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Our 2026 SUV buyer's guide ranks 11 picks by use case, not rank. Best family SUV, best hybrid, best EV under $50K, with verified specs and five-year ownership math.
Read moreThe best hybrid SUVs for 2026, from the redesigned RAV4 to the new Palisade Hybrid. Specs, pricing, MPG, and clear verdicts for every buyer type.
Read moreMore than a dozen hybrid compact crossover sport utility vehicles vie for the expanding number of consumers seeking improved efficiency without transitioning into fully electric vehicles. Welcome the 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Kia, the South Korean manufacturer partially owned by Hyundai, introduced the Sportage in 1993. It was originally classified as a compact SUV, but since 2004 the Sport has been labeled as a crossover. It’s built on a unibody chassis as opposed to the body-on-frame option used by most pickup trucks. The new Kia is part of the manufacturer’s trio of SUVs, and it’s positioned between the Seltos or Niro and the three-row Sorento. Kia and its vehicle relative Hyundai, have made quantum improvements in the past decade. Several
Read moreThe 2023 Kia Sportage, beginning its fifth generation, has debuted and features a larger and more varied lineup of subcompact sport utility vehicles including new off-road trims. Under the manufacturer’s umbrella slogan “Movement That Matters, the new Kia Sportage lineup will include LX, EX, SX, SX-Prestige and X-Line and the new Sportage X-Pro and X-Pro Prestige trims geared toward off-road travel with all-terrain tires and other features. 2023 Kia Sportage: New Exterior, Interior Designs New features for the 2023 Sportage Sportage firsts include an available dual panoramic curved digital display Most Sportage trims will now be assembled in the U.S., alongside the carmaker’s Telluride, Sorento, and K5 in West Point, Georgia. The Sportage will also be available in a hybrid
Read moreAfter years of acceptance as an unheralded compact sport utility vehicle against the monoliths in the segment, the 2017 Kia Sportage has emerged as a worthy competitor. It’s been boldly redesigned inside and outside for the debut of its fourth generation. The Weekly Driver Test Drive In addition to a new exterior design Kia says was inspired by modern fighter jets (Doesn’t Saab say the same thing?), the 2017 Kia Sportage is offered in new trims. My test vehicle was SX Turbo model with front-wheel drive. Like the base model LX and EX modeles, the SX model has a long list of standard features: Bluetooth hands-free phone and streaming audio, while the EX model brings leather upholstery, Apple CarPlay and
Read moreNow in its 14th year, the Honda Pilot has finally come of age. It’s always been Honda’s largest sport utility vehicle, with the word utility translating into big, boxy and boring. With Toyota, Hyundai and others offering increasingly strong competition, the 2016 Honda Pilot is in the first year of its third generation. It’s sleeker, lighter, more attractive inside and outside and has an array of new standard and optional features. The Weekly Driver Test Drive As a three-row SUV, the 2016 Honda Pilot is available in five trims, including my weekly driver, the top-line Elite. It’s the only trim with seven-passenger capacity, one less than its stablemates. The reason: Among many nifty features, the Elite has second-row captain’s chairs
Read moreIt never hurts to produce a vehicle with styling inspired by a striking auto show concept vehicle. That’s the case with the 2011 Kia Sportage crossover. It has styling inspired by Kia’s sleek Kue concept vehicle displayed at the 2007 Detroit auto show. The Sportage has Kia’s longest-running nameplate. With the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, it was among the first crossovers sold in the United States. The 2011 Sportage — introduced at a San Francisco media preview — rips a page from the old Detroit strategy of making new cars longer, lower and wider than predecessors. It’s a bold “looker,” with dramatically swept-back headlights, sculpted hood, high beltline, sweeping angles and more pronounced wheel flares. The interior has easily
Read moreNo, make that the Sportage is the best-looking car in its class. With chiseled features, a bad-boy-on-the-block lowered roof line and “look at me know” sparkling LED accents, the Sportage is youthful and refined. Yet, four small details hold the Sportage back from perfection. 1. The seats are Amish hard; 2. The ride suffers from too much wooden roller coaster personality; 3. My tester had a persistent, annoying squeak that drove me batty; 4. The engine is anemic. Let’s start with the squeak. It used to be, especially back in the bad old car ’70s and ’80s, that almost all cars, especially those built in Detroit, came factory equipped with complimentary squeaks, rattles and rolls. But Japanese manufacturers raised the
Read moreThe Korean automaker has always prided itself in offering affordable vehicles. And since being purchased by Hyundai and adding quality, Kia has enjoyed improved sales and reputation. The Sedona, one of Kia’s mainstays, is a well-equipped minivan with a price that can’t be matched by top competitors. The Sportage, a compact sport utility vehicle, is also a value leader, but has drawbacks. Both vehicles have Kia’s best-in-the-industry 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Here are the Sedona and Sportage at a glance: * Sedona — The second generation continues the Sedona’s reputation. It offers an impressive warranty while also staying on heels of industry leaders Honda Odyssey, Dodge Grand Caravan and Toyota Siena with can’t-beat prices $20,045 (base model) to $26,195 (EX
Read moreAmong several changes then was the transition from a truck to car platform. The 2007 Sportage is available is seven configurations, and my weekly driver was the 4×4 (all-wheel drive). It has a 2.7-liter, 24-valve, V6 engine with 173 horsepower a four-speed automatic transmission. Considering its status as a compact SUV, the Sportage has a lot to offer. Its interior is attractive, with the dark gray paneling and console matched against a silver medal instrumentation panel, shift knob and various handles and supports. The approach is simple and functional. There’s good leg and head room and a surprisingly large and efficient cargo area. The Sportage is available in two trim levels, the LX and EX, with front wheel and all-wheel
Read moreIntroduced a decade ago, the Kia Sportage was the Korean manufacturer’s second style available in the American market. It had its supporters and critics, and it eventually became the company’s bestseller. Three years ago, however, when Kia was in the midst of severe financial difficulties, the Sportage was discontinued. But behold, the Sportage is back, having undergone a vast makeover. It has the same name, but perhaps that’s the only similarity to yesteryear’s model. The new Sportage has a completely new and refined interior and exterior design, and a good supply of standard and optional features. It also has a few nice, thoughtful, if small, considerations that could allow the small to well infiltrate the marketplace. My test vehicle for
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