When I was offered a car to review for a week, I was like “Heck yeah! Bring on the Beamer!” but then, when they told me it was a Kia Sorento SX. I have to admit, I had a brief moment of disappointment. I thought to myself, “a Kia, really?” Boy, was I in for a nice surprise! 
The Kia Sorento SX is classed as an affordable midsize SUV, in other words it’s got mini-van features without being a “minivan.” Now, after a few days of driving this thing neither the “affordable” nor “minivan” descriptions seemed to fit. I mean, this Kia is surprisingly luxurious (smart and fun, too). It reminded of the shy, nerdy guy in high school that grew up to be the hot, well-dressed millionaire. Yep, the 2015 Kia Sorento SX is like that. Here is a breakdown of what I loved about driving the Kia Sorento (and would still be driving it, if they didn’t have to peel me out of that fine leather drivers seat).
Cargo space galore
When the split-level third row seat is down, you can fit tons in the back of the car. I loaded it up with firewood for a camping trip, and couldn’t believe I could also fit all our groceries and water too.
Um, hello sunroof
Driving through the mountains was a completely different experience when you can look up from anywhere in the car — even in the backseat! — and see the amazing views. The kids thought this was a pretty sweet feature.
Built in window shades
Maybe all new cars have this feature?! I thought it was pretty nifty to have back seat window shade built into the door. I was wishing that was a feature when I had little babies riding back there. That is pretty cool and totally family friendly.
Channel 8 on Sirius
Ok, I know this is not a Kia-specific feature, having Sirius, that is. But, between the super-fancy, connected-to-everything, voice-controlled data center that easily connected to my iPhone (officially called Voice-Command Navigation with 8″ Display & SiriusXM Traffic) and the side mirrors that flash when someone is in your blind spot, this car is definitely smarter than my current car. Did I mention all the ’80’s music I enjoyed this week, too?
Manual shifting option
The Kia is an automatic, which is fabulous on a normal driving day. However, if you’re in a line of traffic going down a steep hill, having a manual option can literally save your breaks. I loved being able to downshift, quickly and easily when driving through the Colorado mountains. There are six gears to shift through. I need this car in the winter here!
Smooth ride
We took the Kia on bumpy dirt roads in the mountains, but you would never have known. I was struck not only by how smooth it drove, but by how solid if felt. THIS is a car I can feel safe with my family in, and I like that. The Kia Sorento SX is a surprising option that I would have previously never considered. It’s comfortable, roomy, easy to drive, and has some really great family-friendly features. When I look at new cars next year, this will certainly be on my list of choices! The 2015 Kia Sorento starts at a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $24,995 and climbs to just shy of $42,600 for the Nappa-leather-clad SX Limited specialty trim. While I was invited to test drive the Kia, all opinions are my own.
