Kia Sportage Problems

June 30 is D-Day. The end of the financial year is the best time to buy a new car because there are always special deals in showrooms. As carmakers and dealers aim to clear their outdated stock, Toyota uses a June push to cement its showroom leadership. Some of the special deals are on cars that have done demonstrator duty, or were built in 2012, or are just not selling as well as expected. So they're not the tastiest fruit in the bowl.But there is great buying across the board as demand for new cars fuels one of the longest growth periods in motoring. The bottom line is that you can save money -- and lots of it. So here's a look at the June sales, with Carsguide's assessment of the best deals on wheels.CITROENThe new importer is pushing hard so the Aircross SUV starts at $31,990 drive-away front-wheel drive or $33,990 with AWD, a saving of $3800. There's $5000 off the C4 Seduction turbo diesel auto hatch at $25,990. Carsguide says: The Aircross isn't great, but the C4 discount is tasty.FORDThe death notice for the Falcon and Territory has not helped buyer confidence but a 2.9 per cent finance push on Fiesta and Focus still looks good. The superseded Kuga SUV from $31,990 drive-away is a $10,000 saving. You can save about $3000 on a 2012 Escape SUV from $27,990 drive-away.The Territory gets a $6500 tickle, the TX seven-seater at $38,490 drive-away (third-row seat usually costs $2500). The impressive Mondeo liftback starts at $29,990. Good buying on Falcons, thanks to the arrival of the VF Commodore, from $33,990 and better if you haggle.HOLDENAs the VF Commodore creates queues, the outgoing Z-Series starts at $34,990 with five years' warranty and roadside assist. That also applies to the SV6 at $35,990 and the Cruze SRi and SRi-V at $23,490 and $26,990. Last year's Barina CD hatches are $15,990 drive-away with a sunroof. The Colorado is $39,990. Hard to see past the excellent Cruze SRi.HONDAClipped prices and free on-roads. The City VTi sedan is $17,990 and the (slightly) more lavish VTi-L automatic version starts at $21,990. The bigger Civic sedan is being cleared from $21,990. Free auto on the Jazz VTi at $19,990. The Civic is worth a look at $2500 off.KIAFree on-roads, discounts and $1000 gift vouchers on many models. A five-door Rio S is about $3K off at $15,990 drive-away with a $500 gift card; the three-door Rio is $14,990 and the five-door Si is $18,990. Runout Cerato TD sedans start at $17,990 for the S, saving about $5000, the Si sedan is $23,990 and hatch at $17,990. All get a $1000 gift card. Cerato SLi and SLS have drive-away pricing but miss the gift card. All Optimas have free on-roads. A 2012-build Optima Platinum is $37,990, saving about $4000 with a $1000 gift card. Most Sportage SUVs include on-roads and a $1000 gift card. Carnival and superseded Rondo pricing is drive-away. The Sportage diesel and Optima are top-notch.MITSUBISHIThe manual Lancer gets an old-school value pack on the Special Action Model for $19,990 drive-away. The Mirage is $12,990 drive-away for the ES manual, with a $500 cash-back that also applies to the auto.Driveaway prices also for the compact ASX at $24,990 for the 2WD manual, the Outlander LS 2WD auto at $29,990, Pajero GLX-R auto at $54,990 or $59,990 for VRX. Both come plus $3000 cash-back, saving about $6000.The Triton ute is now tackling Great Wall from China at $19,990 drive-away for a GL single-cab 2WD with alloy tray, or add luxury for a GLX dual-cab 4WD diesel at $31,990 drive-away with $2000 cash-back, saving about $14,000. The utes look good at those prices.NISSANA 2.9 per cent finance package, with agreed value after three years, makes the Pulsar ST sedan look good at $49 a week or $19,990 drive-away. The X-Trail ST 2WD petrol manual cops a $4000 reduction to $25,990 drive-away, while the Navara RX 4WD dual-cab manual is cheaper than ever with a $9500 cut to $30,990 drive-away. The Pulsar sedan deal is attractive.OPELThere are drive-away deals across the range. The basic Corsa is down by about $2500 to $16,990 drive-away, the Astra is from $22,990 drive-away for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol hatch with three years of free servicing, saving about $5500. The top-line Insignia sedan is from $39,990 drive-away with heated leather seats. The Astra is easily best of this breed.PEUGEOTFree on-roads at Peugeot on most models but not the cool new 208. The 4008 SUV cops a $1500 saving from $29,990 drive-away and there are deals on the outgoing 4007. Nothing to see here.RENAULTA Koleos from $26,990 drive-away looks even better with interest-free finance. The Megane hatch