2011 Kia Sorento consumer reviews

I loved my Chrysler TC Minivan purchased when 1st child was newborn. Birth of 2nd baby validated need for LOTS of space! Giant carseats, dual strollers. Now kids are school-age. In booster seats - no strollers. So I wanted to downsize - still need 3rd row for occasional carpooling kid. I wanted better city MPG. Husband focused on safety features and warranty. Spent nearly a year researching. Drove Dodge Journey (terrible reliability reviews), Honda CRV (only 4 cyl), RAV 4 (too small). Even Mazda 5 (sits too low). Tried Highlander, Pilot, Sienna, Odyssey vans. Even tried the Borrego (Kia) - all more can than we needed and mileage not as good as I wanted. No other in this class has 3rd row options and gets the mileage we get! If I'm driving hard, city MPG is about 18-19. If I'm more cautious (typical of me) then its about 22-23. On the highway, I get 29! And this is with a V-6!!! I DO miss power liftgate from my van, and power sliding doors - had to teach the kids to open the doors GENTLY. Still, its a dream to drive. Loving the "bootay warmers" considering this frigid winter we're experiencing. I'm tall (5'9") and hubby is taller - but we're comfortable and kids still have legroom! Amazing car. Amazing price.

Fantastic car at a great price. Folks complaining about the ride are driving older builds... all new Sorentos built on or after the 4th quarter of 2010 will all have the sporty (yet more refined) dual flow damper shock absorbers seen on the SX trim. We've highly recommended this car to all our friends and family members in the market for a crossover vehicle. It's really that good.

We purchased the 6-cyl AWD Sorento 2 mo. ago. The vehicle is nicely appointed, with all the bells and whistles. Very peppy performance, good handling. But, it does have issues. Mileage is not so good. Low 20s mpg on hwy, mid-to-upper teens in city. Overall, about 18-19 mpg -- and this is driving quite conservatively. The ride is very stiff. You do 'feel' the road to the point of it being annoying harsh. Riding in the back seat can be quite unpleasant. Probably would reconsider the Sorento if to do over. Would likely get the 4-cyl for better mileage. Different tires might help the ride.

I traded in a Vibe for this sorrento, Sticker stated city mpg of 21 & highway of 28 mpg. My actual milage combined is 22mpg. Also the trip/milage computer resets at every tank fill, Its really an instantaneous mpg. The worst design i have ever seen. Car runs and looks great. don't waste your money on the 4 cylinder.

I've had my 2011 Sorento V6 with convenience pkg for ~4 months and 4,000 miles. The Sun roof stopped working about 2 months ago and I haven't had time to take it in to the dealership. The main reason I get news cars every three years is so I don't have to keep running to service. This car is a fair amount of eye candy both on the exterior and interior. The Dark Cherry may be the best color over all even though the darker color does hide some of the contrast with the black trim details (fog lamp area for example). But, when all clean and shiny, the dark cherry is a beutiful and classy color! The interior is well laid out and looks higher end then many competitors. They could probably soften up the center console arm rest and that would help. Otherwise, the interior is a very nice space to sit in...even with the cloth seats! The standard radio could be a little better or they should make the Infinity sound system an option without having to buy a zillion other things to get it. Yes, they could definitely rework the option packages so the customer can get what he/she wants and not the things they don't. I'd trade in that ridiculous and obstructive rear view camera for auto headlights (can you believe auto-head lights are not standard at this price!?) or leather power seats. Otherwise, things look good all around the vehicle. At 6'4" I do wish the seats would go back another 3 inches or so would be nice. I think that would be fine while I rarely ever have someone sitting behind me. Otherwise, the cabin is roomy enough and a nice place to be. However, the looks seem to be where the sweetness ends. The suspension is aweful and needs to be recalled...as many reviewers have said. Get on the ball Kia...you must know this is a problem from all the poor reviews! Fortunately, most of the roads I drive on are very smooth, and that's a good thing, cuz the thing drives like a go-cart over any imperfection in the road. You feel every little bump and you hear it too...quite jarring. You also hear the interior bang and clang over larger bumps. Too many vibrations and rattles in the interior in general. My sun roof rattles and clangs (when it used to work). I hear vibrations in the door panels and plastic from the cargo area. The plastic is too "soft" and scratches super easy. But, when driving on smooth as glass roads the ride is good...like any sub-compact (or go-cart) would. Breaks leave you guessing with how weak and unpredictable they are. Sometimes they are grabby and sometimes not grabby enough. Tie this in with a terribly harsh downshifting ("engine breaking") at ~25-30mph and breaking becomes an athletic event. I've never had to "play" with the break so much until this vehicle. Stopping should be much smoother and easier...less complicated! Otherwise, the transmission upshifts fairly well with a bit too long delay when you depress the pedal to the metal...floor it! But for normal accelerating the trans does a good job and the engine is good with power and not too loud (a little trucky). At this point, and for what I paid, I expect more quality. Get rid of the vibrations, rattles and clanks. electrical is suspect especially with my sun roof not working. Maybe better wheels to help soften the ride and quiet some of the road noise. I think a NEW suspension all togehter is needed and a recall for those already driving getting banged by every little bump. Steering has decent feel. Overall the interior and exterior size and room is appropriate. Not too big and not too small. Oh, my dealership never calls me back and customer service is a big characteristic of quality with me so that bumps the value down even further. So, be careful when drooling over the eye candy cuz the sweet stuff can turn sour pretty darn quick when you start to drive the Sorento around. Fix these issues and I can give a much better rating...or lower my payments to match the lower quality.

