MM Full-Review: 2014 Kia Sorento
08-22-13, 02:43 PM
#16
Lexus Fanatic
Excellent review MM! Having owned 5 Solaras, an 07 GS 350 AWD, and an Azera, I am now the proud owner of a 2014 Kia Sorento SXL. I am by NO means a Kia/Hyundai fan boy, however I need to share my impressions after switching brands(after 14 years of Toyota Lexus loyalty). My mom also swiched from 20 years of Camry's to a 12 loaded Kia Optima, and for the first time in her life she "loves her car". She switched because the new camry offered no color options that she liked(frankly they are awful, refrigerator white, etc. She wanted to have a pearl white(which now can be purchased in the sport camry model).
I purchased one of the first SXL 14s to hit NJ in March. It drives amazing, is absolutely loaded with high end features, and it is as quiet as my second Gen solaras and GS. There is a nice level or refinement inside and out. Lots of lease and buying incentives... I received $2000 competitive lease cash, and $1500 bonus cash. Leasing out a loaded 42k vehicle for under 450 a month.
My pros-
-Refinement
-Attention to detail
-Driving charecteristics, but I hate the electric steering.
-Value
-7 Seater
-Led positioning lamps, interior LED mood lighting, and rear led "tube" lighting.
-fun stuff(heated steering wheel, cooled seats, pano sun roof with power shade).
Cons-
-Hard plastic dash. This is a big one, if they would have done this right it really would feel like a -true luxury SUV.
-The Key Fob(it is a total redesign and the buttons are not recessed enough and this causes the lift gate and doors to unlock whenever it hits anything in my pocket).
-Kia techs. Although many are friendly, their level of service and professionalism has really underpaced the brands growth. When I bring my Sorento there I do not have a lot of confidence. I will say many Kia dealerships are closing up their old shops and opening more state of the art shops, the tech dept hasn't kept up. I will say the Kia salespeople have been nothing but amazing and kind, not smug at all. As opposed to Nissan which we had our worst ever buying experience from. All in all I am very happy with my purchase, but would absolutely purchase a Toyota/Lexus product again in the future. I had my heart set on the new GS but boy I was just so disappointed when I saw how dull It was styling wise. Entirely too conservative for a luxury sports sedan.
So far no defects at 14,500 miles. It has a brief rough idle for a second or two at ten seconds after startup, but that's it.
Here are some pics I took during the first couple weeks of ownership.
I purchased one of the first SXL 14s to hit NJ in March. It drives amazing, is absolutely loaded with high end features, and it is as quiet as my second Gen solaras and GS. There is a nice level or refinement inside and out. Lots of lease and buying incentives... I received $2000 competitive lease cash, and $1500 bonus cash. Leasing out a loaded 42k vehicle for under 450 a month.
My pros-
-Refinement
-Attention to detail
-Driving charecteristics, but I hate the electric steering.
-Value
-7 Seater
-Led positioning lamps, interior LED mood lighting, and rear led "tube" lighting.
-fun stuff(heated steering wheel, cooled seats, pano sun roof with power shade).
Cons-
-Hard plastic dash. This is a big one, if they would have done this right it really would feel like a -true luxury SUV.
-The Key Fob(it is a total redesign and the buttons are not recessed enough and this causes the lift gate and doors to unlock whenever it hits anything in my pocket).
-Kia techs. Although many are friendly, their level of service and professionalism has really underpaced the brands growth. When I bring my Sorento there I do not have a lot of confidence. I will say many Kia dealerships are closing up their old shops and opening more state of the art shops, the tech dept hasn't kept up. I will say the Kia salespeople have been nothing but amazing and kind, not smug at all. As opposed to Nissan which we had our worst ever buying experience from. All in all I am very happy with my purchase, but would absolutely purchase a Toyota/Lexus product again in the future. I had my heart set on the new GS but boy I was just so disappointed when I saw how dull It was styling wise. Entirely too conservative for a luxury sports sedan.
So far no defects at 14,500 miles. It has a brief rough idle for a second or two at ten seconds after startup, but that's it.
