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2015 Kia K900 w/VIP Recap #DRIVESTI

 

K900 Main Line Mansion

As most of you know by now I love driving and reviewing new cars.  What better way to test what’s new on the market without having to actually go to the dealership and deal with the hassle of sales people.

Recently Melinda and I took an awesome trip to Washington, DC and drove there in style behind the wheel of the 2015 Kia K900.  If I had to use one word to sum up this car it would be luxury. It starts with the exterior which looks very high end and classy and then continues to the interior which is state of the art.

Kia Front

Front and Side Camera view

What I first noticed when  I saw the Kia K900 in my driveway was the awesome 19 inch alloy chrome finished wheels as well as the sleek body design and awesome front grill.  Next is the interior which is to die for.  This car comes with everything you could possibly want in a car and more.  Even the kids had their own set of controls in the back to heat their leather seats as well as a lot of other functions.

Backseat Controls

When you sit in the Kia K900 you can feel the luxury and you feel important behind the wheel.  While driving to DC I noticed a ton of people checking out the car and I even had a few people ask us what kind of car it was because it was such a sexy vehicle.

Like I mentioned this car was LOADED with all of the options like the Lexicon® Discrete Logic7® Surround Sound System, 900 Watt Surround Sound Audio System with 17 Speakers, External Amplifier & Subwoofer, HD Radio, advance smart cruise control, blind spot detection, drive mode select, lane departure warning system, leather seats with heat, heated leather wrapped steering wheel and the list goes on and on.  It would take me hours to list every single option and feature that comes standard in the 2015 Kia K900 w/VIP.

in front of Washington Monument

This was by far the nicest car that I have ever driven and I have driven a lot of cars in my day.  I really wish I was in the market for a new car and had an extra 58K laying around because this is the car I would be purchasing for sure.  It was fast, drove very smooth even on the not so smooth roads of DC and just made you feel relaxed while driving.  I wasn’t in any hurry when behind the wheel of the K900.  I wanted to enjoy every second I could behind the wheel of this awesome vehicle.

Kia at Arlington

Kia in front of Smithsonian

I know alot of people don’t associate luxury with Kia but I am here to tell you that you are dead wrong.  Everything about the Kia K900 w/VIP screams luxury and if you don’t believe me feel free to stop into a Kia dealership and check the K900 out for yourself.




2015 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD Recap #DriveSTI

2014 disclosure

Exterior
I have reviewed Kia’s, Ford’s, Mitsubishi’s and now I can add Mazda’s to my list.  Back in June we reviewed the 2014 Mazda3 S Grand Touring 5 door which we really liked and this time we reviewed the 2015 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring AWD which was a really nice vehicle.

Interior

This is only my second time driving a Mazda and I must admit I really liked how they felt, drove and handled.  If I was in the market for a new vehicle I would be buying either a Mazda3 or Mazda CX-5 for sure.  But since I am not in the market let me just dream and tell you what I thought about the Mazda CX-5.

The Mazda CX-5 wais loaded and I mean loaded with awesome features like push button engine start (which I love), dual zone auto climate control (which rocks since Melinda is always cold and I am always sweating), bluetooth hands free phone/audio, Skyactive technology, sweet audio system plus a ton of other stuff.

Every vehicle we have reviewed including the Mazda CX-5 has had Sirius satellite radio which never gets old because I love all of the different types of music offered as well as Howard Stern.  I also loved the touch screen display with navigation and back up camera so I could see what was behind me.

Legroom

We are a family of 5 so having plenty of leg and cargo room is essential and the Mazda CX-5 didn’t disappoint.  Shaun (11 yrs old) and I are pretty tall dudes (me – 6’3 and Shaun – 5’6) and we fit in the Mazda just fine so that means if we are able to fit and be comfortable anyone can fit and be comfortable. I also loved the leather interior and the front heated seats.  It’s summer and hot here in Delaware so I didn’t test the heated seats but after the winter we just had I would have killed for heated front seats, LOL.