is from $22,990 drive-away with finance pegged at 1.9 per cent. The slow-selling Fluence and Latitude sedans are available with 2.9 per cent finance. The Megane CC convertible goes from $43,990 including on-roads. The sporty Clio RS is from $34,990 drive-away and the hotrod Megane RS has 2.9 per cent finance.Commercial deals start with the short-wheelbase Kangoo petrol manual with dual sliding doors from $20,990 drive-away, moving up to the Trafic short-wheelbase manual for $29,990 and the long-wheelbase manual for $32,990, while the Master large van starts from $46,990 drive-away. There's a five-year/200,000km warranty on all light commercials ordered in June. Hard to argue against a $3000 bonus on the Koleos but stocks are tight.SUBARUDrive-away pricing -- for savings of $3000 to $4000 -- is the bait, with Impreza pricing from $23,990 (excluding the WRX, of course). The Tribeca from $54,990 now includes on-roads but you need to visit a dealer to get the full story. Nothing outstanding.SUZUKIThe front-drive SX4 gets a Navigator pack with voice-controlled 6.6-inch satnav with Bluetooth for $19,990 drive-away for the manual and $21,990 auto. That also applies to the 2WD auto Grand Vitara at $29,990 drive-away, including reversing camera and satnav with Bluetooth. The Alto GL manual also gets satnav for $11,990 drive-away for the manual, with the Swift GL manual at $17,490 drive-away including cruise control and Bluetooth. The Grand Vitara is a polished piece.TOYOTAThere's 2.9 per cent finance on Aurion and Camry with the Camry Altise looking best at $29,990 drive-away. Other drive-away deals include $15,990 for the Yaris YR five-door, $21,490 for the Corolla Ascent automatic, $39,990 for the Kluger KX-R 2WD five-seater, $60,990 for the Prado GXL turbo diesel auto and $39,990 for the HiLux SR 4WD dual-cab ute. The right time for the cabbies' new favourite, the frugal hybrid Camry.VOLKSWAGENDrive-away pricing on passenger cars and zero finance on commercials. The Polo is $16,990 on-road, the Jetta is down to $25,990 and the Passat $36,690. The Polo is Carsguide's 2010 COTY.VOLVOFuel and servicing for three years or 60,000km plus roadside assistance. There are conditions -- with a pre-paid BP card based on 15,000km a year and $1.50 a-litre pricing -- and the latest V40 hatch is excluded. Clever twist on bargaining but a pity it doesn't apply to the V40.Paul Gover's 10 COMMANDMENTSYou must still do your homework. You must still check the fine print. You must still be prepared to haggle and compromise.But do it right, crunching the numbers and running right to the dealer's deadline, and you can drive away in something special at a special price.The starting point is all the deals, from sticker specials to cheap finance and steak knife-style free extras, being offered by most of the 60-plus brands in showrooms today.If something you want is on special, go for it. But check that the car was built in 2013, and is not a geriatric old-timer from 2012, and ensure your target is exactly what you want - not a stripped-out stocker, perhaps missing an automatic gearbox - that will cost thousands to get the way you want it.Once you lock down a target, don't think the advertised special is the end of the deal. You also need to negotiate for a better price on delivery and on-road costs, and avoid the trap of buying over-priced extras such as paint and upholstery protection, window tinting and extra-long warranties.No-one can expect to go into the ring with a showroom professional and expect to win, because buyers only get a new car occasionally and sales staff are dealing every day. But, by concentrating on the real bottom line - the changeover price - and being prepared to compromise, you can come out ahead.The best tips are the simplest. Run as close as you can to June 30 to sign the deal and get the car, because dealers are all aiming for targets that can mean tens of thousands in bonus money from headquarters. Also be prepared to take a car they have in stock, even if it's not your favourite colour, because dealers are aiming to clear everything they have on the lot.And have your finance in place before you arrive, especially if you're taking up a special deal, because that makes things quicker and you'll also be spared any hassle and potential extra costs.Watch out for 2012 cars because the warranty clock has already been running, don't forget that a big discount today will also mean less at changeover time, and remember that a demonstrator car could have had a hard life already. 

Kia has lifted its game amazingly in the last five years with new models like the KM Sportage.

