They give me something to laugh at as I blow by them in my loaded Pilot LX. Also, while Honda and Toyota provide the benchmarks for quality in the industry, Kia provides the benchmark for total lack of quality. Finally, Kia buyers make those of us who are educated in concepts like total quality, fit and finish, and resale reason to feel superior.

Hmmm. The car and the company. By the way, I don't work for Honda. I just love quality vehicles that are built well. I would not mind working for Honda, as they will be around for a long time. Working for Kia would mean unemployment in the near future.

Since Andy, below, was kind enough to swamp the Honda Pilot reviews with negative comments, accusing the positive reviewers of all being on Honda's payroll, I thought that I would give my humble opinion of Kia. Kias are the worst cars manufactured on the face of the Earth. J.D. Powers rates them as the bottom of the barrel in customer satisfaction. The reviews of these vehicles have berated them for woeful and pathetic quality. Anyone purchasing one of these dreadful pieces of garbage must not be literate enough to read Consumer Reports or any number of automotive and consumer publications. By the way, the company is declaring bankruptcy as we speak. Good luck finding support and service in the future, and these things need lots of that. And, for Andy, the Pilot basher, I can see why he is bitter and full of frustration. Anyone who would pay $20,000 for one of these tin cans on wheels must want to shoot themselves. I would.

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A Matchbox car, a red wagon, and a 1978 Ford Pinto.

Bargain Price Great gas mileage Great warranty Reliable

More horsepower Stereo

If you start talking bang for the buck this is really the best SUV out there. I hate it when people start bashing the Kia Sportage. I is actually one of the best SUV out there for the money. I always take long trips with it during the weekend. I have about 9K miles now with no problems. The gas mileage is great and with ample horspower. IMHO Toyota and Honda are over-rated.

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Real 4X4 low ratio transfer case. Good approach and departure angles Economical. Reliable. Regularly serviced

Handles badly on corrugated roads but looking into aftermarket shocks to improve this.

I have owned this vehicle since new and with the dealers extended warranty , it still has 9 months left (6 year 175000km warranty). I have had very little trouble with this vehicle. (Brake master cylinder and front hub). Both problems were promptly fixed under warranty. Usage:70% on road 30% Off road. And I do mean off road. I use the vehicle extensively to get to my favorite fishing spots. It has been driven through mud and sand with no complaints. In August 2002 I drove this vehicle for 2500kms in 5 days at an average highway speed of 110kph and she never skipped a beat.In that 5 days I did a lot of off road driving and she behaved beautifully.

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Nissan Patrol Diesel. The Kia took me everywhere my patrol did. Holden Jackeroo Deisel. Found my Kia better than this vehicle.

forget it.

Garbage vehicle. KIA definitely stands for Killed In Action!

In the shop more than it's on the road. When something goes wrong with this vehicle, it usually happens over and over again. The vehicle is garaged and well maintained...rear doors rusted around the windows....in the shop twice for this. Wheels have been replaced once due to rust...second set is rusting as we speak. The spare tire carrier has been replaced multiple times because it won't open, and you can't get into the hatchback. CD player replaced once. Had to have it towed twice for failure to start, until the dealer noticed wiring under the hood needed to be replaced. 4 wheel drive repaired once (did not work). Rear door locks periodically cease to function. Check engine light comes on with no trouble found by the dealer. Purchased an extended warranty....never received paperwork from the dealership, but they now claim certain things are NOT covered by the "bumper to bumper" promise I received when I purchased it. Oh yeah...you'll be replacing the little silver wheel covers more then once.......they love to come loose

4WD is easy to use (no getting out to lock the hubs). All the buttons and dials on the dash are in easy reach. Very dependable.

Location of the cup holder - it's easy to pinch your finger between it and the gear shift.

I love my KIA. No major mechanical failures and unlike other reviewers I've had no problems with brake dust. I've only had to replace the pads twice - at 45,000 and at 98,000...yes, my Sportage now has over 100K miles on it and going strong. Handles great in the ice and snow and is comfortable for long trips. I'd buy another one in a hot second.

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This is my first SUV.

Good strong body, motor, gearbox. Auto transmission excellent.

Groumd clearance. Shockers and suspension.

Our sportage has been a very reliable and strong vehicle, initial warranty problems were automatically done by the dealer at no charge. Exhaust, shockers, master cylinder, peeling paint on bumper, exhaust gasket leaks, remote central locking were all fixed under warranty. The vehicle performs admirable on Fraser Island (The largest sand island in the world) and has NEVER let us down mechanically. I thoroughly recommend it as a comfortable, reliable, economical and quite nifty vehicle. Suspension has been an ongoing problem which I hope to rectify by replacing shockers.

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We have always had Landcruisers and for a couple of years an International Scout, the sportage is a size compromise only limited by ground clearance.

The back seats lay forward so that you can get to the back easier. Good gas mileage.

It is always in the shop. Not dependable.

