SUVs are great for playing out in the mud, taking kids and friends around to different places, as well as just running errands around town. While they are not known to be terrific for gas mileage, that problem is negated by the fact that they are just more fun to drive than a standard car.
The Kia Sorento and the Chevrolet Blazer are relatively similar models, but the 2005 model year was not kind to either product. The Kia was just starting to enter the age of majority and the Blazer was a boxy beast that was expensive but did not have the chops to back up all that extra cost except in terms of size.
Exterior
The Sorento’s plain-Jane exterior was surpassed in unattractiveness only by the Blazer’s square profile as they both have a very retro-SUV feel to the external design of the vehicles. The Blazer’s extra cost of $3,000 doesn’t feel justified, especially when you consider that the Sorento in general boasted more advanced options standard in the base model than the Blazer had even as options: things like the four doors to make entrance and egress easier, dual power remote mirrors, heated door mirrors, spoilers and roof racks.
Safety and Security
Safety and security are critical for families as they travel, and the Kia Sorento makers clearly understood that. Curtain 1st and 2nd row airbags were standard, as were occupancy sensors to keep children safe when they were sitting in seats with airbags. Height adjustable front seatbelts and pre-tensioners were available standard in this model year Sorento, but not available at all from the Blazer. Daytime running lights were standard on both models but only the Sorento maintained standard daytime running lights and exterior control lighting and 4 curb lights. Door locks in the Sorento were also superior, with power door locks and rear child safety door locking standard as well as a standard first aid kid included in the build.
Fuel Economy
Fuel usage was very similar, with the city miles per gallon the same for both vehicles while the highway mileage is only slightly better for the Blazer at 22 mpg. A 21 gallon fuel tank versus a 19 gallon for the Blazer means that the Sorento will even be hitting the gas station a few times fewer each year.
Both of these mid-size SUV offerings are solid: with the Blazer offering a higher price point and oddly enough the Sorento offering more options and a little more panache.
