Faults:

First let me explain that I am no stranger to 4X4's. I've had everything from International Scouts to Ford F150's. I do know how to maintain and drive them properly.

With that said, please give me my F150 back and to heck with the gas mileage. At least the hubs on the Ford were affordable.

This Sportage has had the 4X4 worked on twice. First time, it was hubs and vacuum lines to the tune of $1200 500 miles after purchase. Now it's vacuum lines again to be repaired tomorrow at the dealership.

I'm insisting on braided lines to hopefully prevent this from happening again.

Faults:

I bought this car from an ad in the newspaper, and liked the look of it so much, that it kind of blinded me from checking the mechanical background.

Although the car came with a report of history, and it had been in no accidents, I wish I had asked to see maintenance records.

This car from the start has been stressful. It's very loud to start, the heat shield is rusted and almost completely falling, will be replaced shortly.

My car just turned off one night, and I was on a back country road during a thunder storm. When I got it towed and looked at, he said there was a plastic part under the gas tank that was cracked, and he has no idea how it could ever crack.

When it was being towed, there were no anchors on the car; someone had taken them off, which he couldn't understand.

I don't feel safe at all in this car. While driving on the highway, the heat gauge is always at the top. It has no power whatsoever; on the highway it's pushing to drive 120km/hr. Going up hills, just forget about it, I could walk faster. Shifting is rough, and it is more of a chore.

The passenger side window doesn't work anymore, you can't even hear the motor trying.

The rngine light is constantly coming on, had it reset once; got told it was just over sensitive.

I just really hate this car, and I'm in the midst of getting ready to sell it. My previous car was a 91 Nissan Sentra, it by far was a better vehicle than the Kia. I will never buy or recommend Kia to anyone.

General Comments:

Seats are comfortable, and the look is really appealing.

Noisy, sounds like wind is coming through from back window.

The car rusts very easy!

Faults:

Window regulators went out a coupla times, replaced under warranty.

Alternator went around 80K.

Heat Shield rattles once in a while- about an $80 fix.

Overheats on me if I sit parked with the AC blowing full blast in 90 degree weather for more than 15 minutes.

General Comments:

I know a lot of people have been hating the Sportage, but I don't really see why. My 2WD stickshift Sportage has been to hell and back with me. I drive the living hell out of the car, trying to push all 130 hamsters out of the puny little 2 liter, and the car seems to be holding together fine. I change oil every 4K miles, and that's about it.

I am by no means nice to this car. I beat the hell out of it in dirt tracks and mud pits (who needs 4WD? getting stuck is half the fun), and the thing is still holding together. The stock rubber it came with was pure junk, so I just put on wider (225/70 R15) rubber on it, which goes on stock steel wheels and does not change the speedometer reading, and I've changed brakes once in the last 100,000 miles. That's it.

Practically everything, from the powertrain (except alternator, if you consider it part of the powertrain) to the suspension is still holding together beautifully (and that tells you something, considering I treat each speed bump as a small jump ramp).

Sure the thing hits an aerodynamic brick wall at 105 miles an hour, but it doesn't have too much of a problem getting there.

The thing is dirt cheap to maintain because there isn't much that can go wrong with it, and it's a rear wheel drive truck, cheap and easy to fix.

Very long warranty also mitigates a lot of initial quiality issues.

I would definately by again, simply because it is fun to make all four tires squeak around every corner. ABS would have been cool on this thing though.