Overview & Reviews
The Sorento is an all-new SUV from Kia. Larger and more powerful than the pint-size Sportage (which is expected to return for 2004 after a 2003 hiatus, by the way), the Sorento straddles the emerging middle ground between small SUVs and midsize SUVs. And it does so while offering interested buyers true off-road ability. Key competitors are the Ford Escape, the Honda CR-V, the Jeep Liberty, the Nissan Xterra and the Toyota Highlander.
- Great value, class-leading warranty coverage, long list of standard features, solid construction, true off-road capability.
- Engine needs more power, subpar fuel economy, seat upholstery could stand improvement.
User Reviews:
Showing 61 through 70 of 321.00-
Great value, great warrantee - 2003 Kia Sorento
By colokiaguy - September 4 - 2:00 amSolid vehicle loaded with standard options including key safety features like side curtain airbags. Performed great in recent blizzard. Very roomy compared to others in its class. Cant beat this value. Other than the rough ride this is a great vehicle.
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the car is OK - 2003 Kia Sorento
By felix15 - June 17 - 2:00 ami have a 2500 ccm CRDI diesel with 140 hp only in Germany .. its OK :-))
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First Impressions - 2003 Kia Sorento
By carltonguest - June 5 - 10:00 amStyling and design is excellent, my wife loves it. Very comfortable and handles and drives great. Good performance, of course mileage is not that great. I dont know what these folks (CU, others) are driving when they say that the ride is too rough, truck-like, mine is certainly not. Check engine light came on at 100 miles, dealer quickly fixed. Nice job overall. Everyone is very impressed by it, especially when they ride in it.
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Love that truck... - 2003 Kia Sorento
By HJS - March 8 - 2:56 amIts a really nice truck with great styling inside and out with good fit, finish and quality... also plenty of power... great offroader, too... had no issues except a split overflow canister which was replaced under warranty... and break shudder comes into the picture once the rotors wear down... but can be avoided by installing better grade after market replacement rotors which are actually cheaper than the original ones...... otherwise my six year old Sorrento is still rock solid and running smooth... it is quiet on the road and comfortable compared to other SUVs out there... will replace it with the same model if it ever falls apart... but so far its holding up very well...
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Expensive replacement parts great car - 2003 Kia Sorento
By gwynnat - January 17 - 12:56 pmWeve owned this car for over a year and have been pretty happy with it. Its got 104050 miles on it. The downside is the cost and availability of parts. The major parts (and some not so major like shocks) are only available through the factory or a dealer and are considerably more expensive than typical replacement parts. On this model year two different water pumps were produced and they are not interchangeable. We didnt find this out until it was at our mechanics to get the timing belt and water pump replaced. Just the parts cost about $500. Also, the coolant reservoir has a tendency to crack/split and costs about $150 to replace.
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Great SUV for Good Price - 2003 Kia Sorento
By charlesm1950 - November 16 - 10:00 amI had been looking for an SUV that was safe, comfortable, reliable and fit within my budget. I test drove the RAV4, Saturn, CRV, Santa Fe, and Tribute before driving the Kia Sorento. I was impressed by the styling, similar to the Lexus RX-300, and the fit and finish. The engine had plenty of power and the quality seemed better than the Saturn and on par with the others. I placed my faith in buying a Kia on the success of the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sedona minivan. Ill keep interested parties informed of my long term experience in the Sorento town meeting group. Overall... a very enthusiastic thumbs up.
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1500 miles - so far so good - 2003 Kia Sorento
By Brooklyn1951 - November 9 - 2:00 amWe purchased our Sorento after considering several other SUVs. The Sorento was the only vehicle I was "excited" about buying. The deciding factors, in rank order, were- build quality, features, price and warranty. Gas mileage for highway driving is about 19 mpg so far. The Torque-on-Demand 4WD system and limited slip rear differential have worked great in our last 18" snowfall. The engine is wonderfully quiet and smooth. The transmission and 4WD system operate invisibly (thats good!). People are amazed at the quality and features of this loaded $26K SUV.
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I would buy it again - 2003 Kia Sorento
By JKT - July 24 - 2:00 amI bought this SUV in September and wanted to put at least 2000 miles on it before I followed up with a review. Like a lot of other people I had very little knowledge of the KIA product line, but found Edmunds and other websites invaluable when researching this car. So far mechanically this car has had only one problem, and that is the thermometer in the overhead console reads about five degrees away from a true temperature. This car has a quality that rivals any of the several Hondas that I have purchased in the past. I especially liked two other things about this vehicle and that is, it is built on a true truck frame and it has strikingly good looks.
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Kia Sorento - 2003 Kia Sorento
By NPierce628 - May 26 - 10:00 amI love my Kia Sorento. I get lots of compliments and everyone says it looks like a Lexus L300 without the high cost. I just took it on a trip up into the mountains of Tennessee and had no problems at all. It handled very well and was fun to drive up and down the mountains. There were three of us and everyone was comfortable. The Luxury Leather package is well worth the extra money.
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Help Is On The Way - 2003 Kia Sorento
By Scooter - April 4 - 2:00 amAfter researching the SUV market my wife and I slected the Sorrento 4WD EX. At first we were very pleased until about 1 week later. Our Sorrento has been towed to the Dealer 5 times within 65 day period for the same problem. It was disapointing that the problem could not be solved until recently. Given the facts KIA did come through and is looking to replace our Sorrento with a new one. If you ever have to used KIAs Roadside assistance youll be pleased. We got to know them very well and found they were most helpful in our time of need. Even after all of the problems we expirenced we are anxious to get into another Sorrento!
