2000 Kia Sportage LX review from North America
"Fantastic bargain. Not for the power hungry"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing.
General comments?
This is a real truck built with body on frame construction. Most other mini SUVs are uni-body construction. This along with the low gear ratio gives it the highest tow rating of the mini SUVs.
The in-line cast iron block four cylinder engine is actually very powerful in its own right, the problem is that the truck is just a little too heavy for it. It certainly accelerates quickly enough to merge with traffic and has no trouble maintaining speed on highway grades.
I bought the Kia because of its extremely low price compared to other vehicles in its class. The 100,000 mile warranty put my mind at ease on the reliability front. I think that Kia has worked out a lot of their problems with this vehicle from previous models or they would not stand behind it like this.
The engine is not as quiet as many other 4 cylinders. I have a lot of experience with engines however and know the difference between nuisance noises and problem noises. These engines are just a little noisy.
I would recommend a late model Sportage to anyone. Stay away from anything earlier though.
Recommended reviews
| A great little go-getter! |
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| Very good bargain for the $20,000 or less sticker price |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 2000 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 5000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 28000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Cavalier |
| Date of Entry | 12th February, 2002 |