2011 Kia Sorento consumer reviews

I'd like to qualify this review by stating that my previous vehicle was a 2005 Chevy Aveo SVU w/ no trimmings (AM/FM radio and manual transmission and seatbelts....that's it!). I also did a lot of comparative driving. I test a 2006 and 2008 Chevy Equinox, a 2009 Nissan Rogue, a 2006 Buick Rendezvous, a 2009 Mazda CX-7, and a 2011 Kia Sportage before deciding the that 2011 Kia Sorento was the one for me. There were two convincing factors: the Sorento had all of the features I wanted, and a couple more, for the best price (the others were around $4,000-6,000 less, but had 40K+ miles and either barely any or no warranty remaining), and the warranty beat. For a few thousand more than a used car, I get a new one with a long-lasting warranty. For the peace of mind, I even took the sales pitch on upgrading to the 10-year/100K bumper-to-bumper warranty. I intend to get every mile out of it, and hopefully then some. I know some people recommend not buying that, but it felt like the right thing to do to best protect my investment. I've had my 2011 Sorento for about a month, and have put on about 1500 miles. Compared to my last car, this one is heaven on wheels. I love the exterior styling, which makes me feel rich every time I look at it. The interior is very comfortable, except for the third row. Honestly, though, who wants to sit in the third row of ANY vehicle? They're all cramped and meant for kids. Mine has the heated front seats, which are a God-send when you're on break at work or riding home and need that lower back relaxation. The biggest negative about the interior thus far is the material of the seats. It has already gathered a couple off-color spots. I plan to have this car a very, very long time. So, I'm not that hung-up on the interior staying perfect. But it is a little disappointing that it doesn't hold up to much when it comes to staining. I tried a Tide pen, and that just left a waterspot in place of the chocolate (oops). I work in a factory, so my clothes are dirty often. I am going to buy a cover for the driver's seat, just to be a little gentler on it. Other than that, I love the interior. The cupholders are well positioned. I would rather they were both the same size, but they work well just the same. The center storage makes a great armrest, and the ability to hide my iPod is nice. I love the little tray under the climate controls where the TWO power adapters are located. It's good for keeping the phone in place. AND THE BLUETOOTH IS AMAZING! I used to wear an earpiece, but having it piped through the radio is so much nicer. It can be a little frustrating to figure it's quirks at first (like when you start the car after starting a phone conversation, you lose audio from the phone call), but once you get the full hang of it it is awesome. OH! And the back-up camera is nice. I wouldn't recommend relying on it, but it certainly does not hurt to have the extra vision. It shows clear as day in the nightime, too. As far as performance goes, I bought mine with the 4-clyinder. I don't own any boats or anything to haul, and therefore did not need the towing capacity of a V6. Acceleration is as expected for a 4-cyl in a vehicle that size.....weak. I wouldn't go trying to race the kids at the stop lights or gunning it over the tracks to beat a train. However, the fuel-efficiency is nice. It is rated at 26. We all know the EPA ratings are always inflated. But I'm averaging 23.5 MPG. My five-speed manual Chevy Aveo averaged about 29-32 depending on weather. So, considering the size difference, I'm happy with 22-24 in the Sorento. It has an "ECO mode" which gives you an indicator that tells you if you're driving in a fuel-efficient way. It's corny, but I find it helpful to teach me to be a more patient driving and not "gun it" everywhere. My car also has AWD, but I have not had the opportunity to try it out. Living in Wisconsin, though, I'll get plenty of opportunities. Overall, I love my Kia. It has all the bells and whistles I love, with a few minimal flaws. Obviously, it's still pretty new. So, there may be some unforseen flaws that crop up in the future. You just never know, right? But, I would definitely recommend this vehicle to others. It is stylish, comfortable, has good seating and cargo room, and good fuel-efficiency.

OK, so now I'm at 2500 miles. My Sorento is beginning to pull to the right like others have said. I am getting more rattles, vibrations and creeks by the day. My transmission has a terribly hard down shift at about 30 mph. the breaks are so-so at best. My sun roof is noisy and shuts by itself...what a pain in the tush! Pretty much everything negative you see in other reviews is coming to fruition. I called Kia service yesterday and went over the problems...the lady "promised" to call me back today. Did she call? Nope, so the reviews that talk about the poor service are true too. That is why I lease my vehicles. I can turn them in when I'm done and go into something new...with another company. I'm never stuck! Sorry, but without the service then these problems will be the end all for me being a Kia customer. All they have to do is address and fix them for me to be satisfied. Looks like they haven't come to understand the concept of a repeat customer. Oh well, always had good service from GM and my 2007 Impala 2LT was perfect the whole three years i had it. Not a sound, not a problem, and a much better value than what I'm getting now...much more for the money...hassle free and a nice ride! I guess the eye-candy I get from the Sorento turned out to be more sour than sweet! Look elswhere for higher quality and service...

I am in the market for a sorento Sx and had the pleasure to finally drive one. Looks/styling are fantastic inside and out. All controls are easy to use and access. I've read some reviews on bad ride quality, but I know the SX has added dampening shocks and I actually found the ride to be really good compared to any vehicle I've had. So ride quality was great. Acceleration was very impressive and steering felt tight and sound. Navigation was easy to use and the sound system was awesome. The SX is pretty spendy, but you're really getting a lot for the money. I love the Sorento in it self, but the SX trim really steps it up a notch. Thumbs up on my experience with the SX Sorento.

