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Borrego has arrived - just test drove it!

4 messages,  Last post on Aug 30, 2008 at 6:19 PM

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#1 of 4 Borrego has arrived - just test drove it! by ed111 Aug 24, 2008 (6:52 am)
My wife and I just visited a local Kia dealer to see the 2009 Kia Borrego. The dealer had at least 3 vehicles, both LX and EX, all with V6. They had no V8 or Limited on hand.   The car is very nice looking, both inside and out. The leather is not the softest, but is still quite nice. A lot of interior space behind the second row with the third row folded down flat. Still a good amount even with the third row up. The seating areas in both the second and third rows were spacious and comfortable. Second row moves up and back and reclines. The front seats were also very comfortable.   I like the fact that the 4WD transmission can lock the differential(s) and has a low range as we would use a vehicle of this type in off-road sand.   Overall, the vehicle gives a very, very nice impression. The only things we could find fault with were these:   No front seat armrests - a little hard for my right arm to reach the center console for support while holding the wheel. My wife had an issue with her left arm falling down into the space between the passenger seat and the console and onto the seat belt buckle. We both felt strongly that the designers should rethink the lack of armrests in a vehicle of this size and type.   Rear hatch glass does not open separately from the rear door. A lot of SUV's have this feature, which is quite useful when packing the car to the max for a trip or outing.   The red digital display at the center of the dash is quite bright and not quite sharp. It doesn't look as refined as the rest of the vehicle. I didn't investigate whether there is a setting to turn down the brightness, which might also increase the sharpness. I would have preferred a color other than red.   I would also prefer a carpeted covering on the back of the third row seat, rather than the hard plastic which I think may get banged up over time as heavy or irregular shaped items are placed and moved on and off when the seats are down.   Some drivers may want a bit more power from a standing start than the V6 provides. We would be interested in driving the V8 when it arrives for comparison. Of course, gas mileage may be adversely affected with a larger engine.   The ride quality was quite good. But, we could definitely feel the more rugged bumps on poorly paved roads. I don't think this is a fault, but just a characteristic of the body on frame design of the Borrego. The car had not been prepped yet in any way - it looked as if it had just come off a truck. I've read that new cars have overinflated tires for shipment to dealers and that may have been the case - not sure.   The Borrego is a beautiful vehicle with excellent design, fit and finish, and appearance. We are considering it along with the Honda Pilot. The main issue for us is whether to give up some of the functionality for gas savings in another type of car. Another concern with the Borrego is that there are very few Kia dealers in our metropolitan area, necessitating a 15 or more mile drive for service, etc.   I am thinking that incentives may well be offered on the Borrego (not yet), just as they have been on the 2009 Pilot soon after its introduction a few months ago. Replies to this message: kingsalmon (Aug 30, 2008 1:45 pm) ed111 (Aug 30, 2008 6:19 pm)
#2 of 4 Re: Borrego has arrived - just test drove it! [ed111] by kingsalmon Aug 30, 2008 (1:45 pm)
Replying to: ed111 (Aug 24, 2008 6:52 am) Hey Ed,   I think the borrego is fairly nice, but the looks are not really earth shattering. The Pilot imo is fairly ugly. What did they do to the old look? It looks like something from Star Wars.   I'd ask you to consider other SUV's. They Santa Fe's from Hyundai are the nicest ones that I've seen. The new Highlander is another ugly stick victim.   Just my opinion.   Take care, Replies to this message: ed111 (Aug 30, 2008 6:19 pm)
#3 of 4 Re: Borrego has arrived - just test drove it! [kingsalmon] by ed111 Aug 30, 2008 (6:19 pm)
Replying to: kingsalmon (Aug 30, 2008 1:45 pm) I agree the Santa Fe is very nice. We test drove it and the Highlander a year ago. But, we're trying to find a vehicle with good off-road qualities and better-than-Jeep MPG. I don't think either the Santa Fe or the Highlander are particularly good off road, as they both lack low-range transmissions and locking differentials. And the electric motors on the Highlander Hybrid's rear wheels are a very poor match with off-road sand conditions.

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