Anybody own a Kia Sportage?

[Sam Conder]

As I mentioned in my reply to the other thread, my information regarding the prospective vehicle was incorrect. It is a much newer Volvo than I thought and the asking price is $5000.

So, I've begun scouting around for other vehicles. My criteria in order are:

1. Price
2. Utility (I need a wagon, SUV or pickup for various reasons)
3. Reliability
4. Fuel economy
5. Cost of ownership (repairs)

I could really care less about paint condition or what color it is or any asthetic qualities. This won't be used for family vacations, but I will drive it quite a bit. (I commute about 30mi a day)

I have found several Kia Sportage 4x4s in my area in the $3000 range, one in particular that looks interesting:

2000 Kia Sportage

I have ran a Carfax on this vehicle and it looks pretty good. I called and talked to the owner, a 76yo man who bought it for his wife 4mo ago but then she decided she didn't like it because it was a standard shift.

Any opinions?

[sweensdv]

My wife drives a 2001 Sportage and likes it a lot. The 4 cylinder engine is a little under powered but hers is a manual transmission so it's a little quicker to get up to speed than the automatic version. Gas mileage is about 23mpg on average. When we first got this we did have quite a bit of trouble with it but KIA footed all the bills to get it right. By and large after 75000 miles, with the exception of routine maintenance costs, our out of pocket expense for repairs has been minimal, alternator replacement.

[Uncle Cracker]

My son has a '02 Kia Sedona minivan. He has had some trouble with it, namely A/C, tranny, poor economy (V6) and most recently, ignition coils (there are 3). Not only have the parts been expensive, and often available only through the dealer, but working on this thing is not easy. You must disassemble the whole front end to work on the engine, and you cannot get to one bank of plugs and wires without removing the intake manifold. Otherwise, it's been great...

That said, I'm sure there are horror stories to go with every make and model of vehicle. I'm sure others have had better luck.

[LCHIEN]

Sam, Consumer reports offers somewhat objective testing and they did not like the 1999 Sportage at all; the 2000 would be very similar as they did not make a major change until 2005. I sent you the report by PM.
Here's a list of used cars under $4000 and $4000-6000 they recommend based on safety reliability and overall satisfaction (hope it helps, if you need any CR specific reports, let me know.):

[MilDoc]

Have to agree with Loring. The Kia line has a pretty bad reputation, just like Ford did years ago. If you get a good one, consider it a "Lemon."

[Sam Conder]

Hmmm... doesn't sound good. Thanks for the info Loring, I guess I should keep looking. Ideally I would like a Subaru Legacy "Outback" wagon, and they made it on the list you posted.

Thanks again!

[Thom2]

From someone "in the biz"

RUN ... (don't walk) .... away from it!!!

There's definately a 'get ya now or get ya later' deal when you buy a vehicle. Kia gets you in the door with low prices and good fuel economy. For the first year or two you're tickled plum pink because of the low low payments and all the money you're saving on fuel.

THEN the repair bills hit unless you smart enough to unload the thing ahead of time. But even unloading it is gonna mean a slight smack in the wallet as they don't hold resale value near like other models. If you keep it long enough to start seeing repair bills, you'll quickly realize that all the money you saved on payments and fuel should have been put aside to afford the prices of the parts for these things.

Buying used is putting you right smack in the bad spot of having to afford the repairs, if you're gonna buy it, make sure it's CHEAP.

[Thom2]

Just some quick random comparisons .... (prices of course vary by region, supplier and manufacturer.) All prices reflect "suggested list" price which you could expect to pay if a shop were installing the parts.

Disclaimer: I am by no means a "chevy man", but wanted to use a popular vehicle for price comparisons.


00 Kia Sportage

• Cam Sensor $218
• Crank Sensor $153
• Ignition Coil $68 (two used)
• Upstream Oxygen Sensor $192
• Downstream Oxygen Sensor $149
• Front Brake Pads (semi-metallic) $43
• Front Brake Rotors $70
• Water Pump $167

00 Chevrolet S10 Blazer

• Cam Sensor (actually a whole distributor in this case) $176
• Crank Sensor $138
• Ignition Coil $79 (one used)
• Upstream Oxygen Sensor $97
• Downstream Oxygen Sensor $97
• Front Brake Pads (ceramic blend) $73
• Front Brake Rotors $57
• Water Pump $116

I should also add that there are models out there with parts prices that are extremely high, but the reliability puts those vehicles in a totally different class.

IMO the sportage has a fairly low reliability record, this coupled with the high price of replacement parts is what I'm basing my opinion on. Vehicles like the Camry, Accord etc demand high prices for parts, but the reliability on those vehicles is of a totally different class.

[kirkroy]

Vehicles like the Camry, Accord etc demand high prices for parts, but the reliability on those vehicles is of a totally different class.

Buying a Camry was like selling my soul to boredom.

[Sam Conder]

IMO the sportage has a fairly low reliability record, this coupled with the high price of replacement parts is what I'm basing my opinion on. Vehicles like the Camry, Accord etc demand high prices for parts, but the reliability on those vehicles is of a totally different class.

I agree totally, but I can't find any Accord or Camry wagons at all, and VERY few Accords and Camrys in the $2000 to $3000 range.

I filled the cargo area of my minivan at least once a month on average since I've driven it. Same with my Toyota pickup that I had. With Cub Scout pack meetings once a month and frequent campouts/sleepovers I need something with some cargo space. Add to it the cargo needs of Home Depot runs, I can't imagine ever being a sedan driver. I also take both boys with me quite often so a regular cab pickup won't work.

I was hoping to get away from a minivan but it's looking like that is going to be my only alternative. There are a few Ford Windstars around in my price range.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[LCHIEN]

list of really bad used cars to avoid

Used car dogs from Consumer Reports (all price ranges) from annual user surveys based on user satisfaction and reliability.

[Sam Conder]

Used car dogs from Consumer Reports (all price ranges) from annual user surveys based on user satisfaction and reliability.

See that doesn't make any sense. If CR hated the 1999 Sportage so bad, why isn't it on this list? The original review was based on their testing, but this list is based on user satisfaction. That tends to tell me that those who own them are satisfied, despite the fact that CR thinks they are junk.

And based on that list, I'll now have to cross all of the Ford Windstars off that I've found because they have all been between '97 and '01.

Boy this ain't easy...

[messmaker]

My neighbor had a Subaru Forester and it seemed like a nice vehicle. I did not love the look but it was rock solid and could do a full turn in a 2 lane road(impressive). I checked CR and it was the #1 small SUV at one time. Good luck in your hunt.

[Sam Conder]

My neighbor had a Subaru Forester and it seemed like a nice vehicle. I did not love the look but it was rock solid and could do a full turn in a 2 lane road(impressive). I checked CR and it was the #1 small SUV at one time. Good luck in your hunt.

A Subaru wagon is exactly what I want. I have yet to find one less than $5000 with decent mileage. There are a few within 250mi of me in the $3000 range, but they have over 200,000 miles on them.

[frumper64]

I'm not sure how big your sons are, but if they are still fairly small, you might consider a compact extended cab pickup. I've been driving small Nissan extended cabs for the last 12 years and loved them. They ride well for a small truck, get good mileage and have been pretty much bulletproof. I'm sure Toyotas are probably even better, but I haven't been able to convince myself they are enough better to justify the difference in price.
This would probably be a fairly short term solution, though, since the rear seating in them won't really cut it when the kids start to grow.