2011 Kia Sorento

2011 Kia Sorento

Episode 2920
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

It’s a clear sign of the times. Kia, responding to current market tastes, has redesigned their compact Sorento without its original body-on-frame SUV chassis, opting instead for a crossover utility unibody. Now Kia hopes this move will greatly expand the Sorento’s appeal. But does being more like a car, and less like a truck, make for a better Sorento?

Besides its chassis transformation, the second generation 2011 Kia Sorento is also the Korean brand’s first vehicle to have its assembly transferred to American soil. That takes place at a huge new facility in West Point, Georgia.

Still, Sorento enters an already crowded compact CUV segment, and faces stiff competition from other quality entrants like the Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, and also new Chevrolet Equinox. Like the Equinox, the Sorento is called a compact, but it’s nearly mid-size both outside and inside. Using a chassis shared with the Hyundai Santa Fe, Sorento’s length of 183.9 inches is over three inches longer than before, if slightly lower for better aerodynamics.

The totally refashioned exterior echoes Kia’s new, bolder, front-end theme begun with the Forte. The grill and flared-back headlights form a continuous arch that is most appealing.

Based on the KND-4 concept from the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, the production Sorento has a similar sweeping profile and athletic stance. Roof rails are optional. The rounded rear-end also exudes lots of presence, with large LED taillights that extend into the liftgate.  Wheels are 17 and 18-inch alloys, with a mirror finish optional on top EX trim.

While the original Sorento offered a pair of V6s, the 2011 allows a more varied choice. Standard is a 2.4-liter inline-4 shared with the Forte SX. Output is 175 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque.

Optional is an all-new 3.5-liter V6 with a best-in-class 276 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. But even with it, trailer towing takes a beating: 3,500 pounds, down from 5,000 last year.

A six speed manual is standard with the I-4. Kia’s first home-grown six-speed automatic is an option, and standard with the V-6. A single speed four-wheel drive system with locking center differential can be fitted to either engine. And, even with front drive, useful Hill Start Assist and Downhill Brake Assist are included.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for our front-drive four-cylinder automatic are good at 21 city/29 highway on regular gas. We saw a respectable 24.3 miles per gallon in real world driving. But, you do pay for that efficiency on the track. Our I-4 Sorento huffed from 0 to 60 in a long 10.1 seconds. And the quarter mile dragged out to 17.7 seconds at 78 miles per hour. The Sorento felt breathless all the way down the track. Shifts were lazy and power-robbing.

The Sorento’s new unibody employs a MacPherson strut front, and multilink rear suspensions. Electronic Stability Control is standard.

Unfortunately, none of this helped inspire a high level of confidence in our handling tests. Steering was quick enough but with little feedback, and body roll was excessive.

The one bright spot in Sorento’s track performance was braking. The all-disc, ABS brakes delivered arrow-straight, near fade-free stops of a short 120 feet on average from 60 to 0. The pedal was firm with positive feedback.

On normal roads, the Sorento is a lot more self-assured. It’s comfortable and quiet, feeling well anchored at even elevated interstate speeds.

That comfort continues inside, where Kia used the extra body length for more cabin space and versatility. With both five- and first time three-row seven-passenger models, it’s now a big family-mover. The modern, tech-inspired dash is defined by overlapping gauges and practical controls. Our EX model’s well-padded seats came with standard eight-way power for the driver, and optional heat.

Standards include a tilt/telescoping wheel with audio and Bluetooth controls. Satellite Radio and a USB port are on board too. A 550-watt Infinity upgrade, navigation, and even a dual sunroof, are available. Our EX added push button start, and a backup camera with rear view mirror display.

Those in the 60/40 second row will find it quite roomy, with a welcomed increase in legroom. Kids will like the 50/50 split folding third row, but not adults. Behind the third row is 9.1 cubic feet of space that expands to 37 cubic feet when folded, and an excellent 72.5 with all seats down. A reversible load floor and handy underfloor compartment add to this CUV’s overall practicality.

And that practicality also speaks to Kia’s value pricing. In fact, the base price for the 2011 Sorento is down from last year starting at $20,790.  Sorento base prices top out at $29,690.

Combine that with Kia’s vastly improved quality reputation, and one of the best warranties going, and it’s no wonder they continue to chalk up sales gains. The new Sorento’s track performance may be lacking, but we have no qualms with its packaging. So, the 2011 Kia Sorento is indeed a better answer to what today’s family buyers want. And, yes, it’s a better Sorento, too.

