehicles to consider.

@ trail rat

Is that true on the mpg? One of the reasons they are on my short list for next winter is that the figures seemed pretty good for the type of vehicle compared to most!

I have a relative with one. It's the top of the range one. Inside the interior is good quality and similar to VAG/BMW.

I've not driven it but as a passenger it was a nice place to be. They also look nice now. If I was looking for a soft roader, it'd be on my list (along with the CRV and a couple of others).

its good for type of vehicle but if you dont need towing capacity or the 4x4 capibility then you could get much better mpg

Gonna test drive one next week me thinks

I've got this and the hyundai ix35 on my shortlist but in 2 wheel drive versions. The wife is keen on the high driving position and we don't need 4WD.

Ah! Getting my manufacturers mixed up - it was the Hyundai Santa Fe that appears to get decent mpg!

We've had a couple (OH works for Kia). Really nice to drive, was very impressed with the 4x4 mode, we got up 'The Struggle' in the Lakes on normal summer tyres when it had thick ice / snow on it (sort of thing I'd only try in a company car).

They do them in a wide range of specs from FWD to 4x4 with all the gadgets (reversing camera etc). We've had a top of the range 4x4 Diesel and a basic FWD Diesel model, both of which were fine. Bike wise, we put bikes on the back seat, with both wheels in wheel bags - works in pretty much any sized car and leaves the boot free for other stuff.

Woody: I've got a 2010 Santa Fe 2.2 CRDI (diesel). 35mpg combined with a lot of start stop for 20 minutes during a 30 minute drive in the morning. Would get 40-45 on a-roads. Lovely car, handles better than my previous crappy mazda2.

Brother in law has one. Feels well built and lots of toys. Was comfy for an hours trip a couple of weeks back.
I just don't get it when a Focus etc would be cheaper, roomier, more mpg, nicer to drive etc.
Unless you live rural, cold and snowy I don't get needing 4wd either.

Cheers swedishmatt - that sounds more like it and pleased they got the body roll sorted out from earlier models.

My folks have one, really nice and unmatched for the money. Spec on the £22k Sportage 3 is so good you'd have to spec a Q5 to 37k just to match it. Other owners seem to think are good also [url= http://www.kia.co.uk/about-kia/kia-awards/sportage/jdpower.aspx ]JD Power overall winner 2012[/url]

EDIT: they have the 1.7 crdi and it returns over 50mpg comfortably.

Saw one when out riding stuck in the snow where he had pulled up on a verge. Went to help push it out. There wasn't a lot of snow, you could still see the grass through it but it was stuck. The front wheels had no grip and rears didn't seem to have enough oomph to push it out.
we tried for a while to free it (totally unprepared driver, who goes out in the snow with no shovel? Or tow rope. No pump either so we couldn't let his tyres down either) Anyway, after a while a couple in a Renault Megane pulled up behind him, on the same verge, and got out. Between us we managed to get it free. They just got back into the Renault and drove off!
Anyway, it seems rubbish in (not much) snow. However, this may be down to tyres. A normal estate with winter tyres would be better, it's more about tyres than the car.

it's more about tyres than the car.

And the driver.

Just seen Stat's post. £22k?! Two year old Disco if you must have a 4x4 for that money

Anyway, it seems rubbish in (not much) snow. However, this may be down to tyres. A normal estate with winter tyres would be better, it's more about tyres than the car.

Oooooh is it nearly time for another winter tyre debate? 😉

Another one? Yes, why not. Should I get some just for the front (fwd) or do I need all 4?

Oooooh is it nearly time for another winter tyre debate? 😉

Got a 2wd version. Really pleased with it. Nicely run in now and were getting 49mpg. More when I drive!
Not used the warranty and I've been told I prob wont need to. 🙂

LOL - i should have charged a 5er every time i pulled out estate cars(and non estates) with winter tires out of the side of the road this year WHERE bruneep lives - ill give you a clue it aint surrey

id be able to buy a new car ..... my frontera which got laughed at often - but never failed and never got stuck - although as said that might have been the driver - i doubt it though

the estate car arguement often touted by folk that live down south where it snows for about 5 minutes. It got pretty tiresome walking 3 miles to my car for 3 months when i lived in auchenblae.

