Kia Sorento EX 4X4 Review

When the car buying market bounces back (and it will), look for smaller SUVs to be one red-hot segment. Utopian dreams of greenies notwithstanding, there are people...a lot of people...who not only want but need the utility and versatility of the SUV...just maybe not the super-size variety.

A few years ago, the Koreans weren't even in this game...but they are now and the Kia Sorento is worthy of some serious consideration.

Smaller than the new Borrego, but larger than the compact Sportage, the Sorento is right-sized for a lot of buyers...and follows the Kia formula of lots of features for relatively little money. Sorento promises to "Conquer The Road In Total Comfort" (according to Kia's website), and it does a remarkably good job.

A base 2-wheel drive Sorento starts at under $23,000...which is awfully close to dirt cheap in this arena. The tester was the top of the line 4-wheel drive EX...with a base price of $27,365. Even so, fully loaded (16 inch alloy wheels, sunroof, leather, heated front seats, dual zone climate control, automatic headlamps, premium audio system) the price tag barely cracks the $30,000 mark. And there's Kia's world-beating 10 year/100,000 mile warranty.

There are better choices for fuel economy (the Sorento's 3.8 liter V6 and 5-speed automatic are good for an EPA estimated 15 city/20 highway), but the safety test results are rock-solid...five stars for all four frontal and side crash categories and four for rollover.

We even got compliments about how nice the Sorento looked.

"The Power To Surprise", indeed.

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Infiniti EX35 Review

Now this is more like it. After reviewing the drowning-in-too-much-tech FX35 and its gonzo-powered big sister, the FX50, the Infiniti EX35 is a comforting bowl of just right.

The EX35 is smaller (think Nissan Murano), making it a much more capable handling vehicle. Nimble is the right word here. And, it being an Infiniti, power is not in short supply. In fact, the 297 horsepower here is a better power-to-weight deal than the 303 in the FX35.

Luxury abounds in this smaller package, as well, with everything most people could ask for (automatic, ABS, moonroof, leather, power folding rear seats, an audio system with XM Satellite Radio and more) standard at just $35,450.

But this is an Infiniti...a car company all about shattering expectations. And with the EX, they manage not to cross the line into excess. The tester I drove had three options: A Premium Package (upgrading the audio to a Bose system with 11 speakers, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and mirrors, rear air, memory seats and steering column and Bluetooth) for $2,150...the Luxe Style Package (trading the stock 17 inch wheels for 18s and an adaptive front lighting system) for $1,250 and the Navigation Package (navigation, a 9.3 gig music jukebox and a rear view camera and monitor) for $2,150.

Bottom line with delivery charges stays under $42,000...and mileage isn't too shabby, either...17 city/24 highway.

The EX is a strong package...and it belongs on your Christmas list.

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Infiniti FX 35 AWD Review

Last week, my wife and kids and I went out for a burger. I hadn't eaten all day, so I was hungry and probably not thinking really clearly. I forgot to ask for cheese, and when the burger landed in front of me, I didn't even bother to put the condiments on...I just picked it up and ate.

Best thing I'd ever done. I could actually taste the burger. It was terrific...the meat itself, the seasonings, the smoky grill taste.

Afterwards, we walked outside and got in the Infiniti FX35. And I wished I could have ordered it plain. Somewhere under all the tech is probably a really good car.

The FX35 is the less-outrageous sister to the FX50 that I reviewed in August, packing only 303 horsepower (only?) through a seven-speed automatic transmission, and returning a reasonable (for this kind of vehicle) EPA estimated 16 city/21 highway miles per gallon.

It's rarely a good sign when the owner's manual for a car doesn't fit in the glove compartment. Infiniti had to create a special space for it on the inside right rear wheel well back in the cargo area. Stretch before you try to lift it. Some mental exercise (a crossword, maybe?) may be a good idea before you tackle all the acronyms within: IBA, FCW, LDW, LDP, DCA, AABS, VDC, TCS, BA, TPMS.....

Now, a lot of that tech is good stuff...but somehow, in the FX, it's obtrusive.

The base FX35 AWD is $42,350 and comes with everything you could want. But the tester took it up several notches. First, the Premium Package ($2,350), adding climate-controlled front seats, Bluetooth (that should have been standard) iPod interface, memory driver's seat, power tilt/telescope steering column, paddle shifters, quilted-leather seats, aluminum roof rails (bad for aerodynamics and mileage) and a cargo cover and cargo net.

But wait...there's more:

The Navigation Package ($2,850), with navigation (um..yeah), Around View Monitor (four cameras placed strategically around the car as a parking aid), voice recognition for audio and navigation, XM NavTraffic, a 9.3 gig hard-drive music jukebox, a single CD slot in the dash, and front and rear sonar.

