LX Sorento diesel AT or Sportage diesel AT

[IMm29]

Doing this for a friend, who's in a (good) quandary right now.
- He's disposing of his Carens and is wandering into SUV territory.
- He doesn't need the additional 2 seats he initially thought to be useful on the Carens. Occasionally they are, but are not really needed.
- A powerful diesel would be a priority over a gas unit, since he travels from Bulacan to Makati on a daily basis. Ride comfort would also be appreciated.
- He, his wife and 3 kids live an active lifestyle, so versatility (and space) is key.

Listed in the title are his current choices, and I would like to limit the discussion between the two of them for this thread (no barebones Montero Sports here please).

Would you go for a watered down LX Sorento diesel A/T for P1.330M or a Sportage diesel A/T for P1.290M?

I know it's apples to oranges, but with the pricing being so close, i would call them both bananas and just start comparing.

I look at the comparo to something like a TOTL Altis vs. a base level Camry (for hotel shuttle) applications. I'm not sure if this is a fair statement though.

My friend's not bowled over by the Sorento's formal looks compared to the newer Sportage's butch and youthful aura. I'm trying to help him see past that and hopefully feel the difference in terms of a more comfortable ride and more spacious interior.

Your thoughts folks?

Thanks.

[mda]

No to the Santa Fe?

Kahit outgoing model na, I prefer the looks of that over both the Kias (again, prefer = subjective).

[Starex_Gold]

Since space yung pinaka habol nila, Sorento na.

Pero overall mas oks ang Sportage, more features pa.

[IMm29]

No to the Santa Fe?

Kahit outgoing model na, I prefer the looks of that over both the Kias (again, prefer = subjective).

The lower end diesel Santa Fe is pricy though, at P1.5M ++, so most likely No.

But thanks for the input.

[IMm29]

Since space yung pinaka habol nila, Sorento na.

Pero overall mas oks ang Sportage, more features pa.

What about ride quality, SG? Wouldn't the Sorento be more comfortable? Or are you saying that the Sportage's ride is actually pretty comfortable already?

I haven't ridden/driven the Sorento, and not especially the current model, so I can't really say how much less kit there is on the LX vs the EX. Pix probably don't do the comparison much justice. Either that, or I'm just used to the spartan interiors of a Starex Gold. Hehehe!

[Starex_Gold]

Ride quality baka Sportage. Ewan lang ha

Kasi ang Sorento at SF pareho lang ng suspension. Our driver prefers Sportage over SF. Para sa kanya daw mas comfortable yung Sportage.

[IMm29]

Ride quality baka Sportage. Ewan lang ha

Kasi ang Sorento at SF pareho lang ng suspension. Our driver prefers Sportage over SF. Para sa kanya daw mas comfortable yung Sportage.

Not so much seat time on the Sporty for you bro? Baka your driver prefers the better handling vs the softer Sta Fe?

[Starex_Gold]

Actually medyo matagtag din yung Santa Fe. Hehe..

Sa amin, pinaka matagtag talaga yung Tucson ko, damn that ASD shocks. Kasi yun Santa Fe comfortable naman pero mas "truck" yung feeling niya. Laki din eh.

[IMm29]

Actually medyo matagtag din yung Santa Fe. Hehe..

Sa amin, pinaka matagtag talaga yung Tucson ko, damn that ASD shocks. Kasi yun Santa Fe comfortable naman pero mas "truck" yung feeling niya. Laki din eh.

Ah i see. Hehehe! I've driven our old Gen 1 Sta Fe before. It was a long distance cruiser. Comfortable, but not agile especially on high speed curves.

Interesting...

[Walter]

I would go with the Sorento since owner will be driving long distance regularly. The larger vehicle will be safer compared to the smaller one. Plus they have an active lifestyle and the Sorento has more cargo room.

