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Driving Impressions
The Kia Sorento is quite capable off road, but you don't have to be a budding Daniel Boone to appreciate its driving capabilities. The engine is smooth and powerful, barely perceptible at idle but producing a velvety roar at full throttle. Wind noise can be heard around the A-pillars, but it's not oppressive and certainly quieter than the old Jeep Cherokee, the nadir of noise. The Sorento needs all of its 192 horsepower and 217 pounds-feet of torque to move its 4255 pounds. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, in comparison, weighs 3989 with the base in-line six that produces 195 hp and 230 lb-ft of torque, or 4081 lbs with the top V8 producing 265 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. Unless you're going to the SUV drags, or have a heavy trailer to pull, you'll never notice, however. The Sorento has the oats to merge with freeway traffic and motor quietly once there, and with a 3500-lb. towing capacity, the Sorento will be able to pull camping trailers or dirt bike or personal watercraft trailers with ease. The Sorento loses out to the six-cylinder Grand Cherokee in highway mileage, at a 18 mpg versus 20 mpg Highway, but both 4x4 models are rated at 15 mpg around town. In real world driving, the difference should be slight. The Sorento's wide track does give a sense of stability in corners. Ride quality is acceptable, adequate around town and at lower speeds, but it could use some improvement at higher speeds. On the interstate, longer motions, such as an undulating transitioning off an overpass, induces odd motions. It never threatens vehicle control, but on a rolling roadway it would be annoying. The long suspension motions are too soft, and perhaps rebound could be tightened up for a more controlled feel. The Sorento comes standard with four-wheel disc brakes, and the large diameter vented discs will be hard to fade, even heavily loaded down long mountain passes. ABS is a standalone option, however, not included even on the EX with the luxury package. Although most SUV drivers never take their mounts off-road, if an SUV has four-wheel drive (or even if it doesn't), it needs to have the ruggedness to go afield. The Kia Sorento does. It has sturdy body-on-frame construction and just how sturdy is apparent when one goes seriously off road, which we did to test the Sorento in extreme conditions. And despite crawling over body-twisting trails, the Sorento didn't creak, groan or rattle, suggesting that the frame is sturdy indeed. The Sorento's excellent approach and departure angles are a benefit of short front and rear overhangs that make climbing abruptly steep hills possible without dragging a front or rear bumper in the dirt. Its nimble turning radius makes navigation in the woods less difficult as well. That 36.4 foot turning radius will help you in the parking lot, too.
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