Kia Sportage (2005 - 2010) 2.0 CRDi XS (138bhp) 5d (2006/06) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Would you buy this car again and why?

What are you likely to buy next?

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£7,000

When did you buy the car?

October 2011

Did you get a good deal and why?

Purchased privately. Pricing was about £500 below the Parkers 'Private Good' at the time.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

What was the dealer like?

n/a

What's it like to drive?

Quite a good cruiser. You can do a few hundred miles without fatigue. Handling can be a bit loose on the front end going around tight corners at speed. Good on lanes, poor surfaces and snow.

What's it like to park?

Car is rather larger, but parking sensors help.

Have you had any problems with the car?

EGR Valve seized a few weeks after purchase. Kia now offer an EGR reapir kit for £115 (inc VAT) which in essence is the EGR valve minus the motor. A complete new Kia OEM EGR valve is over £300. OS coil spring fractured recently. Other normal wear n' tear items (tyres etc) - but general day to day reliability is good.

What's most practical about your car?

We live in a rural area, so having a vehicle that's good on the backroads as well as the main roads is important. The 4 wheel drive is very useful in winter during snow and ice. The 'XS' spec is also good with Air Con, Leather, Cruise Control, Heated Seats etc. Recently the car has had an ECU remap. This has increased the output from 138bhp to 180bhp. Fuel consumption has also improved from 32mpg to nearly 40mpg. The car is now much livelier and has not suffered any mechanical problems since.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Heated seats in winter. Rear Parking sensor.