Background:

2014 Kia Sportage
$21,750 base MRSP
21/28 MPG (advertised)
0.0 MPG (no real-world mpg, as I didn’t fill this one up)

Overall Impressions:

This was a surprisingly good little SUV. It was pretty comfortable, and seemed to not have any major flaws.

But as with last week’s Hyundai Sonata, doing everything “just ok” seems to not be the answer. Yes, it’s a good little SUV–but it should be more than that.

Also wish I’d have gotten real-world MPG on this one, especially given the fiasco Kia had recently with overstating mileage on the Soul.

TMS (Tall Man’s Score): B

Headroom: B+

Good headroom–but you’d expect that in (even a small) SUV.

Mirror Location: A-

The mirror could be adjusted to where it was acceptable. Still, I just never feel that the mirror isn’t interfering with visibility to the right.

Headrest: B-

Wish the headrest was better.

Legroom: B

Good legroom–but again it’s an SUV–it should have good legroom.

Seat Comfort: B

The seats felt reasonable. But similar to the Hyundai, I felt the material was a bit “cheap” and might make me worry about long-term durability.

 Vehicle Review

Engine: C+

Borderline–the Kia could really use a few more ponies under the hood. Then again, it wasn’t awful–just ok.

Transmission: B

The transmission seemed to be a bit better than most. Was fairly smooth in shifts.

Interior: B

Just an average interior. What you’d expect for a low-priced vehicle.

Visibility: B

Decent visibility, but it’s an SUV–it should have good visibility.

Still too much of a sloped nose to know where the front of the car is–parking will be a challenge.

Electronics: C

Basics, and nothing more.

Utility: B+

A bit more utility than the average four-door econobox. But worse gas mileage.

Appearance: C

Boring. Just another little SUV. None of them really look any different though (so can’t fault Kia here–well, maybe I can–the Soul is different, so why couldn’t they have a bit more inspired styling for the Sportage?)

 Miscellaneous Musings:

Can’t see myself buying this vehicle. Like the Hyundai Sonata, it did nothing really poorly, but neither was it exceptional. Just dull, and uninspired.

Thinking about it, the Hyundai Sonata might be a better choice–less utility, but better mileage. All else being equal, the Sonata is a better choice, although the Sportage does offer AWD.

But do you really want to own a car because it “sucks the least”?