Overview & Reviews

The Kia Sportage has never been one for small evolutionary changes. Originally a cheap, poorly made penalty box followed by a solid, yet utterly forgettable bargain-price SUV, today's Sportage is now a stylish and well-rounded compact crossover SUV. In human terms, the Kia Sportage has gone from a baboon to a Neanderthal and then George Clooney in the span of 15 years.

While the second-generation Sportage might be a cost-effective but rather uninspired used car choice, the current version stands out from the crowd in more ways than just looks. Thanks to its excellent build quality, stronger performance and generous array of features, it's far and away the most appealing Sportage yet. This third-generation Kia model remains on the small side among compact crossovers, however, and as such is a better choice for singles or those with small families.

Current Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage is available in LX, EX and SX trim levels. The LX and EX have a 2.4-liter making 182 horsepower, while the SX gets a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine making an impressive 260 hp. All Sportages come with a six-speed automatic. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive offered as an option.

Standard equipment for the Sportage LX includes alloy wheels, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, air-conditioning, a height-adjustable driver seat, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and a sound system with satellite radio, a CD player and an iPod/USB audio interface. Stepping up to the upper trims gets you bigger wheels, LED running lights, keyless entry, a telescoping wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated seats, leather upholstery, a rearview camera, a navigation system and Kia's Uvo voice activation system. Optional features include power-folding sideview mirrors, a panoramic sunroof, a navigation system, leather upholstery, ventilated front seats and keyless ignition and entry.

The Sportage's interior features attractive styling. And though there is quite a bit of hard plastic, it's well-textured and build quality is good. Passengers and driver alike benefit from well-contoured seats and adequate head- and legroom. The rear seat comfortably accommodates two average-size adults, and the seatback reclines but doesn't slide. In terms of cargo capacity, the Sportage comes up a bit short in cargo space, too, offering a maximum of 26.1 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 54.6 cubes with the 60/40-split-folding seats laid flat. Bigger competitors boast as many as 73 cubes.

On the road, the Kia Sportage lives up to its name with its sharp steering and athletic handling that make it more engaging than most other compact crossovers. The downside is that taut suspension tuning means a bit of a stiff-legged ride over rough pavement and washboard highways. Power from the four-cylinder engine is simply adequate, but at least the automatic transmission shifts smoothly and quickly. The SX's engine delivers a healthy dose of acceleration and is a worthy alternative to the V6s and four-cylinder turbos found in competing crossovers.

Used Kia Sportage Models
The current Kia Sportage debuted in the 2011 model year and represents the third generation in the model's history. Trim levels and powertrains mirrored the current version with a few exceptions. Up through 2013 there was a base model that came only with a six-speed manual gearbox. Tweaks for 2012 brought improved handling, additional sound insulation (for a quieter cabin) and the introduction of the Uvo voice activation system. Also, these Sportages lack the newest version's updates, which include refreshed styling, a more powerful (182 hp versus 176 hp) 2.4-liter engine, improved navigation and sound systems, rear-seat air vents and updated Uvo telematics services.

The previous, second-generation Kia Sportage was launched for 2005 and ran until 2010. Considerably different from the previous generation, this Sportage featured a new unibody platform shared with the Hyundai Tucson (just as the current model does). Compared to the current Sportage, though, this generation was a bit bigger in interior size but far plainer both in design and interior material quality. There were no significant changes made during this generation.

There were two trim levels: LX and EX. Both trims are equipped with a healthy list of standard amenities, such as alloy wheels, air-conditioning, full power accessories, tinted glass and a six-speaker CD stereo. Satellite radio as well as auxiliary and USB audio jacks were added for 2009.

The LX was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine capable of 140 hp. It came standard with a five-speed manual transmission, and a four-speed automatic was available as an option. Most Sportages with this engine were front-wheel drive, though Kia did offer all-wheel drive on manual transmission-equipped models. As an upgrade for the Sportage LX and standard on the EX, Kia offered a 173-hp 2.7-liter V6. It came standard with the automatic transmission and could be had with front-drive or all-wheel drive.

This Sportage might not have looked too big from the outside, but the interior had plenty of headroom and legroom, both in the front and the back. The rear seats split and folded flat for a level cargo floor and a maximum of 67 cubic feet of storage. Fit and finish was OK and materials quality was on the cheap side. Safety was a strong suit for this Sportage, with strong crash scores and a full complement of airbags, stability control and four-wheel antilock disc brakes.

In reviews, our editors found that this Sportage did few things poorly, but it failed to stand out in a segment where its competitors did things exceptionally well. Its dull styling and drab cabin did it no favors, while both its engines were unimpressive from both a power and fuel economy standpoint.

The Kia Sportage started life in 1995 as a body-on-frame compact SUV. Though it was one of the first such vehicles of its kind, it was too small and underpowered to compete with the roomier, more carlike mini-utes that Honda, Subaru and Toyota rolled out shortly thereafter. The base Sportage came with a meager 94-hp, 2.0-liter SOHC four-cylinder. Rear-wheel drive and a five-speed manual transmission were standard. Kia also offered a part-time 4WD version of the base trim. The 4x4 Sportage came with a twincam 2.0-liter four-cylinder good for 139 hp. A better-equipped EX trim came standard with 4WD and the more powerful engine. A four-speed automatic transmission was an option on all 4WD models.

Kia eliminated the single-cam engine in 1997, leaving all trims equipped with the twincam engine, now rated for 130 hp. That same year, Kia began offering the four-speed automatic on 2WD models.

