Kia Sorento Questions & Answers (page 3 of 3)

The series 2 captiva have a much more reliable engine than the series 1 (oil leak problems) The leg and head room in the the 3rd row was best in the captiva but didn't like that there are no air vents there. The Captiva is certainly good value and there are heaps on the road so parts shouldn't be a problem in the future. We nearly brought one until we drove it and disliked the suspension and handling, then ended up spending an extra $10k to buy the Kia sorento platinum-was the Kia worth it? Time will tell, but it drove and handled so much better in comparison and we are loving it. Be aware of fuel economy-our sorento gets 7.8L/100 as an average (we do lots of country kms though), 2 captivas we looked at had average closer to 9-11L/100 for similar (diesel) However, if you are happy with the way the captiva handles, it is great value for what you get. Good luck with your decision-but try before you buy based on the car dynamics, not just the features on the brochure!

I had a Captiva and it was alright (series 1) no real problems apart from an extremely expensive shock absorber ($1,600). Now I have the Sorento Platinum (Kia) and would not trade it for the world. I have done 19,000klms so far and it is great. It has been great in the snow, I travel from the Central Coast to Perisher most weeks, and the diesel engine is very responsive. Oh... and the ffuel economy is much better. The only negatives so far; 1. The lack of an aftermarket tow bar as the original is shockingly expensive, and... 2. I can't put my camper top on the roof as the roof can not take much weight.

G’day Jeff, we also went from the normal everyday family sedan to a 7 seater and finished up buying a 2012 Sorento Platinum Turbo Diesel. Test drove all the regulars like Mazda CX9, Kluger, Captiva and Territory and a couple of others. The Mazda, territory and Kluger were far too expensive (Between 8000K and 15000K) than the equivalent Sorento and the Captiva wasn't even on a par in the driving, power, handling and finish range. Noting that you want to spend up to $40,000 you will probably be able to get a brand new SI Sorento Diesel on the road for about $37,000 or probably a Demo SLI Sorento diesel with not that many KLM's on the clock. We bought our Platinum with 23,000 klm's as an ex KIA corporate car for $39,900 which was about $13,000 under new price, mate this car is by far superior than anything we test drove and I’d never have thought I’d say that about a KIA. Don't listen to the badge snobs and drive one the fuel economy and power alone will win you over.

Mine took kia two months to fix.
Sorry but cannot recommend.

A lot of mechanics have a general ignorant attitude towards Kia's. They have the old, "cheap equals bad" attitude. But Kia's have come a long way and are up there with the best of Japanese brands. The only "fault" I'm aware of in the early Sorento's is some corrosion problems in the back suspension. This happens mainly in Europe and other snowy countries. My mechanic had the same attitude when I bought my Sorento. He has changed his attitude completely after seeing how well it has performed. You could buy a Toyota for more....more recalls, more money, more initial outlay! No extra reliability, etc etc

Since I wrote that review I have spent yet more money on it... its a heap of junk. Im now looking at the Toyota Kluger as I have heard only good things about it. Good luck.

No pulling noted on mine perfect handling only one alignment on tyre change at 50k which was a surprise

Ours is great-no problems so far!

Thanks, maybe it’s just me being picky. Other than that, what a fantastic SUV. Absolutely surpassing everything I expected, fantastic fuel economy and power to burn. Just got to work out a way to get my wife out of it so I can actually get behind the wheel.

No I had no such experience but if you type in something like "Sorento diesel turbo problem" in to Google you will most like find others with a similar problem.
Hope this helps.
Alan

I had an issue with mine idling weird, mine was unleaded though. Heap of crap car, no one should buy it.

Hello Gaz

The Sorento I had was a 07/08 diesel model with low Km and the one you are looking at is an older petrol one so not quite the same thing.. However I would like say that the car seemed well built and drove well. When I did have a problem with it Kia Australia took six weeks to get parts and I was without it for two months in total.

That price might be a bargain but still the car is a heap of junk. Ive had nothing but expensive issues with mine and all of my mates that are into cars says its one of the crappest things on the road and that's including the kia service dealer!

My understanding is it only engages 4wd only when road conditions require it...resulting in better fuel economy...you can flick a switch and have it in constant 4wd if you want to, but the fuel economy won't be as efficient.

I have had mine on many different roads where 4 by 4 were ahead I didn't have to use the 4 wd lock and got up and out of monster hills

No

I am not sure what you mean by "Generation 2 engines/gearboxes" however to my knowledge the Sorrento is a reliable vehicle especially the CRD Deisel. I was just unlucky with mine I guess as a google search will reveal that the engine problem I experienced is uncommon. (leaking injector seal)
With almost 400 nm of torque the engine shold be fine with two tons as it pulled my 1.8 ton boat very well.
My reason for not reccommending Kia as a brand is because of the deplorable warranty support that I experienced.
I hope this helps.
Alan

Hello Dave
The Sorento that I owned was a deisel model so I am not in a position to advise you as to the correct fuel to use. I would however suggest that this information will be provided in your owners manual or perhaps you could contact your local dealer for advice. I would however be very surprised if the correct fuel was anything other than standard ULP.
Kind regards
Alan

Hey Dave,
Ive got a 2003 Sorento V6 and have always put premium 98 in it. After reading the factory specs it only requires regular 91 unleaded. I have recently switched to 91 regular unleaded and haven't noticed a difference, but I recommend you use premium when towing with it.
Cheers, Jack

I've used both. About every month or two I use premium, otherwise regular is fine... still doesn't account for that fact the car is a heap of junk and people shouldn't buy it.

Kia/Hyundia have a V6 Petrol but I don't think its 4WD. Check on their website. The V6 petrol is cheaper than the 2.2 litre diesel, has more power power and is one of the quicker SUVs on the market. But fuel economy is not as good as the diesel, especially around town. I find the diesel has ample power and I preferred to buy the diesel.
Regards

The Sorento's range is kinda awkward. With the V6 you can only get Front Wheel Drive and 6spd Auto, with the 2.2 Diesel you can only get 4WD and 6spd Manual/Auto.

Definately can't get 4WD with the V6, the Diesel is the way to go though with heaps of power to burn and the fuel economy to go with it!