Should you buy one?

Yes, if you’re looking for a good-looking SUV that’s reliable and comes with a long warranty, because Kia’s seven-year cover will still have some life in it even if you’re buying a used Sportage. Aside from this, there are plenty of reasons to buy or lease a Sportage. It offers a spacious interior that’s packed with equipment on nearly the whole range and is very easy to drive.

Add to that a comfortable driving position and quality feel inside, and there’s little to complain about. Sure enough, it’s not the most exciting SUV on sale, but as a spacious family car for four that’s not even trying to be remotely sporty, it does well.

It manages to feel a lot smaller than it looks, which makes it easy to manoeuvre thanks to light controls, but still feels planted and controlled on the motorway.

There are plenty of choices. If costs are a concern, an entry-level Sportage with the 1.6 CRDi makes most sense. It costs a little more to buy than the petrol, but the claimed running costs are far superior to the petrol model’s.

If, however, you’ll be spending the majority of your time driving around town, the petrol won’t be much worse in terms of economy. If you’re using the Sportage as a company vehicle, your best option is one of the 1.6 CRDi diesels with 48-volt hybrid assistance, which sit in a comparatively lower BIK tax band to the equivalent petrol engine.

The Sportage is far from a performance SUV in the same way the Cupra Ateca is, so if you want the fastest model you’ll have to make do with the 177hp 1.6-litre T-GDi with its automatic gearbox and 0-62mph time of 8.8 seconds. Overall, this is the Sportage that will fit most drivers’ needs, with a palatable combination of punch and potential fuel economy. It’s not the sweetest engine on sale and you still have to work it hard to make any progress, but this should be enough for most.

So, although we recommend the Kia Sportage for rational reasons, it’s not the best of your choices available. Would we have one over a SEAT Ateca or a Mazda CX-5, though? Not unless we really needed that seven-year warranty…

What we like

There’s decent interior space for passengers and plenty of equipment even on lower spec cars, while top-spec models won’t leave you wanting for kit. The Sportage is easy to manoeuvre at low speeds, while being comfortable at higher speeds, too.

What we don’t like

The Sportage is quite forgettable to drive, so isn’t a car for those wanting driving fun. Running costs aren’t stellar when compared with similar rivals, and boot space is behind the class best. Rear visibility could be better, but assistance is available in the form of parking sensors and different camera set-ups.

Buy a new, nearly new or used Kia Sportage

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Further reading

• The best family SUVs to buy
• The Parkers guide to SUVs
• Our Parkers star ratings explained