[fleas2016]

had the almost exact same dilemma, was supposed to go for the Sorento pero a day before, biglang may nagpost na available na un Sportage CRDI

since i don't need the extra space (city driving and occasional long trips or cargo requirements) and i reckon the 2.0L on a lighter body = better fuel consumption and the additional features sa EX variant also helped a lot sa decision. didn't want to spend additional $ to pimp up yung Sorento to what I feel should be "standard" specs. pero hey, it's 1.3M.... kaso if you thinking about that, might as well include the 1.2M MS din

i prefer the Santa Fe's ride over the Sportage na medyo boaty/bouncy. Haven't driven / rode a [moving] Sorento before so i'm not sure.

[pop3corn]

sorento diesel is good choice if you want a cheaper wannabe Sta Fe. Sorento is practically a trimmed down Sta Fe eh.

[IMm29]

i prefer the Santa Fe's ride over the Sportage na medyo boaty/bouncy. Haven't driven / rode a [moving] Sorento before so i'm not sure.

According to SG, the SF and Sorento share the same underpinnings/suspension, so the ride should be very similar. With that, isn't the SF's ride too soft? When you said the Sporty's ride is bouncy, you're saying it's 'matagtag'? or wallowy?

thanks!

[fleas2016]

hmm how to explain? IMO, the SF doesn't "wave" as much as the Sporty lalo na if you go over a hump at an angle. but definitely not 'matagtag'. both are good, i just prefer the other one. as far as cornering and turns go, i can't tell the difference between the two

[rb1_fernandez]

First, I just replaced my Carens EX with the Sorento LX 5-seater AWD...I was supposed to get the Sportage but NO stock available, so I was given the choice to try the Sorento...and I think I made the right choice...power, handling and FC is very good!

[GTi]

I suggest you get the Sorento. Medyo marami sila sa pamilya and there should be lots of luggage space for all those people for long trips.

[jut703]

Interesting. Currently comparing these, too. Plus the Tucson GL CRDi.

Right now, I'm leaning towards the Sportage though. You get more kit than the Sorento and wala ka na halos papalitan with the car - I'm sure that if we get a Sorento/Tucson, may mga cosmetic upgrades pa.

I haven't seen how bare the 1.330M Sorento is though, so I can't really make a good judgement call yet. Personally I don't see the benefit of the bigger Sorento since both cars just seat five and in either of them I'll still need a proper bike rack. Other cargo for 5 people will definitely fit even in the Sportage's rear - sa compact car nga kasya eh.

[IMm29]

For reference, Sorento LX pix are here:
http://tsikot.com/forums/kia-cars-ta...0-000-a-88354/

[IMm29]

Some additional tidbits:
- My friend said he did notice the size difference when he opened the hatches on both SUVs. So there might be some benefit to the bigger body on the Sorento.
- The bike rack he has for his Carens will not fit any of the 2 SUVs. The Carens he has does not have a roof rail, so we thought his generic bike rack could be transplanted. No can do.
- The design has to go thru the Chief Justice. Hahaha! The CJ was happy and excited with the look of the Sportage. And was a little bit lukewarm with the Sorento.

Let's see how today goes.

[niky]

According to SG, the SF and Sorento share the same underpinnings/suspension, so the ride should be very similar. With that, isn't the SF's ride too soft? When you said the Sporty's ride is bouncy, you're saying it's 'matagtag'? or wallowy?

thanks!

Shock and spring tuning are completely different between the two companies, even if the mounts are exactly the same. Much as in the Ford Focus and Mazda3... you can put Mazda3 parts on a Focus, but they drive differently.

The Sportage vs Tucson:

Tucson has softer spring and shock rates. It drives more softly and rides more softly over low-speed bumps.

Sportage has slightly stiffer springs, better shock damping and stiffer anti-roll bars. Handling is much better, it's a bit stiffer over low speed bumps, but the ride is well controlled and better on the highway.

The Sorento vs Santa Fe:

Santa Fe has much softer springs. It's more wallowy around corners, and the ride is much softer.

Sorento has slightly stifer springs, seemingly same shock damping and much more aggressive anti-roll bars. The ride is stiffer over single-wheel bumps and potholes, but similar over humps and waves. Handling is much, much more secure and stable through quick turns and swerves.