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the land rover on the otherhand made short work of that(both up and down) by being able to utilise the ditch.

we bought a 2 year old one last month as a family car after researching like crazy for 4 months and going on a number of test drives. We got the 1.6TD - very economical, lots of room, surprising amount of pull on the motorway and quite nice drive.

If you can get past the badge its a very good car.... oh and £30 road tax!

RAC man once told me if i didnt want to break down like ever by a kia.

But tbh id sooner break down evry now and then than get one...... they look like youve just given up on life.........

had one for 2 years, base model here, 2.4 Petrol with 4WD, 6 Speed AT, good options, hauls 4 guys and 4 dh bikes to whistler a lot, I have no complaints. mileage is decent, better than the old jeep I had before by a mile. Interior is clean, simple and straight forward, doesn't look like a spaceship (good thing).

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Ironically, the only time my brother got his Sportage stuck trying to pull his caravan off a wet field, it was an estate car that pulled him out.
(A Quattro Audi thing).

Have you considered a Quashqai? I love mine. Up to mid 50's mpg in mine. I did 70mpg driving to Twickenham and back from Stoke recently.

you dont have to leave stoke to watch rugby 8)

guessing you live in the south of england then?/

Or somewhere where there are no mountains and we have things called gritters in the winter (ie, 95% of England).

 

Test drive today and it was good, shame that the salesman was a cock, is it condition of employment?

it was my serious misfortune to buy a kia (sedona) and there is no way on gods good green earth i wouuld ever even consider another kia.

quite simply the most unreliable, rusty, rubbish made thing i have ever owned. total and utter junk in my book.

but then i say the same about hyundai gav - based on my experiance of having an '00 lantra from new .... wouldnt wish a hyundai on my worst enemy.... things move on.

I struggle to see why anyone would buy a softroader – especially one that doesn’t have 4x4.

You appear to get all the disadvantages of an off road car when driving normally (lower mpg, poorer road handling, less space) at an extra cost and not particularly good off road unless you stick some tyres on that make the driving on the road a lot worse.

Is it all about the fact your higher up?

Mate has a Kuga (2wd) and the only benefit I can see over my mondeo is that he flips the back down and it’s a handy height to be able to change the nippers nappy, oh and a bit shorter so easier to park (but you need the sensors/camera otherwise you have no idea where another car’s nose is).

yeah i agree you need cameras unless you use those magical mirror things of course

Agree with the above, totally pointless car if you don't go with the 4 wheel drive option. Qusqai is the same.

Loads of reasons.

For most people, doing town runs eg kids to school, the mileage is so low that the mpg is pretty much irrelevant.

You get the appeal of the high up driving position, generally they seem to handle pot holes and speed bumps better, having slightly longer travel / softer suspension. Plus the whole large car status symbol thing.

No more pointless than 99.99% of 4x4s which never leave the road!

Also less to go wrong, I scrapped my AWD Golf as the Haldex was dieing and it was an uneconomic fix for a 12 year old car.

Tragic people NEED a big car.

On a more serious note, mechanically they are **** as are all Kia's, rust buckets.

If you get a diesel bear in mind you WILL need to do miles and miles in it otherwise the DPF will clock up which is a pain and if it gets real bad ££££

Just don't see the appeal IMO.

aye its a nightmare when emergency services personel might want to have a 4x4 to get to work in an emergency in a part of the country where for the last 4/5 years we have had consistantly 3-4 months of solid snow cover ?

i scrapped a golf for the steering rack going - it wasnt that your haldex was ludicrously expensive - it was just golf priced - over priced pieces of crap - id have another hyundai before i buy another vw thanks to lovely overpriced parts - and pattern parts for golfs generally being terrible ime.

Tragic people NEED a big car.

Yes I'm tragic. I should really have several cars of varying sizes and only use them when appropriate 🙄

Unfortunately, life has to be full of compromises and for me, a big'ish car is the most appropriate and cost effective. Also as TR pointed out, I do work for the emergency services and I have to get to work in all conditions regardless. Even if I didn't [b]have[/b] to get to work, a big 4x4 would be the most suitable vehicle for camping and skiing trips!