2005 Kia Sportage Review

Kia revives its old Sportage name for its compact new SUV after nearly three years. The completely redesigned model is sportier looking and more refined, besides being longer, wider, taller and more powerful. The old one was pulled because it had fallen short of rivals in performance and refinement.

The 2005 Sportage is similar to the new Tucson from Kia's parent company, Hyundai. Both SUVs have nearly identical dimensions and the same engines, so it makes little difference which of these South Korean models are chosen. Both compact, carlike entries are well-equipped, offer a lot for the money and have a 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty.

Hyundai far outsells Kia and is better known. Hyundai claims it no longer needs its 100,000-mile warranty to attract potential buyers, although Kia still relies on it to draw customers. That strategy is apparently working -- Kia rapidly is approaching Hyundai in nameplate recognition.

Both outfits easily topped year-earlier U.S. sales results in 2004 and racked up higher sales through March this year. My nicely assembled test Sportage felt tight, but long-term reliability remains questionable, compared to established, highly rated rivals such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape. So does resale value.

The four-door Sportage comes in LX and higher-line EX trim levels. Front-drive versions have list prices from $15,900 to $20,100, while all-wheel-drive LX and EX models versions cost from $18,000 to $21,500.

Engines are a 2-liter four-cylinder with 140 horsepower and a 2.7-liter V-6 generating 173 horsepower and far more torque. The four-cylinder is fine in the city, but has no surplus of power for highway driving. The V-6 provides lively acceleration in town and on highways, at least with just a driver aboard.

The four-cylinder works with a five-speed manual gearbox or four-speed automatic transmission. The V-6 is available only with the responsive automatic. It isn't as good as the more modern five-speed automatic, such as the one in the CR-V, but the RAV4 also only has a four-speed automatic.

Sportage fuel economy is competitive for a compact SUV, at an estimated 19-22 mpg in the city and 23-27 on highways, depending on whether the Sportage has a four- or six-cylinder engine or front- or all-wheel drive.

All Sportages have a fair amount of convenience and safety items. They include six air bags, power door locks and windows with a driver's one-touch down feature, AM/FM/CD sound system, height-adjustable steering column, front/rear 12-volt power points and cruise control on the LX V-6 model.

A handy shopping bag hook in the front-passenger area keeps bags upright and readily accessible.

The EX adds a power sunroof and remote control keyless entry. Leather upholstery, heated front seats and upgraded sound system are in an EX luxury option package.

It's easy to enter or leave the quiet interior, which has an especially large rear-seat area. Four tall adults sit high and fit comfortably. There's room for a fifth rear occupant, but he'll find the center of the rear seat too hard for anything but short trips. It's best to flip down the rear center armrest.

The businesslike dashboard has easily read gauges and such items as especially large climate controls and a height-adjustable front center console with a two-stage tray top. However, both front and rear cupholders are too low.

The cargo opening is low and wide, with "drop and fold'' split rear seats that can be moved completely forward to greatly enhance the cargo area with no need to remove their headrests. The front passenger seat also folds flat to accommodate especially long cargo.

I tested the top-line all-wheel-drive Sportage EX. It has nimble handing in town. However, despite sporty styling, the Sportage's handling is average if pushed reasonably hard through curves such as expressway on-ramps, with squealing from its 60- to 65-series tires; they aren't especially wide and fit on moderately sized 16-inch wheels.

Helping roadability if a driver does push overly hard are standard anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, traction control and an anti-skid system.

Steering feel should be improved. But the ride is pretty good, thanks to a fully independent suspension and fairly long 103.5-inch wheelbase. Braking is OK.

The new Sportage is a big improvement over the old model, and shows how far South Korean automakers can come in a relatively short time.

2005 KIA SPORTAGE

Prices
$15,900-$21,500

Likes
Carlike. Roomy. Lively with V-6 Sporty look. Attractive pricing. Long warranty.

Dislikes
Average handling. Lazy on highway with four-cylinder engine. Low front cupholders.