My One Week 2014 Kia Sorento SX Test Drive Experience

One of the perks of blogging is I occasionally get to do some really fun reviews.  One of my favorites is reviewing new cars and SUV’s!  Of course we all love that new car smell, pristine interior, and fun feeling of knowing that car is in perfect condition, just for us.  But when I get to review them, often times they come with all the bells and whistles, which makes it extra special.

Last week I was able to test drive the all new 2014 Kia Sorento EX, and let me tell you, it was a treat! If you’ve followed my blog at all, you know that I’ve test driven some other Kia vehicles and had a blast:

• 2012 Kia Soul

• 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid

• 2012 Kia Sorento SX

I was looking at some of my past reviews and saw that I was a little stingy on the size of the pictures, so I’m making them as big as possible this time to give you a good view.   It rained much of the time during my test drive, so you’ll have to excuse the cloudy and rainy pics.

From a exterior “looks” standpoint, I think they’ve made the 2014 bigger and longer than the 2012, so that it rivals some of the larger SUV’s/crossovers in its category. I always like stepsides on the side of an SUV, which this one didn’t have, but you can get that if you want.

The interior is just beautiful. The SX model comes with leather in the first and second rows, and I love the wood grain trim – just makes me feel all grown up. 🙂  One of the things hubby and I have concluded as we enter parenthood is that leather seats are a non-negotiable. Of course a lot of the other standard equipment on the Kia Sorento SX are not necessities, but if you’re getting leather, they automatically come with.

What equipment comes standard worth noting?

Well, for starters, check out this video to see my first favorite thing about the 2014 Kia Sorento EX:

What about another standard accessory that I enjoy? This one is all about safety! Check out the UVO eServices Telematics w/ Rear Camera Display in action!

You also have no shortage of options for staying “connected,” which as a blogger, is essential for a girl like me! Take a look for yourself:

I realize it was hard to see the back seat in the video, so here’s a better shot of that:

You also get BLUETOOTH technology for hands free calling  in the EX model, and an adjustable power driver’s seat also comes standard. Heated power mirrors and airbags everywhere also come standard in this 3.3L DOHC V6 engine.

Speaking of the engine and how it runs, I have to tell you that this is one of the smoothest rides of any of the cars I’ve test-driven.  I’m pretty sure I mentioned this when I reviewed the 2012 SX Sorento, but it’s definitely worth mentioning again – the Kia Sorento has the best turning radius of any car I’ve ever driven, period. It’s almost too loose on the actual road, that’s how smooth it is. You will have no problems getting into tight corners with this SUV.

You will especially have no problems if you opt for the fun stuff, like the Power Folding Outside Mirrors. 🙂  I present to you Exhibit A:

Now about that fun stuff – let me break it down for you.

The 2014 Sorento SX comes in with an MSRP of $31,700.  All Kia vehicles have a warranty that’s hard to beat – 10 years/100,000 mile powertrain, and 5 year/60,000 mile basic coverage (as well as 5 year/60,000 mile roadside service). But if you want to splurge and kick in an extra $4000 for the Touring Package, here’s what you get:

• Navigation w/ 8″ display
• Infinity sound (note – I would personally like to see this piece of equipment improved)
• Air conditioned seats (that’s right – you get heated seats and ventilated seats!)
• 4-way power seats
• Memory Drivers Seat & Mirrors
• Power folding mirrors
• Power lift gate (trunk) – which is very nice, I might add

In addition to those, you get a couple of others, which happen to be my on my top 5 favorites list.  Here’s the first one – the panoramic view!

My last favorite, which could actually save your life and would be worth every penny, is the Blind Spot Protection. Here it is in action:

I mentioned the Navigation package, and one thing I really do enjoy about having it is something I hadn’t noticed in the 2012, which is that it lets me know the speed limit! If you look at the below picture, you’ll see on the left hand side that you know it’s 50 m.p.h. on this particular road. I find that to be super helpful, if not so much for me, for hubby and his lead foot. 😉

So what about space for the kiddos inside?  Well my sister in law was down with her son, and so we put both of them in the back with the carseats, and took turns squeezing in the middle.

Quite frankly it was a squeeze.  For a family of four, this car is perfect.  With a family of five, you can do it. But I probably wouldn’t suggest it for a family of 6+ unless you get a third row of seats, which this model did not have.

However, I found there to be plenty of trunk space.  We fit two BOB strollers in quite easily and had plenty of room to spare when we went to the beach:

What about the gas mileage?  Even with the V6 engine and a bigger vehicle than the 2012 I drove before, I was able to get about 21 MPG.  The SX has an ECO button you can push which helps it to conserve energy and restrain getting all the juice you’d typically want out of a V6.  The good news is, if you really need to punch it and get moving in a hurry, you can flick the ECO button off and it has plenty of get-up-and-go!

And then there’s that panoramic view and sunroof….  Oh, I already talked about that?  Well, it’s worth taking one more look:

So what is my personal recommendation on the 2014 Kia Sorento SX?  Just my quick thoughts:

• The base model of the SX comes with leather, backup camera, BLUETOOTH, and tons of ways to keep your devices charged. I love it.  Thumbs up.
• The upgrades are probably worth it – panoramic view, blind spot protection, folding mirrors, and navigation, just to name a few – if you can swing the cost, I would do it.
• While bigger and longer than the 2012, I would still like to see a little more space in that second row.  Two carseats work fine, and a family of 4 or 5 will be fine, but you’ll need to spring for the optional 3rd row if you’re a family of 6 or more.

If you want to see more about the new 2014 Kia Sorento, make sure you check out all the details on their website HERE. Overall, even with the Touring (upgraded) package, this is a vehicle with all the luxurious amenities that you expect to come in SUV’s with prices tags of $50,000+, but you can get this one for around $36,000.

Not too shabby if you ask me.

Are there any other Kia Sorento owners out there? I would love to hear your thoughts about your own experience!