The 2009 Kia Borrego definitely had a big leg up in the technology department over my aging 2004 Sedona. Our spring break tester came with a navigation system and both USB and auxiliary input jacks for MP3 players. Given that I’m a true iPod nut, this was great news.
In one of the Suburban Dad’s annual traditions, spring break is time for a family vacation. This year, we headed to Southern California for a week and lined up a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego as our mode of ground transportation.
As a longtime Kia driver (I bought my Sedona back in 2004), I was eager to try out the 2009 Borrego and see how Kia’s entry in the three-row SUV segment compared to the Sedona as a family-hauler. The Borrego feels fresher in many ways, but in crucial areas my wife, kids and I definitely prefer the Sedona.
First off, I loved the look of the Borrego. Painted a dark blue, it says truck-based SUV in a way that will definitely appeal to a lot of men, though my wife liked it, too. Inside, the interior is attractive, with soft-touch surfaces in and around the dash. The leather seats were very comfortable and supportive, and visibility was great.
I had Kia's new Borrego full-size SUV for a bike-racing weekend and, wouldn't you know, I wrecked my bike three times in rapid succession during one race. Now, I'm not recommending crashing down hills repeatedly as a course of action to pursue if you want to be a car reviewer, but in this case, it did highlight a major problem with the Borrego: Its ride.
After 10 years of penning car reviews, the editors at Cars.com have finally decided to broadcast their unvarnished thoughts through the magic of podcasting. We know we’re not the first automotive publication to record a podcast, but we wanted to do something slightly different than the rest.
Each week, editors Joe Wiesenfelder, David Thomas, Kelsey Mays and Mike Hanley will hold an informal roundtable on cars we’ve recently tested. Ever wondered what all of us think of the cars that get reviewed? This is the podcast for you.
This week, we take on a number of compact cars, like the 2009 Honda Civic and outgoing Mazda3, as well as all-new midsize sedans the Mazda6 and Acura TL, all in under 20 minutes. That should eat up some of your commute and/or workday.
You can download the podcast via iTunes or listen on your browser, here. Non-iTunes folks can subscribe to the RSS feed here.
If you have any suggestions for us, please leave them in the comments or email to editor@cars.com.
2010 Chevrolet Camaro: Editor Mike Hanley checks out this reincarnated muscle car’s details, including a V-6 or V-8 engine and a unique-looking interior that features red leather seats.
2010 Ford Mustang vs. Camaro: These American classics faceoff in the style, performance, interior and features categories. Mike analyzes the numbers and declares a winner.
2009 Kia Borrego: The Korean automaker launches its seven-seat midsize SUV a little late for the SUV party, Mike says, but is it worth the wait?
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Remember when Bill Clinton was president, "X-Files" was the coolest show on TV and truck-based SUVs were all the rage? Boy, how times do change. Kia has just arrived at the truck-based SUV game, but it may be a bit late with the Borrego, a seven-seat beast. That’s a shame, as Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley finds the Borrego to be a highly successful vehicle that manages to get decent mileage for its size. If you're still in the market for a large SUV, check out Hanley's review of the winning Borrego.
The Kia Borrego just hit the streets last month, and the traditional body-on-frame SUV is already sporting a $2,000 cash-back offer in all regions. Qualified buyers can also get 2.5% financing for up to 60 months, plus $1,000 cash back when financing through Kia’s credit arm. The deal ends Dec. 1.
The Borrego starts at $26,245 and features a standard 276-hp V-6 returning mileage of 17/21 mpg city/highway. In comparison, a V-6-powered GMC Acadia crossover gets 17/24 mpg highway. Borregos with the 338-hp V-8 start at $30,995 and get 15/22 mpg city/highway.
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