Here are some pics I took during the first couple weeks of ownership.
Thanks for shring this info. It is so cool that we have members here to speak from experience . I love your new SUV. Its gorgeous and you can go wrong with the payment. The interior is very nice also. Great buy. I have said over and over that I would be more likely to buy a Korean car than a car from Chevy, Ford, or Chrysler.
Great car, great features, amazing price, and comparable reliabiliy. I can totally see whyt he KIA products have been getting the thumbs up from so many journalists and in so many reviews I have seen
Last edited by bitkahuna; 08-22-13 at 05:46 PM.
). Looks most excellent
08-22-13, 03:02 PM
#18
08-22-13, 05:06 PM
#19
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
08-22-13, 05:28 PM
#20
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Can't necessarily assume that any more, just because they are (technically) Hyundai/Kia corporate twins. A number of publications and auto magazines lately have been picking the Kia versions over their Hyundai brothers. From what my review experience has been, I agree.
08-22-13, 05:39 PM
#22
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by weezer
Excellent review MM! Having owned 5 Solaras, an 07 GS 350 AWD, and an Azera, I am now the proud owner of a 2014 Kia Sorento SXL. I am by NO means a Kia/Hyundai fan boy, however I need to share my impressions after switching brands(after 14 years of Toyota Lexus loyalty).
Excellent review MM! Having owned 5 Solaras, an 07 GS 350 AWD, and an Azera, I am now the proud owner of a 2014 Kia Sorento SXL. I am by NO means a Kia/Hyundai fan boy, however I need to share my impressions after switching brands(after 14 years of Toyota Lexus loyalty).
Congratulations on your purchase.
(Given the paint-color choice on this vehlcle, that's the color I probably would have chosen, too). And thanks for adding your experiences with it (the pictures are excellent). As much as I list in my reviews, I can't list everything. It's nice to get input from those who have long-term experience.
Last edited by mmarshall; 08-22-13 at 05:47 PM.
08-22-13, 05:56 PM
#23
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
weezer - congrats on your sorrento sxl! is there any option you didn't get and if so, why not? how is the nav? how is the voice recognition? how is your real world fuel economy?
santa fe is more 'sporty' looking than the conservative sorrento, but i don't know if it has all the bells and whistles and refinement of this refreshed '14 sorrento. and the short wheelbase santa fe does not have the v6 option in the u.s. at least.
santa fe is more 'sporty' looking than the conservative sorrento, but i don't know if it has all the bells and whistles and refinement of this refreshed '14 sorrento. and the short wheelbase santa fe does not have the v6 option in the u.s. at least.
08-23-13, 08:12 AM
#24
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@Hoovey2411 Excellent camera or nice picture taking skillz (or both ). Looks most excellent
Thank you!!! Small story tie in. I actually had to sell me GS when I was let go from my real estate position from the market crash. I went to a 97 corolla with hand crank windows, and wanted to start a new career where I was in control. Bought a Mac, Canon 50D and 7D, taught myself architecture photography and have a nice career for myself photographing homes, estates, and busineses. Far from being rich, but I can afford my bills again and have my life back. Had to work almost 80 hours a week for almost 5 years, I would love to purchase my GS again as my second car, it was Glacier Frost Mica which I just loved!
These photos were shot with a 10-22 lens, 3 exposuers 2 up 2 down 1 neutral on a 10 second timer then merged together and some finishing touches in Lightroom.
@spwolf
Hyundai actually has been doing much more "cost cutting" then Kia on some models... I was all set to get the Santa Fe but they really turned me off with what the did to the Santa Fe compared to what they did with the rest of the world.
-Dropped LED tail lights, HID Lights, Interior mood lights, cooled seats, 3rd row option, V6, Blind spot monitoring, Power lift gate, etc. Most of these features are not available on the Santa Fe Sport or the Long Wheel Base Version. Even if you have to pay a few grand extra for them, they should still be available.
-Obvious cost cutting on materials inside, even though it is still very nice.
