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.
See also:
Competitive Warranty
The 2009 Kia Optima is covered by Kia's comprehensive warranty program, which
offers unprecedented consumer protection. Included in this program are a
10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warra ...
Manual Transaxle
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 5 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized
in all forward gears so shifting to e ...
Smooth and Comfortable Ride
With a wheelbase of 104.3 inches, an overall length of 178.3 inches, an
overall width of 69.9 inches and overall height of 57.5 inches, Kia Forte offers
one of the roomiest interiors in its class ...


