Borrego Lives Up to Mom’s SUV Dreams

2009 Kia Borrego EX 4X4

model as tested $39,295

Test Drove 4/30/09-5/07/09
reviewed by Sherrice Gilsbach

Kia is known for delivering a lot of car for a little price. When I jumped into the boxy cuteness of the 2009 Borrego, I was ready to be pleasantly surprised by its value-added price tag. Surprise! It’s not that much less expensive than many three-row SUVs. Bummer!

The Borrego is comfy, and it’s a real pleasure to drive. I liked it as much as I’d expected to, but I continued to wish for that shockingly low price to appear. No dice; the numbers stayed the same throughout the duration of my test drive.

The Borrego’s impeccable handling in four-wheel drive really impressed me from the beginning. My street in the spring is a sloppy, muddy mess, with some quicksand thrown in for good measure. When I drove the Borrego down my street, I started wondering if the mud had all dried up. A peek out the window assured me that the mess was still there; the Borrego just made it feel as though it was gone. The much fancier, pricier vehicles I had tested in the weeks prior to the Borrego didn’t handle the road nearly as well. With the Borrego, no worries and — seemingly — no mud!

My test car had a V-8 engine, so I had no problems with power. I did have a problem with the Borrego’s gas mileage. It gets an EPA-estimated 15/20 mpg city/highway. It’s quite the gas-guzzler.

The Borrego also had fully integrated rocker panels plus running boards. Considering the mud factor in my life, this is really important to me. The integrated rocker panels meant that my clean clothes didn’t brush against some mud clinging just below the doorways, and the running boards made it easy for everyone to get into the SUV. Plus, it helped to cut down on my family’s laundry a smidge because we weren’t getting muddy every time we got in or out of the car.

I adored the Borrego’s third row from a utilitarian perspective. Since I only have two kids we didn’t need a third row, but it’s comforting to know there’d be room for more in this SUV if needed.

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