San Francisco: The
2007 Kia Sportage looks good, but the real treat is on the window
sticker. It comes with a lot of standard equipment for a low base price.
Build quality is surprisingly good and the body panels line up
precisely, plus the interior materials feel like they’re designed to
last.
Have you ever driven an
old Kia Sportage?
Despite its many
downsides, the original Sportage sold fairly well in the early 1990s
because it was priced about the same as a pack of chewing gum. And it
lasted about as long. Remarkably, the Sportage name survives today,
albeit in a much different form. Today’s Sportage has almost nothing in
common with the old, tiny, cruddy one, and, strange as it may sound,
it’s actually an SUV I don’t mind driving.
Gone is the old
truck-based design. In its place is a roomy and solid-feeling vehicle
that’s based on a car platform, the same as the stunning Hyundai Tucson.
As a result, the driving feel is smooth, quiet and composed, almost like
a luxury car. Its 173-horsepower V6 engine provides enough grunt for
spirited driving, and the suspension provides the kind of silky ride
usually associated with more pricey cars and SUVs.
In fact, there’s only
one thing in common with the old Sportage: the cheap-o price.
It starts under $16,000
for a stripped-down LX model, or around $19,000 with air conditioning
and an automatic transmission. It compares well with small SUVs that
cost $25,000 to $30,000, particularly in terms of interior space and
material quality.
And if you’re nervous
about Kia’s quality, as you should be considering the company’s
long-term record, a couple of things may calm you down.
First, Kia’s quality
reputation has risen dramatically recently, with better reliability
ratings than many of the well-known, American and European brands.
And second, Kia offers
a fantastic warranty for 10 years or 100,000 miles on the drive train
and five years or 60,000 miles on everything else. Is that enough to
make you buy one? Probably not all on its own. But when you combine the
low price with a long list of standard features, excellent build
quality, solid driving feel and Kia’s improving reputation, it’s hard to
ignore the Sportage.
INFOBOX: What
was tested? The 2007 Kia Sportage 4x4 with a base price of $21,195.
Options listed: Sport package ($900), floor mats ($85). Price as tested,
including the $595 freight charge, the MSRP is $22,775
Why avoid it?
It’s underpowered if you go with the base four-cylinder engine, so step
up to the six-cylinder power train.
Why buy it? It’s
a surprisingly good vehicle for how little it costs.
It compares well with
other SUVs costing $25,000 to $30,000 or more. By Derek Price
© AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
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Syndicated content provided by Tony Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
Column Name: The Kia’s Sportage grows up
Topic: The 2007 Kia Sportage SUV
Word Count: 519
Photo Caption: The 2007 Kia Sportage SUV
Photo Credits: Kia Sportage Internet Media
Series #:
2007 - 38
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2007 Kia Sportage
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2007 Kia Sportage
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