Yesterday a few people asked what kind of car I ended up buying — it’s a Kia Sorento SUV. I’ll get into the why behind that choice, but before that, a couple of quick things.
Anybody else married to someone who takes terrible pictures? El Hub cannot take a decent picture of me to save his life, and I no longer trust the man to take important shots. The one up top of me and Connor saying goodbye to my 4Runner was the only salvageable photo in a stream of awful ones. Sigh.
Secondly, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was caught off guard with the flood of emotion I felt when saying goodbye to this car, as I’m not a car person at all!
But as we were cleaning out the interior, so many memories came flooding back. Like, how I used to drive her into San Francisco with my surfboard shoved into the back, so I could surf in Pacifica with my friends after work.
Or how I used to bump dance music and drive with the windows down at 2 a.m. after dancing all night long.
Seriously, I can’t believe there was a time when I wasn’t tired 24/7. LOL!
Anywho, the Kia Sorento (still haven’t named her yet) is a mid-size SUV. I wanted to stick with a similar size to the 4Runner because I’ve always liked being a lady who doesn’t have to rely on dudes with trucks to move her sh*t.
I also wanted the V6 engine because you just never know if you’re gonna get stuck in the mud and you need the extra kick.
The Sorento has lots of room in the back, including a third row, which I really wanted because I anticipate driving Connor and her dance team friends in the next few years.
There are a bunch of models of the Sorento to choose from. I got the SXL V6 AWD. After driving a barebones vehicle for such a long time, I wanted some nice-to-have extras – heated seats, backup camera assist, navigation, retractable rear door sunshades, extra large sunroof, etc.
It’s quiet and comfy with a peppy engine and good amount of power, and it’s easy to forget I’m going fast. I had to tell myself to chill a couple times while I was driving yesterday. Whoops!
Oh, I also contemplated the Kia Telluride and another Toyota 4Runner, too. They both sit up higher compared to the Sorento, and I wanted something a little lower so that the elders in our family could more easily get in and out.
If you have any more questions about it, let me know! I’ll say again that I’m not a car person, but I’ll try to help as best as I can.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Retractable rear door sunshades?! This sounds awesome! I just bought some “Snapshades” to go in the back of my car so the girls don’t bake if we go on a couple of road trips this summer.
Sounds like you made a good choice with this vehicle, Karen! Enjoy!
The sunshades are a very nice extra to have, no doubt. They’re well hidden, too, so you can’t even tell they’re there when you don’t have them up.
Oh, I have those Snapshades for my Mazda, btw and they’re great! When Connor was a teeny, tiny thing they were so helpful.
I saw your comment on yesterday’s post about your wedding dress. I *love* that you got it at Target! Super affordable and you don’t have to stress if you get BBQ sauce on it. Do you guys already have the food/drinks planned out?
Pretty much! We’re going to do burgers, brats, hot dogs on the grill, pasta salad, fruit bowl, chips, and cupcakes. Assorted drinks and water too! Very simple!
That sounds PERFECT! I’ll wait for my invite! Totally kidding. 🙂 But if I did go, I’d be happy to help watch the littles, LOL!
😃😂
We bought a bigger car this year (which isn’t saying much, my husband had a 2 door Subaru BRZ and I had a VW Golf) because we weren’t going to be able to fit Mabel in those cars LOL!
That’s yet another reason why I wanted to stay with a bigger car; I think Rosie needs a doggy friend!
You are not the only one married to a man who cannot take a decent photograph to save his life. My Dear Husband takes the worst photos. Has no talent for framing a photo or doing a decent close up. His excuse is that I can always crop it and then enlarge it, no matter what it does to the resolution.
Congrats on the new car! That third row of seats will come in handy driving Connor and her friends around. I bought my friend’s Acura MDX off of her when her husband surprised her with a new Porsche SUV. There isn’t a time she comes over that she doesn’t look at the MDX and lament that she still needs that third row of seats for her two boys and all their friends. My Dear Husband usually puts down the third row and stuffs the back with boxes, planks of wood and camping equipment. He moved Dear Daughter cross country in it when she went to grad school and I suspect he’s going to want it when they do a Father Daughter hiking/camping trip with friends this summer.
Wishing you many moments that become fond memories in your new vehicle.
I’m legit thinking that I need to start traveling with phone tripod so I can take decent pictures of myself. I don’t know why I keep trusting El Hub to take pictures; he doesn’t even do the “say cheese” or a count down. SIGH!
Anywho, I’m looking forward to driving in the car and not having to worry about it breaking down at any given time. LOL. It’s the little things!
I hear you about not having to worry about the car breaking down while you’re driving it. After Dear Daughter was born I was at a skating competition that ran late into the night and I had DH’s really old Honda hatchback, stick shift because had to leave my car with the car seat. It started to rain and the windshield wipers only worked when they wanted to. And the clutch kept slipping as I was driving back up the hill. When I finally made it back into the house, I let loose a lot of curse words about that car. Within a month DH bought a new car that was safer to drive DD around in. Of course she promptly christened it by barfing in the back seat. Lol.
Congrats on the new car Karen!! That’s great!!
Thanks, Sherry!
OK, sister from another mister, this is a funny coincidence. First of all, congrats on the new vehicle! I also just got a new one on the 6th. I loved everything about my other car (Acura MDX). It was a 2017 and I would have driven it until the wheels fell off – and then put new ones on and kept driving. HAHA! Long story short, we were looking around “just to get an idea of the market” and because mine was starting to get a tiny rust spot on one of the back doors. It has very low miles and the Hubs thought it was he ideal time to trade. Sadly, we got all we asked for from the dealership, and I kid you not – I cried (in private). Like the only person in the world who gets a new vehicle and gets teary about the old one. Or so I thought. Like you, I’m not a car person, but I loved that car. The new one is the same, with some nicer features and a couple I don’t like as much, but in general, I would recommend it to anyone. I’ve been in a LOT of vehicles and I think the MDX is the nicest ride; like a puffy cloud. 🙂