Well it’s been almost a week since we dropped our daughter off at university. It’s been a rough start for all of us. I’ve already had to mail her money due to the irresponsibility of someone else and today we’re making a trip out to the dorms to drop off some supplies that she needs for tomorrow (that she was only told about yesterday). We’re hoping these are our biggest worries of the semester and everything else will go like clockwork and she’ll keep her grades up. The great thing is she is making lots of friends!
What we didn’t realize last Wednesday until we started loading things up is…she has A LOT of stuff! We are so thankful that STI Drive & Kia loaned us a 2015 Kia Sorento SX Limited AWD to help us move all her things to her new home for the year. Isn’t it pretty?!
Even with one of the second row of seats down, we had to leave a couple of items behind because there was no room. Sheesh!
This SUV also enables a family to have a third row of seats in the vehicle – because of our circumstances we didn’t use that function, but the extra cargo space of having that third row, plus the split of the second row seating down, was definitely a plus. I currently drive a more compact SUV and there is NO WAY I would have gotten all the paraphernalia my daughter packed up into the back of mine.
Transporting an entire bedroom and then some is not something one does everyday – and indeed we had the 2015 Kia Sorento SX Limited AWD an extra 5 days after completing that task, so let me tell you a little bit more about why I really liked this vehicle.
The upgraded interior finish is luxurious. The Nappa leather trim seats give it a classy feel (although beware they do get warm in the summer sun and with bare legs you will stick to them .), and both my husband and I thought they were very comfortable both as drivers and passengers. The seats are also heated for cold days, obviously in the 100+ degree temperatures here in Texas this past week, we didn’t try them out – but being from a Northern climate orginally I love this option for the winter! Bonus, the second row of seats also have this feature for your children or others that may be sitting in the back. The ventilated seats in the front though we did appreciate in the heat.
We drove the Kia Sorento out to Six Flags Over Texas for the day – never having been there, it was a great time to try out the in dash navigation system. When we drove the Kia Soul! to San Antonio earlier this year, one of the things we thought was lacking was the volume on the GPS system. We were pleasantly surprised to see this wasn’t a problem with the 2015 Kia Sorento SX Limited AWD. The volume was sufficiently loud to drown out the exterior traffic so we could follow the directions. I was disappointed to find out that to upgrade the maps one would have to take it to the Kia dealership and pay a fee, although that seems to be an industry norm for built-in navigation systems in general. The trade off of having a larger 8″ built-in screen in the vehicle to using a smart phone screen with Google maps I suppose.
As for the way this new Kia Sorento handles – she drives like a dream. I was actually surprised at what a smooth ride we had with it. This vehicle has some nice shocks, and trust me if you’ve ever driven on a North Texas road, it’s something you’ll appreciate! I’m a tiny gal at only 4’9″ tall, and driving larger vehicles intimidates me. I was a bit anxious the first time I pulled out in the Sorento, but I had nothing to worry about. The visibility in it is amazingly expansive from the front, sides and rear. It handled tight corners well, and while we didn’t have a need to employ the features of what an all wheel drive vehicle can give you – it’s nice knowing that it’s there to back you up in inclement weather and rough roadways.
Being petite proves challenging with a lot of vehicles from getting the proper positioning of the driver’s seat and steering wheel to closing back trunk covers. The 2015 Kia Sorento addressed all those issues with power seat maneuverability (with lumbar support) so I felt comfortable behind the wheel to the automatic lift gate in the rear.
I also SO appreciated the blind spot detection system on the side mirrors for lane changing and it bears mentioning that it actually proved useful in a couple of situations when we were driving and wanted to change lanes. My husband is always excited when we get to drive a loaner vehicle and it has the push button start with the smart key.
We didn’t drive with it terribly much on the highway most of our driving was city driving. The fuel economy runs from 18 city to 24 highway, which isn’t superb, but it is an AWD SUV so you’re not buying a vehicle like this for gas savings. We got an average of about 19 mpg, and that was with idling the vehicle in the dorm drop off line for over 45 minutes.
While Kia is known for affordable vehicles, a fully loaded AWD SUV comes at a price – the particular model we drove coming in at $42,595 with freight and handling.
I honestly never considered a Kia as a replacement for my Honda CR-V when the time comes to put it to pasture – but the 2015 Kia Sorento SX Limited AWD is now a contender (well likely it may be an even newer model year if I can squeeze a little more mileage out of my 16 year old CR-V). I need to start saving my pennies, but I’d definitely enjoy having this as my main mode of transportation!
To build your own 2015 Kia Sorento visit www.kia.com.
Sounds like a great vehicle, with plenty of room even though you had to leave some stuff behind. I love the feel of leather, but hate sticking to the seats, lol.
This is definitely a vehicle we considered getting. It has a lot of nice features for sure.
I am seriously thinking about getting one of those. It looks amazing! So roomy and Kia is one of my favorite brands.
Aren't the Kias great?! I'm so glad that you felt comfortable driving in it and that the size of the car wasn't an issue. Definitely a nicer ride than the CR-V we used to have.
Aren't the Kias great?! I'm so glad that you felt comfortable driving in it and that the size of the car wasn't an issue. Definitely a nicer ride than the CR-V we used to have.
We test drove one a few years ago and I really liked it.
We loved our experience with the Kia Sorento, LOVED it!
I love the Kia Sorento and almost bought one but in the end went with a Sienna.
When we reviewed this car my husband instantly fell in love with it. We both loved how spacious it is.
Wow! It looks like a really nice vehicle. Though I was kinda hoping that the price would have been a little bit lower. But I guess with all of the amenities that kind of price should be expected.
It seems like they are increasing in price. I love Kia, I wish they still had their inexpensive price tag.
This is a vehicle we could buy for sure. I love having SUV vs car or truck. The interior is gorgeous and I love the dash! Looks like the trunk holds a lot as welL!
This looks like such a great vehicle! I'm a huge fan of lots of cargo space, and this one definitely fits that bill!
I can't afford another vehicle anytime soon, but I wouldn't mind my next vehicle being a SUV or truck.
We drove the kia sorento recently on a road trip and we loved loved loved it!!
This Kia Sorento looks like a great vehicle. I'd love to own one, especially for my camping trips.