Trunk Space

The Mazda CX-5 had so many features that I didn’t get to test every single one but I did test as many as I could.  I feel it takes months to discover everything that a new vehicle has to offer but like I mentioned I really liked every feature that I was able to test.

interior space

Overall the Mazda CX-5 was an awesome vehicle that didn’t disappoint and I would give it 5 stars.  It met all of our families needs and wants and didn’t lack in comfort what so ever.

 

 




2014 Mitsubishi Outlander #DriveSTI

Road Trip with Mitsubishi Outlander #DriveSTI

Most of you know by now that I love cars and I love doing car reviews since I have done at least 10 if not more.  I don’t care that I only get to keep the vehicle for a week because for that week we like to use them to travel to different places that we have never been to before.  During the week we like to put the car to the test and see what we like and dislike about the vehicle.

Road Trip with Mitsubishi Outlander #DriveSTI

Three weeks ago we received the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4 SE S-AWC for review and we really put it to the test.  The first test was to drive 625 miles to Charleston SC to catch a cruise to the Caribbean and see how five people plus luggage would fit.  I am happy to report that all five of us fit as well as our luggage.  The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander does have a 3rd row but we found that by using that 3rd row it took away from the cargo space ALOT. What we did instead was put all three kids in the second row which was tight and folded down the 3rd row to give us more cargo room which was great since we had a ton of luggage. Don’t get me wrong it was tight (due to overpacking, LOL) and the luggage barely fit but it fit and to me that is all that matters.

Road Trip with Mitsubishi Outlander #DriveSTI

Road Trip with Mitsubishi Outlander #DriveSTI

The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander had a lot of nice features and a few that I absolutely hated.  The first thing that I loved was the way that the Mitsubishi drove as well as the acceleration.  I expected it to be weighed down with the five of us as well as luggage but it moved just fine with no problems.

Another great feature that I loved was the entertainment system which consisted of 7 inch touch screen with navigation and SiriusXM as well as a 710 watt Rockford Fosgate premium sound system (9 speakers including a 10 inch subwoofer with punch control). Melinda and I loved the sound system but not Shaun.  While on our way to South Carolina Melinda caught Shaun leaning his head on the back or her seat and every time she would tell Shaun to sit back.  The problem was that every time Shaun would sit back in his seat he said the bass from the sound system made him nauseous.  I guess Melinda and I like a lot of bass in our old school rap music.

Road Trip with Mitsubishi Outlander #DriveSTI

I also loved the power remote tail gate, rain-sensing wipers, fast key passive entry system and the one touch start/stop engine switch.  All of these features are not necessary items but let me tell you they are very nice features to have a just add to the overall appeal of the 20144 Mitsubishi Outlander.

There were two features of the Mitsubishi that I understand how and why they worked but I didn’t care for the feature at all.

The first was the lane departure warning system.  Like I said I understand why this feature may be important to some but to me it was really annoying. Any time I was just a touch near the lane line the system would notify me with a loud annoying beep.  The good thing was this feature was able to be turned off and on with the touch of a button so as you may have guess this bad boy was turned off every time I drove.

Road Trip with Mitsubishi Outlander #DriveSTI

The other feature that I liked and disliked at the same time was the adaptive cruise control.  I do love using cruise control especially on this trip since it was 625 miles one way but the thing that was a little bit of a pain was the forward collision mitigation.  The system would detect when there was a car in front of me (not sure at what distance but it was a good distance away) it would slow the cruise control down until the car in front of me was no longer detected then it would continue back to my set cruising speed.  The overall function of this feature I liked but at times the car would slow down at such a rapid pace that it would actually jerk you in your seat.  I could understand this is happening if I was on the bumper of the car in front but this would happen when we were maybe 4 to 5 car lengths out.  Overall a really nice feature but at time it was a touch annoying for me.

Overall I really really enjoyed the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander and everything that it had to offer.  If we didn’t over pack I am sure the cargo space wouldn’t have been an issue for us but that didn’t take anything away from this vehicle.  It was packed with more features than I was able to use but every feature that I did use I really enjoyed.  It definitely was a very nice vehicle and got us to and from our vacation in style and comfort.

