2011 Kia Sorento

The 2011 Kia Sorento has been fully redesigned. Major changes include a switch to carlike unibody construction, more powerful engines and a new third-row seat. The 2011 Kia Sorento crossover SUV hits almost all the right notes, and it does so with the affordability you’d expect.

The Sorento’s most obvious advantage over these models is its near-midsize dimensions. Longer than both rivals, the Sorento capitalizes with an optional third-row seat that’s actually inhabitable by adults for short trips; the RAV4′s third row, conversely, is strictly for kids, and the CR-V doesn’t even offer one. The Sorento also features a choice of four- and six-cylinder engines, just like the Toyota, while the Honda is four-cylinder only.

Overall, though, the Sorento is a highly impressive effort.

2011 Kia Sorento EX SUV

The 2011 Kia Sorento is a crossover SUV offered in four trim levels: base, LX, EX and the sporty SX. A third-row 50/50-split-folding seat with room for two is optional on the LX and four-cylinder EX, and standard on the EX V6 and SX.

The base model comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, 17-inch alloy wheels, full power accessories, air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping multifunction steering wheel, a trip computer, Bluetooth connectivity and a CD/MP3 audio system with satellite radio and a USB audio jack.

The SX spices things up with more aggressive exterior styling details, a sport-tuned suspension, leather upholstery, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, unique metallic interior trim, a rearview camera and a 10-speaker Infinity sound system.

A rear-seat DVD entertainment system is available on EX V6 models without the sunroof.

All Sorento trim levels come standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 175 horsepower and 169 pound-feet of torque. The base model has a six-speed manual transmission, while the others come with a six-speed automatic. Front-wheel drive is standard across the board, while LX and EX models are eligible for all-wheel drive. In our performance testing, the four-cylinder brought a Sorento EX from zero to 60 mph in a leisurely 9.9 seconds — one of the slower times in the class. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 21 mpg city/29 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined with the front-wheel-drive automatic. Fuel economy stands at 20/26/22 with front-wheel drive and 19/25/21 with AWD.

The 2011 Kia Sorento comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability control, hill-start assist, hill descent control, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and front active head restraints. In the government’s new, more strenuous crash testing for 2011, the Sorento earned an overall rating of four stars out of a possible five, with four stars for overall frontal crash protection and four stars for overall side crash protection. The Sorento earned a top score of "Good" for its performance in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s frontal-offset, side-impact and roof-strength crash tests.

It doesn’t slide fore and aft without the optional third-row seat (standard on EX V6), meaning the Sorento’s not quite as versatile as the Equinox, CR-V or RAV4. With the rear seats folded, the Sorento can carry up to 72.5 cubic feet of cargo — about as much as a RAV4 or CR-V.

As with the RAV4, the 2011 Kia Sorento is a tale of two engines. At highway speeds, the Sorento’s cabin remains impressively isolated from both road and wind noise. We’re also fond of the Sorento’s handling ability, as this crossover responds directly to steering inputs.