Topic: 2011 Kia Sportage EL Luxury; Day 1

[Autos_Editor]

The 2011 Kia Sportage James is driving this week bears no resemblance to the original 1998 that came out of the "the swamp" in those memorable (unfortunately) TV ads. This one is a major improvement over any previous version of Kia's entry-level crossover.
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[rackstar]

This is a sweet ride!  I can't wait for the Sportage 2.0T

[Shnak]

Glad to see you've listed the iPod cable as standard equipment... we won't have another car reviewer complaining that iPod integration is poor in a Kia vehicle. 

[Jackmac]

The price is completely out to lunch.  Kia's building some decent vehicles, but perception and resale have a long way to go.  This thing will depreciate to 50% of sticker in a year.

[dutch]

The interior looks classy and well laid out. Hope it feels decent too - not hard plastic. Kia has come a long way -although i miss the swamp commercials : aieeeeeee pappa gator wher you at!

[johnnyboy]

RAV4 Limited 4cyl with leather is only $800 more, with a far higher resale value
Price seems high

[Dante]

Hope it feels decent too - not hard plastic.

100% hard plastic IIRC, but this is the norm in the class with only very few exceptions.

RAV4 and some others have less equipement for the same or little more money.

It would be interesting to see a (well done/complete) side-by-side comparison chart feature/specs/price for these CUVs. Maybe a project for one of the editors. Don't need to leave the desk and it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours; very usefull for car shoppers.

[wing]

http://www.canadiandriver.com/comparevehicles

Unfortunately our database isn't complete yet.

[conwelpic]

RAV4 Limited 4cyl with leather is only $800 more, with a far higher resale value
Price seems high

I don't think that's a panoramic roof in the RAV 4

not according to ALG:

Kia Motors’ all-new 2011 Sportage compact utility vehicle, the brand’s longest-running nameplate in the U.S., leads the compact CUV segment for residual value ratings from ALG, the industry benchmark for residual values and a leading provider of data and consulting services to the automotive industry. The notable rating of 61-percent of original manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for 36 months of ownership is a full 20 points higher than the current 2010 model year residual, and Kia Motors’ highest ever rating from ALG. Kia, along with BMW and Subaru, achieved the industry’s highest individual rankings with a mark of 66 for the Sportage Base trim.

[Peter R]

Wow, 33 grand !!!, I'd rather get into a Subaru Forester or Toyota Rav for that price.

[Dante]

http://www.canadiandriver.com/comparevehicles

Unfortunately our database isn't complete yet.

Not exactlly waht I had in mind. It could be a start though. You need to see the features listed side by side like you see on the manufacturer website when compare trims.

[wing]

A few manufacturers do this with their competitors, probably the best place to look.  It's a LOT of work.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Damn I love this Sportage. When the Turbo arrives I'm going to be really drooling.

[Dante]

A few manufacturers do this with their competitors, probably the best place to look.  It's a LOT of work.

Did it in an Excel spreadsheet when I was shopping few years ago - for three vehicles, one trim each though. It only takes time to build the core features column; the rest is Y/N/P/O/etc so not that complicated or very time consuming. OK, it would take few days/a week maybe for an inclusive list. Is that a LOT of work?

Manufacturers are bias - they only pick and chose model/trims to favor their offerings.

[Minou]

My $26400. out the door price for '10 Santa Fe GL V6 FWD looks very compelling next to this 33K Sportage.

Unless you really dig leather, panoramic roof, power seats and the like, if I were to get one of these, I wouldn't go past a mid level trim.  It's a small car after all.

Or wait a year or two for significant incentives.

The bubbly shape of the rear hatch bugs me with the lack of a proper rear bumper, a rear end collision could be costly.

[Dante]

Does the panoramic roof open as well?

[Shnak]

My $26400. out the door price for '10 Santa Fe GL V6 FWD looks very compelling next to this 33K Sportage.

$26400 out the door? That means what, about $21500 before pdi and taxes are added. That's close to $8k off from list price... pretty incredible price!!

[Minou]

My $26400. out the door price for '10 Santa Fe GL V6 FWD looks very compelling next to this 33K Sportage.

$26400 out the door? That means what, about $21500 before pdi and taxes are added. That's close to $8k off from list price... pretty incredible price!!

Sorry, I meant $26400. incl. freight, PDI, AC and tire tax.  GST and PST not included.  The car was $4500. off list price.  $24500. before freight, PDI, etc.  List was $28999.

[Shnak]

Ok that makes more sense. Still a great deal.

Still, not exactly fair to compare the deal you got on your Santa Fe against the full list price of a brand new, top of the line, model.

[wing]

A few manufacturers do this with their competitors, probably the best place to look.  It's a LOT of work.

Did it in an Excel spreadsheet when I was shopping few years ago - for three vehicles, one trim each though. It only takes time to build the core features column; the rest is Y/N/P/O/etc so not that complicated or very time consuming. OK, it would take few days/a week maybe for an inclusive list. Is that a LOT of work?

Manufacturers are bias - they only pick and chose model/trims to favor their offerings.

Making a spreadsheet is one thing, putting it all in a DB that is usable by the masses is another.  Are you talking about doing only 3-5 cars?  Sure but if we were to do something like this it would include every car available in Canada it would take months of work, many months, and then it needs to be updated about 3-4 times a year because options/trims etc change.  Then it starts all over -- we could hire 2 people full time just to do that!