Family Driving Discoveries with the 2016 Kia Sorento SX AWD

Our family has owned our current small SUV for 15 years, so it’s worth noting when a vehicle comes along that has us delighted and contemplating upgrading.

Let me introduce you to the new 2016 Kia Sorento SX AWD… go ahead, it’s ok to stare.

Recently I was given the opportunity to test drive this well-equipped family vehicle for a week, and the whole family fell in love. From a driver standpoint, the comfort of the seats and feel while driving was perfect. Everything felt like a dream and looking at these photos has me rechecking our budget for a new car. I mean honestly, that is one amazing looking vehicle. I even fell in love with the red brake things (hubby says they’re calipers).

The 2016 Kia Sorento also features the UVO infotainment system to control your navigation, music, and connectivity. The UVO system is one of my favorites, and what I feel to be a very simple and easy navigation panel. The steering wheel controls also keep all your main functions at easy reach. Another feature that I loved was the fuel range mile quote on the dashboard, great for those spousal “who’s gonna get stuck getting gas” challenges. You can also see how your lead foot affects your mileage with the nice average MPG listing, 21.6 for me here — that’s really good for all the space you get with the Sorento and truth-telling for the quote of 23 highway/19 city.

Now let’s talk about those little munchkins families have — kids. My girls fell in love with the 2016 Kia Sorento SX for three main reasons,

1. Panoramic roof — come on, even adults would fall in love with that! Just imagine some backseat cuddle sessions under the stars. Oh wait, we were talking about the kids…
2. Backseat Power Adapters — can we all just admit that we let our kids use electronics and it’s ok (in moderation!) My girls were very happy to see that they had direct access to charging ports and didn’t have to compete with mom or dad for the front slots.
3. Sunshades — while we explained that these are NOT toys, they were delighted that they could control how much sun streamed through their side window.

Let me just mention two other awesome features about the new 2016 Kia Sorento SX AWD:

3rd row seating — ever had a friend call and ask you to pick up their kid because something came up? Well, the 50/50 split seating 3rd row in the Sorento SX will be your new best friend. Just pop up the seats and suddenly you’re ready to carry 8. Of course I will note that these seats are scrunched, and in my opinion only fit for kids. However, that’s perfect for families who need to just occassionally transport a friend to and from school or soccer. When not in use, the seats fold flat to give you a spacious cargo area, Costco run anyone?

Hands-free Power Liftgate — does it make me sound lazy to say that I LOVED this feature?! Hands full with bags after a shopping trip, or holding a kiddo in your arms? No worries, just walk up to the back of the Sorento with the keyless entry remote in your pocket or purse and you’ll hear three beeps before the tailgate magically opens. Hands-free! Awesome!

A quick peek at the safety specs and warranty:

• Dual Front Advanced Airbags
• Dual Front Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Side Curtain Airbags (1st & 2nd Rows)
• Rollover Sensor
• Blind-Spot Detection (BSD) System
• 3-Point Seat Belts for All Seating Positions
• Front Seat-Belt Pretensioners
• 4-Wheel Disc Brakes w/ABS
• Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
• Traction Control System (TCS)
• Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD)
• Brake Assist System (BAS)
• Hill Start Assist Control (HAC)
• Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Side-Impact Door Beams
• Front and Rear Crumple Zones
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
• Rear Child-Safety Door Locks
• 10 Year/100,000 Mile Limited Powertrain Warranty
• 5 Year/60,000 Mile Limited Basic Warranty
• 5 Year/60,000 Mile Roadside Assistance

…and it’s easy to see why the Kia Sorento SX AWD is a fabulous family vehicle, and one that is now on our shopping list. :)

Canine driver not included.

 

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