On the Road in the 2014 Kia Sorento EX – Smoky Mountain Family Travel

The 2014 Kia Sorento featured in this review was loaned to us courtesy of DriveSTI.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that we drove the 2014 Kia Sorento EX during our Smoky Mountains family vacation.  With a wave blue exterior and beige interior, it is a beautiful ride.  My initial concerns about giving up my minivan during our family vacation were quickly squashed as I loaded our luggage, installed carseats, and checked out this spacious, loaded SUV.  With comfortable leather seats, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and dual-zone automatic temperature control, I knew we were going to have a nice ride to the Great Smoky Mountains.   I was right.  Not only did we have fun, the Kia Sorento EX handles and drives like a dream.  Justin did most of the driving, but he encouraged me to get behind the wheel and check it out because turning and steering was so smooth.  Seriously a breeze.

Kia Sorento Favorite Features

8-Inch Navigation with Hd Radio, Voice Activated

I was familiar with most of the technology from our previous test drives in the Kia Soul and the Kia Optima, but this navigation system in new to the 2014 models.  Just when I thought the navi system couldn’t get better in previous models, it did.  This was probably my favorite feature in the 2014 Kia Sorento EX.  Because we were on vacation, we were not very familiar with the area.  Even visiting several times, I was anxious about finding everything, getting lost, etc.  My worry was for nothing.  I selected the state and the began typing in our destination and up it popped!  The graphics are amazing and you cannot make a wrong turn with this system.  If you do, I can almost guarantee it’s user error, because it gives you detailed instructions right down to large, red arrows showing you which way to merge.  I am a worrier and this system put me at ease.

Blind Spot Detection System

The blind spot detection system was something entirely new to us and it was basically love at first use.  The sensor in the side mirrors will light up when there is a vehicle beside you letting you know that it’s there and to stay in your lane.  If you go ahead and flip on your turn signal, you’ll also hear a warning ding letting you know that it is not clear to move over yet.

Rear Camera Display

The rear camera display is something that I’ve come to expect from Kia.  Being able to see everything behind the vehicle along with the back-up warning system offers peace of mind.

Integrated Retractable Sunshades

My minivan has integrated retractable sunshades in the back and I love it for the kids so this was something I was glad to see in the 2014 Kia Sorento.  No more buying sunshades only to have them fall off the window and provide little protection from the sun.  When in use, the integrated retractable sunshades cover the entire back side windows and are clipped to the top.  They are there to stay!  If you have little ones, these are fabulous.

Storage

When I shared the bottom photo on Instagram and added that we had room to spare in the Kia Sorento and were packed for a 5 day trip, folks questioned if I had forgotten half of our luggage.  I wondered the same thing and spent a few minutes worrying that I had probably forgotten something very important.  I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case.  I didn’t forget a single thing.  All 4 of us had everything we needed for our entire vacation including lifejackets, my camera bag, laptop case, a cooler, and a stroller.  It’s all there in the photo, but because the 2014 Kia Sorento offers so much storage in the back, it doesn’t look like much for a vacation.  The secret is that the floormat can be removed which is what we did for our trip, so most of our luggage is actually sitting down in the floor.  I love this feature, because I absolutely refuse to drive with my back view blocked.  Even when we added in extra bags for dirty laundry and things we purchased, we still had an amazing amount of storage in the back.

The Kia Sorento that we drove seats 5.  With two carseats installed, it would be a squeeze to fit a third person in the back and there is no way I could have fit three of our carseats across the back.  If you have more narrow seats like the Diono Radian, those would probably work 3 across.  The good news is that the Kia Sorento is also available with a third row which increases seating capacity to 7.  The Kia Sorento is a great family vehicle loaded with technology and safety features.

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