 

 

 

 

Specifications

  • Engine: 2.4-Liter Inline-4
  • Horsepower: 175
  • Torque: 169 Lb Feet
  • 0-60 MPH: 10.1 Seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 17.7 Seconds @ 78 MPH
  • 60-0 MPH: 120 Feet
  • EPA: 21 MPG City/ 29 MPG Highway
  • Mixed Loop: 24.3 MPG
2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Baby Rover Continues To Evolve

Episode 4430
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

When most people hear “Range Rover” they tend to think of high class, high performance and high dollars. But, Range Rover does the entry-level thing quite well too with this Evoque. It has plenty of posh attitude, along with some recent updates. So, let’s see how the Evoque continues to evolved.

Our involvement with the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque’s evolution began when this small utility first arrived for 2012. It looked more Spice Girl than Tough Mudder, but it packed a surprising amount of capability into its subcompact dimensions. This second gen arrived for 2020, and has gained recent updates at the most likely midway point in its lifecycle.

Intrigued but not necessarily enthused could probably best describe our history with the Evoque, but Land Rover always has a way of drawing us in with very tasteful designs. They pretty much got this one right back in 2020, so styling revisions are largely limited to new Pixel LED headlights and a reshaped front fascia. There’s also new super-red signature lighting in back, all of it done to bring the Evoque more in line with the rest of the Range Rover family.

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And like all of its siblings, all-wheel drive is standard and it does have Terrain Response 2 with specific off-road modes, but no one’s expecting to see a lot of Evoques out on the trail, unless there’s a new Lululemon Outlet at the other end of it having a killer sale.

Land Rover has once again taken the P300 296-horsepower version of the Evoque’s 2.0-liter turbo-four out of the lineup, leaving just the standard 249-horsepower version under the clamshell hood. No complaints from us, its 269 lb-ft of torque is more than adequate to move this 3,900 lb. ute around.

And at Mason Dixon Dragway, it moved us to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. There was plenty of traction off the line, and while not overwhelming, power feels plentiful, staying very consistent down the track. Gearchanges in the Evoque’s nine-speed automatic transmission were quick and smooth, barely a blip in the process as we finished the quarter-mile in 16 seconds flat at 85 mph. Plenty quick for a compact utility with luxury intentions.

[It maneuvered] with a substantial presence that not too many small utilities have.

It felt quite good through our handling course too, with a substantial presence that not too many small utilities have. The Evoque uses selective braking to torque vector power between all four wheels, and it enabled us to cruise through the cones quickly without any excessive understeer or oversteer. There was some nosedive during our panic braking test, but the brakes were very responsive and strong enough to bring us to a halt in a short 115 feet from 60.

But, it’s the inside experience that really matters with any luxury vehicle, particularly in a Range Rover. And here things look more high-end Swedish than Tudor or Victorian, with a minimalist cabin design that’s way more visually appealing than practical. There’s real leather covering just about everything, and what appears to be just a tablet stuck in front of the dash is a new 11.4-inch touchscreen. Not only are the inner workings much faster than the previous infotainment setup, but the entire interface of this Pivi Pro system is vastly better than the split screen approach of before.

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The center console that leads up to it appears much less cluttered and frees up some additional space for storage. The shifter is still here, but it has gotten much smaller. Front seat space and comfort remain high, though rear seat room is still very tight for adults. Cargo space is not bad for a small utility, with room for 21.6 cu-ft. of gear in the hold, which expands with 40/20/40 split-folding seatback flexibility to 50.5 cu-ft.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20 City, 27 Highway, and 22 Combined. That’s an average Energy Impact Score, using 13.5 barrels of oil annually, with CO2 emissions of 6.6 tons.

Land Rover has been paring things down in the Evoque lineup for years, no longer offering a two-door version or the convertible, and now have simplified things even further to just the P250 available in only two trims: S, which stickers for $51,175, and Dynamic SE, which starts at $56,375; but you can add just about every package available and still come in right around $60,000.

Luxury-minded utility vehicles are coming at us from all angles these days, but the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is a bit unique in that it remains as sort of a cheat code for sneaking you into the Range Rover VIP experience. You’ll feel like you’re getting away with something every time you drive it.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Engine: 2.0-liter turbo-four
  • Transmission: 9-speed automatic
  • Horsepower: 249
  • Torque: 269 lb-ft
  • 0-60 mph: 7.7 seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 16 seconds at 85 mph
  • Braking, 60-0 (avg): 115 feet
  • EPA: 20 City | 27 Highway | 22 Combined