I’ve had the privilege of driving a 1998 Kia Sportage 4x4 for the last few weeks.
Actually, I should say that I’ve had the DISPLEASURE, as every time I get behind the wheel I find something else to hate about this, Korea’s weak attempt to bring Americans a Sport Utility ... Read review
KIA approved KIA Sportage Estate 2.0 XS 5dr manual in Silver.The car has covered 13,500 ... more
miles and has a manufacturer recommended combined MPG of 34.40.Additional Info: Insurance Group 10. Emission Count 194g/Km, What Green Car Rating of 54.
Autoecosse approved KIA Sportage Estate Special EDS 2.0 XR 5dr manual in Phantom Black.The ... more
car has covered 11,430 miles and has a manufacturer recommended combined MPG of 34.40.Additional Info: Insurance Group 10. Emission Count 194g/Km, What Green Car...
Advantages: This is a very affordable SUV. Disadvantages: This is a very crappy SUV. Unless you only drive on paved roads for short distances, of course.
...privilege of driving a 1998 Kia Sportage 4x4 for the last few weeks.
Actually, I should say that I’ve had the DISPLEASURE, as every time I get behind the wheel I find something else to hate about this, Korea’s weak attempt to bring Americans a Sport Utility Vehicle that Does Not Suck.
They failed miserably, of course.
The Sportage is a small SUV, capable of holding one driver, one front-seat ... ...zippered affair – features the Kia logo and a large “4x4” emblem below it: Obviously we want the entire universe to know exactly what we are driving.
To open the rear door (a hatch much like any minivan), you must depress a lever to allow the tire storage rack to swing out of the way; unlock the rear door, and open.
That’s fine and dandy.
To shut the stupid storage rack, you must ... more
I’ve had the privilege of driving a 1998 Kia Sportage 4x4 for the last few weeks.
Actually, I should say that I’ve had the DISPLEASURE, as every time I get behind the wheel I find something else to hate about this, Korea’s weak attempt to bring Americans a Sport Utility Vehicle that Does Not Suck.
They failed miserably, of course.
The Sportage is a small SUV, capable of holding one driver, one front-seat passenger, three rear seat passengers, and a bit of cargo in the very back. The cargo space is limited; though the rear seats DO fold down to give more storage space.
The spare tire is affixed to the outer door of the vehicle by means of a metal bar, which frees up a bit of room for groceries, building equipment, and all the other strange things my family and I have hauled around town in this vehicle. The tire cover – a great big vinyl zippered affair – features the Kia logo and a large “4x4” emblem below it: Obviously we want the entire universe to know exactly what we are driving.
To open the rear door (a hatch much like any minivan), you must depress a lever to allow the tire storage rack to swing out of the way; unlock the rear door, and open.
That’s fine and dandy.
To shut the stupid storage rack, you must slam it as hard as you possibly can. Lightweights and small females such as myself need not apply, as it IS a real b**ch to close. Trust me.
*Important Things To Know About This Vehicle
First of all, the seats are uncomfortable as hell. They adjust fully (you can move the seats forward and backward, adjust the angle, et cetera) but they are stuffed with something absolutely horrible. I cannot help but feel that, when my bony rear end slides into the cloth-covered driver’s seat, I am in all reality sitting on somebody’s corpse. The Kia feels just like that…morbid…and stiff. Perhaps the corpse is really the last person who had the unfortunate luck as to be made to drive this thing. I don’t know. Whatever the case, I’ll be glad to give this vehicle back to its rightful owner as soon as possible.
The Kia in question is a dark mocha color, with a glittery undercoat so that the paint job looks better than it really is. It’s fairly difficult to see in contrast to the dark gray paving on these backwoods roads I drive on, and it’s about as ugly as those old Cadillacs my grandmother used to drive. Before she got the Dodge Neon and began drag racing on access roads at 70 MPH, that is.
The model I am driving also features a molded plastic luggage rack, which is capable of holding 100 pounds worth of equally-distributed weight. I don’t fancy myself strapping snow skis or baggage to the vehicle anytime soon, so it’s really just an added feature that probably cost the original buyer several hundred unnecessary dollars.
