The Kia Sorento Undergoes A Personality Change
The old saying goes something like this: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Well, the first generation Kia Sorento, produced from 2003-2009, was in no way broke. It just wasn’t what the public expected in a midsize crossover SUV. It took awhile for the braintrust at Kia Motors to realize this fact, but once they did they did the old switcharoo and in 2011 the second generation Sorento came out and the change was dramatic.
Again, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the first generation of Sorentos. They were built on a trucklike body-on-frame design that enabled them to off-road nicely and take you places you normally would only dream about. The ride was slightly rough, as you would expect, but the power generated from the 3.5-liter V6 was more than adequate for any suburban housewife or gentleman farmer/rancher, and the four wheel capabilities were quite sufficient. Nice interior, a more-than-generous warranty, and the Kia assurance of craftsmanship made this SUV a very nice choice, especially considering its low price.
The only problem in all of that is it just wasn’t what the public was looking for. The gentleman farmer/rancher and suburban housewife wanted a smooth ride and the ability to “look” like they might be doing some off-roading. It was the illusion they were looking for, not the reality. And so Kia skipped 2010 while they tinkered with the second generation model, and in 2011 out came the brand new Sorento.
Gone was truck body and in was a carlike unibody construction that offered a much smoother ride. Gone was the 3.5-liter engine and in was a standard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Third row seating was added, new tech gadgets were tossed in, the wonderful Kia warranty remained, and presto-chango, the public now had a crossover SUV that gave them everything they wanted at a great price.
So what is the point? If you are looking at used cars and you want a great SUV with superior off-road capabilities for a great price, check out the later years of the first generation Kia Sorento. Search the used car sales listings, find a Sorento from 2006-2009, and give it some serious consideration. You can pick one up for under $10,000, mileage will still be reasonable on it, and you’ll have a great crossover that is reliable and more than capable of going off-the-beaten path with its four-wheel drive. Anyone living in the snowbelt could do much worse than the first generation Sorento. Winters would seem much less daunting if you drove one of these models to work each day. Just be forewarned that the ride won’t be the smoothest you have ever taken…but at least you are assured of getting where you want to go.