Most of the time it was the front wheels doing all the driving, it was only when wheel slip was detected at the front that drive was directed to the rear, up to a maximum of 50 per cent.  At its peaks the double overhead camshaft V6 engine was putting out 129 kW at 6000 revs and 241 Nm at 4000 revs.The suspension was independent at both ends, the brakes were disc all round and supported by ABS, and the steering was power-assisted rack- and-pinion.The Sportage had a host of standard features, including air, remote central locking, immobiliser, power mirrors and windows, six-speaker CD sound system, fog lamps and 16-inch alloy wheels.In the shopAs the quality of Korean cars has improved so too has their reliability, and carsGuide receives little in the way of complaint about Korean cars in general, and the Kia Sportage in particular.  Owners appear content with their cars and little of a serious nature goes wrong with them.When checking a car for purchase make the usual checks for crash repairs, make sure it's been regularly serviced, and inspect the underbody for signs of extensive offroad use.  Sportage owners are unlikely to have driven their cars offroad, but it's worth taking the time to check underneath.On the roadThe KM Sportage, while not sporty, was a decent driving car with secure handling and a comfortable ride on most surfaces.  While the V6 engine was a good performer, the overall performance was dulled a little by the wide spread of ratios of auto 'box.In a crashThe Sportage suffered from the same dull dynamics most, if not all, SUVs suffered from. The handling was secure without being sporting, but that came with the SUV territory.Standard ABS and traction control, and all-wheel drive helped on the active safety front, while dual front airbags and seatbelt pretensioners gave decent crash protection.At the pumpKia's lab rats claimed an average fuel consumption of 10 L/100 km for the KM Sportage, 13.0 L/100 km when driven in town, and 8.2 L/100 km when outside the city limits.  Road testers of the time of the Sportage's launch reported an average of 11.5 L/100 km in real world driving conditions.Look forPleasant SUV styling . Lots of standard gear . Decent performance . Secure handling . Comfortable ride . Improved build quality . Robust and reliable . Value-for-moneyThe bottom lineWell-built, reliable, comfortable wagon should be on family shopping lists.Rating75/100

Korean carmakers used a simple philosophy when they began their assault on the Australian market. They might all look the same, but not all four-wheel drives, or SUVs if you prefer, are the same. Korean carmakers used a simple philosophy when they began their assault on the Australian market. It made great sense when they were trying to prove themselves to a sceptical market. It worked a treat for Hyundai when it arrived on these shores and has proved successful for other Korean carmakers that have followed since.Kia was no different when it launched the Sportage four-wheel drive wagon in 1996. The Sportage was remarkably well equipped given its price, which comfortably undercut its rivals in the compact four-wheel drive segment.There was just the one Sportage model. Unlike some other Kia models of the time, which were developed with the help of Mazda, the Sportage was designed and developed in-house.Its styling was clean without being in any way challenging to the eye. The shape was a simple box on wheels typical of a wagon, the edges were soft and rounded and there was little in the way of curves to break up the expanse of panel work.Colour matching of the bumpers and outside rear view mirrors gave it an upmarket look, while chrome door handles and other bright work was a classy touch.While many compact offroaders aren’t really meant to go too far from the black top the Sportage promised the capability to plunge much deeper into the bush.Short front and rear overhangs meant there was less chance of damaging the body when negotiating dips or banks, while the whole thing was built on a separate chassis like bigger and tougher offroaders.Other compact offroaders were mostly built using unitary body construction, which doesn’t employ a separate chassis. Traditionally a separate chassis was regarded as necessary to survive in the bush, which put the Sportage ahead of its rivals, but unitary construction makes for a stiffer, more responsive vehicle that’s more at home when on the black top.Motivation for the Sportage was provided by a fuel-injected double overhead camshaft 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that produced 94 kW at 5300 revs and 175 Nm, which was competitive in its class at the time.On the road its respectable torque meant it wouldn’t be left gasping at the lights, but it became rather harsh and noisy if revved high and hard.Kia buyers could choose between a five-speed manual gearbox and an optional four-speed auto. Drive went to all four wheels, and there was a low ratio transfer case that gave the Sportage a distinct edge when it went bush.Inside there was roomy accommodation for five adults. Those in the front had plenty of head and legroom, while those consigned to the rear still had good headroom but were a little cramped for leg space.The rear seat could be split and folded as needed for carrying whatever load was needed to transport.Power windows and mirrors were standard, along with remote central locking, an immobiliser and height adjustable steering column. Missing were features like a rear window wiper and a driver’s footrest.Air-conditioning, alloy wheels, front nudge bar, antilock brakes, and the auto transmission were available as options. Metallic paint was available at no cost.Because of the Sportage’s capability to beat around the bush it’s important to check underneath for damage to the underbody, exhaust and other vulnerable mechanical components.Look for bent or broken brackets, fittings, lines and hoses, dents and splits in the underbody itself, and dents to exposed areas of the engine and gearbox.Splits in rubber boots can result in damage to vital driveline components from dust and water intrusion so check steering and drive line carefully.Offroad use can also be detected by scratches on the paintwork from rubbing against shrubs and trees along the edges of bush tracks. Look for damage to bumpers, rear view mirrors, and other external body hardware.It’s probably best to avoid vehicles which have been used offroad, but heavy offroad use can be used as a lever to negotiating a better price if you’re happy to gamble.Diane Coleman liked the look and size of the Sportage when she bought her 1998 model new. She says it handled well on road and offroad on the many times she ventured into the bush and she’d happily have another one. In the five years she owned the Sportage she clocked up more than 200,000 km, and apart from a broken timing chain, which caused serious internal carnage at 60,000 km and was fixed under warranty it was very reliable. Her only criticism was the operation of the turn signal switch which would cancel at awkward moments when turning right.The Sportage isn’t listed in the recent used car safety survey, but it’s safe to say that its crash performance is likely to be average or less than average given that it’s not a unitary body construction, doesn’t have air bags, or height adjustable front seat belts.• Attractive styling• Roomy interior• Good performance from DOHC motor• Capable offroad performanceCapable compact offroad wagon with good looks and long list of features at an affordable price.