Only One Kia SUV Got Left Out of the Consumer Reports Recommendations List
In the past several years, we’ve gone from knowing Kia from it’s rapping hamster commercials for the Kia Soul to the prominent and headline worthy overtaker of many vehicle segments. The Kia Stinger proved that Kia could provide luxury and performance, while the Kia Telluride provided drivers with an affordable vehicle chock-full of features and options. In fact, when it comes to SUVs, Kia seems to be doing well in the rating, and according to Consumer Reports, 75% of the brand’s SUV models are recommended for purchase. But, that last 25% is only one vehicle, and it got left out of the recommendations list. It’s the 2021 Kia Seltos, and it seemed to have fallen just a bit short of the expectations the brand has set with its other SUV options.
Does Consumer Reports recommend the 2021 Kia Seltos?
A quick browse through Consumer Reports shows recommended vehicles with the small checkmark of approval, and for three out of the four tested vehicles, that electronic badge is worn proudly. That’s unfortunately not the same for the 2021 Kia Seltos, which missed getting a recommendation review from the website by a handful of points. Its overall rating was 63 out of a possible 100, just 13 points shy of the recommended Kia Sorento.
Why isn’t the Kia Seltos as highly rated?
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The 2021 lineup of Kia SUVs that were recommended by Consumer Reports includes the Telluride, with a score of 96, the Sportage, with a score of 80, and the Sorento, with a score of 76. It’s clear that Kia knows how to make a well-rounded SUV that’s capable of high ratings and reviews, so where exactly did the 2021 Kia Seltos fall short?
Consumer Reports dives into deep details to rate as many aspects of each vehicle as consumers could possibly take interest in, but that can also make things a bit confusing. The road test for the Seltos was on the higher side, with a score of 72 and special notes about the vehicle’s braking and emergency handling.
It also didn’t receive abysmal scores for expected owners’ satisfaction or predicted reliability, leaving us to wonder if the main difference was more so that the vehicle just wasn’t up to par with other options offered by the same brand.
The Kia Seltos is still worth buying
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Regardless of the lower rating, there is still a lot of things about the 2021 Kia Seltos that make it a good vehicle. It is one of the more affordable options in the Kia SUV lineup, with a starting price of around $21,990. It offers responsible fuel economy, with a reported overall average of 28 mpg, plenty of modern styling inside and out, and just enough space for buyers who want the practicality of an SUV without the sheer size.
Consumer Reports may have left the 2021 Kia Seltos out of their list of recommended vehicles, but for the price it still has a lot to offer.
The post Only One Kia SUV Got Left Out of the Consumer Reports Recommendations List appeared first on MotorBiscuit.