-Kia seems to take the platform that Hyundia develops with them and take the time to step up the luxury and make them much more sporty. With one expection though, the hard dash in the sorento looks good but feels awful... the sorento plastic wood is even worse, thin and shiny.
-I do prefer the look to the exterior of the Santa Fe, but both have their ups and downs. I actually liked my Sorento more then the new RX, which shocked me.
@bitkahuna weezer - congrats on your sorrento sxl! is there any option you didn't get and if so, why not? how is the nav? how is the voice recognition? how is your real world fuel economy?
No on the SXL, I got every option that existed. For some reason when you compare the top end EX with all the packages, the SXL does not cost much more in a lease and you get so much more.
I can give a good opinion on the nav because I had a 12 Azera(the restyled one) and it was loaded also with NAV(but it had the previous gen nav). The Azera was a beautiful car inside and out, but it was just "souless". Felt like I was driving an ES or a Buick... too quiet, no feedback etc. Because of my job I shoot anywhere from 2-7 homes a day, and drive all over the place so NAV is VERY important to me. The previous gen nav on the Hyundias was just horrendous, almost unusable. It was very quick in response time, but that is just about it. It gave two route options for everything, and they were identical with exception to maybe changing the first or last minute of the route. Blutooth audio streaming did not use meta data, and using apps was almost impossible.
The Kia Nav (8 inches now, high resolution with UVO) is a dramatic improvment. It works and works very well. In the hundreds of times I have used it I have had almost no frustration. It even does the little things right like displaying the street speed limit, good traffic intergration etc. I still don't understand why most of these car manufacturers can't show the audio info and map info at the same time... this gen nav still has the same issue.
Voice recognition is good but not great... it still often dials the wrong name etc, but it's nice when you are driving.
True real world fuel economy is 23.8 Highway... if I am doing steady 65 on the highway I will hit almost 25 but that is with the ECO button on and no passing. My mixed driving is 21.6-21.8. Heavy city driving is 19.8-20. I was part of the JD Power and associates survey for the 14 Sorentos, so I was calculating the old fashioned way.
If anyone here is still considering a KIA, you still need to do your research. For example even though the 13' Sorento looks almost identical, it is built on the old Santa Fe Platform... and has the 3.5 engine that is far from great and not very reliable. Also that gen overal reliability is not great... from all the research I have done the new 3.3 engine(That is also used in the Azera and Cadenza) has a great reliability track record so far. The new 14 santa fe is 80% new according to Kia.
My moms optima is going on almost 2 years, also no issues and drives great. Thank you everyone for your compliments and kind words. MMarshall, you make a difference for all of us and I always look forward to your reviews and guidance.
Thank you!!! Small story tie in. I actually had to sell me GS when I was let go from my real estate position from the market crash. I went to a 97 corolla with hand crank windows, and wanted to start a new career where I was in control. Bought a Mac, Canon 50D and 7D, taught myself architecture photography and have a nice career for myself photographing homes, estates, and busineses. Far from being rich, but I can afford my bills again and have my life back. Had to work almost 80 hours a week for almost 5 years, I would love to purchase my GS again as my second car, it was Glacier Frost Mica which I just loved!
These photos were shot with a 10-22 lens, 3 exposuers 2 up 2 down 1 neutral on a 10 second timer then merged together and some finishing touches in Lightroom.
@spwolf
Hyundai actually has been doing much more "cost cutting" then Kia on some models... I was all set to get the Santa Fe but they really turned me off with what the did to the Santa Fe compared to what they did with the rest of the world.
-Dropped LED tail lights, HID Lights, Interior mood lights, cooled seats, 3rd row option, V6, Blind spot monitoring, Power lift gate, etc. Most of these features are not available on the Santa Fe Sport or the Long Wheel Base Version. Even if you have to pay a few grand extra for them, they should still be available.
-Obvious cost cutting on materials inside, even though it is still very nice.
-Kia seems to take the platform that Hyundia develops with them and take the time to step up the luxury and make them much more sporty. With one expection though, the hard dash in the sorento looks good but feels awful... the sorento plastic wood is even worse, thin and shiny.
