2013 Kia Sorento – Power to Surprise!

03/12/2013

The Ride: 2013 Kia Sorento

The Size: 7 Passenger

The Safety Stats:

Front and rear head airbags
Dual front side-mounted airbags
Child seat anchors: middle row only
Remote anti-theft alarm system
Emergency braking assist
Ventilated front disc / solid rear disc brakes
Rear door child safety locks
Engine immobilizer
2 front headrests: Also makes for comfortable driving!
3 rear headrests
Passenger airbag occupant sensing deactivation: There’s a light that goes on and off when it senses someone is in the passenger seat.
Rear center 3-point belt
Front seatbelt pretensioners
Turn signal mirrors
Stability control: This is great when driving high-profile/taller vehicles where it’s windy. Large SUV’s can be great in snow/slush/wintery weather, but the stability and traction control help to make you feel safe when it’s windy or less than ideal driving conditions.
Traction control: see above
Electronic brakeforce distribution
Front height adjustable headrests
Rear height adjustable headrests
Passenger head restraint whiplash protection system
Driver head restraint whiplash protection system
Tire pressure monitoring: Having properly inflated tires helps with safety as well as gas mileage.
Rear camera with parking assist.
Bluetooth technology so your smartphone can be synced with the car and make for hands-free talking.

All in all, we felt very safe in the Sorento. We took it out for a drive on a windy spring day and didn’t have any concerns with being blown around! The structure of the SUV feels sturdy and we didn’t have any issues with spinning out on snow-covered streets.

The First Impression: I was impressed with the Sorento’s sleek and polished exterior. It’s got a sporty look to it, which I quite liked. The leather interior is a great feature for Moms with little ones, and the panoramic sun + moonroof is gorgeous! All in all, my first impression was a good one.

The Drive: I loved the fact that the Sorento drives like a car but has the utility and space of an SUV. It handles great in all kinds of weather and feels glued to the road with every turn. It’s got a ton of power when you need it and parks great, which comes back to the fact that it feels like you’re driving a car. A great vehicle over-all!

The Kid-Ease: I had no trouble fitting our rear-facing Britax and forward-facing Safety First car seats into the Sorento, the UAS hooks were easy to locate in the middle row, making car seat installation smooth and painless. There was even enough space between the two car seats for me to sit and entertain the baby on a long drive, which I was very impressed with! Just for interest’s sake, we slid one of the bigger boys’ boosters in between the two car seats and surprisingly it fit! Three car seats across the middle row is often tough to come by, especially in smaller SUV’s, but the Sorento has that one in the bag. The ower tailgate makes loading items in the cargo area a breeze. An incredibly helpful feature for when your hands are full!

It was a bit tricky to get the bigger kids into the rear seat with the car seats in place in the middle row, so we ended up opening the hatch to get them in and out. The back seat has a ton of room for the boys and their need for leg room- in fact, two adults could comfortably sit back there no problem.

The Cargo Space: The rear seat can be split into two sections, allowing one half to be folded down to make room for groceries and extra gear while still enabling one person to sit in the rear, which I liked. I was able to fit 10 grocery bags, two backpacks and our lightweight stroller in the cargo area! That’s super impressive for a small SUV, I’d say!

Best Suited For: I’d say that the Sorento would be perfect for a family of four. Lots of space for kids, gear and even a dog or two!

Overall Impression: I really enjoyed the Sorento because of its get-up-and-go, all-wheel drive and how smoothly it handles. It was easy to get kids in and out of, left lots of space for the never-ending amount of stuff that comes along with having children, yet I felt sophisticated and sporty behind the wheel. 5 stars from us!