Driving Impressions

With either V6 under the hood, the 2009 Kia Sorento has plenty of power for both city traffic and swift highway cruising. The suspension provides a pleasant ride and adequate handling on smooth pavement, but when the road gets rough, the ride gets bouncy, with a good deal of the bumps transmitted directly into the cabin. The Sorento's brakes might also be a cause for concern; in previous testing, we noticed significant brake fade after just two panic stops from 60 mph. Drivers who plan on any traversing of mountainous roads should keep this in mind.

The Sorento's steering feel, however, is satisfying and there's a minimum of body roll when cornering. Thanks to the Sorento's low-range transfer case and truck-based origins, off-road excursions can be tackled with relative ease, but the Sorento's capabilities still fall short of those possessed by more competent vehicles like the Xterra and FJ Cruiser.

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    Hood
    Opening the hood: 1. Pull the release lever on the lower left side of the instrument panel to unlatch the hood. The hood should pop open slightly. 2. Go to the front of the vehicle, raise th ...

    Wiper blades
    Blade inspection NOTICE: Commercial hot waxes applied by automatic car washes have been known to make the windshield difficult to clean. Contamination of either the windshield or the wiper bla ...

    Instrument panel overview
    1. Driver’s air bag 2. Light control / Turn signals 3. Instrument cluster 4. Wiper/Washer 5. Ignition switch 6. Steering wheel 7. Digital clock 8. Hazard 9. Audio controls (if equipped) 1 ...