And then...

The Technology Package (you mean we didn't have any already?), in which $2,900 buys Intelligent Brake Assist with Front Collision Warning System (keep your eyes on the road and push harder on the brake), Lane Departure Prevention System (in which the cameras on the sides of the car, underneath the outside mirrors, look for the white lines on the road and sound alarms if you get too close to them), Lane Departure Warning System (which warns you when cars are too close....like, oh, at any stop light)...pre-crash seat belts, intelligent cruise control with Distance Control Assist (always fun on a left curve when you're in the left lane and a semi 10 car-lengths ahead in the right lane begins the curve and your car thinks it's in your lane and begins braking hard) and rain-sensing front windshield wipers.

If you've lost count, the price is now $51,315...$9,000 more than when we started and only $5,000 less than the base price of an FX50, which has all but the Technology Package standard.

Like I said, somewhere under all that is probably a really good car. I'd like the next one plain, please.

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Nissan Sentra 2.0 S Review

Reuglar readers of TireKicker will know that while I appreciate the awesome (see TireKicker's Top Ten cars), I also have a soft spot for simplicity.

After two and a half decades of being merely inexpensive, the new Nissan Sentra has achieved desirable elegant simplicity.

The S is the mid-level Sentra, delivering a 140 horsepower 2-liter four cylinder engine with continuously variable transmission (CVT), anti-lock brakes, 16-inch wheels, air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system and more for $16,960.

The test car had three options...splash guards ($140), the Convenience Plus package (Bluetooth, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, overhead CD holder, Divide-N-Hide trunk system, cargo net and keyless entry and ignition for $850) and floor mats and a trunk mat ($165). Total price with delivery: $18,740.

The Sentra also comes with five-star frontal crash ratings for both driver and passenger and EPA mileage estimates of 25 city/33 highway.

All the good stuff, no needless fluff, and a reasonable price. So what's it like to drive?

Well, 140 horsepower isn't going to set the world on fire, but it's more than adequate...helped along by the CVT (so far, Nissan builds the best CVTs).

The styling is a matter of taste, and while there are prettier cars out there, that seemingly too-high roofline pays off big when you get inside.

The addition of the Versa at the bottom of the Nissan product line has freed up room for Sentra to grow. It's now a very good small sedan and very much worth a test drive.

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Compaq Laptops

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Compaq Presario C794VU

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New Laptop of Low price

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Kia Borrego EX 4X4 Review

Time waits for no one. It also waits for no vehicle.

The Kia Borrego could have knocked the Ford Explorer a few rungs further down the sales charts (a process begun by the Firestone tire blowout/rollover scandal early in the decade)if it had come to market when the new Explorer did in 2006.

But this is model year 2009...and even before gas prices and the rest of the economy decided to see if we were paying attention, car-based crossovers had already started eating truck-based SUVs lunches.

That's probably good for the evolution of the automobile, the environment and several other things, but it's a shame for Kia, because (especially with the current uncertainty) a lot fewer people will even look at, much less test drive, the Borrego.

Those that do will be impressed and quite possibly amazed. Korean cars have been improving at a rapid rate, but always felt, on some level, like they were one generation back of state-of-the-art. Sometimes it was the plastics used, sometimes the shade of green of the instrument lighting...something was always not quite right...leaving the lower price and killer (10 years/100,000 mile) warranty to close the deal.

Not the Borrego. This time, Kia hit the target dead center. This is an SUV every bit as good as and quite possibly better than its direct competition. And the price ($29,995 base for the EX 4X4) and warranty become icing rather than inducement.

For the base price, you get a 3.8 liter, 24 valve DOHC V6 coupled to a 5-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive, Anti-lock brakes, dual-zone climate control, power windows, locks and heated outside mirrors, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with 3 months of Sirius Satellite Radio for free, USB and auxiliary jacks for iPod, and a chunk more that would be great options...but they're standard.

The tester added 18-inch chrome wheels (replacing the stock 17s for $750), a premium package ($1,800 for a sunroof, an upgraded Infinity 10-speaker audio system), rear climate control and running boards, a navigation system ($1,500), and a luxury package ($1,500 buying leather seat trim, heated front seats, a power tilt and telescoping steering column and memory seats, mirrors and steering column). With handling costs, the total was $36,295. Any place else, that's an easy $40,000 worth of SUV.

Given the size and luxury, the EPA's estimated 16 city/21 highway isn't bad, either.

But the target has moved. There's still a market for this kind of vehicle (assuming there's actually a market for vehicles at all today)...but not what it was. Three years ago, the Borrego could have been a home-run. Now, through no fault of its own, Kia's got a solid double...and needs to swing this strongly with their next product. Their slogan "The Power To Surprise" has now led to expectations to be met.

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