Kia Sportage (2005 - 2010) 2.0 CRDi XS 5d (2005/05) Owner Review
Want to know everything there is to know about this car?
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Summary
What does this car say about you?
"Look at me i tried to get a bargain and failed miserably"
What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?
Astonished that a car can be just that bad.
Would you buy this car again and why?
Never, never.never NEVER!. The worst decision I ever made. Poor car, poor dealer support, surly staff and unwilling to help.
What are you likely to buy next?
Anything but a KIA.
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Buying experience
Type of dealer you bought from?
Franchise
Did you buy this car new?
No
What price did you pay?
£0
When did you buy the car?
July 2006
Did you get a good deal and why?
A reasonable deal was hard fought. How wrong I was.
Is there any special reason why you bought this car?
CLAIMED TO BE GOOD VALUE FOR SPEC
What was the dealer like?
Disinterested and hard to negotiate with. Later found to be a surly bunch that will try and fob you off with excuses and then claim that major faults with the car are "characteristics of the car". A gearbox failing at 27,000 miles is a characteristic apparently. They know nothing about the car or how to fix it.
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Driving it
What's it like to drive?
When I bought the car it was ok, its never going to win a race but you expect to just chug along with a diesel. But Korea have a huge way to go to achieve a competent car. The engine is agricultural at best, the gearbox is harsh and unable to continue past 27,000 miles. Then when you ask for dealer support they claim "its a characteristic of the car".
What's it like to park?
Parking sensors are the only thing I think have continued to work. Oh, I forgot: they don't work properly if you have a tow bar fitted - so they are no good either now. What a surprise.
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Living with it
Have you had any problems with the car?
Where do I start? 1 Airbag sensor failure on two occasions (second occasion they didn't even bother to tell me it was broken again) 2 Diesel injector seized / failed..... 3 attempts to fix it 3 Chattering from gearbox in low revs.. still chattering now 4 Fuel computer in US gallons the car has become a real liability and would warn everyone beware of KIA it will seriously ruin your life
What's most practical about your car?
The most practical thing about my car is the replacement car they give me when mine is in the garage. It's not a KIA so it is miles better.
Favourite gadget, option or accessory?
Heated seats when they work... sometimes!
