The new daily - Warning - NON BMW
 

Well I replaced the E36 with a proper daily driver. Not to say the E36 is not daily-able, because it is, just that we need something with a bit more cargo space and air conditioning.

So we picked up a 2012 Kia Sportage SX coloured Black Cherry. I know its a Kia but it is really not bad at all. It drives quite nice, albeit a tad numb, due to electronic assisted steering. It comes with a whole bunch of standard features like heated seats, keyless entry and start, 18' rims, etc. We added the optional panoramic sunroof and the UVO(Microsoft infotainment) package as well.

It has a decent power plant. The SX uses the 2.0 Turbo direct injection mill from the new Optima. So it is putting out approximately 260HP and 269ftlb. I can say it is decently quick while having normal I4 gas mileage. I should further state it also gets this power from 87 octane. I believe the boost is somewhere around 17.5 with 9.5:1 compression. Car and driver tested it doing 0-60 in 6.1-6.4 secs. I read elsewhere that the 1/4 is something like 14.7sec. Not that I am going to be racing anyone its just nice to be able to pass if needed.

On top of all that I think, both inside and out, that it looks rather good. It is really hard to make out the colour in pics. Really you need to see it in person in direct sunlight to see any sort of hue, otherwise it just looks black. There is a lot of hard plastic on the inside but good textures and contrast (ours has orange for seat stitching, and door inserts). Ill add some inside pics soon, for now just this one.

Kia/Hyundai have definitely come a long way. 17.5 psi is quite a bit of boost for a stock car! Must be a tiny turbo.

Nothing wrong with KIA at all, KIA is producing nice looking car and SUV
the Kia Sportage is a nice looking SUV, Hundai's new designed cars are looking good as well...

Congrats....

wow! i'm surprised by the power its making!

^^^ me as well. My MS3 is 261hp and 275trq. Mine tops at 15psi on the boost gauge.

How long has KIA been boosting cars for? I'd be worried about reliability on such a big step from NA cars to boosted. I know Mazda has been boosting cars since the first speed3 was made (early 2000ish).

who said you can take pictures in front of my building, gtfo:D

Lol. They've been boosting cars a LOT longer than that.

Had no clue! Glad I asked because I never heard of a KIA being boosted till now.

Read my quote- I was talking about Mazda.... I can't speak for Kia, though they have used mazda tech in the past.

That's what he was doing while we were patiently waiting for him! Bastard!

On a side note, I had a chance to drive the car (er truck) yesterday and was pretty impressed. Very torquey motor with smooth power delivery. Suspension feels tight and communicative and the interior is very stylish and bright.. very open feeling. My only complaint is the over-boosted electric steering. Turning the wheel at a stand-still feels the same as doing 70km/h. That's where Honda's years of experience shines with their cars... Korea needs to play catchup!

i didn't scroll at first and started reading, and from a glimpse a portion of the pic i thought to myself with horror, a caliber.

But its not, good choice. I will never dig new cars, too much tech, not enough simplicity

Congrats on the new car/cuv, I test drove the non turbo a year ago when we were looking, wish the turbo was out then. Seems decent, but IMO I was expecting lower prices from KIA, they aren't really any cheaper they just offer better financing, hope you got a good deal!

congrats on the new ride. very nice.

hyundai/kia are making great cars these days.


Im hoping you kept the e36?

Well not Kia, but Hyundai has been boosting for a while, ie genesis 2.0 Turbo. This engine is an evolution of that motor using a Mitsubishi TD04 turbo. I was concerned about it a bit at first but the more I think about it; with a 10 year warranty I really shouldn't have too.

At least it wont be your building much longer. :P

I looked it up and it is electric power assisted. Could use some fine tuning but they will get there. Its not like im taking this thing on the track or anything that's what the E36 is for.

Thanks! But you should know me better than to think I would buy a domestic.*uzi*

I did alright but I'm dutch so a good deal is never good enough. We were looking at a Nissan rouge that would have been quite a bit cheaper(the sales guy had offered us a 2500 discount before we even started negotiating, desperate?), but had no styling emotion, let alone power. Although the SX is a notch higher in price; and higher still if you add a few more options like nav etc, but I think its justified given its direct competition with respect to power and styling. A few more minor tweaks and handling will be top as well. The biggest deficiency, compared to other brands, is really just the interior cargo volume. The Sportage is a bit on the smaller side with around 1500cubic liters as opposed to most others around 1700-2000. Next time it is at the "auto salom" you are welcome to take it for a spin.

Thanks. I don't think I will, or could, ever sell the E36. Its scheduled for some shop time in the next week or so. Hoping to break 400RWHP on the next dyno.

Sick Ride, Pass It On!