This vehicle refuses to travel below 35 MPH. If I’m in a low speed zone, I have to ride the brakes to ensure that I do not get caught by a policeman for inadvertently breaking the speed limit. Acceleration is quick despite its small engine (2-liter) and gas mileage is decent at best. Incidentally, the lever next to the driver’s seat (to open the gas tank cover located at the rear of the vehicle for fueling) was broken when I got this vehicle. Evidently the wiring between the lever and the tank cover is either really crappy, or the last driver didn’t know how to be delicate with such things. Whatever the case, it’s not working, so I have to pry open the little hinged door with the key to the ignition.
All four of the Sportage’s doors lock when the driver door’s lock is depressed. They all lock when the door key (the same key as the ignition key, incidentally) is used. This is annoying in some cases, but it makes locking up the entire vehicle a lot faster most of the time – thus, I am really not complaining about it. It’s not my vehicle anyway, so let the real owner get the headache over it.
Right. Now, as for actually DRIVING the damned thing.
It sucks more and more each time I get behind the wheel. I can make myself somewhat comfortable with the various adjustment levers, but anything past that is a living nightmare.
My passengers have “oh sh*t” handles above their door frames so that they can hold on for their dear lives when I am making a turn: Somehow, in the Sportage, even the most boring and mundane of turns makes one wonder if they are going to remain upright in their seats or not.
The control panel (gas gauge, tachometer, all that good crap) is hard to read because of its angle.
The turn signal, high beam switch, and window washer levers are all wrong. They aren’t logically placed: In other words, it’s totally different from any other car I’ve ever been in, and it just plain sucks. Who ever heard of having to push and pull the high beam lever, which just happens to double as the turn signal lever? That’s just crap, and I’ve never been in a vehicle that has this particular setup.
Steering the vehicle proves to be a pain in the ass when crosswinds are present: It does not have the best center of gravity in the world, apparently, and likes to drift from one lane to the next unless the driver is actively fighting with it. That might sound a bit far-fetched, but if you don’t believe me get behind the wheel of any cargo van (especially older Chevrolets) and take it out for a drive when the wind is blowing against the side of it. Right. Now you see what I mean.
Four wheel drive: It’s a joke with this vehicle. It’s not nearly heavy enough (the vehicle itself, I mean) to actually function properly when the four wheel drive is engaged (which is done by pulling to a complete stop, shifting into Park, adjusting the gearshift beneath the automatic transmission gearshift, and then putting the vehicle back into Drive). There is a high gear and a low gear, as well as the two-wheel drive option used for roads that are not muddy, snowy, or otherwise difficult to get through without all four wheels spinning and working to pull you through the mess.
Half the time the four wheel drive actually gets me stuck worse than if I had not used it at all – especially on unpaved roads that are more mud than dirt. I realize four wheel drive isn’t meant to make off-road driving such as rally car racing possible, but it IS supposed to help the driver get through a few mud puddles, or a wet hayfield. Right. My aching ass.All in all, the Kia Sportage is a piece of crap. The one I am driving has extra features such as air conditioning; AM/FM stereo with one-disc CD player (which doesn’t read discs half the time and leaves a straight-line pattern of scratches on my discs); power windows; more airbags than humanly necessary, and a cupholder that broke the first time I tried to put a twenty-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew into it. The actual retail price for a new version of this: Less than twenty thousand dollars, which is a great deal if one is only seeking a decent means of getting from point A to point B, and then back, safely and efficiently.
The model I am driving, with seventy thousand miles on it and the particular options it features, appraises at approximately nine thousand dollars according to the Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com). For a 98 model SUV, that’s actually a pretty good deal, but it’s not quite sweet enough to make me purchase the damned thing.
In the future, I believe I shall avoid the Kia Motor Company if I can possibly do so. The Sportage is fine if you are looking to travel on paved roads (without crosswinds), but if you are on a long journey, or if you have to go through mud / snow / wet fields, this is going to be a bigger pain in the ass than it really ought to be.For more information, browse to http://www.kia.com or – better yet - simply avoid the entire company like the plague.
Advantages: nice and high and robust enough for the kids Disadvantages: spare tyre position
The Kia Sportage - well I'm on my second one, so that says it all really.
I owned one and loved it but for personal reasons sold it on and bought a saloon. Within a year I had replaced the saloon with another Sportage (I missed it so much). They are great.
