The Sorento needs all of its 192 horsepower and 217 pounds-feet of torque to move its considerable weight, but it has the oats to merge with freeway traffic and motor quietly once there. Its maximum towing capacity is 3500 pounds, enabling it to pull camping trailers, dirt bikes, personal watercraft and other lightweight trailers. The automatic Sorento gets 15/20 mpg EPA-estimated City/Highway.

The Sorento's wide track gives it a sense of stability in corners. Ride quality is acceptable, adequate around town and at lower speeds, but it could use some improvement at higher speeds. On the Interstate, longer pavement irregularities can induce odd ride motions. It never threatens vehicle control, but on a rolling roadway it could be annoying.

The Sorento comes standard with four-wheel disc brakes, and the large diameter vented discs will be hard to fade, even when descending long mountain passes with a heavy load. We recommend getting the optional anti-lock brakes as they allow the driver to maintain control of the steering in a panic stopping situation.

The Kia Sorento is quite capable off road. It has sturdy body-on-frame construction, and just how sturdy is apparent when one goes seriously off-road, which we did to test the Sorento in extreme conditions. And despite crawling over body-twisting trails, the Sorento didn't creak, groan or rattle, suggesting that the frame is sturdy indeed. The Sorento's excellent approach and departure angles are a benefit of its short front and rear overhangs, which makes picking through rugged terrain possible without scraping. Sorento's nimble turning radius makes navigation in the woods less difficult as well. Its 36.4-foot turning radius helps in tight parking lots, too. All 4WD Sorentos come with an Eaton viscous limited-slip differential in the rear axle, which improves traction.

Sorento is available with two different four-wheel-drive systems. The standard setup is a conventional transfer case that engages on the fly with the turn of a knob for part-time four-wheel drive. A low range is provided for the most challenging off-road situations.

Sorento EX 4WD with the Luxury Package comes with Kia's full-time, fully automatic Torque-on-Demand system, which electronically monitors for wheel slippage 200 times per second, and transfers power smoothly and quietly between the rear and front wheels with no input from the driver. This system also has a low range for serious off-road adventures.