-I do prefer the look to the exterior of the Santa Fe, but both have their ups and downs. I actually liked my Sorento more then the new RX, which shocked me.
@bitkahuna weezer - congrats on your sorrento sxl! is there any option you didn't get and if so, why not? how is the nav? how is the voice recognition? how is your real world fuel economy?
No on the SXL, I got every option that existed. For some reason when you compare the top end EX with all the packages, the SXL does not cost much more in a lease and you get so much more.
I can give a good opinion on the nav because I had a 12 Azera(the restyled one) and it was loaded also with NAV(but it had the previous gen nav). The Azera was a beautiful car inside and out, but it was just "souless". Felt like I was driving an ES or a Buick... too quiet, no feedback etc. Because of my job I shoot anywhere from 2-7 homes a day, and drive all over the place so NAV is VERY important to me. The previous gen nav on the Hyundias was just horrendous, almost unusable. It was very quick in response time, but that is just about it. It gave two route options for everything, and they were identical with exception to maybe changing the first or last minute of the route. Blutooth audio streaming did not use meta data, and using apps was almost impossible.
The Kia Nav (8 inches now, high resolution with UVO) is a dramatic improvment. It works and works very well. In the hundreds of times I have used it I have had almost no frustration. It even does the little things right like displaying the street speed limit, good traffic intergration etc. I still don't understand why most of these car manufacturers can't show the audio info and map info at the same time... this gen nav still has the same issue.
Voice recognition is good but not great... it still often dials the wrong name etc, but it's nice when you are driving.
True real world fuel economy is 23.8 Highway... if I am doing steady 65 on the highway I will hit almost 25 but that is with the ECO button on and no passing. My mixed driving is 21.6-21.8. Heavy city driving is 19.8-20. I was part of the JD Power and associates survey for the 14 Sorentos, so I was calculating the old fashioned way.
If anyone here is still considering a KIA, you still need to do your research. For example even though the 13' Sorento looks almost identical, it is built on the old Santa Fe Platform... and has the 3.5 engine that is far from great and not very reliable. Also that gen overal reliability is not great... from all the research I have done the new 3.3 engine(That is also used in the Azera and Cadenza) has a great reliability track record so far. The new 14 santa fe is 80% new according to Kia.
My moms optima is going on almost 2 years, also no issues and drives great. Thank you everyone for your compliments and kind words. MMarshall, you make a difference for all of us and I always look forward to your reviews and guidance.
Last edited by weezer; 08-23-13 at 08:16 AM.
08-23-13, 09:44 AM
#25
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by weezer
My moms optima is going on almost 2 years, also no issues and drives great. Thank you everyone for your compliments and kind words.
MMarshall, you make a difference for all of us and I always look forward to your reviews and guidance.
Thanks.
Next review will (probably) be the new Cadillac XTS flagship.
Last edited by mmarshall; 08-23-13 at 09:49 AM.
08-24-13, 06:30 PM
#27
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
08-24-13, 07:14 PM
#29
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
In it, clearly stated that base-level 2014 LX FWD Sorentos start around 24K. It is the top-line AWD SX-Limited (which I reviewed) that starts at 40K. I also stated, twice, in the review, that there was a very large price-discrepancy between base and top-level versions, and that it was something to take into account when shopping for one.
Last edited by mmarshall; 08-24-13 at 07:29 PM.
08-24-13, 07:39 PM
#30
Did you read the opening part of the review......the "OVERVIEW" part, below the pictures? In it, clearly stated that base-level 2014 LX FWD Sorentos start around 24K. It is the top-line AWD SX-Limited (which I reviewed) that starts at 40K. I also stated, twice, in the review, that there was a very large price-discrepancy between base and top-level versions, and that it was something to take into account when shopping for one.
In it, clearly stated that base-level 2014 LX FWD Sorentos start around 24K. It is the top-line AWD SX-Limited (which I reviewed) that starts at 40K. I also stated, twice, in the review, that there was a very large price-discrepancy between base and top-level versions, and that it was something to take into account when shopping for one.