2023 Kia Sportage | Talking Cars with Consumer Reports

[@R56Cooper]

The SX fwd sportage is 33k and comes with KIA's excellent Highway Driving Assist (smart cruise control + lane following assist). Such a great value!

[@hereigoagain5050]

Congrats to Kia for their constant improvement. They started in last place. Now they have products at the top of every category.

[@Hallowsaw]

I wouldnt say capacitive touch and wired phone connectivity in a higher trim is top of the category. Thats what you use all the time so i think Mazda does that best.

[@honeybunchesb23]

I think kia warranty is top of the line. It's hard to beat when looking as kia vs mazda

[@rightlanehog3151]

These compact CUVs are the most common family car today. They should all offer enough room to accommodate modern, rear-facing child seats. Hopefully other brands 'get with the program' sooner rather than later.

[@bradweinberger6907]

Compact bud. It's in the name. If you want more space, get a mid sized.

[@ddhartma]

Regarding the radio controls. The steering wheel controls (with some voice inputs) can turn the radio on/off, change channels, adjust volume, ect.. They are in-fact more convenient even on the previous model year as well.

[@TheoPhilpot]

Hey y'all! Thanks so much for answering my question. The Volvo is actually a 2015.5 😂 not early 2000s but the burns are accurate. I would look into the Subarus but I really despise the lifted ride height and CVTs -- plus no eyesight with the manual. The shortlist is Integra, GTI, and the Civic Si. Thanks for all your help!

[@Buc_Stops_Here]

Look at the Subaru BRZ which I am stunned they did not recommend. It is a six speed manual and a six speed automatic rear wheel drive (the transmissions are provided by Toyota, the engines and design are from Subaru). If you are set on Honda, get the proven Civic Si - a new car even from Honda these days won't be as great especially around the electronics - which some are brand new compared to the Civic Si.

[@atmartens]

I'd go Integra. If you're going to own it, the GTI is a great car to lease but I wouldn't want to be stuck with repair bills - I know from my family having a Jetta and Passat. The Civic Si is also very nice, but if you want the nicer features I think the Integra would be the better way to go.

[@JJones2011]

Anything with a CVT is an automatic NO for me. I hate CVTs with a passion.

[@rickash7271]

I have a 2023 Kia K5 EX and I learned to do my own maintenance on it, so far I’m at 24K miles and it has been over the line perfect compared with other cars I’ve had in the past

[@jpnorth3557]

In my area the markups seem to be less brand driven than whether the dealer has a no haggle policy or not. The no haggle/one-price approach is your best bet for staying at MSRP.

[@BTC909]

Pass on the Gas & PHEV, get the Hybrid. The Hybrid has a much quieter engine, more power, a bit over 100 miles more range. Only the LX Hybrid is FWD, EX & SX Prestige drop 5 MPG. Yes it may be difficult to get one especially at MSRP. PHEV is slow in EV mode & requires the engine to run the heater.

[@altisamuels8694]

CR have been recommended brand new car like the Telluride , in its first year of production CR was heaping praise on this brand new model and recommending it .

[@dalethompson4340]

As your "first take" notes, the new Integra is being assembled exclusively in the Marysville, Ohio plant (MAP). In terms of first year reliability, one thing that is completely new with this Integra is the instrument panel. Completely new production equipment was installed at MAP to do this instrument panel, so that is one area that probably should be watched for possible reliability issues.

[@PaulHo]

I love this in-depth insight!

[@justinbelk89]

The switching of knobs for radio and hvac isn’t bad. Took a little getting used to.

[@PaulHo]

Hyundai/KIA are making leaps and bounds with their quality, innovations and designs; the market is reflecting that with paying a premium. Meanwhile, the Germans are overpriced from the start with arguably much worse packages. Hyundai/KIA are democratizing features and actually engineering practical vehicles instead of falling back on a dumb badge and reputation.

[@CraigWinstanley1]

True and astute observation. Just got rid of my BMW X6 - so unreliable, and bought a top-of-the-line KIA Sportage. Packed full of features and a seven year warranty.

[@jimhlee]

Hour the hvac / media controls, You can change the default or keep it at the least setting by holding the button down. At least in the EV 6. It made it more user friendly as I like it on the hvac setting as I can control the media via the steering wheel

[@PaulHo]

Can you toggle the modes by pushing the same button, instead of actually hitting navigation for navigation and climate for climate? I've seen a few reviewers just hit climate over and over, and it still toggles between the two.

