Review of the 2016 KIA Sorento SXL: A Comprehensive Overview

I was provided the 2016 KIA Sorento SXL V6 AWD to review, all opinions are our own.

Hey yall!  Do you know how badly I wanted to be able to review the 2016 KIA Sorento SXL V6 AWD?  Very!  When I was delivered a car to my home previously and seen one of the DriveShop crew roll up in the Kia Sorento I just had to review it because it looked so sleek and powerful; so on my birthday wish list I added to be able to review the 2016 KIA Sorento and my wish had been granted!

My eyes grew with delight when the KIA Sorento was dropped off for me to drive for a week.  The exterior reminds me of the KIA Sedona I’ve driven to Memphis over the summer, and the interior also reminds of the van as well. 

Did you know that KIA for the last 6 years was one of the highest rated for quality and design?  Also the reason why KIA’s are so stylish is because of their CEO, Peter Schreyer, who was a designer at Audi/BMW.  So KIA is the prefect car if you’re in the market to purchase, plus now is a great time to buy a new KIA because of their end of the year sales.

Just like the Sedona, the KIA Sorento I was driving had the same color, Snow White Pearl exterior with chrome trimmings; also there are chrome trimmings throughout the inside of the car.  The interior seating was the same color as the van with beige and black two tone leather and the seating was very comfortable which made driving the Sorento very relaxing and smooth. 

The Sorento is very spacious and enough leg room for everyone.  If you have a lot of people in tow, there is third row seating in the back.  But if you’re driving around with just a few people the third row seating is easy to collapse and you’ll have extra storage space room in the trunk.   Speaking of the third row seating, there is a climate control in the back so if your passengers are getting a little too hot or cold they can control the temperature. 

Since the KIA Sorento is very similar to the Sedona, I’m going to share my feature favorites in the 2016 KIA Sorento:

1. 360 Camera really helps when I’m backing up and driving forward when I’m parking.  I don’t normally drive big cars so this feature really helped me out to prevent hitting something. 

2. Navigation is very user friendly.  I’m able to input the address to the destination I’m driving to within seconds.

3. Remember how I said that my driving is in need of some work?  The Lane departure feature alerts me when I’m not maintaining my lane.  This feature is still alerting me of my poor driving, looks like I need to go back to driving school (bows head in shame). 

4. Infinity Surround Sound Speakers throughout the car gives out a powerful sound that makes you feel like you’re in a concert.

5. The car drives smooth like you’re driving on a cloud and you don’t feel any bumps on the road.

6. With the weather getting colder, the heated seats helps to keep you warm as well as the heated steering wheel, this feature is only for the front and second row.  During the warmer months, there is a button if you want your seats to be cold.

7.  The panoramic sunroof is amazing!  You can enjoy the fresh autumn air, bring in some sunlight, and gazed at the moon and stars.  Did you see the Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon) recently?

8.  Let’s admit it, we all look down at our phones while we are driving and this is very dangerous that can lead to an accident.  The KIA Sorento has a Forward Collision Warning system that will alert you if you’re getting too close to the car in front of you. 

9. Soon the days will get shorter and when we get off of work it’ll be dark outside, the Sorento headlights are LED lighting as well as the lights on the front door handles and inside the car.  Having these LED lights makes seeing at night a lot more easier. 

10.  My family and I have a lot of electronics and we’re on the road a lot so with this SUV having USB, 110V power converter, and 12V plug ports helps to keep our devices charged at all times.

11.  The girls and I love to shop and when we shop our hands are filled with shopping bags, so with me having the keyless remote on me the car automatically unlocks and the truck door automatically pops open, this feature is called the power lift gate. 

12. There is a button for different drive modes like ECO and Sport.  ECO is easier on gas and Sport is when you want to drive with power, I prefer the Sport option because I enjoy driving with enhanced speed. 

13. Speaking of gas, the KIA Sorento is great on gas I didn’t have to fill up all week!  (City 21/ Highway 29 MPG)

So, how much does one of these bad boys cost?  The starting MSRP is $24,900 but if you want fully loaded then the price is $46,720.  The fully loaded price is out of my price range but with all the features that this SUV offers I feel this is a fair price, plus this is a luxury vehicle. 

Due to the poor weather we’ve been having lately we didn’t really get a chance to drive around, but we did manage to go to some fun places, check it out below!

I mainly driven the Sorento back and forward to work but the beginning of the week my family and I celebrated my birthday some more and went to one of my favorite restaurants, Benihana.  I go here every year because I’m signed up with their birthday program, each year I get $30 off my birthday meal.  I could use this coupon one time, anytime during the month of September, Monday through Thursday.

Like I was saying, the starting of autumn didn’t bring Atlanta good weather and it kind of ruined our time at the Gwinnett County Fair.  There was mud everywhere and we were all so annoyed that our shoes were getting muddy that we didn’t spend too long there.  Usually this time of year when we visit  the sun is still shining and temperature is in the low 70s, I guess Mother Nature didn’t want to act right this year.   The girls got on a few rides, visited a farm that had a petting zoo, and we all just walked around trying to avoid stepping in mud.  Too bad the day we went to the fair was the last day, next year I hope there will be better weather.  Good thing that the Sorento’s mats were easy to clean off all the dirt we tracked inside the car. 

I’ve driven many KIA vehicles and I must say that the 2016 KIA Sorento is my favorite so far, as well as Mr. M’s favorite.  The girls’ favorite is the 2016 KIA Sedona because they really enjoyed the lounge chair seating and all the plugs to keep their electronics charged during our road trip to Memphis.   KIA in general has great vehicles that are suitable for anyone at any budget; no wonder you see mostly KIA vehicles driving on the roads today!

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