 




2014 Kia Soul #DriveSTI

2014 disclosure

kia soul

I love driving new cars even if they aren’t mine and recently I had the chance to drive the 2014 Kia Soul for a week also known as an urban hatchback.

The first think I noticed when I got home from work was the awesome red color (Inferno Red) and the sick 18 inch alloy wheels. I love new cars and I especially like messing around with all of the cool features.

wheels

The 2014 Kia Soul that we had for the week had the whole shabang like an Infinity sound system with satellite radio, panoramic sunroof with power sunshade, speaker lights (Front Door Speaker Trim Lights can pulsate to the beat of the music and even change color),  leather interior with ventilated and heated seats and the list goes on and on.  I am amazed at how many features a car company can pack into one vehicle.  My current car is an 2007 and has maybe one or two features but no where near the features that the 2014 Kia Soul has.

sunroof

seats kia

steering wheel

I must admit that I really like the Kia Soul that we had and feel that it would be a great first car for Sabreena.  The Kia Soul is affordable which is great for her and safe with 4 wheel ABS, full length curtain side airbags, dual front seat-mounted side airbags and dual front advanced airbags.

Another great feature that I liked about the Kia was the gas mileage which was about 31 highway/23 city. I drive about 60 to 70 miles round trip to work 5 days a week so I need a car that is going to give me great mileage and allow me to save a few bucks on gas.

I also love all of the leg room, head room and cargo room that the 2014 Kia Soul had to offer.  We  used the Kia to go to one of Shaun’s lacrosse games and the truck easily accommodated all of his gear as well as chairs, a cooler and a ton of other stuff that we needed for the day. The 60/40 rear seat split really came in handy.

rear seat

We have reviewed maybe 5 or 6 Kia’s and the Soul is one of my favorites.  I was hesitant at first due to its size and I thought it wouldn’t have a lot of get up and go but I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised and loved everything that the Soul had to offer.  I am sure there are a ton of features that I missed and never got a chanced to mess with but I am happy with all of the features that I did get to test out.

If you are in the market for a new vehicle (unfortunately we aren’t at this time which stinks) give the Kia Soul a look.  You will definitely be happy with all of the car that you get for your money.




2014 Mazda3 S Grand Touring 5-door Recap #DriveSTI

2014 disclosure

My two favorite smells are pizza and new car smell, LOL.  I know that sounds weird but who doesn’t love a new car and how it smells as well as pizza?  A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of test driving the 2014 Mazda3 s Grand Touring 5-door and I must say I was really impressed.

mazda

I have never driven a Mazda and to be honest I’m not sure that I have ever even driven in a Mazda but I was really happy and enjoyed the driving experience.  My typical problem with a new car is it’s difficult learning all the new features of a car but the Mazda seemed like it was laid out really well and it was easy to learn.

This car was loaded with features like leather seats attractive red stitching, satellite radio, Mazda Connect infotainment system, active driving display (shows your speed & navigation on the small flip up screen so you don’t have to look down), navigation, power everything and the list goes on and on.  I will say that this Mazda wasn’t lacking when it came to features.  It had just about everything a person would need in a car.
Active Driving Display

mazda leather and red stitching

MAZDA CONNECT™ Infotainment system

Like I said the Mazda was a blast to drive; It handled awesome and the pickup was really amazing.  I enjoyed all of the head and legroom that the Mazda had to offer since I am 6’3 and a roomy car is a must.

headroom

In addition to the awesome head and leg room the truck was ridiculously huge.  As you can see from the below picture Melinda was able to fit $350 worth of groceries in the trunk with no problem at all.  We also used the Mazda to go to one of Shaun’s lacrosse games and the truck easily accommodated all of his gear as well as chairs, a cooler and a ton of other stuff that we needed for the day.

mazda3 trunk of groceries

We had the opportunity to test how well the Mazda did on gas because Shaun had a lacrosse game 2 hours away one way and let me tell you it did awesome.  It was inexpensive to fill and it seemed like it went forever on a tank of gas which is great compared to our vehicles.