In 1998, Kia added a two-door convertible to the Sportage lineup. It was available with both drivetrains (2WD and 4WD). After that, there were no more significant changes to the Kia Sportage, only minor face-lifts and interior modifications. The final year of production was 2002. Buyers should generally avoid these early models, as they weren't able to match the levels of comfort, performance and fit and finish offered by competing models of the same time period.

User Reviews:

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  Pre Owned Kia - 2009 Kia Sportage
  By Ben - January 22 - 5:00 am

  Purchased this car in early March, with 14,000 miles on the clock. Have put 6,000 miles on it in 3 months. Averaging 21 mpg 80/20 highway city split. (75 mph over hilly WV terrain). Very pleasant dealership experience. The USB adapter seems to have stopped working, the only flaw against this car.

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  Very good value but with subpar engine - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By H Vu - January 12 - 2:50 am

  I purchased this car used with 19k miles at a dealership for only $12k and it is still under factory warranty. This is a loaded EX 2wd model. It is a vibrant blue color and looks great inside and out. The car is relatively quiet and comfortable and fit and finish appears to be very good. I do have a problem with one of the rear passenger interior door handles not working, but I can just take that in any time to get it fixed. The interior leather seems to be very durable and should up up to many years of use. The premium stereo system sounds good, though loading and unloading cds into the 6-disc changer is very slow and cumbersome. Exterior lighting is very bright, both headlights and tail.

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  Bad deal - 2006 Kia Sportage
  By Greg - January 10 - 3:13 am

  Hate to say, I dislike my car. Its nice when its standing on parking lot. No fun to drive at all.

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  Kia is reliability... - 2005 Kia Sportage
  By Big Ski - January 6 - 7:10 pm

  Great vehicle! I am 66" and the CR-V nor the RAV-4 had any space for me. A big plus is the price. I got what I wanted and stayed BELOW what I wanted to spend. My wife and I own a Sedona already as well and that has held up great as well.

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  Very Happy with this car - 2007 Kia Sportage
  By jacee - January 1 - 10:39 pm

  I bought this new in Feb. 2007 with only 4 miles on it. In 5 years I only had one breakdown. The starter went out last year about 50k. I did not try to use the warranty just had it replaced. I have kept up all maint.. Including the expensive timing belt and water pump. That was 1600 but I also replaced the battery and serpintine belt. Anyway the car is not a hot rod but will get you out in traffic. Gas mileage is best at 55 to 60 mph. Drove it on hwy at 75mpg and gas mileage plummeted. Still get about 21 city/hwy. Drive well, very comfortable and love the storage capacity. I am at 66k miles now still no problems.

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  Many problems with my Kia - 2000 Kia Sportage
  By purpledog - December 23 - 10:00 am

  Have had many problems with my Sportage. Have 32,000 miles on it and already had the exhaust system replaced, new brakes and tires. They just had to replace the 4 wheel drive system and now it needs a whole new fuel system including gas tank and fuel injectors. The ride is loud, noisy engine even when idling. Luckily almost everything has been covered under the warranty.

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  AWD is terrible! - 2011 Kia Sportage
  By smallsuvdriver - November 29 - 8:15 am

  I think Kia forgot that above all, it is supposed to be an SUV! In the freak blizzard we had this past October, I was driving home when my windshield wipers stopped working simply b/c snow had built up under them, I tried turning them off, back on, spraying blue stuff, nothing would make them come back...I got out in almost white out conditions & scooped the extra snow & slush from under the wipers. They started to work again..... cant imagine if I had still been on Interstate and that happened. The next day, it couldnt even get up the hill outside our house! Our Subaru Forrester had no problems at all! After only a year, traded it in on a Ford Escape.

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  What a disaster... - 2001 Kia Sportage
  By Lan Lan - November 27 - 4:26 pm

  Bought it new... loved it for about 6 months when everything went wrong... Replaced exhaust 3 times, drive train broke and service center destroyed my hubs (to factory standard apparently)... heater fan replaced 2x... took it to a non-dealership to have heat shield replaced and weld one in... rear seatbelt (where my kids where)... broke and wasnt usable... dealership wanted $150. to replace, bought at a wrecker for $20., rear hinges on rear tire bracket rusted within a year... no warranty here either!(look at all of them they all rust!)... All I discovered about Kia was dont trust their warranty. Id never... ever buy one again!

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  Love my Sportage - 2017 Kia Sportage
  By Sherryl Lewis - November 27 - 2:39 am

  Love love love.... ride is great, drive feel is great, size is great. Hubby does complain about elbow room on passenger side. He puts seat all the way back. Soooo happy with our purchase **Update.... best decision ever. ABSOLUTELY love the Kia Sportage. Still discovering additional features I wasnt aware of!!!!

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  Just What I Wanted - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By sakenstein - November 19 - 9:20 am

  I traded my Infiniti G37x (which I loved) for the Sportage primarily because the Infiniti was too fast for my soon-to-be-driving son. The gas mileage is not as good as I expected. In the first few hundred miles (I have 2500 now), I was getting about 25 mpg combined. That has since been averaging about 20-21 which is still better than the G37x. As for the price, I dont think theres a better value for what you get: AWD, Uvo system, nice cloth seats, backup camera. Drove the Mitsu Outlander Sport and Tucson, but the Mitsu 140hp was anemic and like the looks of Sportage better than Tuscon. Also, the Sportages ride is not stiff, its downright harsh, but I knew that going in. Great value.