Interior Design and Special Features
The Sportage features a functional, roomy and attractive interior. Both the materials and build quality are very good, especially for this price point. The rear-seat design makes hauling a large amount of cargo a breeze -- it folds and lowers into the footwell, making for a flat load floor, and removing the head restraints isn't required. Thusly configured, the Sportage offers 67 cubic feet of cargo capacity, a respectable figure for this class.
Driving Impressions
On the road, the 2008 Kia Sportage provides a carlike ride and relatively sporty handling that makes it a little more fun to drive than many other compact SUVs. It's capable of being both a good city runabout and a long-distance highway cruiser. Power from the standard four-cylinder is barely adequate, so we recommend you opt for the V6. The four-speed automatic isn't quite as smooth as the five-speed units offered by competitors, but it's alert enough to usually keep the V6 right in its power band.
See also:
Air cleaner
Element replacement
Have the air cleaner element
checked and replaced in accordance
with the maintenance schedule.
NOTICE
Do not drive with the air cleaner
removed; this will result in excessi ...
Manual Transaxle
Manual transaxle operation
The manual transaxle has 6 forward
gears.
This shift pattern is imprinted on the shift
knob. The transaxle is fully synchronized
in all forward gears so shifting to e ...
Winter driving
More severe weather conditions of winter
result in greater wear and other problems.
To minimize winter driving problem,
you should follow these suggestions:
Snowy or icy conditions
To drive you ...