My overall experience with the 2014 Mazda3 S Grand Touring 5-door was very very positive and I would recommend anyone looking to buy a new car to give this Mazda a look because it will not disappoint.

We’re still a couple years away from getting away from the minivan but this would be a great 2nd car.




2013 Kia Rio SX 5DR

This is a sponsored post but all opinions are our own!!!!

I love test driving vehicles and I especially love test driving Kia vehicles.  A  while back I had the opportunity to drive the 2013 Kia Rio SX 5DR for a week and let me tell you that was a really fun car to drive.

We are a family of five so the 2013 Kia Rio SX 5DR isn’t quite big enough for my entire family but this would be an awesome first car for Sabreena.  The Rio that I drove was loaded with satellite radio, navigation, leather seats, push button start and a ton of other awesome features.  It was awesome on gas with an estimated EPA combined city/highway of 31 mpg.  The week I had this car I was driving to Brigantine for work which was 80 miles one way so needless to say I was extremely happy with the gas mileage considering I was driving about 160 miles round trip each day.

2014-kia-rio-5dr-hb-auto-sx-instrument-panel_100455441_l

The Kia Rio SX 5DR had a very smooth ride as well as very nice pick up for such a small car.  The leg and head room were very nice as well which is important to me considering I am 6’3.  Overall the Kia Rio SX 5DR had everything I could ask for in a car and a lot more.

A few nights while we had the Kia Melinda and I would just take a ride to get out for a little while and enjoy the car.  We really didn’t have anywhere to go but we had a nice new Kia that looked good and we looked good in so we wanted to show it off.  We did have one guy tell us that he really liked the car and that Kia has come a long way in their design and I couldn’t agree more.  The Kia Rio SX 5DR is really sporty and the one we had really fit the bill.  Nice rims, awesome interior, what more could you ask for in a vehicle.

Overall my experience with the Kia Rio SX 5Dr was 5 stars and I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a vehicle that could accommodate four people.

 




2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC

This is a sponsored post but all opinions are our own!!!!

In the last two years I have tried seven or eight cars and I must admit that I love the feel of a new car and a few weeks ago I got the opportunity to drive the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC for a week.

Overall I was super happy with the vehicle and the overall performance.  The one and only thing that I didn’t like was the pick up of the vehicle.  In my opinion the 2.0L DOHC engine doesn’t provide enough punch to get that Outlander moving like I would have liked.  Other than that I must admit the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC was a really fun vehicle to drive.  One of my favorite features was the panoramic glass roof with LED illumination.  I loved that the whole roof was open to the outside and that the sun could just shine right in.  When the kids first got into the Outlander the glass roof is something Shaun noticed and he asked if it opened up like a moon roof, nope.  That would be awesome if it did but from a logistics point of view I am sure putting that entire piece of glass somewhere when open would be a total nightmare.

The Outlander is LOADED with a TON of great features so here they are so that I don’t any:

Every 2013 Outlander Sport includes these standard features:

  • 148-hp, 2.0-liter MIVEC engine
  • Color LCD multi-information display
  • 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with P225/55R18 all-season tires
  • Electric Power Steering (EPS)
  • FUSE Hands-free Link System™ with USB Port
  • Seven airbag¹ safety system including a driver’s knee airbag
  • Tilt and telescopic adjustable steering column
  • Active Stability Control (ASC)² with Hill Start Assist

Includes all standard features plus:

Exterior

  • Super-wide range High-Intensity Discharge (S-HID) headlamps
  • Auto off/on headlamp control
  • Halogen fog lights with chrome bezel
  • Chrome grille surround
  • Body-colored outer door handles
  • Heated power side view mirrors
  • Side fender turn signal indicators
  • Rear wiper with intermittent feature
  • Electric rear window defroster with timer
  • Rear privacy glass
  • Rear LED combination tail lights
  • Roof-mounted radio antenna
  • Single exhaust outlet with chrome tip
  • Rain-sensing windshield wipers
  • Flat-type wiper blades
  • Roof carrier plug-in accommodation

