See my top 5 likes and dislikes here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QPmDibGfGSg.html Does this Kia have what it takes to beat other 3 rows? I feel like it’s feature rich and truly offers a lot of versatility for its exterior size. Let me know what you think and thanks for watching 👍
I've commented on the Sorento and comparisons with the Mazda CX-9 on several other channels. (I'm sure folks looking at reviews of those vehicles may be tired of hearing those comments. :)) So I'll try to summarize here and add a couple of points. My wife and I purchased the 2018 SX-L version of the Sorento earlier this year, prior to the availability of the 2019 model. We looked at several crossovers when we were shopping, most seriously at the Mazda CX-9 where features and MSRP were comparable. We chose the Sorento for a number of reasons. It has among the best warranties (bumper-to-bumper and powertrain) in the industry. Kia ranks third in Consumer Reports 2018 owner surveys for reliability behind only Toyota and Lexus. Mazda ranks 12th and the CX-9 is its most unreliable model. Remember this is not the opinion of CR's editors, much less "friends of friends" claims; it's based on thousands of responses of owners in the annual CR survey. The Sorento's V6 is smoother and quieter than the Mazda's turbo 4 and likely to require less expensive maintenance in the long run. While the Mazda Signature interior is impressive, the Sorento is (imo) equally impressive in most ways and superior in others (more adjustable front row seats including extending thigh support for the driver, a panoramic sunroof, 120 volt power outlet in the second row, a better featured and more up-to-date infotainment system, and better (and roomier) third row accommodations.) The biggest advantage for our family is the comparative size of the Sorento and its efficient use of space. It's nearly a foot shorter than the CX-9 but has more overall cargo space and roomier passenger accommodations than the CX-9 including the third row. Have trouble believing that? So did I but check the specs. The CX-9 does handle well for its size but in the suburban traffic jungle and mall parking lots, the Sorento has a significant advantage. I don't use the Sorento for canyon carving; I have a GTI for that. And for long freeway slogs, where a comfortable ride outranks two lane handling the Sorento is simply more relaxing to drive than the Mazda. Finally, although the MSRP's of the top trim Sorento SX-L and CX-9 are very similar, we found that real world pricing was very different. We bought the Sorento for $7000-$8000 under MSRP, a deal the Mazda dealer couldn't come close to matching. Ah, yes, but what about resale? Doesn't that eliminate those savings? Nope. Kelly Blue Book puts the average trade-in value of a six year old Sorento SX-L at about $2000 less than the Highlander, the champ of resale. And the CX-9's resale value is $51 more than the KIA average for comparable trim levels. In our case we received more than $1000 more than the KBB average for our 2012 Sorento. So our advantage in purchase price didn't come close to being eliminated at trade-in time. I've concentrated on a comparison between the Sorento and CX-9 because they're so comparable in price and features. Other crossovers offer more for more money and others are priced lower with fewer features, especially in the two row compact category. But at least for our family the Sorento offered the most bang for the buck.
Stephen that’s amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. It’s always great to read an owner’s experience. I was amazed to see how little the 3rd row and cargo space was in the CX-9 and also amazed to see how much space the Sorento had considering how much smaller it is on the exterior. All excellent points and I’m glad that the Sorento works well for you and your family! Thanks again and take care 👍
Not to mention that the CX-9 is very reactive in transferring power to the rear. The Sorento is proactive and the front doesn't spin like the CX-9. When I drove the CX-9, the front just spun from a full stop acceleration. The Sorento just transfers power to the back in these kinds of situation without chirping the front wheels.
Superb review, Nolan! I just recently reviewed this SUV, and I totally agree with you! The 2019 Sorento is a very feature-rich Crossover, and it can definitely give other 3-Row Family Crossover SUVs a good run for their money! From one car reviewer to another, keep up the excellent work! Your reviews truly are incredibly high-quality!
Our LX isn't as feature rich but it's still very nice and was in our budget (most importantly lol). It's gorgeous, drives great and at 135k miles hasnt had any issues. Fits our kids and dogs : ) we call it our Fancy Taxi
Thank you for being the only person int he world that put an actual piece of luggage in the trunk so show real dimensions. I don't care about "cubic feet" i just want to know if the luggage will fit!!!! thank you!!!
