Getting your player ready...
Well, the 2011 Kia Sorento was to our liking before we ever crawled inside to test its seats.
It was driven to us in the valet parking area at Orlando International Airport, its rear liftgate opened and we looked into a huge cargo-storage area – plenty of room to hold the luggage of Dave and Norma Wagner, Jan and mine, and it was of easy lift-in height.
Its 37 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind the second row of seats is roomier than most anything in the midsize and compact SUV/crossover market, more than the Ford Edge, Chevrolet Equinox or Mazda CX-7.
I was offered the opportunity to drive the Sorento SX front-wheel-drive model for our six-day stay in Orlando. Over the years, I’ve avoided testing most front-drive SUVs, for Colorado dealers don’t even stock them; I remember back in the late ’90s once calling an auto distributor and asking her to pick up a Dodge Durango two-wheel drive from the newspaper’s parking lot, for I wouldn’t be testing it. However, last week I was in Florida; it seemed not necessary there to insist on a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
The Sorento performed very well.
To give the 2011 Sorento a truly “all-new” status, Kia planners skipped the 2010 model-year designation, jumping from the ’09 truck-based body-on-frame rear-drive unit to the new, rigid unibody structure, like that of the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Sorento is 2 inches longer and 400 pounds lighter than it was in its previous generation, and now offers third-row seating which can be lifted from the cargo floor (we chose to leave those seats flat in the floor).
A 276-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission have replaced the former 3.8 V-6 and 5-speed automatic, and are EPA rated at 20-26 miles per gallon. Acceleration is smooth and mild.
The ride is more compliant with MacPherson struts up front and multilink independent rear suspension, yet is still somewhat harsh on bumpy roads. The Sorento’s hydraulic-assisted power steering is heavy, with slight understeer, tied probably to the FWD setup. Wheels were 18-inch.
In a further change, the Korean-based Sorento is being assembled in Kia’s new factory at West Point, Ga., near Atlanta.
Exterior distinction comes from its small grille and sharply slanted headlights. Large LED taillights add nighttime attraction.
The roomy interior’s leather seats added comfort on a drive past the well-manicured horse farms near Gainesville, Fla., and a tour through the campus of the University of Florida, where we saw no live alligators, though we posed the Sorento with Bull Gator, a bronze statue honoring Florida’s national championship football team of 2006.
In a 50/50 split of highway/city miles, the Sorento averaged 21.2 mpg.
A navigation system, only average in assistance, helped boost sticker price on the Sorento to $34,190. Other amenities included a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, Infinity surround sound and Sirius satellite radio with 10 speakers, push-button start, cruise control, heated front seats and rear spoiler.
A look back
Thirty years ago this Memorial Day weekend, I reviewed in The Denver Post a 1981 Audi 5000 S Turbo four-door sedan, provided by Bob Hagestad, Porsche-Audi dealer. Excerpts:
The German-built Audi 5000 S Turbo has an unusual engine of five cylinders. The 2.2-liter, inline-5 is well-balanced, it starts quietly and runs smoothly. The turbo makes the Audi a mean machine. Cars such as the Porsche 928 and Triumph TR8 are faster in acceleration, but not many others. The 5000 handles well with front-wheel drive and has a conveniently short turning circle. Price tag was $19,330; in the past four years I’ve driven only six cars priced higher. The 5000 offers good seating, with wide shoulder room. Rollers for reclining the front seatbacks are low and far back and require some fumbling to operate. Four stalks on the steering column take a little getting used to. They control lights and directional signals, windshield washers and wipers, cruise control and emergency flashers. The 5000 Turbo uses a larger wheel, 15-inch instead of 14, and has disc brakes at all four wheels (other Audis are equipped with a disc/drum system). Audi became a part of the Volkswagen empire about 10 years ago, and is an excellent complement to the sporty Porsches and economical VWs.
Notes from e-mail
Bud, I want to nominate the 1965 Impala for “best-looking Chevy of all time.” I saw my first one (I was 13 or 14) in the rain coming out of Gatlinburg, Tenn., it was white and it was gorgeous. This was a dramatic new look, with smooth, flowing, elegant, great proportions and the first use of the curved side glass. I think it is timeless. – R.L.
That’s good, Richard, that you were noticing cars at 13 or 14, and the ’65 Impala surely is one of the better-looking Chevys.
2011 Kia Sorento FWD
$34,190
(price as tested)
MPG City 20 Highway 26
Vehicle type: Compact/midsize SUV
Wheelbase: 106.3 inches
Length/Width/Height: 183.9/74.2/67.3 inches
Weight: 3,781 pounds
Engine: 3.5-liter V-6
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Fuel mileage: 21.2 mpg
Fuel tank: 18 gallons
Warranty: 5 years/60,000 miles basic; 10/100,000 powertrain
Competitors: Mazda CX-7, Dodge Journey
Built at: West Point, Ga.
Parts content: U.S./Canadian 60 percent, Korea 40 percent
THE STICKER
$32,195 base
$1,200 Panoramic sunroof
$795 Destination
PLUSES
Cargo space
Fuel economy
Strong warranty
MINUSES
Plastic-trim interior
Rough ride at times
In a further change, the Korean-based Sorento is being assembled in Kia’s new factory at West Point, Ga., near Atlanta.
