2005 KIA Sportage

Pros: Styling, black interior, passenger and cargo room, interior versatility, PRICE

Cons: Power just adequate, handling closer to BMW but still not there, hard plastic inside

The Bottom Line: Rivals the best compact SUVs at a very low price. Impressive even to a non-SUV person like me.

Review: I had not planned to test drive the recently re-introduced Kia Sportage. I test drove and reviewed the new Hyundai Tucson last fall, and the Sportage seemed like the same vehicle, just with slightly different styling. (Hyundai owns Kia.) Then a ...

Pros: Clutch-less stick shifting, optional MP3 & cassette player, tinted rear passenger windows, 10 year warranty.

Cons: More leg room for a 5’ 11” driver (seat to go back one more notch).

The Bottom Line: Yes, I reommend this vehicle and if you like the idea of having the option to switch from automatic to stick shifting, this is the car for you!

Review: I bought my 2005 Kia last August trading in our `95 GMC Safari van and selling a `95 Camry to a co-worker. Having two Toyota sedans and a van was a little much for us but as people who love to fish, the van was our perfect vehicle to travel in with our ...

Pros: V6 power, ESP traction, Sporty handling, 6 airbags, optional MP3 player/sunroof, price, 10 year warranty.

Cons: Small V6 is not quite as powerful as mid-sized SUVs. A couple of rattles

The Bottom Line: The 2005 KIA Sportage is a great combination of car-like feel in a roomy, very functional, and affordable SUV, not to mention the unbeatable 10 year warranty!

Review: My new wife and I had a dilemma. We had a plan to wait a year and build up some cash before retiring her old, flaky little Nissan Altima. Unfortunately, when she broke down on a 5-lane tollway road in rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon...that was ...