Driving Impressions

The 2006 Kia Sportage provides a carlike ride while returning relatively sporty handling on par with that of most peers. Should you push too hard through a corner, the standard stability and traction control system will intervene to keep you headed in the right direction. Additionally, the Sportage's four-wheel independent suspension system helps smooth bumps without the jittery feel typical of many SUVs. Power from the standard four-cylinder is barely adequate, so we recommend you stick with the larger 2.7-liter V6. The four-speed automatic isn't quite as smooth as the five-speed unit in the CR-V or RAV-4, but it always manages to keep the V6 right in its power band.

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    Safety
    Full-length side curtain airbags, antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, a tire-pressure monitoring system and a driver knee airbag come standard across all trim levels. The Sorento ...

    Hazard warning flasher
    The hazard warning flasher causes the rear tail lights and front turn signal lights to flash on and off, which serves as a warning to other drivers to exercise caution when approaching or passin ...

    LUXURIOUS CLASS-EXCLUSIVE FEATURES
    Upgrading to the Premium Package (as with our test car) adds items like wood interior trim, heated rear seats, a driver’s memory seat with 4-way adjustability, and class-exclusive features like ...