Opinion: Are the benefits of a new car really worth it?

We compare old and new versions of the Kia Sportage, assessing comfort, reliability, fuel costs and more. Is it worth buying the latest model?

Kia Sportage twin-test

You want one. I want one. A shiny brand new car parked outside the house. Clean as a pin, for a short while it shouts success. Until it gets just as dirty as the car you owned previously.

It is amazing the logical hoops we go through when buying something expensive, whether it’s a new car or the latest mobile phone. The chances are the one you already have still does the job perfectly well.

Yet it’s so easy to convince yourself that a replacement will be better, more reliable and cheaper in the long-term. But will it be?

I have been thinking about just that. Our Kia Sportage is a 2014 car, which replaced our 2013 model solely because I got a decent deal and the 2014 version had a one-shot driver’s electric window – both up and down! Yes, there’d be no more sitting with my index finger on the switch when I wanted to close the window. It felt like the future.

OK, even then it seemed a weak argument for change, and the whole new-car ordering and part-exchange process was so tedious that we’ve hung onto that car for nine years now. It came with a seven-year warranty, hasn’t been any real trouble until a few months ago and still looks reasonably stylish compared to other family SUVs, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Kia Sportage twin-test

However, the latest 2023 Kia Sportage has caught my eye, in a good way. So, is it now time for a change, from my £9,000 model to a £33,000 new one? Although we are comparing two Kias here, the lessons are much the same for all makes and models of car.

Reliability

A new car warranty is hard to ignore, especially the seven years or 100,000 miles that Kia offers. That’s a lot of reassurance, although it usually ties you into main dealer servicing. Personally, I don’t see that as a bad thing, and have stuck religiously to the schedule. Still, once the warranty has ended, and you get a nasty vibration that is difficult to track down, it’s easy to conclude the time has come to change.

The best option, though, is to buy a reliable car in the first place. You could well find that a six-year-old but super-reliable Lexus is less troublesome than some brand new cars.

Fuel costs

Here’s the big change. Nine years ago, diesel was the thing. Today diesel engines are considered the work of the devil, so even heavy cars like the Sportage are powered by petrol.

Kia Sportage twin-test

And the big surprise is that new hybrid petrol engines are better in almost every respect. The fuel economy of the 2023 Sportage will readily exceed 40mpg, a figure I can only dream of in my diesel. Both have automatic gearboxes, but even when my car was new, it felt old-school compared with the best from the likes of Audi.

In winter on short runs, I only get 28mpg. The new Sportage 1.6-litre petrol hybrid betters that by at least 5mpg. And, of course, diesel fuel is now much more expensive than petrol.

Driving

Both cars have six-speed automatic gearboxes, but the hybrid Kia has the ability to drive in electric mode for maybe half a mile (there’s also a plug-in hybrid model with a claimed electric range of 43 miles).

The latest Sportage has an electronic gear selector – a rotary controller in the centre, which you twist to select Drive, Reverse and Park. Sounds easy, but it can trip up and not always find
a gear without lots of fiddling.

Kia Sportage twin-test

Once motoring along, the new hybrid is so much nicer than the diesel. Smooth and quiet, noise levels are vastly lower, while performance is in a different league.

Comfort

There’s no arguing that the seats in the 2014 Sportage are firm, something Kia addressed in the uglier 2016 generation. Still, we are used to them, and although I think the front seats in the new version are much better, not everyone agrees.

The biggest disappointment with the new Sportage is its hard suspension. Where I’d expected a great step forward, the ride is no better than the old car – and on exactly the same-size wheels and Continental tyres, too.

Space

Sensibly, Kia has made the new Sportage a touch bigger, but it is still a manageable four- or five-seater. Luggage space is much better in the new model, partly down to the lack of a spare wheel (although there is space for one).

Kia Sportage twin-test

Electronics

My old Kia seems prehistoric here, with a very plain dashboard, and the simplest of navigation systems and touchscreen controls. Yet it’s incredibly easy to operate, while the latest Sportage, like almost every new car, is much better… and much more complicated.

To be fair, you’ll probably get used to it, and enjoy the digital radio stations and fancier sat-nav. But I still don’t get why I have to physically plug in my phone to make Apple CarPlay function.

So, love it or list it?

Kia Sportage twin-test

The answer is not as clear-cut as I thought it might be. I like the latest Kia Sportage hybrid. It’s great to drive, and blends performance, economy and refinement far better than our 2014 car. The styling also stands out, especially when so many car brands seem to be going down a blind alley of horror (hello, BMW).

Still, with the proviso that I get my vibration issue sorted out, my old Kia has proven to be a supreme workhorse that makes total sense to hang onto. I’ll keep getting it serviced regularly and enjoy spending the money in more enticing ways.

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1 COMMENT

  1. Modern cars are too complicated and I detest rotary selectors. I’m tempted to update but, as my wife keeps insisting, our 2013 Honda CR-V VTi-L has all the features we need. Alright, its 2.4 petrol is a bit thirsty but it will take a long time to consume the difference to reach an upgrade purchase price. Besides, it has only done 98,000 Kms (about 61,000 mls).

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