Kia Problems

You've singled out two of the best in the class. Others to consider are the Mazda CX-9 and the Toyota Kluger, but it's hard to go past the Sorento and Santa Fe. Comparison information is available if you click on car reviews and go to the models you are interested in.

There's little between the Sorento and Santa Fe, both are very good cars, the CX-9 is also a good choice. I couldn't choose between the Sorento and the Santa Fe, either one would be a good option, but the CX-9 could be the best for your needs as it's a little roomier inside.

All of the models you list would do the job you want well, so it comes down to personal choice. Add in the Kia Sorento and you have the field pretty much covered. The Sorento generally gets the most ticks from CarsGuide reviewers.

All of the vehicles are worthy choices, but you need to be careful about the towing ratings of them. The Kia Sorento, which would be my choice, is rated at 2000kg, which is right on your towing requirement. Others, such as the 2WD Everest, are rated to tow much more. Others, like the Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Prado, are full-on 4WDs, and would seem beyond your needs.

It’s something that bugs a lot of drivers, but unfortunately there’s not a lot that can be done about it until the lawmakers change the rule and force carmakers to be more accurate. I understand it’s not good enough, but I would suggest you go by what the GPS says.

First off, as you aren’t planning to go off-road I would suggest you buy a two-wheel drive model rather than a four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. That way you won’t be carrying around the extra weight of the all-wheel drive system and you won’t have the complexity of the all-wheel drive system, which means there’s less to go wrong. One I would look at is the front-wheel drive Kia Sportage.

If you're using mostly it around town, as I suspect you are, the consumption is about what I would expect.

Kia's own claims for fuel consumption for urban (city) use is 15.1L/100km, and the driving range is a little over 500km, smack on what you say you are getting.

The average of combined urban (city) and extra-urban (country) is claimed by Kia to be 10.9L/100km.

The bottom line is that it's a big blob of a vehicle with a relatively large engine doing the work, that's not a recipe for fuel low consumption.

Range Rovers are great, but they can be expensive to run and service.

I would strongly recommend the Sorento, particularly if you find it gives you the comfort and support you need.