Powertrains and Performance
Two engines are offered on the Sportage LX: a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder (140 hp and 136 pound-feet of torque) and a 2.7-liter V6 (173 hp and 178 lb-ft). The Sportage EX comes standard with the V6. The inline-4 can be had with either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic, while the V6 is automatic only. One may also choose front- or all-wheel drive in either trim.
We timed a Sportage V6 at 10.7 seconds from zero to 60 mph, about a second or so off the quicker four-cylinders in the segment and more than three ticks off the class hot rod, the RAV4 V6. Fuel mileage estimates for a 2008 Sportage V6 with AWD are 17 mpg city and 21 mpg highway, a few mpg under the class average. The four-cylinder gets only a few city mpg better.
See also:
Before driving
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside mirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
• Check the condition of the tires.
• Check under the vehicle for any sign of
leaks.
• ...
Climate control air filter
The climate control air filter installed
behind the glove box filters the dust
or other pollutants that come into the
vehicle from the outside through the
heating and air conditioning system.
I ...
DRIVING
You know what? It drives pretty well. On winding and hilly roads, the car’s
comparatively wide stance makes it feel solid, with little body roll. I drove
the “+”, “!”, and “sport” tr ...