bzb123

Anyone cross shopping the 2016 RDX with the 2016 Sorento?

I haven't paid much attention to the Sorento until recently mainly because of the 25K base price and well, it's a Kia. However, I've been researching the upper end trim levels and I must say I'm impressed (although I have yet to see it in person). For about the same price as what I expect from the 2016 RDX Advanced model you can get several features unavailable on the RDX such as:

-Panoramic moonroof
-Heated steering wheel
-Folding powered side mirrors
-Heated backseats
-360 deg. camera

The only drawbacks I see (at least on paper) are no DRL's and spending north of 40K and at the end of the day owning a Kia. But I guess 40 years ago people had the same hesitations about Toyota's and Honda's. And oh yeah, they offer a 10 year 100K mile warranty!

weather

^^ Kia and Hyundai have made great improvements over the year and while they have not quite yet reached the same level as a Honda or Toyota, there is no doubt they are a serious car manufacturer these days.

Their strength

* Great design
* Lots of features
* Well priced
* Amazing warranty

Their weakness

* Steering feel that is a bit vague
* Weaker resale value
* Somewhat cheaper looking interior (IMO)

My 2 cents....

wildeklave

I am not sure if there have been improvements in the past 10 model years. I have a 2005 Santa Fe.

- 10 year 100k warranty is Powertrain only (engine). The bumper to bumper used to be 5 years and 65k miles.
- I had an issue at 75k miles that was not wear and tear or not engine related. Hyundai would not cover the cost to fix it. It was in regard to air bags that Honda covered for a relatives car because they considered it a safety issue.
- I have had a number of sensors go on the car related to the ignition after 125k miles. While this can happen in any car I think it is a quality issue of a lower end manufacturer
- ride is not as smooth in the new Santa Fe Sport. A recent motor trend article looked at it and said it was not as good over bumps as the CRV.

What Hyundai and Kia are good at are offering a greater checklist of features at a cheaper price. But... the quality in the past was not as high as the other manufacturers. They also may nickle and dime you with certain repairs.

If leasing there is no issue with a Hyundai or Kia since you will have no problems for 36k miles. If you get rid of cars in 7 years before 100k miles you should have no issue with any manufacturer. If you ride a car into the ground then Honda and Toyota are considered most reliable.

hand-filer

I wouldn't hesitate to cross shop these 2 vehicles. I base my opinion on the experience of my Brother who purchased a 2015 Sorento SX. Compared to my RDX, the ride is better, it is a lot quieter at highway speeds, way more feature content, solid feel and clunk free ride are a few of the differences I have observed.
The RDX has it over the Kia in the performance department hands down. Resale value goes to the RDX as well. Long term reliability would likely go to the RDX.
Some buyers are all about the brand cachet and they would never consider a KIA. I would have no issues owning one. My advice would be to do an extended test drive of both vehicles then come back and let us know what you think.

bzb123

I like Acura and Honda for their inherent value and reliability. Obviously, Kia is strong in the value department as well. The 10 yr 100k mile warranty is only on the power train but Kia's basic warranty is 6yr/60k, which is better than most incl. Acura. I am waiting on the '16 RDX to hit showrooms before I start seriously shopping. But I will be taking a hard look at the '16 Sorento as well. I will let you guys know how they compare.

vpcarson

I have to reply on this being a Kia Tech. Kia is not making the same throw away cars that was made in the late 90's early 2000. We have a few 16 Sorentos on the lot and I can tell you pics do it no justice. The quality is there. The turbo 2.0 makes max HP from 2000 rpm until redline. How ever I do know the horrors of the 14 sorento update when it came out (so many electrical problems). I'm hoping Kia got it together for the 16 model change. Oh yeah please read the fine print on the 100k 10 year warranty. Very good warranty if you fallow the rules. So many burned customers.

