Nicest Kia I’ve ever been in. Period. And, most expensive Korean car I’ve ever been in. Period.
On the outside, the Borrego is a great looking mid-size SUV. It has sophisticated lines, a great looking grill, and the “strong-jaw” of the automotive world; a nice boxy backend. The interior is excellent. Very nice. A bit plasticky in certain spots, but over-all very clean and very efficient. The entire cockpit is designed to give you immediate access to whatever you need, without a stretch or that feeling of being overwhelmed with buttons. That’s good.
It’s also well-equipped in terms of the luxury amenities. It had heated seats and an auxiliary music input with an iPod USB interface, allowing simple control of almost all types of players (and with the USB, it charges the devices as well). Even the way the center console is designed gives you access to devices, with a pass-through to the outlet in which they are plugged in. For a second, you almost feel like somebody finally designed a car that actually thought about how it was going to be used. And they designed a car that fits the way people drive these days. I was truly shocked and impressed with these touches coming out of a car line that has been known for their affordability, not engineering.
The ride height was also well designed, as it allowed you to effortless glide into the seats and out of them. There was no climbing up, like you do in a large SUV, and there was no falling in, as you do in small compacts. You just lean in and sit down.
However, it feels heavy. Too heavy. With it’s low center of gravity and the V6 power-plant, matched with the touchy throttles that all Kias are known for, it was easily one of the most difficult automobiles to drive smoothly. A touch on the gas and it lurched forward, making you adjust your foot, lifting it slightly, which caused a rapid drop in fuel to the engine, causing the vehicle to quickly pull to a slower speed. On again, off again. It really was the most lurching car I’ve ever been in, and I feel that’s largely the responsibility of the gas pedal being overly touchy. It’s also surprisingly big; wide, tall, long… Just a lot to manage when you’re having a hard time with throttle management.
Another major disappointment I suffered in this car was that the key slot sits on a console that is slightly tilted in such a way, that the rest of your keys actually ‘lay’ on the plastic, rather than hanging freely. While this may not sound like a big deal, you quickly realize that your keys are sliding back and forth, rubbing and making a gawd-awful sound as they rub and rub and rub with every turn. And trust me, I’m a person who prides himself on carrying the absolute basic number of keys on his ring, this is just bad design. I mentioned it to Stefan, who drove it three weeks after me, and he immediately came back with the same frustration. It’s little things like this that will cause an otherwise acceptable driving experience to be maddeningly unacceptable.
In the end, the Kia Borrego feels like it’s in conflict with itself. At $36,000 you can drive many other vehicles that are known for their luxury and engineering. And while Kia is definitely growing out of its past econo-image, it hasn’t shed that view completely in most people’s eyes. And for that price, you get a collage of great, well-designed luxuries and features that feel in-line with that coming out of Germany, however with small details like the key-on-the-dashboard and the terrible throttle management, you’re constantly in doubt if the car really is as good as you want to believe. As I got out of the car for the last time, and locked the door walking away, to be honest, I still didn’t know what I thought of the car. At times it changed my mind about Kias, and at others, confirmed what I already believed.