Thank You Nolan for Bringing us More, and More Awesome Automotive Content! Please keep it up and I see you’re heading to 10K Couldn’t happen to a better man. Tell them Gene, from Boston said so. Stay Humble my friend.
You’re the man, Gene. I appreciate that very much. It truly means a lot to hear something like that. Stay warm up there this winter 😉. I grew up in South Dakota...in Texas now because of the winter haha. Take care!
I'm looking forward to buying 1 this week. Great color , slick, Beautiful style.. it may take me a while to learn everything about this Vehicle. 💯✔✔✔😱😍
I think the the Sorento is a very up level looking SUV. The exterior is classy and the interior is very nice, especially in that color. I like the fact that it isn’t overly designed with controls you can’t figure out. Overall, I’d take this over a Traverse or Pilot. I think the CX-9 drives better and I think the Ascent is more practical/roomy and will hold it’s value better. Great video!
Thanks Jonathan! I agree with you and think they did a good job if keeping it simple, practical, yet nice looking. Thanks for the input...still hoping to get into a Subaru soon! 🤞. Take care!
I like your reviews because they're thorough and you always try to communicate with your viewers. Now don't forget us when you reach over 100,000 😊❤ By the way, I hope this one doesn't have Auto Start/Stop??
Thank you, Gina! I really appreciate it! Of course I won’t, I’m excited for it someday but I still always try to read and respond to comments. Thanks again!
Another great review Nolan! Love the new Sorento..I was about to trade my 2011 Sorento in and hit and killed a deer last weekend..luckily only cosmetic damage to the bumper plastic covering which I guess I should be thankful for.
Thank you very much! Dang that’s a bummer. They come out of nowhere. Good thing it was minor damage to the vehicle though. Could always be worse I guess. Thanks for watching, take care!
Definitely! The Sorento used to offer that a few years ago, but not anymore. I’ve seen aftermarket options that probably work and look nice though. Another option is to get tablet holders in the back of the headrests. But if you want a DVD type entertainment system you’d have to buy it separately
Quite the difference lol but I’d go with the Silverado Trail Boss because I don’t need a 3rd row right now and love driving/owner a pickup. I’ve owned a couple in the past and miss them (have a car now)
Both excellent choices. The Kia is more practical in my opinion and smaller to make it easier to maneuver in parking lots/garage etc. the Mazda really has a luxurious feel and drives very well. The Kia is nice riding, but handling/acceleration seems superior in Mazda. Not sure what pricing to expect from a dealer. Kia has the 10 year Powertrain warranty. I guess it depends what your priorities are ...good luck and have fun deciding!
Technically it’s a crossover because it’s a unibody construction - but can still be called SUV. Even though it’s 3 rows it still it’s in the “midsize” category strangely enough. Ford Expedition, Chevy Suburban etc fall under full size
I remember looking at this car last year and I couldn’t get pass the climate controls. They looked so dated and like didn’t belong to that car. Also, the arm rest on the driver side door was short which would leave my left elbow in the air.
@Joel Bing. Honda has done an excellent job in the current generation of the CRV. Likewise, Subaru's newest version of the Forester, the Mazda CX5, and the forthcoming 2019 Rav4 appear to have upped their game. If you NEVER need occasional third row seating and you're happy with the operation of a CVT, there a several outstanding choices available or coming soon. The Sorento is aimed at a somewhat different market segment where third row seating is occasionally useful but a much larger vehicle incurs a permanent penalty in terms of parking and suburban traffic challenges. Given KIA's pricing, it's possible to buy a lower trim version of a Sorento for about the same price as an upper trim version of the CRV. But unless you need what the KIA offers in terms of its standard features not available on the CRV at any price, the Honda may well be a better choice.
Tamatha Andrews thanks for your concern! I’m not texting..eating..putting on makeup..looking at the camera hardly at all....I’m always watching for other vehicles and stay on roads that aren’t very busy in all of my reviews.
Full rounded suv with outdated designed infotainment screen along with boring outdated map graphics.Throw a ten inch tablet design info and google map screen and it would knock many of its competitors out the box.However in its current interior design much of it looks outdated period.
I loathe people who say 'pretty good, pretty decent, pretty awesome'. They dont sound solid to me. My ex was like that and turns out he definitely wasn't to be trusted.
