1.7crdi 4

My second favourite behind a Cortina 2000E of my youth

I entered the crossover market with a 2014 Sportage because of the ride height (bad knees) and its looks.

I was enticed with a great deal to swap for a 2016 new generation and still smile at how much better this is as regards the ride quality, cabin design and materials used and how better insulated you are from road and certainly engine noise - much more refined.

The notchy gears of my 2014 are non-existent in my 2016 and the lower ratios much closer - a fine improvement.

The amount of kit and the safety systems on my trim (AEB, rear cross traffic and mirror blind spot warning) in addition to the speed sign recognition and generally excellent sat nav and JCB audio makes the extra cost over the mid-level trims most worthwhile, especially with the subtle rear chrome strip and LED rear lights setting it a cut above the mainstream.

The great looking 19" wheels probably detract from the ride quality a little, but most of my driving is on motorway. The tyre cost is also a factor to consider as for a quality brand you will pay a good 50% more than my previous 17" rings. Factor in that the softer rubber of the 19's gives about a third less travel (22k 19's to 34k 17's in my experience) and budget for double the spend overall. This is obviously not to the detriment of Kia, just an observation I'd assume is the same for any vehicle with larger rims.

On the fuel economy side of things this 1.7 returns me around 46mpg but on longer trips tops 50. Around town at weekends 38 is the norm.

I'm sure servicing is competitive, but Kia often have a 3 year plan thrown in and I enjoy that. The local dealer is very good and efficient with the whole Kia buying/ownership experience much better than a previous Mazda & succession of Vauxhalls.

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