Thanks to Kia Motors and DriveShop for allowing me to test drive the 2017 Kia Sportage. All opinions are my own.
When I was planning my birthday weekend getaway to Madonna Inn I was hoping I would get the opportunity to review a really fun car. I always like to put in requests for road trips, since I work from home and never really travel around town, except for the occasional trip to Disneyland! I was not disappointed when the Kia Sportage showed up in my driveway!
You may remember in the past I’ve driven a few sedans and even an SUV. The Kia Sportage is my first crossover and I felt a little like Goldilocks … this car was just right. I liked that the Sportage sits way higher than the standard sedan and the interior felt very roomy, but having a huge SUV for just the two of us didn’t make much sense. Compared to my current compact sedan, the Sportage feels like a more hefty vehicle and comes with an excellent safety rating.
The paint color is Burnished Copper; I’m not sure the color would be my first choice but it certainly made the vehicle easy to find. I loved the sleek black interior.
This car came with all the bells and whistles. The dashboard display is very easy to read, the navigational panel easy to operate, and I geek out over the blind spot indicators and backup camera. The two of us had plenty of room in the center console for our drinks, phones, and sunglasses. And I love the handy button that closes the rear door. It was one of my favorite features of the Kia Sorento and I loved it on this car, too.
Of course my favorite part of any car I’m test driving is the sunroof. I’m not sure this is a luxury I’ll be able to afford in any car I own so I tend to make the most of it when I have it.
As for gas mileage, the car gets 21 MPG, not as great as the Hybrid I drove earlier of course, but standard for a crossover.
Overall I think the Kia Sportage is my favorite car I’ve reviewed to date. The size is perfect for the two of us, the interior was really spacious, and I love how the car handled. It made the drive from LA to San Luis Obispo and back so easy and fun!
Vehicle pictured is the 2017 Kia Sportage SX in Burnished Copper; as pictured $34,000.