RDX10

I have to disagree on the vague steering feel, a relative had a 2011 sorento ex and that thing had real hydraulic steering, it was incredibly fun to drive and had tons of steering feel. However I know they now moved on to electric power steering so I am probably wrong about the current ones.

They now feature some things that I can't even bleive they have like the around view camera and adaptive cruise. The new 2016 is supposed to feature a crap load of quality enhancements and from the pics it looks amazing. It also features an 8 way power driver seat and a 14 way driver seat which I think is really cool for a vehcile in its' class. It enjoys being placed between the mid sized and compact suv classes which I really like. It also has napa leather and a ton of tech that has been tested on hyundai/kia models for a few years prior. I have to admit though that the 2011-2015 models has really shitty interior quality and a ton of hard hard plastics but the new one is said to completely improve on that. I like that Kia and hyundai learn from their mistakes.

We had a 2007 Santa fe limited and it had over 200k kms, or about 125000 miles and honestly not a single rattle or creak. It was solid and delivered amazing fuel economy. We sold it and actually sorely miss it. It has been almost 10 years since that model came out, I can only imagine how good the new ones have become.

I have to say I appreciate the open mindedness on this thread, so many people are such snobs on car forums, especially ones centered on luxury brands as this one.

ono

Can you explain a bit more about the warranty and the rules to follow, to avoid problems?

ono

I test drove a 2016 Sorrento $44,500 MSRP last week. I thought the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T Ultimate $38,750 was a bit quicker feeling, and a touch quieter. I forgot to look at what tires each had. I think both cars would benefit if they had the 8 speed transmission that is in the Genesis 3.8, etc. I could see the 2016 Santa Fe getting the 8 speed.

I don't really need the 7 seats.

I'll wait to drive the 2016 RDX.

ono

PS: 36 month, 12,000 mile, lease residuals (AWD models)

- 2015 Lexus RX350 54%
- 2015 RDX 55%
- 2016 Sorento 55%.
- 2015 Santa Fe Sport 2.0T 56%
- 2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R 57%
- 2016 MDX 62%.

These are ALG numbers from a credit union. I think the MDX was the highest I saw.

I'm surprised that the Hyundai and Kia residuals are this high. But, having test driven and liked them, I probably shouldn't too surprised. They felt well built, and competitive. I guess they could hold their value much better than in the past.

I look forward to driving the new 2015 Ford Edge Sport with the 2.7 turbo Ecoboost; any week now. I saw a pre-prodution, and the fit and finish looked vastly improved. If I like it, I would probably wait until the fall 2016 model.

HotRodW

The new Sorento is an impressive package. It's good looking and surprisingly refined. I'd like to see a little more power from the V6, the third row is a waste, and the Limited's mandatory chrome wheels are borderline tacky, but otherwise there is not a lot to criticize. If I were in the market I'd give it serious consideration.

weather

I think they may be the cause of their somewhat "vague" or artificial feeling steering. Again, its not overly bad but not as good as the EPS of the RDX.

I hope I didn't come across as being a Kia basher because I am not....I drive a Hyundai at the moment and its a great little car. Just sharing what I feel when I am behind the wheel, but it could be purely subjective too.

RDX10

Oh you didn't come off as a basher at all. You have your opinions and I have mine and you are just as much allowed to state them as I am!

I drove the V6 which I believe was the only one to get the hydraulic steering from the 2011-2013 models. The new ones I have not driven yet and those are said to have REALLY vague and crappy steering so for all we know, we are both wrong and right!

RDX10

I notice that in general, hyundai seems to lean towards quiet and more refined while kia leans towards sporty and a little noisier. We often had difficulty telling if our 2007 santa fe 3.3 V6 was on! The 2011 sorento was noisier and harsher by a long shot.

Its sorento vs santa fe, sportage vs tucson, optima vs sonata, genesis vs cadenza, and lastly equus vs k900. In all those cases, the hyundai counterparts are more refined..however I prefer the more sporty and stylish Kia line (except for the new genesis, that thing is beautiful).