[@toronado455]

i like the cameo by Keith's black cat.😊

[@LtMav-zk2qo]

Where did you buy it?

[@jaymedina3142]

Got my current Kia serviced yesterday at nearby Kia dealer. The dealer had virtually no new cars on lot. They had only a single 2023 Sportage, an SX stickered at $35K. But they added had some useless addons, which added a few thousand dollars to the price. But then they added a market adjustment sticker which took the price to $49K!!! Insane!

[@Hallowsaw]

That is bullshit. Put thst stealership on blast. Thats rx350 money

[@gregkramer5588]

And we have one coming for $795 over sticker which includes tint. Some dealers suck.

[@RigiLiquid945]

10:02 Go with the hybrid? or wait for the PHEV? With the Santa Fe, why not go with the Turbo?

[@marktorpeyphx]

Where can I find am EX for MSRP? I live in zip code 85032 and all dealers want about a $6,500 add on.

[@LionRunner]

@13:07 "Honda and Acura are not the slam dunk for reliability" interesting that its the same I heard on AlexOnAutos buying guide. Honda seems to be down on reliability. Without a doubt CR & everyone say Toyota and Lexus is the best bet for reliability eve for first year and Honda was almost there but now doesn't seems to be the case.

[@JTR253]

Yet Kia and Hyundai have recalls of engines blowing up? I'll trust the Japanese. No, Nissan is not Japanese with the French takeover since 1999.

[@bradweinberger6907]

Honda has slipped from being a contemporary of Toyota to a step down. As an Odyssey owner, I'm fairly disappointed. They have had oil dilution issues with their small turbos and there was the very basic 2012 civic.

[@IamGroot786]

It only takes one model to have issues and your reliability as a brand drops off. Those new transmissions on the Odyssey killed them for a couple of years. Acura's issues have mostly been with infotainment, everyone hates it.

[@Ascend777]

@@IamGroot786 not true, many honda models have oil dilution because they share the same engine design with only difference is engine size.

[@niuhuskieguy]

The problem I have with Toyota is the lower trims always feel cheap. You have to go for the higher trims to not get that feeling. You definitely get that you get what you pay for feeling.

[@DoorisJ]

Ive noticed that a lot of Kia’s dont have adaptive cruise control while the Hyundai counterpart does have it standard.. like the base K5 and Sonata

[@jpnorth3557]

I would investigate more closely if you’re interested. HDA and the other adaptive features they show in trim comparisons represent what is essentially adaptive cruise+. If you research closely I think you’ll find they all come with what is standard adaptive cruise in other brands. They don’t want to tell you that because they want you to buy up a trim or two. I had the same concern when I bought my Tucson Hybrid. It has adaptive cruise and it’s good. In fact I found that the Hyundai/Kia driving assist is better than Toyota and Honda for my experience.

[@jjakkad]

Good on you guys to call out over msrp rip off cars, more of this please. And people need to avoid those and manufacturers need to put measures around for dealers and stop stealing from consumers - they are all fully in on this.

[@gregkramer5588]

This is some dealer, not all. It is funny they did not mention that it was the dealers and not the manufacturers.

[@TheUsflow]

Please do a Talking Cars about the Sportage PHEV when it comes out. TIA.

[@CC-wm1yq]

Lx models have buttons for climate and separate radio controls. Sometimes cheap is more convenient! LOL

[@RomeoG39]

Hey, please let me know if you want to sell that IIc. And, BTW, I am enjoying my SX Prestige.

[@TheLifetraveler1]

WAIT! My neighbor just got one three days ago. It is the EX 2WD version, of your 4WD model. She paid $33,500 out the door. Yet your 4WD cost less? Something's not right. The same dealer tried to get her to take a 2020 Sportage a week ago at $33000. But I told her not to settle, that desperation feeds into dealer greed. So She held them off and got one as it was coming off the car carrier tractor trailer. So it still looks like she overpaid compared to what you guys bought. When you tell us prices does that include tax?

[@jefferydsmith9966]

My 23 Sportage has been in the shop for 14 days. The dealership can’t figure out a clicking sound near the back. Also my AWD light randomly comes on. On top of that if someone sits in the back, the sensors pick up that all seats are occupied. Three recalls already. The vehicle has been a disaster so far. 🤦🏻

[@d2t214]

Please review 2024 Hybrid Sportage!

