Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Review: 2016 Kia Sorento EX V6



When trying to squeeze a large family into a car, it's sometimes hard to argue with the mantra of “bigger is better.” Nonetheless, Kia's Sorento midsize crossover – newly redesigned for the 2016 model year – continues its resistance toward the girth found in such best-sellers as the Ford Explorer or Honda Pilot. The 2016 Sorento squeezes usable seating for seven into a relatively compact footprint.

The Sorento did grow a bit in its latest redesign, to sit more firmly in the midsize class; the outgoing 2015 model was a little closer in size – if not price – to something like a Ford Escape or Honda CR-V. Other welcome improvements include upgraded cabin trim, vastly improved safety ratings, a smoother ride, new features, and fresh styling. It continues to be pleasant, not ponderous, to drive, and it fits more easily into garages and parking spaces than many other crossovers. An Explorer – the best-selling three-row crossover – is over four inches wider and nearly a foot longer than even the newly enlarged 2016 Sorento.

However, you have to really value that smaller footprint, as the Sorento's price tag remains right in line with the Explorer and other larger competitors. The tested mid-level EX model with leather seats and all-wheel-drive but no sunroof or navigation system has a sticker price of $37,045, and adding those items would push it past $40,000. And most of those larger competitors have clear advantages over the Sorento when it comes to carrying passengers and cargo; it's the bare minimum for seven-passenger capacity, and has minimal space for luggage behind the third-row seat.

The other target customer for the Sorento is the one who doesn't care about the third-row seat, who would buy one of the models without it or would keep it folded out of the way nearly all of the time and forget that it's there. (The third-row is standard on all V6 Sorentos and a $1,000 option with the less-powerful of two four-cylinder options.)

This buyer would be shopping the Sorento against the five-passenger Ford Edge or Nissan Murano, models that take greater liberties with style because they don't need to squeeze in more seats; or perhaps the Subaru Outback, which doesn't really take any styling liberties but which excels for versatility and fuel economy. Kia, meanwhile, splits the difference on the Sorento with an assertive front end that sits ahead of a more boxy, family-friendly shape. (As on three-row crossovers like the Acura MDX and Toyota Highlander the Sorento uses the shape of its windows to evoke a curvier silhouette, but its similarity to the Kia Sedona minivan is clear from behind.)

It's hard to write a review of a Kia car without acknowledging the brand's recent past, which was humble at best – an image that the marque has yet to fully shake off even as it's revamped its product line and added a pair of premium sedans, one of which reaches past $60,000. But the 2016 Sorento neither blows away the competition nor wildly undercuts their prices. Rather, it's a solidly competitive product for crossover buyers who don't seek a vast interior, which should be shopped carefully among other strong competitors.

Why to buy it

A key Sorento strength is the premium ambiance to its cabin and its quiet ride. Materials are first-rate for a mainstream car – nicely padded surfaces that scream neither opulence nor cheapness – and fit and finish is almost without blemish. Pricier models include additional luxury touches like higher-grade leather. The interior's styling is modern without looking overwrought. Nice features like built-in window shades are available even on the tested mid-grade car.

The Sorento's ride isn't extra-plush, but it's comfortable and composed by the standards of the class. It's a big step up over the previous generation, which could jostle you a little. Handling remains at the level of decent for a midsize crossover but hardly engaging. The old Sorento was also noisier; the 2016 is impressively quiet except for the rich note of its powerful 3.3-liter V6.

That V6, with a six-speed automatic, carries over from last year, but fuel economy ratings have improved a bit to 18 miles per gallon in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg in mixed driving as tested. (The Sorento's EPA ratings vary by trim level even with the same engine.) The tested V6 Sorento returned 23.2 miles per gallon in a week of mixed driving that had a little more highway than city, which is rather good for a powerful crossover. It fell far short of the trip computer's promised 26.4 mpg, though, a bigger discrepancy than in most of today's cars.

New to the 2016 Sorento is a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with less horsepower than the V6 yet more torque, and slightly better fuel economy. The 2.0-liter is found on five-passenger mid- and upper-level Sorentos, costing a few hundred dollars less than comparable seven-passenger V6s. Kia has successfully used a four-cylinder turbo in the midsize Optima sedan for several years – promising to provide four-cylinder fuel economy when you drive gently and V6-like power when you push it – but it won't have the same rich roar of the tested six-cylinder. The base L and LX Sorentos have a carryover 2.4-liter engine that's also not a bad engine, but it's quite down on power with relatively little fuel economy advantage; the LX also offers the V6.

As noted previously, Kia has fit a third row seat into a smaller vehicle than most competitors have. If you were otherwise shopping five-seat crossovers, that might mean an extra dose of versatility for occasional use, which won't be in the way the rest of the time. If a third row is mandatory or important, it's delivered in the Sorento in a less bulky package than in most competitors. And although it's not a very comfortable third row, it is a real seat.

The Sorento also has competitive cargo space with similarly sized vehicles like the Ford Edge, either in the five-passenger version or with the third row folded down. The seats fold easily and, unlike in the 2015, they lie nicely flat when folded. You may need to adjust the front seats or remove the rear head restraints to get enough clearance to fold the middle row, though, which is annoying; the third row's pivot down and out of the way, also aiding rear visibility. You also need to pull a lever to raise the middle row, making it into a two-hand job. For further hauling needs, the V6 Sorento is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, on the high end for a crossover.