I totally agree with the member who thinks that the 8 speed should have been brought over, there is a press release that the new veloster will get a 7 speed DCT, I can see the santa fe getting the 7 speed DCT as well.

Edit: Yup the new tucson is getting a 7 speed DCT.

http://www.carscoops.com/2015/02/hyu...on-gets-7.html

HotRodW

The Genesis' 8-speed is designed for a longitudinal/RWD layout. It can't be used in transverse/FWD applications.

RDX10

Wow, good point. I don't know how I totally forgot about that. Hyundai has that new H-trac AWD system which is pretty darn cool as well. I really hope it makes it to the next generation santa fe and sorento. It would be a very good step vs the shawd system.

I am sure that if hyundai was able to engineer an 8 speed for longitudinal layout, that they could design one for transverse.....or make the sorento and santa fe longitudinal and incorporate that H-trac!

HotRodW

There have been rumors suggesting Hyundai is seriously considering a Genesis crossover. With the popularity of luxury crossovers, I think they'd be foolish not to do it. I like the Sorento and Santa Fe, but I'd gladly spend a little more for the Genesis' additional refinement and better AWD.

Whether the Genesis crossover becomes reality or not, I wouldn't expect the Sorento or Santa Fe to convert to longitudinal layout. There are too many benefits to using a transverse layout in volume models. The trend toward more gears is likely to continue, although they appear to be nearing the efficiency threshold. The ZF 9-speed rarely sees 9th gear in most applications as it is. (Never in some cases.) Packaging the transaxle is also a problem as gear count rises.

wildeklave

Hyundai / Kia would be smart to set up a luxury brand and align themselves like Toyota or GM with 3 levels.

In my thoughts they could use the name Genesis for their luxury brand.
- They could move the Genesis vehicles to that brand
- They could move the Equus and K9000 to that brand
- This brand would have the refinements of a luxury brand in stand alone locations offering loaner cars, and a luxury experience to compete with Buick, Acura, and possibly Infiniti. Lexus and the German makers seem to be a leg ahead of everyone in sales.
- The line would be the Genesis Coupe, Genesis Sedan, K9000 / Equus vehicle, Santa Fe Sport sized vehicle, and Santa Fe sized vehicle. They could add an Elantra sized vehicle as well to compete with the Lexus IS and Acura ILX.

Hyundai would then become the mainstream brand to compete with Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Ford, and Nissan.
- These cars would be good cars that are reliable and mainstream oriented.
- Styling will be on the neutral side to bring in more mainstream buyers. (ie. hide tailpipes and don't have aggressive / sporty grilles).
- They would offer perks similar to a Honda or Toyota dealer. Possibly free oil changes, some loaner cars depending on the service, nice service area waiting rooms.
- The cars would have some of the newer refinements but in most cases it will be 2-3 years after the Genesis cars like what is done for Infiniti, Acura, and Lexus.

Kia would become the sportier brand to compete with Scion, Chevy, and Dodge
- The entry level vehicles will be in this brand line
- The vehicles will be trendy (like Scion)
- You will be ala carte with perks for the most part (no loaners, no free oil changes, vending machines in the service waiting area, etc...



Kia and Hyundai has come a long way since they came to the United States but there is still a stigma that they are lower cost brands. Many of the Kia and Hyundai dealers use lower prices as their main marketing ploy when customers are cross shopping Honda and Toyota vehicles vs. theirs.

bzb123

^^Completely agree. I've wondered myself why Kia/Hyundai hasn't taken this approach. Perhaps they feel their model fleet isn't large enough yet, but I think they will need a separate brand if they want to be taken seriously in the luxury segment.

