2011 KIA Sorento vs. 2011 Kia Sportage

[LakeTravis]

I test drove both last week. Could have gotten the Sorento for a few hundred less then the Sportage but I went with the Sportage.

Sorento is a bit wider, a bit longer, and definitely has more cargo room in the back. Thought the interior trim looked a little more refined than the Sportage.

But the Sorento seemed a bit heavy for the powertrain package. It felt sluggish. There was a definitive difference with the Sportage - much more nimble in both manuevering and throttle response.

I went from a Suburban (12 years) to a Spectra (18 months) so I've been at both ends of the stick. The Sportage just seemed to offer a bit better combination of price, size, performance, and value.

[CorsaKoup]

I used to prefer the Sorento to the Sportage looks-wise, but that has changed. The Sorento looks more mini-van-ish now, IMO because of the design of the wheel arches combined with the low ride height and perceived heaviness. The Sportage looks aggressive, light and nimble now, where it used to look like a bargain-basement CR-V.