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After a long-weekend highway trip, I have had a lot of time behind the wheel of the Sorento and a better understanding of its dynamics. Are the seats too firm? My co-driver commented that the passenger seat was very firm, but the driver’s seat seemed okay to me.
The programming of the gas pedal is typical Kia, and by that I mean it is very aggressive on initial tip-in. If you aren’t used to it, you end up with jack rabbit starts as the vehicle jumps forward quickly almost as soon as you place your foot on the pedal.
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The V6 engine produces a good amount of power, and is quiet and smooth on the highway and around town, but the Sorento’s weight is evident on steeper hills as the transmission still needs to downshift to keep momentum up.
That leads me to believe the four-cylinder option may be a little strained as most fours are in vehicles this large. Typically, the six comes close to matching the four for fuel economy, while surpassing it in all other areas in vehicles of this girth.
The ride is comfortable and quiet with very little road or wind noise even on a windy day out on the highway. The steering is nicely weighted when out on the road but is a little heavy at slower speeds, making the Sorento feel larger than it is at times.
The Navigation system in the Sorento is one of the fastest I have ever had the pleasure to use: get off at the wrong exit and it is able to recalculate while you are on the off-ramp! The system allows you to program while moving as well — perhaps a little dangerous, but I let my passenger do the programming. A lot of systems lock you out completely unless you are stopped.