HotRodW

Creating a separate luxury division is tricky business. First, they need enough models to justify and support standalone dealerships. The Genesis and Equus alone won't get it done. They're probably at least two crossovers and a compact sedan shy of qualifying, and that's if you count the Genesis Coupe. Then they'll need to subsidize construction of the dealerships. Big bucks for an entire network. You can expect MSRP's to increase substantially to cover the corporate investment as well as the dealership overhead. Increase the Genesis' window sticker by several grand and the value proposition takes a serious hit.

I do think Hyundai will eventually launch a standalone luxury brand. Until then, Genesis owners will have to rub elbows with accent drivers in the service waiting area. They might have to pass on fancy loaners, gourmet coffee and cookies, but they can take solace knowing they got an amazing car for the money.

Comfy

Perhaps this discussion should be done in a Hyundai/ Kia forum (if such a thing exists) and not on a forum dedicated to Acura cars.

HotRodW

Perhaps. But the OP was looking for advice from RDX owners, so he/she chose to post here. Maybe there is a similar thread on the Kia forums. Threads get off track all the time, but it doesn't mean they don't contain useful information. If you don't like the subject of a thread, don't participate. The moderators are fully capable of policing this forum.

bzb123

Guy's- thanks for all the input. I (the OP) am in the market for a new car and am waiting for the 2016 RDX release. I have been waiting since the 2015 came out, which as most of us know was the same as the 2014 and lacked many of the current features that I and many others were hoping for. So, in the two years or so that I have been looking for a new small to mid size SUV, I thought I had seen it all. Then I ran across the 2016 Sorento. It has a nice set of features many of which are lacking even on the 2016 RDX. Also, it is slightly larger outside but appears to have a significantly larger interior space. I'm not going to purchase anything until the new RDX comes out, but thought I would see if anyone else had looked at this one. Gotta do something while we wait for 4/16:-)

RDX10

I absolutely agree. Kia previewed a concept vehicle that was stated to be longitudinal based SUV a couple years back. The new Genesis is probably one of the nicest cars I have ever seen. I really appreciate the lines and quality is really quite good. I would definitely line up for a longitudinal based SUV.

I also agree that the chance of a sorento or santa fe going longitudinal are slim to none, transverse layouts are probably cheaper to make and also provide more stable characteristics in icy conditions that people are used to. I personally draw the line at 8 gears, it is just getting a little bit obnoxious at this point and like you say, 9th gear in the ZF unit is acually never used.

I think that Kia and Hyundai have just finally began to see success around the world. They took a dramatic step in the right direction in 2007 and just now have started producing cars that are not only class competitive, but are also leading their respective classes.

However, with that being said, there is just too much of a negative stigma around kia and hyundai. People still want a German badge....people have JUST began taking lexus seriously after close to 20 years. Infiniti has enjoyed being somewhat of a niche position in the luxury market and Acura IMHO puts out cars that are 8.5/10 from being perfect luxury cars. Therefore I think Hyundai and Kia should wait 5-10 more years and in the mean time keep thrashing the competition.

X2, Get over it. The OP has asked a question about a Kia model and we all got a little side tracked and obviously the OP is cool and does not mind since they are even joining our off track convo. Every forum has a wet blanket

I would give the new RDX a serious look and think you are doing a good thing by waiting. VW has a new tiguan coming soon, Hyundai and Kia also have a new sportage, Tucson, and Santa fe coming. Lexus has a new RX and I believe jeep has something else in the pipeline. Infiniti has a couple things coming too. You are making a wise choice in waiting, if I was in the market for a new vehicle...I would probably pull my hair out with all the choices.

vpcarson

Sure. It's mostly common sense. Follow what Kia says to replace and when. If it says to replace the light bulbs every 20K miles then replace them (it dosen't say that, just using it as an example). The biggest thing I see is people not doing oil changes on time or not keeping receipts. Then something happens to the engine and well we can replace under warranty. The basic 60K/5 year warranty is very nice, but it is a basic warranty NOT bumper to bumper. There is quite a few things it dose not cover (audio, some other electronics, battery, damage that looks like its not a defect). Another thing about the powertrain warranty, use kia oil filters. If your engine goes down and an aftermarket oil filter is on the engine, good by warranty. That is if the fault has anything to do with oil starvation. Kia also dose not like customers to use additives unless approved by kia. The 100k/10 year is non-transferable. Hope this helps.

