[clockworks]

I'm considering a March 2017 2 litre diesel GT-Line S 4wd automatic to replace my Skoda Superb estate.

It's done less than 30k miles, and is at my local Kia dealer.

I've been looking for something a bit smaller than the Superb, with a reasonable turn of speed and a higher driving position.
I had a VW 3 litre V6 Touareg before the Skoda. Great car, but way too wide for the back roads where I live. Hopefully the Sportage will be a good compromise of price, comfort, size and performance.

There's a couple of reasons why I'm thinking about a Kia:

I've been very happy with my other car, which is a 2019 Picanto GT-Line S turbo.
The 7 year warranty.

When I bought my Picanto (as a 6 week old demonstrator), the salesman said that the 7 year warranty covered everything except the battery and the audio equipment, and wear and tear/consumables. Presumably this is correct, and I will get the remaining 3 years of warranty on a 4 year old Sportage?

Is there anything I should look out for when I view/drive the Sportage?

 

[mr.macspot]

I'm on my second Sportage, both with the 2.0 litre engine, I think they are great. I'll state the obvious first, do not expect good mpg, you will be disappointed. My overall average is around 35 mpg.
The seven year warranty is detailed on the Kia web site. As long as you have a full service history, preferably from Kia workshops it will still be valid. If the servicing has been done independantly you will need detailed receipts. Kia insist on own make parts, and lubricants etc. must be to their specification.
Things to look out for, noisy steering, a groaning sound when turning, usually present when it is cold. Notchy, lumpy feel to the steering (with Lane Keep Assist off). Both have dealer fixes which are done under warranty. Clutch vibration when cold or damp. All these have been detailed on this forum, use the search box at the top to find out more.
Goos luck.

 

[clockworks]

Thanks. I'll double-check the history with the dealer, make sure it's all up to scratch.

Is the steering issue a problem with the electrical assistance? I had that with a Citigo I bought before the Picanto. Needed a new column under warranty.
The one I'm considering is an automatic.
My Picanto has the same jerky clutch issue when cold - seems to be a "thing" with Kia.

I used to get 35mpg out of the Touareg, currently getting 32mpg out of my Superb 280. I can live with 35mpg, but would hope for a bit more on a long run.

 

[mr.macspot]

No the noisy steering is an issue with the tops of the suspension struts. The notchy steering is apparently fixed by some magic grease. I've only experienced the noise issue on my previous car and dealer sorted that as soon as the fix was identified. I have no experience of the auto box, again a search of the forum may enlighten you.

 

[137699]

A superb is a car, a Sportage is an SUV.
Suggest you take a look at the Stonic which is probably more what you need - a smaller Kia car with upright seating position.

Unless you need offroad capability then the Sportage is totally overengineered for your needs which just results in high running & servicing costs, as well as collateral damage to environment for no good reason.

 

[clockworks]

I was given a Stonic as a courtesy car while my Picanto was having its first annual service. I actually liked it, shame they don't make a faster, more powerful version. While the 1 litre 3 pot turbo is plenty in a small car like my Picanto, I'd prefer something a bit punchier in a bigger car.

 

[137699]

I have the fastest Sportage they make - the 1.6 turbo petrol - it's acceptable but far from fast & incredibly thirsty. If you're looking for "fast" then you probably need to be looking at other brands.

 

[clockworks]

I've just got back from having a test drive in the Sportage. I was quite impressed, wouldn't really know it was a diesel once it had warmed up a bit. Obviously not as quick as my Superb, but it felt quick enough for my needs. I reset the average mpg before setting off, and drove the same route as I had earlier in the Superb so that I could compare them fairly.
The Superb averaged 36mpg, the Sportage averaged 47mpg.
The Superb is slightly more refined, not that much in it though - just a more supple ride with the active suspension in normal mode.

The only thing I didn't like was the lane departure warning going off, but I think that can be disabled on a 17 plate car.

The dealer had only just taken it in, so it had been serviced and MOT'd, but not valeted. Very tidy car, no sign of any damage at all. Full history, so 3 year's warranty. More kit than my top of the range Superb.

Deal done, collecting it on Friday

 

[mr.macspot]

Yes, the Lane Keep Assist can be switched off on the 2017 models. As I recall there are are three options on the Lane Keep Assist System.
1) Lane Keep Assist Warning - gives a beep if you cross a white line or lane markings.
2) Lane Keep Assist Standard - will only interfere if the system predicts you are about to cross a white marking/line.
3) Lane Keep Assist Active - actively tries to keep the car between the white markings
4) Off
As I recall you can set the LKA as Warning/Standard/Active, but then switch LKAS off. By doing this if you press the LKAS button it switches on your preferred mode (but don't quote me on that )
I hope you enjoy your new car.

 

[clockworks]

Bit of a shock when I changed the car insurance on line just now. 30% more to insure the Sportage. Not a lot of money in reality, just strikes me as strange that it costs more to insure a 2 litre diesel Kia than a 2 litre petrol Skoda.

Both cars pretty much the same age and value, but the Skoda is a fair bit quicker (less that 6 secs to 60, limited to 155mph). It's also 7 insurance groups higher.

I guess they are just charging more because they can. I only renewed the policy a month ago, so no point in cancelling and getting a fresh policy.


Can anyone confirm that the 2017 2 litre diesel doesn't take adblue? I couldn't see a filler cap, and the salesman didn't know.

