[Dog1]

Hello...I'm glad to have finally found a Kia owners site. I have a '00 POS Volkswagen Passat. In 2 1/2 years it has had $8000+ in repairs. Mostly under warranty, but time consuming never the less.

Looking to go back to a SUV. I had a '89 Chevy S-10 Blazer, Tahoe package, that I drove for 9 years and 172,000 miles. Never left me stranded and was uber reliable.

However, when my wife and I had our first child, we needed something bigger and safer. I was kinda tired of driving a SUV/Truck, so I looked around and found a VW Passat, 5 speed, 1.8T. Great looking car and for the first few years, a good car.

But then the wheels fell off...well not really. 4 complete Control Arms replacements, Tie rods, wheel bearings, Mass Air Flow meter, 4 O2 sensors, 2 Valve Cover gaskets, 2 fuel gauge sensors, 3 door lock acuators, sway bar and the coup de grace, a Timing Belt failure, at speed, resulting in a $3000 head replacement. :angry:

VW fought me tooth and nail for every repair, even though I followed the service suggestions. I finally built a website in September of '03 called "My VW Passat is a Death Trap".

After 3000 hits in 2 weeks, that got their attention. They finally stepped up and helped out.


Now it's time to get rid of this waste of sheet metal. I ahve looked now for 3 weeks and after reviewing reliablity reports, safety and crash test data and reading owner reviews, I have come to the conclusion that the '05 Sorento is the best buy/bang for my buck.

I'm a stay-at-home dad, resigned from Law Enforcement when our first child was born. My wife is an Attorney with her own practice. So I have the time to research vehicles.

As I'm sure that most are doing, I have to wait until we pay our taxes before we sit down and discuss at a dealership, getting a Sorento. I look to have one by the end of April or the beginning of May.

Anyway, I look forward to coming here and posting some pics of my new Sorento, when I get it...

 

[Spec SX]

Welcome to the site. I have a 04 Sorento. Its an excellent vehicle. 13k miles on it and no major issues. Its very fun to drive.

 

[imported_admin]

Welcome . Wise choice.

 

[Dog1]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I have done a better job of researching the next vehicle than I did the last one.

I was going to go bact to a Chevy, but was shocked when I looked at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the NHTSA reports on impacts for the S-10 Blazer and the Trailblazer. The other domestic Mid-Size SUV's did not fair much better either.

My wife jokingly said I was bordering on OCD on the Sorento, what with my looking on the net for hours at a time.

I'll be honest, in the past Kia was not a highly thought of vehicle maker and I do not want to enter another bad car deal...

Thanks for the welcome...I hope to learn a lot from you Kia owners...

 

[1fastkia]

welcome to the site!

 

[suvie]

Hello and welcome.
I have a new 05 Sorento EX and I absolutely am pleased with the automobile, the dealer and the price. Just like any new car there will be small details that you will need to get handled. I just hope that you get a good dealer in your area. I went on the internet and solicited quotes from 5 local Kia dealers and found one that really wanted my business. He was able to get exactly what I wanted. Color, trim and ABS. I went through fleet sales and there was really no hassle. If you are educated about the new Sorento via the web no one can pull the wool over your eyes.
Have Fun. :grin:

 

[Dog1]

Thanks to all...we have made up our mind that pending a test drive, that we are getting a Sorento.

We should have it by the end of the month...we just paid our taxes to the tune of a whopping $21,900. My wife's Law Practice is doing much better than expected...so the tax bill has set us back a couple of weeks...

Hope to post a pic of it by May...thanks..