2000 Kia Sportage 4x4 4door 5speed 2liter 4cylinder Engine Highbidwins on 2040-cars

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Predictable is good | 2017 Kia Sorento Quick Spin

It's been a while since we've tested the latest Kia Sorento, and we've never reviewed the V6 model. That's a shame. It's comfortable, drives well, and offers a lot of features. It's one of Kia's best-sellers, though sales have slipped as competitors roll out fresher models. Still, with consumers flocking to crossovers, the Sorento remains a critical vehicle for Kia. We spent a couple of days running around metro Detroit in the top trim SXL V6 model, which starts at $46,595. With optional Snow White Pearl paint ($395) our tester comes in at $46,990. It's loaded, with the 3.3-liter V6, all-wheel drive, 19-inch chrome alloy wheels, HID headlights, and LED fog and taillights. The interior has heated and vented seats, a heated leather steering wheel, Kia's UVO infotainment, satellite radio, and Infinity surround sound audio. Safety features include an auto emergency braking system, lane departure warning, surround view monitor, and rear traffic alert. Put simply, it's a really nice crossover. Here's our impressions. We were immediately impressed with the V6, which pumps out 290 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque. It offers strong, even acceleration. We took off from a stoplight, revved to 6,000 rpm, and shot past a line of traffic cued up to the left. The Sorento feels a little bit like a sleeper. It's strong on the expressway. We had no trouble merging or maneuvering through plodding traffic. Reaching cruising speeds of 75 or 80 miles per hour isn't a chore. We occasionally floored it to stretch things out and weren't disappointed. Response is very acceptable for this segment. We noticed the sound of the V6 is basic, and not sporty. Just six cylinders doing their thing. Teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission, the V6 was refreshing. So many crossovers come with turbo and/or naturally-aspirated four-cylinders (the Sorento offers both). But a competent engine moving us forward in a linear fashion is kind of nice. Traditional even. Yes, the industry is moving toward downsized displacement, and that's a smart tactic. But a turbocharged engine — they all have some degree of lag — is a strange dynamic for some consumers. Add in a dual-clutch or an eight- or nine-speed gearbox, and everyday vehicles can start to feel weird. Accelerate quickly in a turbo crossover with a non-enthusiast and they're not going to like it. The point: the traditional powertrain in the Sorento delivers. Once we're cruising, we noticed a little bit of road and wind noise.

In the Kia Niro Super Bowl ad, no good deed goes unpunished

After a few teasers, we finally get to see Kia's Super Bowl ad for the Niro hybrid. The ad shows Melissa McCarthy rushing off to all corners of the world to help environmental causes of all types. As soon as a call comes over the speakers of her navy blue Niro, she's ready to go. Unfortunately, as you'll see in the video above, none of her experiences go according to plan. She has a close encounter with a whale that sends her flying, rides a tree down to the ground while trying to save it, and runs from an angry rhino. The end message is that "it's hard to be an eco warrior, but it's easy to drive like one." The ad is admittedly funny, but the end message isn't exactly ideal. Fuel-sipping cars like the Niro are generally better for the environment than thirstier machines, but it's a little disappointing to see it proposed as a viable alternative to actual volunteer work to help the environment. It's a bit like wanting to go overseas to help people in struggling countries, but deciding it's too hard and buying a Fair-Trade chocolate bar instead. But hey, it's just a Super Bowl commercial, so we're probably overthinking this. And if you liked the commercial, or maybe you're just a Melissa McCarthy fan, Kia will be giving away 40 props from the commercials. You can win one of them by chatting with the NiroBot chatbot on Facebook Messenger, which provides information about the car. Related Video:

Guess which brand's not on a top 10 list of best EVs (hint: it's Tesla)

Few surprises lurk in Autotrader’s list of its 10 best electric vehicles of 2023, but there is one that stands out: no Teslas. There's Hyundais and Kias, Porsches and Fords, a BMW and a Nissan. But Â… no Teslas. Although many of us admit to being over-Musked and tired of reading about him, the lack of a Tesla model on a selection of the 10 most desirable current EVs is conspicuous by its absence. Asked about this particular omission, we received this rather vague response from Autotrader spokesperson Brenna Buehler at Cox Automotive: “Tesla models were included in consideration but didnÂ’t get sufficiently high scores by the Editorial team to qualify for the top 10.” At least some Tesla offerings appeared to meet all the requirements set by the website. The manufacturers must offer 2023 model year vehicles, and they have to be sold in at least 15 states. Check. Only pure EVs were allowed on the list; there are no hybrids, plug-in hybrids or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Check. The base manufacturer's suggested retail price must be less than $100,000. Check. Let the debates begin. Moving on, it should be noted that two Genesis models, a G80 sedan and GV 60 SUV, are listed, along with a Lucid Air midsize sedan, the Rivian R1T pickup, and the Porsche Taycan. Here is the full list, with the remarks and comments from Autotrader's raters. (And we've included links to Autoblog's own reviews for a deeper dive). The EVs are listed in alphabetical order by brand, so don't read anything into the order of presentation: 2023 BMW i4 BMW reboots its EV approach and comes up with a winner: Whatever you thought of BMW's first run at EV, the i3, it was missing a certain something – it didn't look or perform like a BMW. The 2023 BMW i4 corrects course with a Gran Coupe that our editors agree looks and drives like a BMW. 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Ford's electric pickup gathers steam in its second year: The F-150 Lightning somehow synthesized decades of pickup truck knowledge with the latest and greatest EV technology and infused thoughtful details and user-friendly features. 2023 Genesis Electrified G80South Korea's luxury brand shows how to elevate the executive EV sedan without breaking the bank: Genesis, Hyundai's luxury offshoot, rethought the gasoline-powered luxury sedan, the G80, and developed the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80. Precisely as the name hints, the Electrified G80 replaces the G80's engine with an all-wheel-drive EV powertrain.