A few years ago, my friend Sylvia messaged me and told me she got a new Kia Sportage. Yay? I said. It rocks, she told me. I hear people really like them, I said. This is my canned response for vehicles I’m not interested in. Call me a jerk, but my car snobbery runs deep. (What can I say, I’m from Connecticut.) But since then, I’ve seen Sylvia driving around town in her white Sportage, gleefully transporting surf boards, a gaggle of screaming teenagers or whatever else her life entails. I still didn’t get the memo.
And then I was offered one to test drive. Sure, I said, with little to no enthusiasm. But this time, the memo came in hard. Here are few reasons why The Kia Sportage worth your cold hard cash:
It’s Sporty
No really, I understand that’s it’s called the Sportage but it turns it out, it really is. My family took this thing through its paces (surf trips, bikes in the back, and piles of restless brats) and it kept up just fine. Here’s Freya and her BFF getting beachy with it.
Its Interior Is Snazzy
I’ll admit that there were times that I was driving the Sportage and forgot it was a Kia. It’s beautifully laid out and has nice details. I had ZERO luxury envy. Note: Freya did say that the back seat felt “cheap.” However, I think that’s kinda more my fault for raising a spoiled kid who would make that distinction. #justsayin
The Technology Is Solid
Apple Car Play? Android Auto? Lane Departure Warning, BLIS, Automatic Braking? Yup, it’s got all of that.
The Engine Is Peppy
Is this a race car? Nope. Will you win the carpool drag race? Of course not, Mama’s already lapped you, fool! But this has just the right amount of gusto to keep you safe when you need to pass that idiot in the Honda Insight, the banana slug of LA.
It’s The Right Size
The crossover SUV is the sh*t these days because an SUV is too big but a sedan is too short and small. The Sportage is indeed the Bear’s Porridge of crossovers. Big enough for your Costco run and beach outing, but your groceries aren’t rolling around in several feet of fuel-sucking, unused space.
Before this test drive, the Sportage was not on my list of recommended vehicles. Not that I didn’t like it, but because my snooty ass couldn’t get past the fact that the grille makes it look like a teenage kid with braces. Well, shame on me. The Sportage is a great value for the money (mine was the SX AWD 2.0L 4 cylinder and gets in just under $35k).
