Spending a full day touring four-up is guaranteed to reveal any shortcomings in a vehicle, but when I finally pulled into the driveway 12 hours after setting out on a recent Sunday, a poll of my passengers revealed no complaints about our Kia Sorento conveyance.
In fact, just the opposite. All had good things to say and I couldn't add any real negatives either. Okay, I'd rather have driven the County's pleasant back roads in something more sporting than an SUV, but twisting the wheel of the Sorento certainly wasn't a chore.
Its firm but not un-supple suspension, decent steering, good power, responsive transmission and positive braking make it more than enjoyable enough to drive. A long day in its well-shaped driver's seat didn't cause any nether-regions muscle-agro either.
The County, incidentally, is what the locals call Prince Edward County, the big lump of land that sits in Lake Ontario just off Belleville, Ont., creating that boating paradise known as the Bay of Quinte and boasting the beaches of Sandbanks Provincial Park.
Kia's Sorento arrived for the 2003 model year, the Korean automaker's second SUV offering after the compact Sportage. It officially fits into the mid-size category, but just barely, being actually slightly shorter than latest version of Honda's compact class CR-V.
In terms of utility, its 889 litres of cargo space with the rear seatback upright and 1880 litres with it down, compares to the Honda's 949 litres and 2039 litres. Not what I'd call huge differences.
And the Honda, and most other compact utes, offer only four cylinder engines while the Sorento, like most mid-sizers is powered by a hefty V-6.
The Sorento isn't exactly the heavy hauling champ in the mid-size division with a tow rating of 1,590 kilograms, but it easily out-pulls the Honda.
In price terms, a base Sorento starts at $29,995 (our top-of-the-line EXL tester was $37,595), the Honda at $28,200.
The Sorento has been well received by both auto journalists and the SUV-buying public. It has since won its fare share of kudos from the safety mavens in the U.S. for offset frontal and side impact crash safety and low-speed accident repair cost.
Unlike the mod-ish crossover type SUVs that are appearing in greater numbers every year, the Sorento's stylish bodywork sits atop a traditional ladder-type frame with independent suspension at the front and a live axle at the rear.
With good ground clearance and a four-wheel-drive transfer case that offers low range gearing it's got plenty of off-road capability.
It's got decent performance too, provided by a 3.5 litre, double-overhead-cam V-6 engine that produces 192 hp at 5,500 rpm and 217 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. Those aren't over-achiever numbers for a motor of this size, but it delivers acceleration that will satisfy most people's needs. It will accelerate to 100 km/h in less than 10 seconds and from 80 km/h to 120 km/h for passing or merging in just over eight seconds.
Despite the addition of a five-speed automatic for 2005, fuel economy ratings of 16.2 L/100 km city and 11.0 L/100 km highway are on the high side, in fact not as good as last year's four-speed auto-equipped model.
The EXL model of the Sorento comes with a full-time all-wheel-drive system. In normal conditions it directs all the drive to the rear wheels, but when it detects a loss of traction back there it calls in the front wheels on a 50/50 torque-split basis.
It's a moderate step up into the Sorento's interior, where our up-market EXL sported nice-looking, flat-finished, wood-style trim on the doors and centre stack and leather on the seats. The instruments are a cluster of three round dials; the steering wheel is a hand-filling unit wrapped in leather with wood-like sectionsand incorporates audio and cruise controls.
It's equipped with all the usual power assists, as well as front and side-curtain airbag systems.
There's a lot of competition in the mid-size SUV category, but Kia's Sorento is definitely a player.
Specifications
2005 Kia Sorento EXL
Type: Midsize SUV
Price: $37,595.
Engine: 3.5 litre, DOHC, V-6.
Transmission: 5-speed automatic.
Horsepower/torque: 192 hp/ 217 lb-ft.
Fuel economy: 16.2 L/100km city 11.0 L/100km hwy.
Alternatives: Nissan Exterra, Saturn Vue, Toyota Highlander.
Like: Styling, utility, comfort,
value.
Don't like: Fuel economy should be better.