wildeklave

one thing to note with Kia and Hyundai is gas mileage. They have been able to equal the engine performance of the Luxury brands (similar horsepower and similar torque) but are a generation behind in gas mileage. The 3.3 engine of the 2016 Sorrento generates 290 hp and 252 torque but the EPA ration is 17/23 for MPG. The MDX generates 290 hp and 267 torque with MPG ratings of 18/27. (Comparing AWD models).

That may mean 6 less fill ups a year in the MDX based on driving 15,000 miles

rbreeze

^ I am also in the market for a new car (small to midsize SUV) and waiting for the '16 RDX release/arrival, which I'm guessing will be early May here in Canada. After a lot of analysis and process of elimination I have narrowed things down to the '16 RDX w/ Advance Pkg and the upcoming refreshed '16 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (SFS) w/Ultimate Pkg.
My wife and I test-drove the '16 Sorento SX Limited V6 AWD 7-Seater a few weeks ago and really liked it - it's a very nice vehicle. The problem for us however is the fact that the '16 Sorento's new larger size is a little too large for us, and that to get ALL the available bells & whistles you have no choice but to go with the 3-row 7-seater configuration. We don't need a 3-row and would prefer not to have that feature in our new vehicle.
The refreshed '16 SFS 2-row SUV is expected to have revised front & rear styling as well as additional available safety/tech/luxury features that will probably rival the top-of-the-line '16 Sorento SX Limited. According to a reliable source the updated '16 SFS is supposed to begin arriving at dealerships sometime this summer, exact timing not yet known. That means the '16 SFS could arrive as early as June or as late as early September. Details on the refresh should be available from Hyundai sometime ahead of the vehicle arriving at dealerships.
So bzb123... there's something else for you to consider while you wait for 4/16.

ThermonMermon

love the santa fe sport, but the dash is an absolute deal killer. hard plastic, and terrible center stack layout. Do you know / have they announced if this will be addressed on the 16s?

http://image.trucktrend.com/f/roadte...navigation.jpg

rbreeze

You're right - the dash design & materials as well as center stack layout on the SFS are far from fantastic, but that wouldn't represent a deal killer for me. There are many pluses elsewhere on the vehicle, and I like the singular 8" touchscreen (available on the top trims) as opposed to Acura's dual-screen center stack approach. No info yet on what changes Hyundai will apply to the interior of the '16 SFS. A deal killer for me would be if Hyundai don't add a 6-way or 8-way power adjustable front passenger seat with height adjustment, which is something the '16 RDX picks up (finally).
I test-drove a fully equipped '15 SFS 2.0T Limited a couple of weeks ago and came away very impressed.

bzb123

All this waiting is killing me! Don't think I can wait much longer after the release of the new RDX. Basically, I've decided to wait for the 2016 RDX release and at that point make a decision based on what is available at that point. Right now, I would have to say it would come down between the new RDX and the '16 Sorento. For me the Sorento Limited seems to have the lead due to it's longer list of features, but I haven't seen it yet. Waiting till I can see them on the same day or at least close to the same time. Of course, I'm not sure of all that the new RDX has to offer and the price point. Also, there is that "X-factor" of how well you like the car once you see it and drive it. So for now I continue to wait...

Joe Las Vegas

To me that's the best center stack of any car I've ever seen, remember it's touchscreen, so it has to accessible and not up there like German cars set up theirs, which look like crap anyway, looks like some aftermarket, velcroed on dash screen. Acura's screen placement is good, and looks good, and has that sunshade, but if they ever go touchscreen, they'll need to do it Hyundai's style.