copyrighted by the new york times 2005
.=2E.I would be remiss if I did not mention that the Sportage has a doppelg=E4nger in the new 2005 Hyundai Tucson. According to Hyundai, this is exactly the same vehicle from a mechanical standpoint, though with distinct styling. To my eyes, the Tucson's exterior looks as if Hyundai went to great lengths to create the most utterly generic design possible. Inside, the look is more conservative than the Kia's as well.
While I was less impressed with the Tucson, the one I tested was a front-drive model. Make of this apples-to-oranges comparison what you will.
The Tucson is an entirely adequate vehicle, if a bit less interesting than its Kia cousin. The same thing could be said for nearly all the car-based compact S.U.V.'s on the market. As a class, their similarities are greater than their differences - I could just as easily stick with recommending the tried-and-true CR-V as make a case for the Equinox.
Really, I'd rather go back to talking to my friends about sports cars. But since Kia predicts that the market for compact S.U.V.'s will double within a year, I don't see that happening. I suppose I can expect to continue answering the question until everyone I meet owns a small S=2EU.V. For the time being, I'll tell them that the Kia Sportage is the vehicle that's come closest to awakening my desire to drive one - and hope that yearning remains dormant.
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