It’s time to really celebrate the KIA 2017 Sportage SX a compact sports utility vehicle. Hoot, holler and get excited because there are 5 big reasons to love this car. I just got done test driving the Sportage and I can tell you it is definitely a sporty drive and does not make me feel like a ‘MOM’ when I behind the wheel.
The perfect compact SUV for any family not ready to commit to really big SUV’s or those transitioning out of sedans and trying an SUV for the first time. Seating for up to 5 passengers and a generous cargo area really make the vehicle prime for those newly expanding families that need both sportability and cargo space for kid gear and shopping hauls.
Get ready for fabulous amenities, a reasonable sticker price, brilliant shining lights, and gas mileage that will won’t let your credit card make bank! Let’s hit the road, and check out the 5 reasons to get excited and love on the 2017 KIA Sportage SX and lavishly live travel out loud.
5 Reasons To Get Excited About the 2017 KIA SPORTAGE SX
When the offer came about to get to test drive this vehicle and learn it I was quite excited as this was my chance to compare it to so many different compact SUV’s that I have been driving. The vehicle was provided for me to test out and all images and story are my own based on my experience with the vehicle.
I have loved the test drive in this car, and we have really put some serious mileage on the vehicle. I have driven over the hills and through the woods for the holidays, driving on highways, and back roads, which leads me to my first favorite reason to Drive Kia! The vehicle color was Burnished Copper with a black interior, you can see my initial opinion in this video.
The MSRP on the KIA 2017 Sportage was $33,395 so a whole lot of amenities built in to this compact SUV.
Fuel Economy
The 2017 KIA SPORTAGE boasts fuel economy of 21 MPG around town (that’s starting, stopping and city driving) while offering about 25 MPG on highway driving. You can really tighten up the fuel economy using different drive modes, and that’s what we shall chat about next.
Drive Modes
Eco, Sport, Standard are the three drive modes equipped in the KIA SPORTAGE.
ECO
Now, while ECO is great for reducing air conditioner and acceleration, I might refer to it as sluggish to start. I would never suggest using ECO mode for highway merging or where the call for acceleration is very necessary, as it is like waking someone out of a nap during slug mode.
It seems to me after trying all of the modes over and over again that ECO is also good for once you have achieved the speed you want (highway driving) I would then kick into ECO mode. ECO mode is not for that fast responsiveness you need unless you are going to bare down hard on the acceleration to make it respond.
NORMAL MODE
I used normal a lot at the beginning until I could figure out which mode made the most sense. I call Normal Mode the catch-all mode. If I did not know if I was spending time in town or on the highway I just touched the button and left it in Normal. Acceleration was available when needed, and normal starts and stops at red lights, no hesitancy like in ECO mode.
I am okay using it to make a difference in our environment and around town where the car sits in traffic or stops a lot, but in that pickup and go situations, not so much!
SPORT
Let ’em rip baby is what I can say here because WOW the car just pulls ahead and it’s great for lane changing. The steering on SPORT rocks the ride and honestly I tried to get into situations that would call for sport (highway driving –merging, lane changing, etc). I just got giddy every time I changed into this mode and had fun with it, what can I say I love my test drives.
Get Lit
Want to talk about an exciting lighting package on a vehicle? The KIA SPORTAGE is totally LIT! We have been high-beamed on a regular occasion and I snickered every time and then, of course, I ‘showed em’ what I got’! Let me translate this for you: ” yeah that’s right I flicked on the high beams to show them my car was just exceptionally lit and that the crisp illumination that comes from the Dynamic Bending lights are what I truly love.
The lights are bright, and the bending lights improve your cornering visibility because the headlight beam moves into the upcoming turn, which makes it brilliant and smart and very functional for traveling at night!
High Beam Assist
As I have already discussed how many times I was ‘flashed’ by oncoming cars to let me know I had my high beams on, I know for a fact they were wrong because the 2017 KIA SPORTAGE has High Beam Assist. High Beam Assist detects oncoming cars (when you have it activated) and it AUTOMATICALLY Dims those headlights from high beams to low beams. All you do is put your high beams on and the vehicle takes over from there auto adjusting the lights!
Panoramic Sunroof
This is an over-sized panoramic sunroof which starts at the front of the driver’s seat and ends behind the passenger backseats truly lets you take in the fresh air or enjoy the free lighting!
Overall Impression
Let me apologize for the windiness ahead of time, as you will hear this on the video.
I will say that the vehicle is perfect for those who have never had a compact SUV Or SUV. I did not like the interior lighting, as I felt it truly lacked spectacular illumination especially when I was searching for buttons or items I had it with me.
The day that we went and picked up a bike for home use, it fit, but if I would have had kids with me the decision of “the bike or the kids” would need to have been answered as I had to fold the seats all the way down and move my the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat up a lot to make it fit. I feel like this car is best for smaller families or couples wanting a sporty ride without blowing the budget.
Vehicle provided for test drive, story and images are my own.
