Kia Sorento (03-09) - Review

Review by Dan Harrison on
Last Updated: 05 January 2010
Kia's large 4x4 is big on looks, big on value and big on ability. It's a great all-round package and well worth considering, even compared to more established and upmarket models. Along with a spacious cabin, the Sorento comes generously equipped, so it's great value for money while the diesel engine provides strong performance and plenty of pulling power - making it ideal for towing. And even if you'll never need it, it's good to know that this is also one 4x4 that can get you out of trouble if you do get stuck. The model was revised in 2006 with new bumpers and lights while the engines were tweaked to deliver extra power and the interior given a more contemporary look. It was made even better value in January 2010 when the three year warranty was replaced by a seven-year programme.
3 out of 5

Other Kia reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

Running costs aren't as huge as you may imagine - especially if you stick with the diesel. At around 35mpg, it's far more economical than the petrol V6. Depreciation isn't too much of an issue in terms of actual cash lost (as opposed to a percentage of the car's original list price). Kia dealers offer value-for-money servicing and insurance groups are reasonable at between 12 and 14.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£2,360 - £2,668 *

Diesel

£1,781 - £2,068 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12,500 miles.

Warranty

Three years/unlimited miles. From January 2010 this was changed to seven years/100,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£270.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
    204
  • L
  • M
    286

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Sorento performs fairly badly on the eco front, with an average of 232g/km CO2 across the range. The manual diesel is the better choice - it emits 209g/km of CO2 and is capable of 36mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2