2005 Kia Sorento

Korean cars have never had a very flattering reputation. They were thought of as ugly, cheap and they weren't very reliable. But over the last decade, things have changed.

First of all, they dropped the clown car look. You don't have to park at the back of the lot, or duck your head so people don't see you pulling up in your bright red Shiakia Lampua. You can now take pride in your bargain bin car because it actually looks good.

Next, they decided to address the interior. In the past it looked as if the plastic monster sneezed on the inside of your Lampua and globs of plastic then dried to form the interior. Now there are graceful curves and high quality materials. Controls are laid out logically, and they actually work! The engines don't smoke or rattle, and the whole car stays together for more than a year. And don't forget about the 100k mile warranty.

Since it's now safe to buy a Korean car lets look at Kia's sport utility the Kia Sorento.

When I first saw pictures of the Kia Sorento, I thought it was ugly. But I changed my mind when I saw it in person. It has a nicely imposing stance and those wheel arches actually flow with the body lines. On the inside, it feels well put together. The materials are top notch and there’s plenty of room for your kids And all their stuff.

The standard 3.5 liter V6 provides decent power but the 3.8 liter adds an extra 50 hp and makes the Sorento a very viable alternative to the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot.

Unlike its competitors the Sorento is a body-on-frame truck and several 4-wheel drive systems with low range are available. The best of which is the Torque-On-Demand system which can be left engaged on dry pavement.

Even though the Sorento doesn't drive as car like as its competitors, it is a tough little truck. It's also quite a bargain on the used market. . COMMON PROBLEMS FOR THE KIA SORENTO: Hard starting, or not starting at all can be due to a bolt on the crankshaft pulley coming loose (2003-2004). On trucks with the manual transmission, the engine may hesitate requiring the engine control computer to be reprogrammed (2004). If you hear a knocking noise from the A/C compressor, it may need a redesigned clutch assembly (2007).