Another Other Peninsula Product

[Neanderthal]

Due to some Lexus-slug running a red light one moon back, I ended up driving a few affordable, heavy (4400 lbs.), R/4WD V6/5 speed tall station wagons.

Others call them SUVs. But these cars (OK, some call them trucks) are nothing more than stubby (180" oal, 107" wb), jacked up (68" high), full-framed versions of ye olde Country Squire. Updated to 2008 specs.

Updated with such unimaginables from Country Squire days as 4 wheel discs, abs, stability control, curtain and driver knee airbags, power windows, remote locks, power heated outside mirrors, 20+ mpg on-the-road economy, and of course air, flipper seats, and five 17" alloys with 245.70.17 Michelin tires.

Nice V6 burble, reminds me of a girl-pal's '88 Beretta way back when, very tight turning radius, very comfortable ride. Hey, what they say about road hugging weight does have truth to it! How does this thing ride so smoothly with all that unsprung weight?

Yes, friends, this is a new 2008 KIA Sorento LX, stickered a bit north of $25,000 thanks to floor mats, cargo shade, and those cursed wheel locks.

I have carried my anti-SUV bias around without having actually driven one. So many SUV drivers are pests, whether they know it or not. They block the view of oncoming traffic when they pull up next to you. They block the view of traffic lights. They block, they block.

Being elevated in this Sorento, with its 8.2" ground clearance and a saddle about horse-high (actually, mule high as Festus might say), I notice just how damn many of these high chariots there are on the road. They're everywhere! The majority, I'd say.

Anyway, this car has great, comfortable seats, a simple logical dash layout, KIA's typical grey/grey camo speedo cluster, plenty of power to make 0-60 come up in the 8 to 9 range, not much lean in corners, and at 16 grand plus tax with its 10/100 and 5/60 warranty, there was nothing close. A Vibe 2.4 was priced at 19...maybe 18 if we found a roll-up-window jobbie. A Torrent, well into the 20s. A Mazda 5, over 20.
I'd have loved to have driven a Taurus X, but the clowns dancing around the Ford showroom motived me to drive on by.

My wife is on the road as we speak, delivering the car to middle earth California.
Yesterday, heavy rains. Today, heavy rains and heavy winds. One disadvantage of a tall wagon is, tall feels more wind than short. A 58" tall car would definitely work better in the high desert windstorms.

But wife and car are OK after two days on the pre-springtime roads. The 16 grand Sorento is less than d-i-l paid for her new 07 Rondo EX less than a year ago. And for hauling two kids, one pooch, and an occasiona grammaw, it's just the ticket for driving around a crazy city.

Did I mention what a danged comfortable car this Sorento is? Yes, I guess I did.
You know, I could get used to something like this.

[CheetahDC]

You got a new car?

[jkennedy293]

Yeah, post some pics.

[Neanderthal]

OK, I will endeavor (no pun intended) to post. Stay tuned to this channel!!

[F14CRAZY]

manual trans?

[RoGuE]

Nice choice, I like the Sorento. My sister was looking at one before she got her 2005 Explorer but the idiots salesmen literally ran away when he was asked if there were any models on the lot that matched certain specifications, and he disappeared and never came back. They probably lost a customer that day.

Offtopic though, you said

plenty of power to make 0-60 come up in the 8 to 9 range

. How come when someone talks about SUVs 9 second 0-60 is perfectly acceptable, but if a car (sedan) gets to 60mph in 9 seconds, everyone come out with the pitchforks saying it is slow as crap?

[EldoFan]

Talk about coincidences.......I followed a red Sorento nearly the full drive home from school today Congrats!

[Neanderthal]

Please remember I'm a photoretard, there's one or two others but I can't git em. Dern.

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by RoGuE

Nice choice, I like the Sorento. My sister was looking at one before she got her 2005 Explorer but the idiots salesmen literally ran away when he was asked if there were any models on the lot that matched certain specifications, and he disappeared and never came back. They probably lost a customer that day.

Offtopic though, you said . How come when someone talks about SUVs 9 second 0-60 is perfectly acceptable, but if a car (sedan) gets to 60mph in 9 seconds, everyone come out with the pitchforks saying it is slow as crap?

MOST everyone, I'd say.

From my perspective, 0-60 in 10 or 11 is OK, whether car or station wagon (aka SUV). I think my Spectra is about a 10 second car.

There are lots of other factors that are more important than a 0-60.
I prefer merging power, i.e. 45-70 or so, hill-pulling power, handling, braking, MPG/tactical range, and driver environment comfort and convenience.

If I had a very quick car, I'd just be dogging it. Even with The Mighty Spectra, I can't get my foot into it as often as I'd like.

I'd rather have ESP that saved my ass in one slick curve than a 6 second car that would just garner me some tickets.

[F14CRAZY]

well..is it a manual?

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by F14CRAZY

well..is it a manual?

No.

But it HAS a manual!!

[mikmak]

Originally Posted by LAMRONH

MOST everyone, I'd say.

From my perspective, 0-60 in 10 or 11 is OK, whether car or station wagon (aka SUV). I think my Spectra is about a 10 second car.

There are lots of other factors that are more important than a 0-60.
I prefer merging power, i.e. 45-70 or so, hill-pulling power, handling, braking, MPG/tactical range, and driver environment comfort and convenience.

If I had a very quick car, I'd just be dogging it. Even with The Mighty Spectra, I can't get my foot into it as often as I'd like.

I'd rather have ESP that saved my ass in one slick curve than a 6 second car that would just garner me some tickets.

Yep, I totally understand after borrowing the mother in laws auto Liberty/Legacy GT Turbo last night. Around a 7 second car (according to my brain chono), this thing delivers a lot of grins almost too readily.

Congrats on the new veehickle. You do know the new one is due out any day now

[Neanderthal]

Originally Posted by mikmak

Yep, I totally understand after borrowing the mother in laws auto Liberty/Legacy GT Turbo last night. Around a 7 second car (according to my brain chono), this thing delivers a lot of grins almost too readily.

Congrats on the new veehickle. You do know the new one is due out any day now

No worries, mate!

I had a bright red 1992 SHO 5-speed a while back when many GMI-ers were at the pre-kindergarten stage. It was a great car and lots of fun. But it sure brought out the manly-man in other drivers and, I can happily report, apparently fulfilled many of their needs to make a roadway challenge.

I probably had more fun driving my Honda AN600 36HP two-cylinder (also red, hmmmmm), since I could run it at 95% capacity most of the time and still not meet the local police-homies.

Thanks. Actually it belongs to d-i-l. We picked it up here because the local boyz were having a fire sale. At 16 grand out the door nothing else could come close.

Have seen NO 2009s, so I wonder if they're just going to birth the 2010 and skip a year.

BTW, wife got 21-22 MPG driving about 1000 miles through the mountains and valleys and passes, in rain, snow, and wind. Not bad for a big hunk.