I'll start this review by saying that I am a lifetime Toyota driver but try to keep bias and abstract opinion at bay. I took a great deal of time to research, testdrive, and shop around for the car that fit my specific needs best. Must haves were fuel efficiency, all wheel drive, reasonable space, and navigation. These attributes narrowed me down quickly and left me shopping for the newest industry rage; the crossover category. I kept my budget under 35k to get a nicely equiped car meeting the aforementioned qualities with the flexibility of adding or subtracting some bells and whistles. I'll save you some of the exhausting research I did on my own. I quickly narowed my search down to the ford edge, gmc terrain, Nissan rogue, Toyota rav4, a few others which I dismissed quickly, and the Kia sorento. After equpping the ford edge the way I wanted and it's mediocre fuel efficiency, it went to the bottom of the list. Also, learning that he brain of the car is manufactured by Microsoft, I became concerned about the long term diminshing capabilty of the programming as Microsoft products seem to become troublesome after prolonged life. The edge was out. Rav4 was out on size, styling, comfort, interior design, and price after loading it up. However, I will note it's excellent fuel mileage and dependibility based on history. The Nissan is more appealling to a female consumer but does meet my rigorous standards. However, a bigger driver or full occupancy might find the interior a bit tight. With many available trims and variations, it is a nice option for somebody who is wiling to shop around for a close to perfect fit. A bit girlie for me and the interior isn't much to see. The gmc terrain is a great awd with good gas mileage and great interior style. The options are there at A decent price but stepping it up to more bells and whistles got a bit pricey quite quick. The performance is impressive too but got away from my budget with the options. This is also less of an SUV type crossover and more of a sportwagon type car similar to design as the Subaru. Not my style. Then I found the instantly appealing sorento. Let's just say that Kia is not the kia we are used to from previous years. Any research into the 2011 sorento andfull line of kia vehicles will prove to be impressive and eye-opening. The sorento has everything And more. I testdrove, priced, and equipped a 2011 sorento ex awd with all the bells and whistles for less than all the other cars in it's class. The exterior is sharp and sleek with a subtle rugged look much more appealing than it's competition. The front looks like the infinity SUV and the size and design is similar to the ford edge. The interior is where the car wins. Mine has leather, navigation, backup camera and a nice third row. Granted, these features really stack up on the luxury and beauty but do not fear because even without he extras this car is a great deal and very hard to dislike. The driving is super quiet, smooth gear shifting, and perfect for gas without sacrificing capability. You'd be hard pressed to find a more stylish, options enhanced crossover at a competitive price. Overall, the 2011 sorento is dollar for dollar the best crossover while capable of being equipped without sacrificng awd, fuel economy, styling, and new top of the line dependibility.

So far (after 3 months) we love everything about the sorrneto. I like the heated seats (living in MN) and the Satellite radio and mp3 connector. My wife likes the way it drives (its her car) and the good mileage we get.

Mine is an EX 6 AWD LOADED purchased in May, 2010. I test drove an assortment of SUV/CUV vehicles prior to selecting the Sorento and really enjoyed the options, ride, towing, comfort.... for the price compared to the competition. However, cold weather has brought out a HVAC squeal and center console rattle that the dealer can not find. If I can not get these issues resolved quickly, I will be selling the car (AT A LOSS DUE TO DEPRECIATION!) but can NOT live with these annoyances for 8-9 months out of the year. Even the Infinity sound system can not fully mask these noises. IF these issues can get fixed SOON - I would give this car a full 5 star rating on all aspects. If they can not get fixed - I hope the next owner enjoys the vehicle because I surly won't be keeping it.

I bought my Kia LX I4 in Feb '10 - I was a fan from day one. The third row seating and fold flat arrangements was very useful - Kids or Cargo it all worked. USB port and sirus radio was a hit for the whole family. The back up camera and hands-free phone system added additional comfort. Earlier this month I was in a crash, hit on the passenger side by a full size pick up. My daughter was in the front passenger sit, and with the side curtain & seat-side air bag deployment and reinforced passenger compartment - we both walked away. My Kia was totalled, with est. damages over 18K, but I am a firm believer in the sorento and it's ability to keep my family safe. I will be getting another one.

My 2011 Sorento SX is everything I hoped it would be and then some. It is a joy to drive and is a real head-turner. The price was considerably less than other mid-size CUVs with similar options. The ride is sporty but yet very comfortable. The interior feels roomy with controls well placed and easy to use. It has more than enough power for passing and highway use. I wish the third row seating would have been an option because I would have preferred the extra cargo storage instead. I'm pleasantly surprised and very happy with my SX.