 

[KIA Sportage 2 2016]

Can anyone confirm that the 2017 2 litre diesel doesn't take adblue? I couldn't see a filler cap, and the salesman didn't know.

if you have a square external fuel filler cap cover and once opened up it will reveal the normal BLACK Diesel filler cap and to the right of it should there be a small blue covered push down top with AdBlue written on it then you have an AdBlue motor

 

[clockworks]

Thanks. I looked under the fuel flap, didn't see an adblue cap. Pretty sure it had a round flap.
The Touareg I owned before the Superb had an adblue tank, but it was under the false boot floor, and hidden by the tool tray.

 

[mr.macspot]

Bit of a shock when I changed the car insurance on line just now. 30% more to insure the Sportage. Not a lot of money in reality, just strikes me as strange that it costs more to insure a 2 litre diesel Kia than a 2 litre petrol Skoda.

Both cars pretty much the same age and value, but the Skoda is a fair bit quicker (less that 6 secs to 60, limited to 155mph). It's also 7 insurance groups higher.

I guess they are just charging more because they can. I only renewed the policy a month ago, so no point in cancelling and getting a fresh policy.


Can anyone confirm that the 2017 2 litre diesel doesn't take adblue? I couldn't see a filler cap, and the salesman didn't know.

I swapped from a Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer 2.0, which was a seriously quick car, to my previous Sportage KX-2 and the insurance was the same. Last year when I changed cars it dropped, no idea why.
You are right, there is no Adblue on your car.

 

[videoman]

"Can anyone confirm that the 2017 2 litre diesel doesn't take adblue? I couldn't see a filler cap, and the salesman didn't know "
I can't believe that a salesperson wanting to sell you a car did not know the answer but worse still couldn't be bothered to find the answer. Was this at a Kia Dealership?

 

[jcapari]

Bit of a shock when I changed the car insurance on line just now. 30% more to insure the Sportage. Not a lot of money in reality, just strikes me as strange that it costs more to insure a 2 litre diesel Kia than a 2 litre petrol Skoda.

Both cars pretty much the same age and value, but the Skoda is a fair bit quicker (less that 6 secs to 60, limited to 155mph). It's also 7 insurance groups higher.

I guess they are just charging more because they can. I only renewed the policy a month ago, so no point in cancelling and getting a fresh policy.


Can anyone confirm that the 2017 2 litre diesel doesn't take adblue? I couldn't see a filler cap, and the salesman didn't know.

THE SALESMAN DIDN'T KNOW???

 

[clockworks]

Yes, it's a Kia dealership, operating out of 9 or 10 locations in the county. 3 Kia dealerships and one Hyundai, also a couple of French franchises and a couple of Japanese, and now a Chinese too.

It seems to be fairly standard for most car salesmen to have less than perfect product knowledge.
I've been buying cars for over 40 years. The best product knowledge seems to be amongst the senior parts dept. guys, and maybe the owners of smaller used car dealerships.

I've only ever spoken to one car "salesman" who knew everything about what he was selling. He was joint managing director of an independent Porsche sales and repair business. He lived and breathed the brand. He was the sales and technical guy, his business partner was the numbers guy.
Many car salesmen are quite passionate about cars, but they seem to move around between dealerships, never staying in one place long enough to gain extensive knowledge of what they are selling this year. They might get good training on new models when they are released, but not know much about cars that were released before they joined the brand.

It would've been nice if he'd checked, but at least he didn't just make something up.

 

[mr.macspot]

If you think about the majority of people who walk into a car dealership don't care if the car has Adblue or has a DPF/GPF, sad but true. They will be buying a car based on how it looks and feels when they sit in it, what 'toys' it has and whether they can get the pram/dog/mother in law in the boot. They may ask what the mpg is and be impressed by the salesman's brochure quoted figure's and believe them. They will finally be persuaded by the lovely lease hire numbers that are way cheaper than expected - deal done.
Then a few weeks into car ownership they discover the mpg is not what they were told, or the DPF/GPF warning light is on, or the stop/start doesn't work. They do a Google, find forums like this, get the answer to their problem and disappear into the ether again.
The same goes for most salesmen, whatever the product (you try asking a Currys salesman if the laptop memory is expandable).
It's simply the way people are. It's only us idiots that care enough to do our research, look through all the shiny crap and find the car we want. It's only us idiots that like to learn about our cars and share that knowledge with other like minded people, and occasionally be of help to others. And some of us idiots will even want to get under the bonnet at fix things for ourselves (not for me). Thank goodness for us idiots.

PS I am not knocking anyone, or aiming this at any one person, I am just saying it as I see it, please don't be offended.

 

[clockworks]

Totally agree. All a salesman (of any type of product) needs to know is enough to be one step ahead of 99% of his/her customers. There will always be the odd customer that knows more than the salesman.

I was going to make the comparison with Currys, but decided it might be a bit inflammatory. When I worked "on the road", I used to spend a lot of time between service calls wandering around out of town retail parks. My favourite pastime was going into Currys to browse, and listening to the sales staff advising customers. After the salesman had moved on to the next customer, I'd jump in with my advice and try and steer them to a product that suited them better. That was back in the day, when I knew a fair amount about PCs and audio kit. I'd say the knowledge of the average Currys sales person was appalling, far worse that a car salesman.

I'm a bit out of touch with electronics these days, and probably the same with cars. My interests have shifted onto my own sphere of business, and different hobbies.

 

[clockworks]

Another question:

Does the 2017 2 litre diesel GTS (182) use a torque convertor auto gearbox, or a dual clutch box?

 

[mr.macspot]

Both mine have been manual, but I've attached the 2017 specification sheet if that is any help.