Used Car Review: Kia Sportage Mk3

The Kia Sportage is a great value option for those in the market for a five-seat SUV crossover. In this CarGurus Used Car Review, Chris Knapman takes a closer look at a KX-4 model to see how it fares for practicality, as well as talking about any common problems to be aware of.

Written review:

Pros
Practical interior
Still looks good, even at more than a decade old
Big boot

Cons
Some rivals are more polished to drive
Some owners found problems with corrosion on alloy wheels
2.0-litre models with four-wheel drive are thirsty

The CarGurus verdict
Let’s face it, if you love the looks of the Kia Sportage mk3, the fact that it doesn’t drive quite as well as a Nissan Qashqai or Ford Kuga isn’t likely to put you off. And nor should it. The Sportage goes about all its tasks with competence and confidence, and what it lacks in ultimate finesse it makes up for with strong levels of standard equipment and a record for reliability that most other car makers now envy.

If your budget stretches to it we’d recommend aiming for one of the post-2012 facelift versions of the Sportage mk3. Kia’s tweaks to make it more refined and comfortable do make a difference, plus certain items of equipment such as satnavs and audio systems are superior quality to those of the earlier cars.

But it doesn’t matter too much if your Sportage mk3 isn’t a facelifted example: it still looks chic, is packed with kit, has perfectly adequate driving dynamics, and is excellent value.

#cargurusuk #kiasportage #crossoversuv

[borg]

My 2011 awd 312, 000 miles and still running perfectly.

[robertkees]

I was about to buy a Sportage with 130, 000 miles "as is" from a dealership, beautiful car, clean as a whistle. Made sure to do a compression test on the engine and it came totally out of spec. Best money I ever spent, it would have required a total rebuild in probably less than 10, 000 miles. Always get the compression tested, unless you like spending money. You have to be careful you're not just buying someone else's problems, no doubt that is why they got rid of it.

[nelsoncastelo]

Thanks for the video! I'm thinking about buying a used Sportage myself.

[robertkees]

How do I get that steering wheel on the left side so I can drive it. Oh the humanity!

[pauldarby]

I'm looking at getting a third gen sportage with a good trim level, already seen a few high spec models around the £7-9k mark. Definitely be a saving as I'm on a pcp with a Peugeot 3008.

[malibayman]

I have a 2 liter diesel that's just front wheel drive and I get 45mpg.
150, 000kms and not one problem.

[sparky]

Shit car. Nailed styling. Had one broke down 7 times nearly killed my daughter and me twice same day on motorway...ecu burned out the rail I go on