Topic: Test Drive: 2011 Kia Sorento EX-V6 Luxury

[aknutson]

Is this the new in-house Hyundai developed 6-speed AT?

3.5-liter DOHC Lambda II V6 with Hyundai's first six-speed SHIFTRONIC automatic transmission

It kind of sucks because I want to buy this vehicle because of the new drivetrain and bang for the buck value. But I have to wait.

This is what I'd be worried about. I'm not sure, but isn't this Hyundai's first, from scratch, in-house developed transmission ever (not only 6-speed shiftonic)?

It's one of many firsts for Hyundai/Kia, and yes as far as I know it is the first 6-speed auto built entirely in-house. This transmission has been used in Hyundai's home market of Korea for over a year now. In addition, in-house development is a good thing, they have controls over not only supply/demand but fixes as well.

[Minou]

My 'Fe was built on July 14th 2010  and the TSB has been issued in May.  I hope it has received better parts or reflash before leaving the factory?

[bikenut]

aknutson  -- suv class leader ?  have no idea , maybe honda pilot
i don't care for suv's so i don't follow them , too heavy,  but i did like the 2011 tucson for its handling prowess , that would be my pick if i had to buy one
 but that might be too small for your needs

[Dante]

It's one of many firsts for Hyundai/Kia, and yes as far as I know it is the first 6-speed auto built entirely in-house. This transmission has been used in Hyundai's home market of Korea for over a year now. In addition, in-house development is a good thing, they have controls over not only supply/demand but fixes as well.

It depends on how you look at it. It has major risks too, one of them being the lack of knowledge/expertise/experience in designing such components and ending up with a product with major flaws in the hands of your customers.

[CanuckS2K]

I've been browsing the Kia forums a fair bit over the last few months as I have been considering the Sorento, and I don't recall any threads on their forum regarding tranny issues.  Perhaps I have missed some vital threads about this, but the biggest issue I have read is regarding the sunroof. 

I agree with aknutson though, every manufacturer has issues, TSBs, etc.  You can go onto Lexus, Bimmer, Lexus, Infiniti, etc car forums and can easily find issues with each of them.  No manufacturer is perfect and will all have various issues, no matter what the price range is.  In any case, hopefully Hyundai/Kia will get this tranny issue corrected soon. 

[aknutson]

My 'Fe was built on July 14th 2010  and the TSB has been issued in May.  I hope it has received better parts or reflash before leaving the factory?

Have you put some miles on your vehicle yet? What do you think? We have the same model, just wondering what your experience was so far.

[aknutson]

aknutson  -- suv class leader ?  have no idea , maybe honda pilot
i don't care for suv's so i don't follow them , too heavy,  but i did like the 2011 tucson for its handling prowess , that would be my pick if i had to buy one
 but that might be too small for your needs

Ha ha, to be honest neither do I. I won't bore you with why we chose to pick the Santa Fe but I still have my daily driver, the ol' Mazda Protege5, and I still prefer the way that car handles the road. You feel like you have more control in a car, they are lighter, more responsive, tighter and more technical. The new generation of compact crossovers interests me though, things like the new Nissan Juke. You'll laugh because it's funny looking, but a 1.6L DI turbo engine, 180 hp, 6-speed manual transmission, 35 mpg...that's some good stuff. Unfortunately the AWD system is coupled with a CVT, but the vehicle still represents a unique fusion between the sporting nature of a hatchback car with the more versatile, upright nature of an SUV.

[Minou]

My 'Fe was built on July 14th 2010  and the TSB has been issued in May.  I hope it has received better parts or reflash before leaving the factory?

Have you put some miles on your vehicle yet? What do you think? We have the same model, just wondering what your experience was so far.

Picked it up only 10 days ago and have less than 500 Km on the clock.  Didn't have a chance for much out of town driving yet.  The part of today's Sorento's road test that I think relates the most to my experience with the 'Fe so far is this:
" On the road, the Sorento is a major improvement over its predecessor, with surprisingly good steering and braking feel and a firm but comfortable ride. The suspension is easily unsettled by sharp bumps, however, and the resulting noises make the car feel unsophisticated over rough roads.

The six-cylinder engine is more refined, with its smooth revving nature and good power delivery."

Surprising considering Hyundai's have been blamed for soft suspensions for as long as I can remember.  I'll start experiencing with lower tire pressures a bit, something in the range of 32 psi front and 30 rear might help things a bit.  Placard is 33/33.  Good thing I don't have the 18" from the SE or Limited model and the tires that were on the Sorento EX Chris tested.

As for fuel economy, my ScanGauge is still not calibrated to the car as I have yet to fill it up.  It's showing in the 11 L/100 Km in normal driving to work but I suspect it is a bit pessimistic.

My Sandisk portable player has been recognized instantly through the USB port.

I would have considered a FWD Sorento but there was only a $1000. cash deal incentive and the V6 is $2500. more compared to a $1500. option on the 'Fe.  So the 2010 Santa Fe cost me $3600. less than a comparable '11 Sorento that has a bit more standard equipment though.

When did you get yours?  How much mileage and what kind of mileage are you getting?  Any issues yet?

