Overview & Reviews

For 2012, every Kia Sportage gets revised suspension tuning for improved handing. Kia has also added more sound insulation to reduce noise. LX models get standard 17-inch alloy wheels and low-rolling-resistance tires. EX and SX models now come standard with Kia's Uvo hands-free interface for cell phones and portable music players.

• Powerful and efficient turbo engine in SX trim
• Plenty of premium features
• Intuitive controls.
• Sharp styling inside and out
• More fun to drive than other crossovers

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 38.00

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  Dash Glare Unacceptable! - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By ivor6244 - December 15 - 5:33 am

  Overall quiet, competent and pretty comfortable ergonomics-wise, although underpowered on hilly terrain.

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  1 year in - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By daw3 - October 7 - 9:46 am

  Well its been 1 year since taking owenership of the Sportage and I will admit no issues, except fuel ratings, lack of power for passing. Overall Im staisfied with the car, but again I feel somethings are lacking. Ive been reading all the reviews from owners and I must agree with some, but for the money where are you going to get such a fun car to drive. Honda, Toyota, Subrau are all over priced with the standard equipment you get with the Sportage. Im retired now but there was just something about the car, and I wasnt ready for a cookie cutter Nissan or Buick. I purchase a flat black mat for the dashboard since there really is a bad glare from the sun that just hits you right in the eye

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  Just plain fun to drive - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By bearow - September 11 - 7:41 pm

  It is just "plain fun" to drive my 2012 Kia Sportage. Ive had it for about 2 months and have enjoyed everything about it, including the gas mileage (avg = 26, interstate = 29). I will always love and keep my GMC Z71 for the heavy work, but at 13 mpg it had to move over for the Sportage for day-to-day driving. I like the way the Sportage holds the road, feels "in-control" & a little sporty. Ive tried the all-wheel-drive out on our Florida beach sand and it performed well (I dont recommend going 4-wheeling in the mud, but you can take it off the Hwy for normal activities without worry of getting stuck). Great value for the dollar - its a solid & fun ride!

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  Nice Car - POOR fuel economy not as advertised - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By hellcat2000 - July 31 - 3:24 am

  Bought a new 2012 Kia Sportage EX. Initially very pleased with the purchase. Rides ok, has nice features with the premium package to include the NAV system and backup camera. Tracked the MPG and started noticing poor fuel economy. Things havent changed. Sticker stated 21/25/32 for city/combined/hwy. Real world achieve 25-26 highway, 16-17 city. Usually average 20-22. Consumer Reports fuel economy testing is spot on and exactly what I get, unfortunately didnt do my research. Bottom line, descent car for the price, pretty cool features and nice looking car. Reasons to stay away: No longer trust KIA due to false claims, and FUEL economy well below sticker claim.

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  Good Car - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By rykdo - May 26 - 4:44 am

  Good basic car with excellent syling. Real 25 MPG on the highway. Has everything you want and lots less expensive than non-Kia. The not-so wonderful is that two adults with golf clubs, luggage for 10 days, and a dog in a crate was crowded. Also the steering is very quick which is nice around town but wears on you after the first 500-1000 miles on a trip. I do not relax on the highway. This is not a road racer. The 4 cylinder works fine and has enough to get you on the freeway without issue but the whine of the engine lets you know it.

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  Very Impressed - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By stevejs - March 24 - 1:01 am

  I was looking for a car whose main purpose would be my long work commute. After viewing a dozen choices, I chose the Sportage. From the moment I began to drive it for the test drive, Kias past advertising slogan "the power to surprise" entered my mind. The 6 speed automatic had plenty of pep from 0-40 which takes care of most starts. The interior was spacious and the rear seats folded easily for added room. The UVO system provides great flexibility and the bluetooth connection is very clear and easy to use. The 2.4 engine pulled well and the added noise insulation for 2012 makes the car quite even at highway speeds. for the price, this is a great value.

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  Save the manuals! 2012 fwd manual - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By tnmtnsmike - December 23 - 4:54 am

  I recently bought a 2012 base FWD manual and could not be happier. I wanted the function of a suv with the driving dynamics of a car and didnt want/need to spend a fortune. I also wanted to row the gears myself. After comparisons of all vehicles that met my criteria, I decided on the sportage because of value, comfort, room, and the fun to drive factor. Plenty of storage, plenty of power - great standard features. I have 3000 miles and am very happy with comfort (im 63), mileage (avg 27 mixed driving) and the fact that im always asked about it when im out and about. So far, I have no complaints.

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  Disappointing bells & whistles; nice ride though - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By freshlife51 - June 26 - 12:02 pm

  1 year & over 18k miles into ownership of EX w/ AWD: paid the premium for navigation & phone handsfree; 6 wks after purchase it stopped uploading phone contacts (so now its NOT "handsfree"); 9 months later it wiped out navigation address book for no apparent reason. Kia service claims compatibility issue w/worlds most popular phone (iPhone)--but my hubbys 10 yr old Audi can link up to it! & they cant explain/fix the nav address book problem. Initial mpg was ABYSMAL, improved steadily after break-in period. Great on highway: smooth, firm ride, 26 mpg on a long trip @ consistent speeds; 17-19 mpg city. Feels unstable on curves at moderate speeds, like cars not heavy enough to grip road.

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  Great first car - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By doshcokyco - June 21 - 11:42 pm

  I bought this car a week ago. I love driving it. This was the first car I have purchased on my own and I am very proud that I did at the age I am. For parents looking for a safe/fun first car for their kids, check this out. It has that sport look with great gas millage and a great safety rating. Before this car I was driving a 15 year old Honda Civic. The civic was a 1.6L engine and this is a 2.4L. The improvements to engines with fuel efficiency is unbelievable.

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  800 miles and a cross-Florida trip in, great car - 2012 Kia Sportage
  By mattitude - June 1 - 12:21 pm

  Picked up a Signal Red Sportage SX w/ premium package 5 days ago, and the next day took it on a 450 mile trip for the holidays. Vehicle is great overall. We cross-shopped the SX with every single competitor, and found this to be the best value and most exciting vehicle. The second choice would have been a RAv4 but it was exceedingly boring. Were big fans of the UVO system. I had read complaints about system speed on 2011 models - Im not sure if they updated the hardware, software, or both, but in our experience so far its been very speedy. Bluetooth works wonderfully and the radio does everything we want it to. Out of space but word of advice - dont get the NAV, stick with the UVO base.