The Kia Sorento SX Limited AWD Is A Great Family SUV With All The Bells and Whistles #DiscoverKia

Families today need a lot of room. In addition to toting around the kids with all this room there needs to be plenty of space for all of our stuff. People today have a lot of stuff, and it needs to go somewhere. This is why so many families turn to SUVs and crossover vehicles to get the job done in a cool-looking package. Plus, the assurance of having a 4WD/AWD vehicle is always great when you may have to deal with rain, snow, sleet, ice, or whatever else life will through at you.

One of the issues many of us find is the generally steep price tag for the pleasure of having an SUV. If I’m going to spend a lot (and I do think an SUV is worth it for many reasons), I want to make sure that I’m getting a lot in return. I want to get the best bang for my buck that I can find. This is why I am truly loving the Kia Sorento. This an impressive crossover SUV with great looks, awesome feel, and a ton of extras that make you feel like a king.

I had the distinct pleasure of tooling around for a week in the beautiful Kia Sorento SX Limited AWD. I didn’t really know what to expect, given that I’ve never driven a Kia before, and all I can say is that I came away very, very impressed.

You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression

Let’s start with the first impression…it’s a nice looking SUV. Period. It has great lines and really gives off the look and feel of being a high-end driving experience. This newly redesigned auto has a really sleek, sophisticated that really pops when you see it on the street. Redesigned with a sleeker, more sculpted exterior, the Sorento exudes sophistication with an edge.

The Superior Interior

While not being a huge SUV, the cabin is very specious in look and feel, helping in part by it’s wider stance and longer wheelbase. This leads directly to even more versatile cabin space with available seating for up to seven. This is pretty much perfect for a family of 5 that always has friends and family coming along for the family fun! And as you can see…I was able to really pack it in for a BBQ we were hosting at the house!

Getting Techie Wit’ It

People today love their tech and this goes for their cars, too. Think intelligent and responsive features to make your drive happier and safer. The Sorento features available drive-assist technologies like Surround View Monitor (SVM), Lane Departure Warning (LDWS), Advance Smart Cruise Control (ASCC), and Blind-Spot Detection (BSD). This is cutting edge stuff to make sure you and yours are as safe as possible. There’s also great features like Clari-Fi™ Audio, engineered to automatically restore music’s rich sound details and even little things like a Sirius XM radio that records the music of 10 channels so you can hear that song you love one more time (awesome).

The Ride

The Sorento packs some pretty impressive performance for a crossover SUV. It’s a very smooth and powerful ride that gets the job done. For example, the fully active Dynamax™ All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system continuously monitors road and driving conditions to anticipate your needs. You can even seek out a different ride on the fly with Drive Mode Select: NORMAL gives you balanced performance; ECO helps maximize fuel economy with engine, transmission, and even AC management; and SPORT enhances engine and transmission settings and stiffens the steering feel for performance driving.

I’d Rather Be Safe Than Sorry

The Kia Sorento knows that look and feel is great…but you want to keep yourself and your family safe whenever you hit the road. It’s the most important feature of any vehicle, isn’t it? The Sorento is all about safety, featuring trusted systems, including Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a reinforced body of 53% advanced high-strength steel. It is because of all the high-tech features as well as the features in the tech section above, the 2017 Sorento has been awarded an NHTSA Overall 5-Star Safety Rating and named a 2016 IIHS Top Safety Pick+.

The Experience

I was lucky enough not only to have the car day-to-day for a week to really see how it performs in real life, I was also able to attend a local Ride and Drive event on Long Island and hear even more about the Sorento from an expert. Knowing a little bit more about the ins and outs of the car, what goes into it, and the kind of warranty protection Kia offers (see below).

While I was there, I was able to check out not only the Sorento but also the super impressive K900 ultra luxury vehicle. This is a car that starts at $49,000 but can be even more loaded with, literally, all the lux amenities you could imagine for a car. Even completely and totally loaded with the V8 Luxury VIP package, you will be in the $70,ooo range, but have a car with the style and quality of a $100,000 or more super-luxury car. Another amazing value for the money with Kia.

The Peace Of Mind

For the first time, Kia led all brands in JD Power rankings for Initial Quality! That’s an amazing endoresment for the awesome product a Kia really is. If that wasn’t enough, let’s not forget about the Kia 10-year/100,000-mile warranty program, which consists of:

• 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty
• 5-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty
• 5-year/100,000-mile limited anti-perforation warranty
• 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plan

That’s sick. Super strong. It really makes you comfortable buying a Kia knowing that the company really backs it’s product like that, even when it’s clearly a car of very high quality.

So, yes, fully loaded up it’s a $45,000 car, but it has a lot of the same features that you’d find in luxury crossovers sporting a $50,000-to-$60,000 price tag. The starting MSRP of the 2016 Sorento is $25,100. The mileage is great, too, getting 21mpg city and 20 mpg highway. 

Kia seems to have a very impressive MO. The company is all about offering a great car of the highest quality with performance, safety, and convenience features fit for a king. This can be had for a reasonable price that’s often times a much better value than the cars they compete with in each class. That’s a formula that’s tough to beat. I know my family and I (that literally includes the entire family, which is close to impossible) came away very impressed with our Kia experience. I’m pretty confident you will too.

To find out more about all of the Sorento and all of Kia’s amazing vehicles, check out:

• Kia.com
• Twitter: @Kia
• Instagram: @KiaMotorsUSA
• Facebook: @Kia
• Pinterest: Kiamotorsusa
• YouTube.com: Kia

I have been given compensation for this post by Kia. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.