Crash test results are now outstanding, and new safety features include forward-collision warning (though without an automatic braking system) and rear cross-path detection. The tested car also includes blind-spot warning and a full complement of airbags, and a rearview camera is standard on all but the base L model.

Some may find it strange that the price tag is one of the last advantages mentioned about a Kia, but the Sorento is honestly not a crazy-priced deal. (Neither was last year's model, for the matter.) Base prices starting around $25,000 are tempting, but unless you're comfortable to go very easy on the options, that quickly inflates to approximately the same price point as the competition. It does have at least a slight edge over most comparably equipped midsize or large crossovers. Kia also has one of the industry's longest warranties.

Why to skip it

If size for the money is a key metric, the Sorento is a tough sell over a Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, or Hyundai Santa Fe – the best three choices among large three-row crossovers. The 2016 Sorento has grown, but it still just can't compete with these larger, similarly priced models for interior space. Even the Kia's middle row has no surplus of knee clearance except behind short front-seat occupants, and the third row is a tight squeeze, awkward to get into, and even more difficult to escape from. Tiny third-row windows also offer little view out for the small children who'd fit there best.

The Sorento's front seats are also just okay compared to some truly excellent competitors. They have a sporty shape, but the contours keep occupants on the flat sections, without feeling snugly held in place or relaxing on a cushy perch. Again – not bad, but not outstanding.

Another key weak point – shared with the Santa Fe but not the Pilot or Explorer – is a pittance of cargo space behind the third row seat. The Sorento has just 11.3 cubic feet back there, an improvement over last year's but still just a few inches of depth. A Pilot has 64 percent more space behind the third row, and the Explorer has nearly twice as much – potentially the difference between whether you need to sacrifice seating capacity to fit your groceries, or whether a family picnic requires a rooftop luggage carrier.

Some buyers will also seek more engaging driving dynamics. The Sorento is competent but distant, without the sense of directness from the steering or accelerator that you'd get from a Ford Edge or even a Hyundai Santa Fe, making those models more enjoyable to drive and imparting a greater sense of sophistication. The Kia's smooth-shifting transmission also sometimes found itself in the wrong gear, though less conspicuously than when this reviewer noticed the problem in a tested 2014 model.

A final issue with the Sorento is its infotainment system. Kia makes a great system called Uvo, which has tremendous capability without being a pain to use. But most Sorentos, including the $37,000 test car, have only a tiny infotainment touchscreen; you need to buy a $2,900 package with a navigation system and panoramic sunroof to get the generously sized screen that the car deserves. Kia's reluctance to give out the nice system to most buyers is a little hard to stomach in a world where even some $17,000 economy cars' screens are generously sized. (This reviewer would like to applaud Kia, however, for making a fairly typical Sorento available for evaluation, instead of just the top-trim version with every available option.)

Also, while the Sorento's controls are nicely laid out, the shape of the dashboard keeps the audio controls recessed farther from the driver, pulling some of them – notably the radio's tuning knob – out of comfortable reach. The tuning knob is further aggravating because you must push it to select a station, without accidentally twisting it as you lean forward to reach it.

If you just love it

If something about the Sorento really resonates with you personally – the way it looks, the design of its cupholder, a particular rare feature, or anything else – the main thing to keep in mind is whether it will be large enough for the needs of you and your family. There's a reason that huge vehicles are hugely popular, and, as noted, the Sorento is priced equivalently to such vehicles. Otherwise, it's a pleasant, well-finished vehicle with lots of nice features, great safety ratings, and a long warranty.

If you just hate it

If something about the Sorento simply rubs you the wrong way but you do want a car much like this one, there are a few other three-row crossovers that avoid full-size bulk. The Mitsubishi Outlander and Dodge Journey are the closest equivalents, and both are credible options at lower prices than this Kia.

However, both come with important caveats. The Kia is a luxury car compared to the Mitsubishi, which has a tinny, cheap feel. And the Journey, while respectably premium, feels ponderous to drive; it has the price advantage of a smaller vehicle, but not the maneuverability and agility. There's also the Nissan Rogue, one size smaller, though its third row is more nominal and its luxury levels don't impress.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is another fine choice. It fits in size between the Sorento and Explorer, and an impressively natural feel to its driving dynamics help avoid a bulky feel. Its main drawback – aside from not having that much more cargo space than the Sorento – is a weak score of Marginal in the tough IIHS small-overlap crash test, the second lowest rating of four. The previous Sorento was Poor, the lowest; the 2016 Sorento is Good, the highest.

And do try out some of the other big crossovers like the Pilot and Explorer; you might find them to feel a lot less intimidating from the driver's seat than you'd expect from looking at them. An obligatory mention of the supremely functional minivan – with more space than any crossover – is also in order; Kia's newly redesigned Sedona is one of the best, and the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna also impress. Only the latter offers all-wheel-drive, though.

For someone who isn't focused on three rows of seats, the Ford Edge is a class leader for its balance of driving dynamics, fuel economy, and interior comfort, and the Nissan Murano isn't far off. The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport – a shorter, four-cylinder, five-passenger version of the seven-passenger Santa Fe – is a leading budget option. And the aforementioned Subaru Outback is capable, versatile, comfortable, and fuel efficient, though you'd most likely end up with a modestly powered four-cylinder engine instead of a V6 or a turbo.

Overall

The 2016 Sorento is a pleasant midsize crossover represents a solid improvement over its predecessor, with more space, an upgraded interior, improved driving dynamics, and more features, without a price increase. If it's the right size for you, it's a solid choice; if it's not, similarly priced alternative abound.



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