My first ever automatic transmission and first jacked up station wagon with elevated roof on bigger tires...

[bikenut]

forgot about the juke - has some real good things going for it
which nissan and the others would stop pushing the cvt trans , i'd rather take the mpg loss
don't knock your protege , its more tossable than my mazda 3

[JohnnyCash]

So I wonder what the big Hyundai and Kia supporters have to say about this? Not only is the Sorento mid-pack, but various quality problems have popped up on modern Hyundai/Kia models.

The fact is the media and the internet has overhyped Hyundai's quality improvements.

Hyundai has rushed new models to market way too fast, and now they're starting to pay the price for it with various quality problems.

On top of the 6-speed Hyundai tranny problem, the Kia Soul and the 2011 Sorento have been recalled for wiring problems. On top of that, the 2011 Sonata and the Soul are both being investigated for steering failure.

I'd rather spend more and buy from a brand that has a long-term reputation for quality.

[bikenut]

long term reputation for quality  ?  like toyota with their 10,000,000 recalls and law suits
every car maker gets recalls , no car is perfect
what car maker did you have in mind ? -- don't answer that , because who ever you pick i'll dig up all the recall notices the company has got to prove you wrong

hyundai offers value , features,  reliability , with more power and better mpg ratings at the same time than their competition with these theta 2 engines
the only company right now that gets their bugs out of their first year model cars it seems is ford ,
no other maker can do this
so i'd let hyundai work its bugs out of their 1st year models like everyone else

consummer reports guy says to buy the last model year of a car before the next gen comes out as the best one to buy

do you remember all the praise the press lavished continuelly over the lada when it came out ? no ?
thats because there wasn't any -- the press isen't stupid , auto journalist drive hundreds of cars
they give praise where its deserved , some models are better than others , but one thing hyundai does is learn fast and improve their products fast ,   and because of that  that get my vote , more than i can say for alot of other auto makers

you bring up automatic trans  -- don't get me started on faulty automatic transmissions noted for failing from car makers, i had to pass on a 2001 prelude years back because of it , i really liked that car , that tranny was passed to 2 more gens of accords without being fixed . hyundai wouldn't do that , you know why ? because they are always trying to improve their cars

[diceman]

Already a recall....

[bikenut]

tsb's are different from recalls - link explains
http://autorepair.about.com/library/faqs/bl608h.htm

the equinox would make a better suv than the sorento ( in their 4 cyclinder forms )

 the equinox made driving television top 10 list this year out of 100 cars - in order

10  ford transit
 9   suburu outback
 8   ford fusion hybrid
 7   chevy equinox
 6   vw golf tdi
 5   ford mustang
 4   hyundai sonata
 3   kia soul
 2   hyundai tucson
 1   porsche panamera

[JohnnyCash]

Yes, I would rather have a Ford than a Hyundai. At least with a new Ford, I know there won't be investigations into the model about steering failure, a recall for wiring/electrical problems, or automatic transmission problems. Plus with a Ford I wouldn't have to worry about rust problems, whereas Hyundai has already made several big recalls regarding severe rust problems on models only a few years old.

I'd also rather have a Toyota than a Hyundai.

The only tangible thing Hyundai offers is value. Features are debatable as Ford and Toyota offer features Hyundai doesn't. Reliability is highly debatable as well. As for value, well even that is eroding.

[CanuckS2K]

Yes, I would rather have a Ford than a Hyundai. At least with a new Ford, I know there won't be investigations into the model about steering failure, a recall for wiring/electrical problems, or automatic transmission problems. Plus with a Ford I wouldn't have to worry about rust problems, whereas Hyundai has already made several big recalls regarding severe rust problems on models only a few years old.

I'd also rather have a Toyota than a Hyundai.

The only tangible thing Hyundai offers is value. Features are debatable as Ford and Toyota offer features Hyundai doesn't. Reliability is highly debatable as well. As for value, well even that is eroding.

I wouldn't hesitate purchasing a Ford, however you make it seem like Ford doesn't have any recall issues of their own.  Ford/Mercury recalled 14 million vehicles last year alone.  http://www.usrecallnews.com/2010/02/ford-recall-history-puts-toyota-recalls-in-perspective.html

NO manufacturer is without issues, Hyundai is no different. 

[bikenut]

johnnycash , i was going to quote you a bunch of juicey facts from the new car lemonaid guide about ford and toyota
but i'm not going near the library today , and i'm certainly not making a special trip for you
you simply aren't worth the effort . but feel free to check it out yourself , besides checking ford
 look up the corrolla while you're there too , you won't be too happy what it says


g35canuck put well ,enough said

[chrischasescars]

Then there’s Kia’s infuriating USB stereo interface, which has failed to work with any iPod I’ve plugged into it in any number of their test cars.

If it's like my Sonata (and I'm pretty sure it's the case), you need a cable made by Kia in order to plug your iPod.

A quick search on google found this: http://www.kiaaccessorystore.com/kia_ipod_cable.html

I would hope that a professional reviewer would figure this out, especially after failing to connect a bunch of iPods in a bunch of cars.  

