I was recently asked to review the new 2014 Kia Sorento SX and to say I was thrilled would be an understatement.
To be completely honest I haven't been in a Kia since I was a kid, and it turns out that Kia has changed a lot in 20 years!
Kia has managed to go from a fairly small car maker to a manufacturer of high-quality vehicles with a touch of luxury that are still affordable.
(Uvo voice activation and navigation, panoramic sunroof, rearview camera, power lift gate and third row seating are just a few of the amazing features I absolutely loved)
From the moment I first saw the 2014 Kia Sorento SX, I knew I was going to love it. It's a gorgeous car on the outside, and has an impeccable interior to match.
I apologize for not having more photos on the impeccable interior, but to be completely honest I didn't want to spend all my time with it taking pictures.
As soon as my hands hit the steering wheel I wanted to go everywhere in it, I wanted to push it and see what it was capable of.
We decided the best way to put it to the ultimate road test would be to use it while camping, what better setting for needing cargo space, room for passengers (or wild kids 
) and testing it's off roading capabilities.
Just in case you were wondering; no we did not camp in a wheat field. lol The pictures above were my inner Top Gear coming out.
Haven't watch Top Gear; don't know what I am talking about? Shame on you. I am frowning at you right now. Haha.
I decided it was time to leave the wheat field and get her out on the open road and some pretty muddy and dirty roads too.
It's really toasty in Utah right now so the first thing I noticed inside the car were the ventilated (or air conditioned) seats.
How nice to step out of a car you have been sitting in for hours and be completely cool. How have I been living without this amazing feature my whole life?
Another feature that I'm not sure how we have lived without is the optional third row seating.
If you are a parent like myself then you know that the longer you are in a vehicle the more likely your kids are going to start fighting or causing issues with each other.
We have 2 kids so we put our little boy in the second row and our daughter sat in the third row, and can you guess what we heard the whole way to the camp site?
Silence... almost complete silence no fighting or bickering with each other because they couldn't even see each other.
The kids we quiet the entire 2+ hour ride there, and the 2+ hour ride back!
For those of you with more than two kids it can be a little trickier, but you know the ones that get along better and can seat them accordingly.
It was a huge sanity saver! And the best part... even with using one seat in the third row we still had plenty of cargo space for our camping gear.
As we turned off the main highway, the road towards our campground was a mixture of dirt and gravel and mud. It was an ideal surface to experience the Sorento's AWD and traction control.
I've driven several other cars with AWD and traction control, and compared to them, over the looser areas I had a feeling of complete control, while in the background it was there to assist me and not takeover.
This was the first time we had taken the kids camping and we definitely started it off on the right foot.
I always take into account the MPG and the horsepower when I look at fuel efficiency, especially with SUV's, CUV's and trucks since they can do more than just drive you and your family around town.
A CUV like the Sorento needs to have power to tow and haul up mountain passes and through varied terrain.
The 2014 Sorento has a newly designed 3.3L V6 which produces 290-horsepower.
So its EPA estimated 20 MPG may feel a bit on the lower end these days, but when you take into account the power available to you, it's a fair trade-off.
We averaged 20 city and 26 highway while in Eco mode, all with a full load of family and camping gear going up and down to a final elevation of 8,200 feet.
The best thing about a road test vs a test drive is you can discover all that a vehicle has to offer in a way you would actually use it.
These days 99% of new cars feel great when you first get in. Everyone likes something new, and you easily get taken in by the "rose-colored glasses" effect.
Once the "rose-colored glasses" effect wore off I can honestly say I was still in love with it.
When our time with it came to an end, I had a hard time letting go, but I am also looking forward to seeing what else Kia has to offer.
If you were like me and have looked at Kia thinking "they probably don't have a car that would fit me"
If you haven't taken Kia seriously, it's now time to stand up and take notice.
Thank you Kia for opening my eyes.
