![]() Other than the disappointing warranty coverage and delaminating steering wheel coating previously noted a year ago*, the car continues to be mechanically sound. This car just hit 100,000 miles today (March 22, 2021). I bought this Kia new in March 2010 as a second car. EPA estimates range from 20 mpg city/25 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined for the front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder model to 18/23/20 for the all-wheel-drive V6. The Sportage's powertrains are also substantially less fuel-efficient than those of its competitors. To put that number in perspective, that's about a second slower than the quickest four-cylinder crossovers and more than 3 seconds off the time set by the segment-leading RAV4 V6. In our tests, a V6-powered Sportage took 10.7 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph. The four-speed automatic is the only transmission offered. Those in search of better performance can step up to the LX V6 or top-of-the-line EX, both of which are powered by a 2.7-liter V6 that's good for 173 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque. ![]() A five-speed manual gearbox is standard and a four-speed automatic transmission is available as an option. LX base models get a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 140 hp and 136 pound-feet of torque. The 2010 Kia Sportage can be had with one of two engines and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. As such, the Sportage is best suited for buyers whose first concern is finding a relative bargain. Figure in Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and this Korean crossover begins to look even better. Compare its list of standard features with the Honda and Toyota, then take a look at their respective MSRPs and you'll discover that buying the Sportage can save you thousands of dollars. There is one area where the Kia Sportage does manage to one-up its competitors, however, and that's the value proposition it offers. While these weaknesses don't exactly make the Sportage a slug in everyday driving, they're the kind of small differences that can become the deciding factor in a segment filled with a number of attractive choices. The Kia's four-speed automatic also lacks refinement compared to the competition's five-speeds, and that missing gear also adversely affects the Sportage's fuel economy. Its 173-horsepower V6, for example, actually has less oomph than the CR-V's four-cylinder, to say nothing of the RAV4's spirited 269-hp V6. The Sportage's most obvious shortcoming is that both its available engines are no match for its rivals. The result is that the 2010 Sportage is likable enough, but it lacks any subjective advantages that might lure buyers away from segment leaders like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. The problem, of course, is that while the Sportage's engineers were upping their game, the competition was upping theirs. Built on a more carlike unibody platform, this second-generation Sportage was a dramatic improvement over the previous version. Kia went back to the drawing board and rolled out an all-new Sportage in 2004. Unfortunately, that original version was also rather crude, and it was quickly eclipsed by more refined entries from Honda and Toyota. introduction in 1995, when it broke new ground as one of the first truly compact sport-utility vehicles. The Sportage's long-standing midpack status dates all the way back to the model's U.S. The only problem is that the hyper-competitive compact crossover segment is one of those places where being good might not be quite good enough. Let's be clear right up front: The 2010 Kia Sportage is a good little crossover SUV.
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