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

I always thought the problem with the CTS-V wagons with manual transmissions was the price. Not that consumers didn't want wagons...or manuals. But when you make something that cost $63,000 in 2014, when the average new car transaction price that year was $32,000, you're just not going to get a lot of takers. That said, I'm not sure why the Buick Regal TourX didn't do better, as that was more reasonably priced. And as far as manuals, manufacturers if they are still making them, go ahead and put them in stripped down base models. If you could find one at MSRP, the Kia Forte GT is an interesting small car option coming "fully loaded" with great tech including dual climate control, heated and cooled seats...unless you want to row your own gears--no cooled seats for you! The Subaru Crosstrek finally addressed the one issue that bothered many, by giving it a more powerful engine in the Sport trim...which is not available with a manual transmission (irony alert; "Sport" model comes only with CVT). The last time Honda put a manual in their Accord, instead of putting the universally lauded Civic/Type R shifter in there, they put a manual in the car that made EVERY automotive journalist (noted fans of stick shifts) say, "get the automatic/get the hybrid; it's way better, this thing is not fun to shift." I think there's really a chicken/egg situation with cars...manufacturers put all the "love" into their SUVs and say, "see, no one wants a wagon/sedan? We're just giving consumers what they want." [cue evil wink/laugh in background]

[@PaulHo]

What I would give for a C30 or Regal TourX today! I wish even more that we'd get some actual MPVs or Kei cars.

[@williamb.1582]

A sweet little moggy taking a bath behind Keith there. 😺

[@Noah_E]

Being loosely associated with the ILX isn't a good thing. I have two friends (sisters) who bought ILX in 2017. One leased a blue base model and has since traded for a Crosstrek Sport. That one had a shock replaced and half the car repainted because it was peeling around the windows at less than two years old. The other had the same paint defect despite being a different color (black). That one had a fuel pump and TPMS sensor fail. She still has it because she bought instead of leasing and it isn't worth enough to trade for something better, even with how inflated usedcar prices are currently are it having almost everything option available at the time. Note: that one has less than half the miles of my 2015 Forester XT and my Forester hasn't had a single mechanical failure after 67k miles of hard use around my tree farm

[@MissDebbye]

I just ordered a Sportage AWD SX-P Hybrid at MSRP.

[@maryanneswander1046]

Could you tell me where please.

[@amigatommy7]

Hybrd seems to be the best choice.

[@moeanthony9308]

Is it sportige or sportahge?

[@jlmartin2308]

So....has Kia under priced their MSRP ? You need to compare, between brands, what you get for the selling price, not MSRP

[@robertrawtokerpokermeranda6630]

I purchased a 2023 Kia sportage prestige sx On Good Friday.. .

[@kendallalston504]

What are your thoughts on the vehicle? Do you like it since owning it?

[@chaso4937]

HI EMILY, QUINCE, AND "MOUNTAIN MAN" KEITH, HOW ARE YOU?? I LIKE THIS NEW 2023 ( 23? a little early, ain't it?? ) SPORTAGE. IT HAS A LOT OF NICE FEATURES FOR THAT PRICE!! BUT, I ALREADY HATE THE IDEA OF THAT SWITCHABLE CONTROL PANEL IN THE CENTER DASH!! I'M SURE THAT, NO MATTER WHAT CONTROL I NEED TO USE IMMEDIATELY WHEN I'M DRIVING, THAT I'M GUARANTEED TO BE ON THE WRONG "BAND"!! THIS COULD DEFINITELY BE A DEAL BREAKER PROBLEM!! OTHERWISE, A GOOD CAR; TOO BAD!! THANKS GUYS!! CHAS ORVIS, PLAINVILLE, CT.

[@berts4877]

Why are you yelling! You do know all CAPS is understood to be yelling for messages?

[@davidm5707]

@@berts4877 Some people have vision issues that are helped by using capitals.

[@user-jb6qs8yt9m]

Chas, I definitely agree with you. I am in the market for something like this Kia but maybe the hybrid version. I'd probably have to pass if it has this kind of deficiency. I passed on the Civic a few years back when they removed the volume knob and have not been interested in it since.

[@Maxwell1989]

get the hybrid model

[@AB-jk7tw]

Great looking new car, especially the hybrid - watch out Honda, Toyota and the domestic car makers

[@bradweinberger6907]

Toyota I'm sure isn't terribly worried.

[@manthony225]

Yeah. Watch out for it catching on fire.

[@AB-jk7tw]

I think that the skepticism today with Korean cars today is very similiar to what Toyota and Honda experienced when they first launched in America.