Terrific car, with features of cars at twice the price. I got the 4 cyl, FWD, plenty of power, but fuel economy not as good as I expected. Rated at 29 MPG Hwy, but I can only squeeze out 25 MPG, and I drive very cautiously. Will get 22 combined. I don't see how they got the 29 MPG rating.

"My 2011 Sorento SX now has 1300 miles on it. It's extremely quiet and rattle free so far. Love the styling and options included with this trim: GPS, XM radio, panoramic sunroof, Bluetooth, iPod support, ambient lighting, 10 yr warranty, rear view camera, suspension is great. What I don't like about my Sorento: is the side mirrors view is very poor , leather seats are very firm, center console arm rest is hard on the elbow, poor MPG - I'm averaging only 18 mpg" half city and half highway.

I'm real pleased with our new Sorento. Nice smooth ride, looks good, perfect family vehicle. I would definitely endorse it.

My 2011 Sorento EX now has 2900 miles on it. It's extremely quiet and rattle free so far. Love the styling and options included with this trim: GPS, XM radio, DVD player, Bluetooth, iPod support, ambient lighting, 10 yr warranty, rear view camera. A comparably equipped Honda or Toyota SUV would be much more expensive. What I don't like about my Sorento: lack of a power outlet in the rear thirdrow seat, very stiff suspension, leather seats are very firm, center console arm rest is hard on the elbow, there's a quirky pause in the drivetrain when shifting from reverse to D, poor MPG - I'm averaging only 19mpg

Best Safety, Best Value for your Dollar, great 4 wheel drive, great gas milage, highly recomend!!!!!

Just like everyone else I was lured in by all the bells and whistles on this vehicle. The vehicle is sharp looking inside and out, but the ride is like my lawnmower, horrible shocks. Went to do the first oil change interval early around 5K and noticed that the oil level was about a quart shy, and coolant was about an inch lower then the full level in the reserve reservoir. My first thought was that my engine was burning oil, but I've been checking at least every two weeks and since have done another oil change and everything is like it should be which tells me that it came from the factory with low fluid levels. The last mishap which happened a couple of days ago while visiting family in the hill country of Texas, the transmission burned up. 6 months and 14K miles and the darn transmission is gone. The tow truck driver that towed my vehicle said that the Sorento has been about 80% of his business in the past 3 months with people having transmission and electrical problems. When I arrived at the dealership, they had 2 Sorentos ahead of mine with the same problems. The service manager said that transmissions are on back order because so many of these Sorentos are having transmission problems. Still waiting for my vehicle to be fixed. Even though the warranty and extended warranty that I unknowingly paid for (which was supposed to be an incentive when I bought the vehicle, but recently noticed that I paid for) states that a loaner vehicle is covered and I have yet to receive one. Since the break down happened out of state, no one in my area nor the dealer where my vehicle is currently at will give me a loaner to use in the mean time even though it is stated in the warranty that they supply a vehicle during repair. So basically I am screwed and on foot and no one with Kia cares (dealerships nor corporation). Not very happy. Stay clear of Kia.

I had a wedding 3 hours upstate and didnt want to chance it with my 10 year old VW Jetta 5spd (would have made it but i wanted an SUV with more cargo room) so i decided to rent a car from enterprise. All they had on the lot was a brand new 2011 Kia Sorento, finished in pearl white with a powerful 276HP V6 matched to AWD! having never driven an SUV nor a Kia, i thought this 3 day tester would be worth it. Climbing inside the cabin, i was completely impressed with the level of quality, the brushed dark wood interior trim was a nice look, the plastics feel as if they were made of a higher quality, the steering wheel had it all, buttons for bluetooth, volume control, cruise control, ect....having been inside other SUV's i never thought cup holders would have been manageable since designers place them in odd areas, these cup holders were placed right next to the shifter and NO WHERE involved with getting in your way! the little space infront of the shifter was a brilliant touch, i placed my cell phone there instead of having to dig it out of my cell phone clip or a pocket, or the center console and when i was called, it was right there (i didnt link my cell phone up with the blue tooth otherwise the space could have been used for something) the drive and engine power was plenty, the car also has a ECO. feature which keeps the RPMs low reaching the cars max MPG! another great touch. The car is also equipped with a tiptronic 6spd auto tranny, seemed sluggish when left in Drive, but when u slide it over to the manual shift gate, it really explodes with power. I keep going back to the interior because it really impressed me, it also has 3rd row seating which came in handy driving friends back to the hotel. It just seems as if the interior was thought out instead of just "thrown" together like some other SUV's (my friends traverse from chevy was sad, except for the rear seat cup holders were perfect for a can/cup/bottle) Also, while crossing a bridge using E-Z pass, a bridge&toll officer stopped me...i thought i was in trouble for speeding or something but long behold his first words were "my lease is up on my CR-V, how do you like this?" i was suprised since Honda is supposed to be "better" and i replied that if i could buy it tomorrow, i would (i just bought a house) he stuck his head inside the window and said "wow, i cant believe its a Kia!" i drove off that much happier since nobody has ever said that about any of my 7 cars ive owned previously. All and all, im done babbling about how good this car is...just test drive it, or rent it, you might end up buying one!