KIA Sorento Goes Luxury for Mom on a Budget

Miami welcomed the affordable KIA this month! From the ever popular Calle Ocho festival in Little Havana to my driveway for a week – KIA has reaffirmed their commitment to make quality, affordable cars for families – big and small!

Mid-Sized KIA Sorento is a Mom-Friendly and Affordable

Riding luxury but paying economical. The Kia Sorento 2012 should be called a luxury car. It’s beautiful from the inside out, along with its modern technology, it sets itself apart from competitor mid-sized SUVs. It seats 7 and gets phenomenal gas mileage of 20 city & 27 highway. That’s difficult to beat with vehicles of its size.

Space Matters

The comfort stems from the front all the way to the third row, where my 5 year old raved about how much she loved it back there. Climbing into the KIA Sorento to do the typical dreadful car seat install and booster seat configuration I was impressed with the atypical ease. The latch hooks, for whatever the reason, where much easier to access and use than our own car.

The middle row fit the car seat and one booster, with room for one more rider in between – not needing a booster. This is a common frustration for moms in SUVs, who have a full fledge car seat and needing more than one booster. Thank goodness for the Kia Sorento’s 3rd row!

With the 3^rd row folded down, the trunk space was fantastic. Setting up the 3^rd row, obviously, dramatically reduced the cargo space, and a bit of rear visibility. Yet, I was ever thankful for the rearview camera that activated when I put the car in reverse. That added safety was needed with the lack of rear view window space. An umbrella stroller or a row of groceries could fit comfortably with ½ the row folded. This was also optimal when traveling with 3+ kids and their cargo.

Mom on the Go

As a busy mom of 2, I headed out across town all week, including 2 trips to Publix, morning carpool, Target, ballet, art class and more. As I mentioned, the ability to partially fold the back row was a lifesaver. I used the half the trunk space when leaving Target – allowing me to leave the booster seat that was set up on the other half of the 3^rd row to remain.

Safety Matters

US News & World Report gave the SUV 4 out of 5 stars for frontal crash and rollover tests. A perfect score of 5 out of 5 was given for side crash. The rearview camera, optional, is great with kids & pets running around. It provides that extra assurance when backing out of a parking spot.

The Price to Beat

An MSRP that ranges from $21,000 – 35,000 is less, and many times far less, than its competitors. It ranks 10 out of 23 affordable mid-sized SUVs.

In Your Opinion

Are you a mini-van or SUV family? How does your car work for you? Have you considered a mid-sized SUV with a 3^rd row? Share your experience!

Disclosure: The vehicle was provided at no charge for a week. Compensation was provided to cover additional fuel. No commitment to review the vehicle was made. All opinions are my own.