[@sveronih5376]

@@AB-jk7tw except Kia and Hyundai have been in America a long time and have a lot of issues

[@Buc_Stops_Here]

Subaru Crosstrek for a recent college grad in comparison to the new Integra? She talks about a good back seat for kids. That is an odd choice considering the Integra back seat won't be anything to write home about. I don't think that is what he is looking for (back seat space). I was thinking the Subaru BRZ if they wanted to go with something proven as it is a sports car like the Acura Integra is going for.

[@Hallowsaw]

Crosstrek. Those things hold their value better than almost everything. If they dont like it in a fee years, sell it and get something else.

[@AB-jk7tw]

Get the hybrid!

[@haroldz123]

Will it caught fire?

[@ray85158]

Now if Hyundai and Kia can build a gas engine that does not consume oil. Just got rid of 2020 Hyundai Palisade that used 1qt of oil per 700 miles.

[@TheLifetraveler1]

My 2016 Hyundai Sonata has never consumed oil. I'm at 75,000 miles. Could it specifically be the V6 that does it, versus the 4 cylinders?

[@robfern66]

I have a soul and a forte and fortunately we haven't had this problem. Do you know which engines have this problem?

[@davidm5707]

That seems drastic for an oil consumption issue. Was there anything else wrong?

[@ItsAlive111]

Look at that Honda, Subaru, and Toyota: rear AC vents on a compact vehicle!!!

[@Hallowsaw]

I dont even understand how this is considered compact. It is bigger than a lot of midsized crossovers.

[@paulpellico3797]

you KEEP doing it! You keep telling everybody these Palisade and Tellurides are blowing away everybody in sales and it is absolutely false! why? are you getting something on the side??? the Telluride sold ONLY 8,000 last month. the ford explorer sold 21,000!

[@KA-zh2rq]

All they said was the telluride breaks sales records… they never said it sells more. It’s the truth, since it came out the telluride has been at the top of the fastest selling cars list each month. Chill out

[@eleanormassaro5195]

I’ve been perplexed by this too. I mean, I see them on the road but I’m not seeing a lot of them on the road!

[@judyaustin8527]

Tell me Consumer Reports, does Kia have a good, affordable, fire insurance plan that you can purchase from the dealer for your vehicle and house?

[@myohmy839]

You can set which is dominant. Climate or audio. It will always revert back. Press the button and hold it, to set Also, most commonly used climate controls are always there. Make audio dominant, and you're good.

[@toronado455]

is there anyway to have it so that the physical knobs are always on climate and the radio is always controlled through the big infotainment screen?

[@myohmy839]

@@toronado455 You can set it so that climate is the dominant one. Easier to control the radio with the steering wheel controls.

[@TheLifetraveler1]

Reliability. My 2016, which is when they made a body change, has significant problems and I sold it within 4 months. Later on you guys actually discuss the issues from other Honda buyers, that I had experienced. By that time though I traded it in for 2016 sonata, which I've had absolutely no problems with.

[@Ghost-jy9hk]

Your 2016 what? What car did you have?

[@Faisal-sf1gh]

People are actually buying these cars with 20% mark ups and she must’ve bought it at MSRP

[@JarekMarsh-Prelesnik]

Engine and Transmission Blew After 7 Months Bought a brand-new 2023 Kia SPORTAGE. My Sportage broke after 7 months. The car is covered under warranty, but my car has been at the dealer for over 16 days and the parts have not even been ordered yet. They gave me a tiny car that my mother and brother cannot even fit into. I asked to have my payment waved until the Sportage was fixed, but they told me they could not do anything. After explaining that they did not give me a comparable rental car they sent me to another member of customer service who told me they could not do anything. I spent two hours on the phone today and nothing was resolved. They keep telling me they don't know how long it will be until it's fixed. In the meantime, I am trying to move four hours away and am waiting on my Sportage to move my last items. I’m hoping that the t will be ready before my apartment lease ends, or I will need to spend more money out of pocket to rent a moving van. They keep blowing me off when I ask to be reimbursed for the tow truck. Be careful before considering a Kia. Their cars don’t seem to be built to last.

[@JIMMY-ck1oe]

in my area i met 10 new sportage owners which are all have no issues like you

[@JIMMY-ck1oe]

your case may be is 1 of 100

[@lcarliner]

For most customers, I believe that the plug-in hybrid is a waste compared with a non-plugin version is a waste in that the extra battery weight degrade overall fuel mileage, especially if a home charging setup is out of the question. In the case of the Chrysler Pacifica, most customer would rather have the stow and go feature that the extra battery volume sacrifices for the marginal benefit of EV-only limited mileage.