Wheels and Tires

  • P225/55R18 all-season radial tires
  • 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels
  • Space saver temporary spare tire

Comfort and Convenience

  • Automatic climate control with pollen air filter
  • One-touch Start/Stop (OSS) engine switch
  • Rear heater floor ducts
  • Visor vanity mirrors with illumination
  • Rear seat center armrest with cup holders (x2)
  • Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
  • Cruise control with steering-wheel-mounted controls
  • Power windows with driver one-touch down/up feature
  • Power door locks with two-stage unlocking
  • Heated front seats
  • Height-adjustable front shoulder belt anchors
  • FAST-Key electronic start system with panic feature
  • 12-volt power outlet (x2)
  • Front map lights
  • Rear dome light (not available with premium package)
  • Rear cargo light
  • Retractable assist grips (x4)
  • Manual day/night rearview mirror

Storage

  • Glove box with pen holder
  • Front-door storage pockets with bottle holders
  • Cargo tie-down utility hooks (x4)
  • Center console box with cup holders (x2)
  • Center slide-adjustable armrest
  • Instrument panel lower compartment
  • Pocket tissue holder
  • Seatback pocket (driver’s side)
  • Rear cargo compartments

Seating and Trim

  • 5-passenger seating
  • Sport-fabric-trimmed seating
  • 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat
  • 4-way manually adjustable passenger’s seat
  • Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
  • Soft-touch upper instrument panel and door trim
  • Chrome interior door levers
  • Rear seat adjustable head restraints (x3)
  • Door scuff plate (front & rear)
  • 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback
  • Adjustable return seatback
  • Carpeted floor mats

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20130728_191023-1

Audio

  • 140-watt AM/FM/CD/MP3-compatible audio system with 6 speakers, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), equalization control and speed-compensated volume
  • SiriusXM™ Satellite Radio with free 3-month subscription
  • FUSE Hands-free Link System™ with USB port
  • Steering-wheel-mounted audio controls

20130728_191145-1

Instrumentation

  • Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters
  • High-contrast meters
  • Color LCD multi-information display, including trip computer, maintenance reminder, ambient temperature and audio system information
  • Rheostat
  • Dual trip odometers

20130728_191124-1

Safety and Security

  • Advanced front airbags¹ with seatbelt-use, passenger-weight and driver’s seat-position sensors
  • Front side-impact airbags¹ and side-impact curtain airbags¹ with rollover protection
  • Driver’s knee airbag¹
  • Electronically controlled 4WD system
  • Drive mode selector (2WD / 4WD Auto / 4WD Lock)
  • Active Stability Control (ASC)²
  • Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)² with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist
  • Hill Start Assist
  • Traction Control Logic (TCL)
  • Tire pressure monitoring system
  • 3-point seatbelts for all 5 seating positions
  • Engine immobilizer and anti-theft alarm system
  • Child-safety rear door locks
  • LATCH child-safety-seat anchors & upper tethers
  • Remote fuel lid opener
  • Front seatbelt pretensioners with force limiters
  • Collapsible steering column and foldaway brake pedal assembly
  • Side-impact door beams

20130728_191240-1

ECO Friendly Features

  • ECO driver indicator light
  • Brake energy regeneration system
  • Recyclable plastic bumpers, instrument panel, door trim and radiator grille
  • Plastic polymer front fender panels
  • Electric Power Steering (EPS)

I am glad that I got the opportunity to drive the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE AWC for a week and test out all of its features.  It was loaded with a lot of nice features for sure but like I said it was just a tad under powered.  It was a fun and easy vehicle to drive that was pretty good on gas (which is a huge plus) that looked really cool which is always a added bonus!




2013 Kia Optima SX Limited

This is a sponsored post but all opinions are our own!!!!

