Depending on who you believe, the Mk4 Kia Sportage, on sale from 2016-2021 and under the spotlight here, is either the most reliable second-hand family SUV you can buy or some considerable way down the league table. Kia’s bullish, industry-leading seven-year warranty supports the former claim, but it does contain exclusions that, judging by the forums, can lead to some disappointed owners.
The model had the unenviable task of picking up where the much-praised Mk3, which gave arch-rival the Nissan Qashqai a proper scare, left off. Unfortunately, Autocar’s testers found the Mk4 wanting in too many areas to award it more than 3.5 stars. They hailed its larger and more practical cabin, solid finish, more sophisticated feel and agile handling but criticised its firm and noisy ride, its lacklustre design…