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Thanks to its generous equipment list and affordable price, the 2008 Kia Sportage is a value leader among compact SUVs. Buyers are recommended on a tight budget to give it a look, but those with more to spend may want to check out the Kia's stronger-performing competitors.Stylish and functional interior, impressive warranty, plenty of standard safety features.
The 2008 Kia Sportage is a compact SUV that's available in two trim levels: LX and EX. Either trim can be had in front- or all-wheel drive. The LX comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, full power accessories, tinted glass, a rear windshield wiper and a CD player. Air-conditioning is also standard on all LX models, except front-drive four-cylinder models with the manual transmission. The EX adds the V6 engine, a sunroof, foglamps, heated outside mirrors, a trip computer, MP3 capability for the CD player and keyless entry.
Individual options include leather seating (for the EX), side step bars and a remote starting system. There are a couple of optional packages as well. The Sport Package for LX V6 models adds foglights, sport gauges, a black mesh grille, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, a rear spoiler and the upgraded audio system from the EX. The Luxury Package for the EX adds leather seating, heated front seats, an auto-dimming mirror and a premium audio system with a six-CD changer.
Two engines are offered on the Sportage LX: a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder (140 hp and 136 pound-feet of torque) and a 2.7-liter V6 (173 hp and 178 lb-ft). The Sportage EX comes standard with the V6. The inline-4 can be had with either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic, while the V6 is automatic only. One may also choose front- or all-wheel drive in either trim.
We timed a Sportage V6 at 10.7 seconds from zero to 60 mph, about a second or so off the quicker four-cylinders in the segment and more than three ticks off the class hot rod, the RAV4 V6. Fuel mileage estimates for a 2008 Sportage V6 with AWD are 17 mpg city and 21 mpg highway, a few mpg under the class average. The four-cylinder gets only a few city mpg better.

The Sportage features a functional, roomy and attractive interior. Both the materials and build quality are very good, especially for this price point. The rear-seat design makes hauling a large amount of cargo a breeze -- it folds and lowers into the footwell, making for a flat load floor, and removing the head restraints isn't required. Thusly configured, the Sportage offers 67 cubic feet of cargo capacity, a respectable figure for this class.