Has any one got any feedback on the KIA Sportage, will be replacing my VW T5 and need something to tow with and get 2 dogs in the back. Would be a diesel 4x4 that Im looking at year from 2004 to 2009

Looking for pros and cons and whether they are a money pit what weaknesses etc

Cheers

Not had one personally but bosses at the place I work love them. They've both had 2 apiece. One pampers the heck out of his but racks up the miles and has never had a problem, the other doesn't. He uses it for towing his boat about and is forever dunking the back end in and out of the sea. His last on just got retired after 250,000 miles and apart from some rust, from all the salt water, a new set of injectors around 150,000, it behaved perfectly.

Check the boot, I found it pathetically small for a 4x4. My friend was considering one for her Wolfhound, the dog would have been really uncomfortable and very difficult to get in and out of. She stuck with Kia though and went for a Ceed SW.

On The diesels at very high mileages (160,000 miles plus)the dpf is known to fail not cheap to fix, so if you want to get a few years out of it look for one with low miles.
Also check the condition and tightness of the propshafts.

[Edited on 30/8/14 by britishtrident]

Lad at work has one, first day he got it the pop up headlamp wash did exactly that - popped up and right off.
The clutch slave cylinder has just gone while he was on holiday in Cornwall, took it to the Kia dealer, they said they didn't have the part, he had to limp it half a mile from the dealer so the RAC would recover him home - don't think he was too impressed with the Kia dealership
Car is 18 months old.

Go for the sorento then! Slightly bigger too

A few guys at work have Kias. They all rave about how good they are and three guys run Sorrentos and have had several. One pulls a trailer for his second job, and the other two drag caravans about so I was happy to recommend one for my FIL when he was looking for a 4x4.
However..... Within a few weks of getting his 56 plate 40,000 mile Sorrento, the gearbox screwed-up. It jammed in third gear but you could also select the other gears too which obviously locked the box solid.
He had to buy a recon box and have it fitted. The garage who fitted it also recommended a new DMF/clutch as it looked shagged. Total cost... £1200 for the clutch and £2750 for the gearbox. The Kia dealer had the gearbox on the shelf as they "use a few".... The new gearboxes have a modified selector.
The vehicle developed a sort of judder above 50mph and poor starting. The main dealer diagnosed a faulty fuel pump caused by debris coming from the fuel tank which could have been disturbed when they worked on the gearbox. They fitted a new tank and all the fuel pipes and fuel pump. This cured the poor starting but the judder was still there. They suggested fitting four new tyres as the fronts were a different pattern to the rears and not OE. But they were the same tyres that have always been on the car since FIL bought the thing. I unplugged the ABS and the fault went but obviously not a solution. I checked the rolling radius of the wheels and they were within 5mm of each other so I doubted this would cause the judder but putting a bit too much air in the front tyres has moved the judder to 70mph so that'll do for now! Whilst having the gearbox issue fixed, the dealer 'updated the ECU'. Perhaps this caused the judder?
In short....buy cheap or buy with a warrenty!!

it may be worth removing the wheel and cleaning the hub surface and wheel had a similar problem with a montego years back there was rust preventing the wheel sitting flat to the hub