AZCentral.com's view

How does one define value?

Value can be a reasonably priced family sedan offering a decent level of comfort and options. Or a hot sports coupe priced low enough that young people can afford it.

But can value be based on an appealing personality? The Kia Sportage is a case in point. The Sportage is kind of cramped, slow and cumbersome, certainly behind the curve in the world of sport-utility vehicles.

But it’s just so darn likable. Cuddly, even. It can warm the heart of even the most hard-boiled auto writer. Which it did, not to mention charming the socks off his two little boys.

The Kia Sportage is cute, cheeky and destined for cult stardom. It has made its mark in the compact sport-ute arena not because of its sterling performance but because of its personal appeal.

Still, believe it or not, there are some misguided souls who actually believe that a car or truck is an inanimate object that has no personality. Ha. Those in the know readily can see the flaws in that logic.

In the Sportage’s case, it’s not exactly charisma, but something intangible, best embodied by the all-star of quirkiness, the beloved Volkswagen Beetle. Whatever it is, Sportage is making a career of it.

My take on the Korean-built Sportage is that it’s basically a cute-as-a-(VW)-bug station wagon that’s admirably equipped for urban warfare and not-too-rugged jaunts into nature. It’s fun to drive, maneuverable in tight places, inexpensive and economical.

But it does have some significant warts. First off, our test car was poorly set up with an automatic transmission that sapped the power of the small engine, and was marred by some plug-ugly graphics that ruined its looks. And it was just two-wheel drive, negating the possibility of off-highway fun.

The 130-horse engine labors mightily to pull this truckette up to highway speed, imparting noise and vibration to the passenger compartment. Stick shift would be much more practical and enjoyable. It’s not even a good automatic, shifting up or down at the least provocation, forcing judicious use of the gas pedal.

The ride on its very-short wheelbase is jouncy but not too bad, though there’s some rear-wheel hop while accelerating out of turns. Cornering is generally kind of dicey in this short, high-profile critter, so sports-car slaloms are out.

On the freeway, the Sportage felt surprisingly relaxed, well-mannered and not too noisy. But like all lightweight, high-profile vehicles, Sportage is unpleasantly sensitive to crosswinds.

The interior is simple, with decent proportions for four, but it feels rather cheap and unaccommodating. Legroom, headroom and luggage space are good.

Oddly, there’s a steering-wheel air bag and a unique knee-bolster air bag to protect the driver in a crash, but nothing to protect the passenger. I can see some bad feelings among couples erupting here.

In its current TV ads, a young couple are shown globe-trotting in their Sportage. This could happen, bu t I can think of quite a few vehicles I’d rather take on a long journey.

Although the Sportage drives and performs better than its nearest competitor, the Suzuki Sidekick, it falls back in the pack when compared with the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CRV. But those two are more expensive and don’t have nearly the plucky, eager-to-please nature of the Sportage.

Compared with a car, the Sportage costs about the same as a compact while offering some real opportunities for fun and adventure.

And as a four-wheel-drive adventurer, Sportage rated tops for the second year as Four Wheeler magazine’s subcompact winner of “Best Buy in Four-Wheel Drive.” Obviously, even those hardened dirt-trail veterans can appreciate the charm of this plucky warrior.

So despite its limitations, the Sportage does have some real value. At least to those who believe.

1998 Kia Sportage

Vehicle type: Four-passenger, four-door sport-utility vehicle, rear-wheel-drive. Base pr ice: $15,495. Price as tested: $17,539. Engine: 2-liter in-line four, 130 horsepower at 5,500 rpm, 127 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. Transmission: Four-speed automatic. Curb weight: 3,214 pounds. Length: 167.1 inches. Wheelbase: 104.3 inches. Safety features: Driver’s side air bags, rear-wheel anti-lock brakes. EPA fuel economy: 19 mpg city, 21 mpg highway. Highs: Quirky personality. Affordable price. Good highway manners. Lows: Needs engine upgrade. Dicey handling. Spartan interior.