Far as I'm concerned, it's still a flaw if you need a special connector. Most cars will connect quite easily with nothing but the connector that came with the Nano.

[CanuckS2K]

Then there’s Kia’s infuriating USB stereo interface, which has failed to work with any iPod I’ve plugged into it in any number of their test cars.

If it's like my Sonata (and I'm pretty sure it's the case), you need a cable made by Kia in order to plug your iPod.

A quick search on google found this: http://www.kiaaccessorystore.com/kia_ipod_cable.html

I would hope that a professional reviewer would figure this out, especially after failing to connect a bunch of iPods in a bunch of cars.  

Far as I'm concerned, it's still a flaw if you need a special connector. Most cars will connect quite easily with nothing but the connector that came with the Nano.

Kia includes the necessary cable for connecting your iPod, Nano, etc, so I am not sure why it's a big deal?    

[JohnnyCash]

The truth is the truth, and since many of you are so quick to jump on Ford and Toyota, then you should also be quick to jump on Hyundai and Kia. But hey, I guess it's not "cool" to hate Hyundai and Kia right now, since they are popular on internet forums and in the media.

That huge Ford recall by the way was for an older flaw, but that is still no excuse for Ford of course.

There is no need to state the obvious. Yes everyone has recalls, but not all recalls are equal. Toyota is known for having recalls of a lot of minor problems. The Hyundai rust recalls were for severe problems, and this recent Hyundai/Kia wiring recall is a serious problem too. If the steering failure investigation leads to a recall on 2011 Sonatas and the Soul, well then that would be a serious recall as well. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a recall on the 6-speed transmission in the 2011 Sonata and other Hyundai/Kia vehicles.

Let me guess, many of you will point out the big number of Toyota recalls over the past year right? Except the problem is, the NHTSA in the States concluded that most of the unintended acceleration issues on Toyotas were in fact driver error, and not due to any problems on the cars. Toyota recalled floor mats when there were no real problems with them. Toyota also recalled floor pedals, and either replaced or modified them when there weren't even real problems with the pedals either.

Wiring problems that lead to fires, complete loss of steering, and severe rust problems; those are all serious issues.

[CanuckS2K]

The truth is the truth, and since many of you are so quick to jump on Ford and Toyota, then you should also be quick to jump on Hyundai and Kia. But hey, I guess it's not "cool" to hate Hyundai and Kia right now, since they are popular on internet forums and in the media.

That huge Ford recall by the way was for an older flaw, but that is still no excuse for Ford of course.

There is no need to state the obvious. Yes everyone has recalls, but not all recalls are equal. Toyota is known for having recalls of a lot of minor problems. The Hyundai rust recalls were for severe problems, and this recent Hyundai/Kia wiring recall is a serious problem too. If the steering failure investigation leads to a recall on 2011 Sonatas and the Soul, well then that would be a serious recall as well. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a recall on the 6-speed transmission in the 2011 Sonata and other Hyundai/Kia vehicles.

Let me guess, many of you will point out the big number of Toyota recalls over the past year right? Except the problem is, the NHTSA in the States concluded that most of the unintended acceleration issues on Toyotas were in fact driver error, and not due to any problems on the cars. Toyota recalled floor mats when there were no real problems with them. Toyota also recalled floor pedals, and either replaced or modified them when there weren't even real problems with the pedals either.

Wiring problems that lead to fires, complete loss of steering, and severe rust problems; those are all serious issues.

I don't think any of us here are drinking any type of Hyundai/Kia coolaid.  From the posts I've seen in this thread, no one seems to be oblivious or is dismissing any of the current recalls by Hyundai or Kia.  I think the point that is trying to be made is that EVERY manufacturer suffers through things like this at some point.  If you don't for one minute that Ford or Toyota hasn't had any SERIOUS recalls, you should think again. 

September 2009 - Toyota says to recall around 3.8 million vehicles in the U.S. because of floor mats that could come loose and force down the accelerator. The problem is suspected in crashes that killed 5 people.

October 2009 - Ford completes a series of recalls affecting 14 million vehicles due to a faulty cruise control deactivation switch. The latest recall effectively closes out a 10-year saga over the switches.  These cruise control switches were found to catch fire under a variety of circumstances.

January 2010 - Honda recalls 646,000 Fit/Jazz and City cars globally over a faulty window switch after a child died in 2009 when fire broke out in a car.

February 2010 - Toyota announces that 216,000 cars in Germany, Europe's biggest car market, and 180,000 in Britain are included in the mass recall to fix an accelerator pedal problem. Some 8 million Toyota vehicles are now up for repair globally, including the floor mat issue. Overall, the unintended acceleration issue has been linked to up to 19 crash deaths in the United States.

To think car manufacturers don't suffer from recalls at some point is nieve.  And say what you want about Toyota's latest recalls........but they didn't recall millions of vehicles for the heck of it.  I don't recall any other manufacturer having a number of "driver errors"  because of floor mats or pedals.  I am not jumping on any one manufacturer, as I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Toyota, Honda, Ford, Kia, etc.  I just realize that not every vehicle is perfect.