So, on and off I've driven a Sportage for around 5 years now. It's robust enough to take a number of kids on the school run as well as half the hockey team (and all the kit) to our matches. It ... ...more. It seems to like it rough! As to my driving, I think that is a bit rough as well, resulting in my second set of tyres within 18 months - that's my only real fault with the Sportage, but like I say it's really my driving rather than the tyres being at fault.
So, as well as everyday journeys the Sportage has also been camping - with back seats flat it took a huge amount of kit including a huge 12 person tent! It's also recently travelled to ...
AllySB 15.08.2004
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: very helpful Review of Kia Sportage 2.0
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Quick review of Kia Sportage 2.0
I purchased a Kia Sportage XS TDI, last November. This is the most impressive car I have ever owned in terms of what you get for your money, since November I have driven 15,000 miles in real comfort, heated leather seats, quiet - even at high speeds, it almosts whispers at around 75/80 (Shhhhh). Off road - NO PROBLEM!!, with better off road tyres it would be even better, it is a real looker in bright blue and friends with other 4x4's are now re-thinking the next purchase, I have towed with it, followed big 4x4's down tracks that I didnt expect to come out the other end from, I have 3 teenagers who all fit in it comfortably AND THINK ITS COOL!!!!! ...
Advantages: Good Turning Circle, economy, reliability Disadvantages: Low torque engine, short weelbase gives choppy ride
...been nicer for towing, it is revvy and not full of torque but it is reliable.
I am now looking to buy a Kia Sedona 2.9TD as this will make towing easier but I am hanging on to the Sportage and hope to write another review at 200,000 miles! ...
eggman2 13.09.2006
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Kia Sportage 2.0
Advantages: Love the exterior which different design compared to normal bullets Disadvantages: Smaller interior than expected compared to the outside
Overall its a very good car... Considering owning it for 7 years since Feb 2000... A silver metalic colored, 2CC, 4DW automatic with extra manual gear (which I\'ve never use before as it has sufficient power for normal driving and also for highway, didn\'t really need it even when I was going up the slope too), fabric seats. Love the exterior most with its cool design. Like the more squarish shape which gives attitute to both the car and the driver. ... ...which has the bullet look or the roundish shape... Very suitable for people like me who is taller and bigger build. (hard to imagine myself driving a car with lower body in future) Gives people a feeling of power with such design cars... Very solid looking...
Installed extra accessories such as kangaroo bar, which I\'m very glad of having as I got into an accident 2 weeks after driving it but my car was totally scratchless, the other party however ...
GeliTifa 14.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Kia Sportage 2.0
Advantages: Affordable fun 4x4 action Disadvantages: Splitting wheel hubs
The Kia Sportage, well what can I say ? This vehicle has the grunt of a Range Rover but at a very affordable price! I have had this vehicle for 18 months and put it through all sorts of terrains, Sea, Rivers, Sand , Mud and normal Condtions. The Sportage handled all situations with guts and ease. Being a sports boat owner I use my Kia to tow the boat taking it from county to county, country to country and again in all situation the Kia pulls as if ... ...town, or long distance, the Kia always gives you 265 miles per tank regardless. Being aimed at the consumer who wants great value at an affordable price, the Kia comes with a considerable amount of extras that you would normally expect to pay extra for. These include:- Air Conditioning. Alloy Wheels. Spare Wheel cover. Electric windows all round. For an additional charge, you can have fitted:- Tow bar. Side steps. Front Bull Bar. Stainless Steel ...
JimPotter 30.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average: helpful Review of Kia Sportage 2.0
Value for Money
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Advantages: The Kia Sportage is good reasonable 4x4 capable of towing a caravan Disadvantages: high fuel consumption around town .It has a small boot space
Good 4x4 at a reasonable price.I have owned three kiasportages .I tow a caravan with it.The lastest sportage has a split rear window which is much better than their last design of a one piece opening door.It is now bigger than the previous model. My sportage is the xs with leather seats and climate control in fact it has the works.I couldn't wish for any more perks.The cruise control is very good when towing on a long journey in the caravan.The boot is pretty small but the seats all fold down completely flat.the heated seats have been a blessing in this cold weather.The spare wheel is now kept under a flap in the floor in the boot which is much better than the previous model which was on the back of the rear door.It has a sliding elecric sun roof with a manual shade cover which is an added feature to the last model if you had climate ...
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