[@bradweinberger6907]

How are these guys still doing this remotely. Get in a room together. The vibe is so much better

[@edsmith9855]

Disagree about the safety (well maybe it is driver assistance) equipment. With most Hyundai/Kia models adaptive cruise control is only available on higher (or highest) trim levels. After driving a Subaru with eyesight, ACC is an absolutely essential feature on any new car I would buy. With it becoming standard on Mazda, Toyota, and Honda now, as well as Subaru, it is an inexcusable omission IMO to not make it standard equipment.

[@jpnorth3557]

You have to look closely at the features. In the Hyundai Tucson (and I’m guessing Sportage is similar) they all come standard with adaptive cruise. The literature makes it sound like they don’t because they want you to upgrade to the highest trim which comes with essentially adaptive cruise+ which has additional info used from your gps navigation related to curves in the road.

[@eleanormassaro5195]

Agreed!😁

[@NoodlesExtraMSG]

Stirring the pot.....And Ed is acutually correct... but so is JP. When in doubt, look at the steering wheel, lower right button. and look for the button with a car icon and 2 lines behind it. Cars with Non Nav SCC will have this button, other cars have a rewind/back(?) button. Now, the brain diarrhea: The lowest gas-only Hyundai Tucson SE does not have SCC (the regular radar based adaptive cruise) and you have to go mid trim SEL and buy one of the packages. And yes, the trim compare literature for both Kia and Hyundai makes it read like you have to buy the higher trims to get the Navigation based driver assist system, to get ANY SCC/ACC. As far as I can tell, in US market, you have to buy the gas only Kia Sportage Mid trim SX with Prestige package in order to get the SCC non nav based thingie. To make things muddy clear, Tucson Hybrid, lowest trim called Blue, SCC IS standard. Whereas Sprtage Hybrids do no list the non Nav SCC at then lowest trim LX at all. Back to KIA's lowest 3 trim of the gas only: Does NOT mention SCC in Trim Compare tool at this time, no way to add the prestige package to any trim below sx...but that doesnt mean you can't add the Prestige package to LX and EX...right? any Kia/Hyundai salespeople or owner can correct me.

[@marekw.9816]

The front end reminds me of a Picasso.

[@amigatommy7]

Genesis is using the new bad climate control too.

[@rethinkcps2116]

$31k? Not "affordable."

[@1Smrdo]

So what are the chances that the engine will catch fire? KIA and Hyundai have a problem.

[@Taquitos-burritos]

The car that has been burning all over the world 😂 keeping the Hyundai Legacy

[@KA-zh2rq]

That engine you’re talking about was only really available in America and Hyundai and Kia have good reliability scores in other countries… if you don’t know anything about cars you shouldn’t be talking…just a suggestion

[@atmartens]

I'm sorry, but there's no way that Kia and Hyundai would be something I'd consider. Have you not seen all of the reports about fires? There was a news report that even a Kia Soul that had been recalled and fixed by the dealer caught fire 6 months later. I love the look of Kia's but they obviously have a lot of things they need to sort out.

[@sveronih5376]

My 2021 Sportage had issues and I traded it in

[@iBike2Live]

That's a LOT of "umm"s and "uhh"s and "ahh"s. I lost count after the first 100 or so. These "filler words" detract a great deal from the professionalism and believability. That's really too bad. Love the detailed information, but the middle (heavier, younger) presenter was simply awful. Bummer.

[@haze1123]

The new Sportage is truly bizarre looking. Did aliens design that grille?

[@toronado455]

first 😊🆗🆒✅🏆

[@hb2088]

Emily smug "kind of "

[@stanleynaing3478]

Nobody can buy a car with MSRP price nowadays, only you work as paid advertiser for KIA motors...................Hello CR shamed on you................................

[@chriszawertany5242]

KIA Garbage-KIA dealers always have a BS vehicle package that adds $4000 on top of the MSRP-nothing in that package they add on barely equals to about $500-shop elsewhere.

[@hb2088]

KIA products are fine. Their dealers and finance parent=Garbage.

[@mrsj1417]

I think uh that uhm they should uh have uh people uhm who uhm can speak uhm intelligently uh and uh uh uhm who uh can uhm present uh uhm a video bet uh uhm better. Adults should be able to speak in complete, coherent sentences. Does anyone take pride in their jobs anymore?