After a week of driving the Kia Sorento, we didn’t really want to give it back. A trip to Philadelphia for Digital Family Summit, to Baltimore to see fireworks on the 4th, and trips around town allowed us to bond with the car and really get to know its features well.
What did we love?
Cargo space. We’re a 4 person family and while we can travel light, there are times when we need to haul stuff. We may have exited the stroller stage of parenthood but with an 8 ½ and almost 6 year old, I tend to occupy cargo space with food, pool stuff, plants for our garden, furniture, etc. For our trip to Philadelphia, I packed trip 12 glass containers for the Ubisoft party’s candy bar that Clever Girls Collective was organizing.
 |
| Tons of room for all of our stuff and still room leftover! |
As you can see, the three boxes of glass containers left plenty of room for a weekend’s worth of personal items and some swag that made the return trip with us.
Flexible seating. Sometimes we want to haul stuff, other times we want our dog to ride along, and then there are the occasions when we want to bring friends with us on trips or have grandparents visiting from out of town where we need additional seats. Currently neither of our cars- a station wagon and a hybrid sedan- allow us to seat more than 5. That poor 5th person always has to sit squished between booster car seats.
The Kia Sorento can seat up to 8 people thanks to a third row of seats that folds down for cargo space and up for additional seating. Three can fit comfortably in the back seat, three can ride in the middle seats, leaving the driver and passenger up front.
Technology. The technology in the car worked seamlessly. Highlights include a large touch screen that made it easy to toggle between AM/FM stations, Sirius Radio, navigation, phone, and backup camera. I personally love how easy it is to pair any phone with the car’s internal Bluetooth for hands free calling or to play music. It literally took a minute!
 |
| Pairing… |
 |
| Paired! |
Geek Factor
- Proximity sensors in the car allow you to lock and unlock the car with the touch of the button on the door handle without digging or fumbling with the key fob.
- Integrated iPhone/iPod USB connection charges your device while driving and also connects it into the audio system to play MP3s.
- Large touch screen system for tunes (Siruis, radio, and MP3 players) and navigation
- Integrated cable to plug in iPhones and iPods
- Bluetooth that takes seconds to pair with your phone
- Keyless entry uses proximity sensors
- Con: iPod connection is in a visible place under the center console. This seems to be standard in Kias since it was in the same place in the Kia Optima I tested.
 |
| The arm rest makes a great pillow but it’s even better when there’s a lunchbox for added cushion. |
Kid Factor
- Third row of seats allow for flexible seating.
- 3 people can fit comfortably in the back with and without car seats.
- Wide back seats and positioning of the seatbelts made it easy for the kids to buckle and unbuckle when in their booster seats.
- Lots of legroom for kids of all ages.
- The kids never got tired of listening to Station 2: Hits 1 on Sirius Radio that always seemed to be playing Carly Jensen’s Call Me Maybe or PayPhone by Maroon 5. When asked what they would miss most about the car, they both answered “HITS 1!”
- Cons: A little bit of a climb for toddler and preschool legs but our almost 6 year old did just fine getting in and out. The kids never got tired of listening to Station 2: Hits 1!
 |
| Our summer anthem! |
Dog Factor
- Unfortunately our dog did not get to experience this car but it would have been perfect for him! He would have fit comfortably between the kids or on the floor behind the driver’s and passenger seats or could have ridden in the back cargo space and enjoyed looking out the windows. I’m sure Kia loved that the dog with my in-laws for the week since they didn’t have to vacuum up endless amounts of yellow Lab hair.
Cool Extras
- External rear view mirrors fold in, making it even easier to squeeze into tight spaces without the worry of knocking them off or bumping them against objects.
- Seat positioning includes adjustable lumbar support for driver’s seat
- The middle row of seats has adjustable backrests
- Heated front seats
- Push button start
- One thing it was missing that I wish it had: The awesome moon roof that came in the Kia Optima Hybrid!
 |
| Lots of customization to get the driver’s seat just the way you like it! |
If you’re looking for a SUV, consider the Kia Sorento if you’re considering the following vehicles:
- Toyota Highlander or FJ Cruiser
- Subaru Forester
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Ford Explorer
- GMC Denali or Acadia
- Dodge Durango
- Jeep Cherokee
- Honda Pilot
I received a Kia Sorento for the week as a loan along with a full tank of gas. All opinions are based on the experience of me and my family during the time we had the vehicle and were not influenced by Kia in any way. No compensation was received for this review.
Thanks for reading Tech Savvy Mama through your feed!
Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012
I’m just starting the whole car shopping thing, and I have to admit I hadn’t seriously considered Kia. I didn’t know they had such coolness as on your Geek Factor list. I’m moving down in size from a minivan, focusing on gas mileage, so this model is a bit larger than I’d like, but I’m curious to see what they have in smaller models.
I’m trying to convince the Hubby to let me trade in the “mom car” (aka minivan) and get an SUV type car. Never knew much about Kia…thanks for the review.