Last weekend was me and Melinda’s 12th wedding anniversary and we got a chance to get a kid-free weekend away with a nice trip to the beach in OCean City, NJ and we got to travel in style in the 2013 Kia Optima SX Limited.  This car to me is what I call luxury as it had all the bells and whistles like leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats,  panoramic sunroof and so many more options.

IMG_20130720_081038 - NEW

For all the car enthusiasts out there like myself below is the full list of features:

2013 Kia Optima SX Limited

ENGINE:

  • 2.0-liter DOHC turbocharged I-4
  • Horsepower: 274hp @ 6000rpm
  • Torque: 269lb-ft@ 4500rpm

TRANSMISSION:

  • 6-speed automatic

20130725_184002 - NEW

DRIVE:

  • Front-wheel

WHEELS AND TIRES:

  • 18-inch aluminum wheels
  • 225/45VR-18 HankookOptimo H431 tires

FUEL ECONOMY (city/highway/combined):

  • 22/34/26mpg

CURB WEIGHT:

  • 3385lb

CAPACITIES:

  • Doors/Passengers: 4/5
  • Cargo: 15.4cu ft
  • Legroom (front/rear): 45.5/34.7 in
  • Headroom (front/rear): 40.0/37.6 in
  • Towing: N/A

20130726_070917 - NEW

STANDARD FEATURES:

  • 18-inch chromed aluminum wheels
  • Red brake calipers
  • Lower door chrome accents
  • Nappa leather seat and interior trim
  • Black cloth headliner
  • Electronic parking brake
  • Chrome-accented rear spoiler
  • First aid kit
  • Automatic dual-zone climate control
  • SiriusXM satellite radio w/3-month trial subscription
  • USB port
  • Auxiliary audio jack
  • Bluetooth
  • Keyless ignition
  • Cruise control
  • HID headlights
  • LED taillights
  • Fog lights

20130725_183917 - NEW

20130725_183955 - NEW

OPTIONS ON THIS VEHICLE:

  • Panoramic sunroof
  • Power-folding exterior mirrors
  • Infinity audio system
  • Rearview camera
  • Power front passenger’s seat
  • Driver’s seat memory function
  • Heated and ventilated front seats
  • Heated outboard rear seats
  • Navigation w/real-time traffic

The 2013 Kia Optima SX Limited was super fun to drive.  The pickup was incredible and that was because of the turbocharged engine.  Melinda and I would go out for drives just to get the Kia on the road and that is saying a lot because I hate driving most of the time, LOL.  I really liked the size of the Optima from front to back.  The leg room was great which I look for due to me being 6’3.  The truck was another thing I was impressed with.  We loaded it with a trip to the grocery store as well as BJ’s Wholesale and had plenty of room in the trunk.

20130722_110630 - NEW

Some of my favorite features of the Kia Optima SX Limited were the rear view camera, cooled leather seats, navigation system and satellite radio. When it comes to cars I am very hard to please but I will say that this car had so many features that it was feature overload for me.  Like I mentioned to me this car yells luxury  but if you want to find out for yourself head to your local Kia dealer and see for yourself.




2012 Kia Optima Hybrid

I love cars especially new cars and I was super excited when I recently got the chance to recap the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid.

I see more and more hybrids on the road and I always wonder how much better they are on gas then a traditional car since they are both gas and electric.  The Kia Optima Hybrid has about an 18 gallon gas tank and I was getting about 500 – 550 miles on a tank of gas.  I was averaging around 32.2 miles per gallon which in my opinion is awesome for a mid to large size sedan.  In comparison I drive a pretty small car that gets about 27 miles to the gallon and Melinda drives a minivan that get about 18 miles per gallon so as you can see the Kia Optima Hybrid is very good on gas especially for its size.

Not only was I impressed with the terrific gas mileage but I was also very impressed with the inside of the Kia.  It came loaded with heated and cooled front seats (how cool is it to heat and cool your butt, LOL), heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, full leather, GPS, satellite radio, backup camera, panoramic sunroof, push button start and the list goes on and on.  I must admit this is the first car that I have seen that comes with rear heated seats which I didn’t notice until Shaun pointed it out to me.

