We have recently chopped our BMW 330d in for a 2004 Kia Sorento "The Mule", it has had 2 owners, it has full history and for its year (2004) is good shape.

 We bought the Kia as the lane to get to our house is a bridal path, a mile or so long and quite rough, the Kia is not phased at all by it and is quite happy to negotiate large puddles, deep ruts and mud, lots of mud!

 

 As this is an old cheap car we will use it for everything from nipping here and there and when the need arises it will be used for some hard graft too, today we have been collecting wood to chop up for fire wood, so the seats went down, we trekked off across the fields to the old barn and loaded up with used fence posts, anything will burn when you need to keep warm.  Even on standard road tyres The Mule performed well, a little wheel slip but no major drama.

 

 I have no plans for The Mule other than to use it, fill it with fuel and service it, so here it is on its first day at work. I might wash it now and again...

 

 

 

 

I've had two of these, great cars for what they do, inadvertently took one down some logging tracks in Kielder, it just came back for more. Great tow car as well, a two ton twin axle caravan was a walk in the park.

Edited 10 January, 201610 yr by B33fy

This week has been cold but dry, the Sorento has been ok so far and wife (who's car it is) has started to warm to it, after all she had a 330d which was her pride and joy, I was responsible for the swap and the very rough track that lies between us and tarmac roads.

 

 So, Wednesday night I nipped out in the Sorento and was somewhat disappointed with the crap headlights, no better than a pair of glow worms in jam jars. As soon as I got home, Amazon was paid a visit, 3M headlight polishing kit and two sets of Osram night breaker bulbs were ordered, H1 for main beam and H7 for dip, today I set to sorting the headlight issue.

 

 I was a bit surprised to find the headlight needs to be removed from the car to change the bulb but it was simple enough with just three bolts per side, once I had the headlights out I had a great idea, take them into the kitchen where the wood burner was on keeping things nice and warm, in we went, drill, polishing kit, headlights and that is where we did the deed, results were fantastic, I would highly recommend the 3M kit, best £20 I have ever spent, below are the pictures of headlight restoration.

 

BEFORE

 

 

AFTER

 

 

Back in the car

 

 

 

 

The products used

 

 

 

Tomorrow I am going to investigate the steering, it seems vague, this might be how it is as it passed an MOT last week but I want to know for certain, also it pulls to the left so tyre pressure and possibly the tracking will need looking at.

The Sorrento definitely looks to be doing what it says on tin hey....whilst it doesnt set the pulse racing its one of those cars I suspect that is massively underrated as a day to day runner.

We also get to see the GTE James how is that going? It looks like Oryx white?

Edited 31 January, 201610 yr by pipsypreturns

The Sorrento definitely looks to be doing what it says on tin hey....whilst it doesnt set the pulse racing its one of those cars I suspect that is massively underrated as a day to day runner.

We also get to see the GTE James how is that going? It looks like Oryx white?

 

Sorento is a very unassuming car, plain and functional and as you say it does exactly what I want it to do, today it has been moving huge stripper pallets as I am going to make a garage out them, it will be on mini digger duty next week.

 

 The Golf is going well, 11,000 miles now, I find I am driving it like a normal car and only charging it up now and again, in GTE mode it goes well and charges itself as you drive. It does nowhere near the claimed mpg by VW, of 166mpg but it does about 44 mpg which is ok.

 

Here is the Mule earning its keep today.

 

Wow doing some miles in the Golf James...Ive had my MY16 GTD since late Sept and just about to clock 7k which is a far bit....though in fairness I barely worked in Jan due to family berievement (my father died after a long illness unfortunately) so it'd no doubt done more by now otherwise.

I'm finding the GTD isnt mad keen on shorter runs in cold weather....it'll typically always return more than 40 on a reasonable short but up to temp run but not alot more...the long term average is about 43mpg but I do have it in Sport all the time and have a bit of a lead foot too.

I drove up to Oxford and back today from the Brighton area for work...literally crawled around the M25 but moved elsewhere and returned 50...way home better flow but more pace and still returned 48....it could no doubt do better if I were a little easier on it but for a diesel it has stacks of go and its hard not to have a bit of fun with it.

Interesting that the GTE is only returning 44 or so...thats not bad I suppose for a 204ps verging on 1600kg car but disappointing compared to the official figures...clearly they are more likely if you can run it around in e-mode most of the time. I think id almost certainly still have gotten one though had the option been there just for the BIK reduction.

Edited 2 February, 201610 yr by pipsypreturns

An update on the Kia Sorento, having owned this car for a three month'ish, the time has come to pedal it on, the reasons for which I will list below.

 

1, Boring to drive

2, Boring to look at

3, Boring inside

4, Temperamental electrics, rear wiper works on its own, electric windows only go up and down when they want to, I am sure this will lead to bigger issues.

5, Gutless even with a tuning box

6, Noisy, acceleration creates a noise more akin to a bag of spanners being dropped down the stairs.

7, Off Road ability, or lack of it, suspension articulation is garbage, even backing into our drive it lifts a wheel, the 3 series we had before kept all four wheels on the floor.

8, Did I mention it was lack lustre, boring and dangerously vague on the road?  The things meanders like a tall ship, all steering, tracking, bushes, tyre pressures etc have been checked.

 

 So to cut a long story short, the Kia Sorento is the worst car I have ever owned for many reasons, I would never consider the Kia brand again and I would deter any fellow Briskodians having a moment of madness like I did in January, to refrain from purchasing a dreadful car!

 

 Good bye to the Mule.

Sounds like most large 4x4's lol

Sounds like most large 4x4's lol

 

 It really is dire, worse than the worst 4x4 you have ever driven!     We have swapped it for a SWB 3.2 D-ID Shogun, it looks better, has more go about it and will have some value when we come to sell it.