I bought the car new from the dealership and I even had a trade in. As soon as I drove the car off the lot, the ABS light came on and I had to take the car in to fix the brakes. Within one year, the exhaust already needed work. The catalytic converter was replaced. Within two years, the cruise control quit working. The coolant system was leaking and the thermostat had to be replaced along with the rings and gaskets. According to my receipts, every three months from the time I bought the SUV I was taking my Kia back to the dealership for something. The check engine light seems to just stay on. Every time I get one problem fixed, another one arises. If I didn't owe more on the vehicle than it is worth, I would have sold it by now. It depreciates faster than I can pay it off. The newest problem is the master cylinder needs replaced. Also, the muffler and belts are very noisy. The oxygen censor also needs replaced.

Roomy front seats and rear hatch. Like that the back seats fold down flat if necessary. Decent power for a V4 SUV. Great visibility for driving.

The ususal: cup holder position, break dust, would like bigger engine (which I think the new models have)

I have had my Sportage for over 6 months now. I read all of the reviews I could stand before I purchased the suv. I have to admit I was concerned, but the warrenty helped convince me to buy. I have never been to the shop for anything going wrong, only for check-ups scheduled by the dealer for routine maintence. I have taken it from Kansas to San Diego and back, Oklahoma and back, and countless trips to St. Louis and back with NO problems at all. I have put about 20,000 miles on it with a total now of 30,000 (bought used)and still think I got a pretty good deal.

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1990 Ford Bronco II, V6, 5 speed.

For-real full frame 4X4 (transfer case part-time) suv. Most everything you want comes STANDARD. Not loaded up with useless trinket options to drive up price. Compact convenient size (exterior). Unexpected amount of room (interior). Reasonable fuel economy. Reliability. Excellent dealer support and attitude for what little I've needed done. Firm supportive seating. Long drives don't kill you. Rear wheel drive when in 2 whl. drive (better for trailer towing) Excellent trailer handling. Just plain fun to drive!

Getting the grin off your face the first month you own/drive one. Could use more low end torque. Shuck the whimpy 205 75-R/15 OE tires when you take delivery. Replace with 225 70-R/15's better wet/dry/off-road traction. Should have been standard! Some weak interior trim pieces can break if not careful. Poor positioning of gas door release lever hits back of right leg. Less than stellar FM reception. Count on using CD's more than normal.

I am a third time purchaser of Kia Sportages, with a 97EX 4X4 under my belt, and owner of two 2001's currently. The review vehicle is a 2 door 4X4 convertible 5 speed manual. Overall this, and my other Sportages have been very good vehicles with few significant problems. To date this vehicle has had one return trip to the dealership for replacement of some missing trim items (it was a show-room vehicle), and has over 12K on it. My other current Sportage is a 2001 Limited 4X4 automatic with 23K miles and NO return trips to the dealer. I've owned 14 new Big Three products, and was basically driven to foreign product because of the problems with them. Sportages deliver far more vehicle that the competition for the dollar, and are virtually the only true serious off road 4X4 (not whimpy AWD's) SUV in its class. This is important to me, as I run the beaches at Cape Hatteras with both of them. I also trailer tow both a large utility trailer, and a 16 foot skiff with either of them. The Sportage has proven itself equal to the worst beach conditions, often leaving the "BIG" SUV's stuck in the soft stuff (sorry guy's I'm not big enough to pull your bloated SUV's out of the sand). Handling is crisp and predictable which is a plus for trailer towing. Fuel milage for our Sportages starts at window sticker and has improved until plateauing at 23-26 MPG. Even trailer towing at highway speeds we average 20-22 MPG regardless of whether we tow with the automatic Limited, or manual convertible 2 door. I like these guys, and expect I'll buy more of them in the future unless KIA screws up and kills it in favor of the Sorento. If you are looking for a really rugged little SUV, appreciate value for the dollar, and aren't buying for snob appeal, or to impress others, the Sportage is a good choice. If you want a Lincoln Navigator for a Sportage price, *want the prestige of a Mercedes M-class, or want the ultimate smooth car-like ride, this is not you vehicle. It is what it is, and delivers all that it promises. * If peer pressure is a problem with those who would pick on you for buying a KIA, save yourself a lot of grief and buy what THEY want.

It does handle very nicely in the snow, whether the 4 wheel drive is engaged or not. To bad we haven't got more snow the last couple of years.

Breaks stink, break dust constantly on front wheels also was told this is normal. Feels like it will easily roll over.

I bought my Kia in March 2000 with 5,000 miles on it - dealer demonstrator vehicle. In January, 2001 had to replace brakes. In January 2002 had to replace brakes again, questioned dealer why they had to be replaced again, was told that this time they needed rotors as well. I put about 30K a year on the car. I had a Chevy Cavalier for 5 years and had 127,000 miles on it only had to do brakes once. This May the ball bearings in the wheels went and fused to the rotors, had to have rotors re-tooled. Ever since I don't feel safe driving this car. The car feels like it is all over the road, handles like crap on windy days, have to fight to keep control. My kids hate to ride it in they say that they feel like we are going to tip over. Gas mileage is not that great. I do like the size of it and it was affordable to me at the time of my purchase, however due to my credit history I have a high interest loan with a balance of $14K and when I tried to trade it in recently was offered $5K. What a rip.

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None this is my first SUV - won't be my last but will definitely be my last KIA.