For you car geeks like myself if comes with a 2.4L 4-cyl Hybrid engine, 6 speed sportmatic transmission, 16” tires and alloy wheels, ABS brakes, traction control system and electronic stability control.  The Kia Optima Hybrid also came with Dual front airbags, front seat mounted side airbags and full length side curtain airbags.  This Kia was loaded with comfort, safety and was great on gas; what more could you ask for in a car.

The Kia Optima Hybrid was a blast to drive but it took me a while to get used to how quit it was since it is a hybrid.  I would start the car and have to double check the RPM gauge to be sure it was running; that is how quiet this car is.  It also took a little getting used to the acceleration again because it is a hybrid it’s a little different than a traditional gas vehicle but after getting used to it the Kia took off like a rocket.

I will say that Melinda and I were very impressed with everything that the Kia Optima Hybrid had to offer and Melinda even said she could see herself driving this car on a daily basis.  I will admit that I really do love the gas mileage that this vehicle gets and could see replacing one of our cars with the Kia Hybrid for sure.

I Disclose




2012 Kia Sorento EX AWD

What is better than getting to drive an awesome new car for the week except maybe owning that awesome new car but I must say that I really enjoyed my week behind the wheel of the 2012 Kia Sorento EX AWD.

My commute to work one way is about 52 miles which takes about an hour with no traffic but could take as long as 1.5-2 hours depending on traffic.  Having the Sorento get me through the daily traffic for an entire week was terrific.  It was super comfortable to drive and had a ton of awesome features like Sirius Satellite radio, blue tooth enabled phone and navigation.

iPhone/iPad Cable

The Kia Sorento that we got to recap was a dark cherry/black color with black leather interior.  To me there is nothing better than the feel and smell of new leather interior and I instantly feel in love and this was just the beginning.  Sitting behind the wheel looking at all of the controls threw me into a little bit of overload since neither of our two cars have anywhere near this many features.  Our Sorento had an AM/FM radio with Sirius Satellite radio, navigation, blue tooth enabled phone, backup camera and iPhone connection.   That was just the entertainment features then I saw the dual heated leather seats, climate control settings and dual power seats and darn near lost my mind.

Ok, so that I don’t totally forget some of the features of the Kia Sorento that I really enjoyed I will list them for you now:

  • AM/FM/CD/MP3/SiriusXM Satellite Radio Audio System – What more could you ask for and I love Howard Stern so it col to have Sirius.
  • Infinity Surround Sound Audio System w/10 speakers – Shaun asked me on numerous occasions to turn the radio up so we could jam to Maroon 5.
  • Navigation System & Rear Camera Display – backup camera was a little hard to get use to because I was afraid I was still going to hit something or someone.
  • Push Button Start w/Smart Key – Really cool that you can start the car with the SmartKey in your pocket.
  • Eco Minder Indicator – Told me when I was achieving optimum fuel economy which is awesome since gas in Delaware is $3.47/gallon.
  • Auto-dimming Mirror w/Homelink – This is cool because cars behind you won’t blind you and I like that on the rear view mirror there are buttons that you can use to control your garage door.
  • Power folding outside mirrors – hit the lock button twice on the SmartKey and the vehicle locks and the mirrors fold in. TOO COOL!
  • 8-Way Power Driver’s Seat and Lumbar Support – Seats were soooooo comfortable and with all of the different settings it seems impossible for anyone not to be comfortable while driving this vehicle.
  • Third Row 50/50 Split Folding Seats – Since we are a family of 5 the third row came in handy but didn’t figure out until the last day that the passenger seat in the second row folds up allowing easy access to the third row.  LOL, we aren’t the smartest people in case you haven’t noticed.

These are just a few of the highlights for me but it had so many more cool little features that you probably would never even think about but make the Kia Sorento a really nice vehicle.

All in all an AWESOME vehicle and definitely a vehicle I would consider buying.  The Sorento offered a really comfortable ride and I must admit I was a little sad when they picked it up.

I Disclose