The 2012 Kia Sportage is a compact Sub that offers quality, reliability, and great fuel economy. It has lots of nice features that come standard, an available turbocharged engine, and a sleek looking style that make it attractive to all kinds of buyers with varying budgets. The Sportage is perfect for those looking for something fun to drive with a little extra room.
Key Features
The Sportage comes with a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine that offers 176 hp at 6,000 rpm. The front-wheel drive manual offers a fuel economy of 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. The front-wheel drive automatic offers 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Standard features include power accessories, under the floor storage compartment, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and a four speaker audio system.
Changes for 2012
For 2012, the Kia Sportage has an increased fuel economy in the 2.0 turbocharged and the standard 2.4 liter engines. Rear suspension dampers and sound insulation also come standard on this vehicle now. In addition, 17-inch alloy wheels come with the LX trim and the EX trim comes with anti-bacterial fabric which is also new for 2012.
What We Like
The Sportage offers better cornering than the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. The steering provides quick adjustments and rapidly responds to your movements. The panoramic sunroof also makes for a nice feature for passengers sitting in the back.
What Concerns Us
The Kia Sportage does not have a traditional compact SUV look, so if that is what you are looking for you may like the Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV 4 better. Furthermore, the Sportage rides a bit stiffer than its competitors making longer road trips a bit more uncomfortable than competing compact SUVs.
Available Models
The 2012 Kia Sportage comes with a turbocharged option, which has a 2.0 liter four cylinder engine offering 260 hp at 6,000 rpm. The fuel economy on the turbocharged model is 21 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway for the front-wheel drive. On the all-wheel drive version, the fuel economy is 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
Major Recalls
There are no recalls for the 2012 Kia Sportage.
Common Issues
Common complaints include the radio not turning off, engine stopping while driving, bad gas mileage, the rear window shattering, sunroof exploding, a squeaky suspension, and wheel bearing failure.
