Kia Sportage

Brand-new Kia vehicles are making a greater impact on the automotive landscape than ever before. That success has also endowed pre-owned Kia models with an aura of desirability. The ’15 Sportage compact crossover was even named 2017’s fastest-selling used vehicle in Britain. The same thing happened the previous year with the ’14 model.

- Colin Ryan

The Sportage is similarly popular on this side of the Atlantic, and the version that really cemented it as a serious contender against rivals like the Toyota RAV4 is this one, the third-generation. It’s the model that came with the current Kia corporate grille, styled under the direction of Chief Designer Peter Schreyer, who will always be famous as the guy who helped create the original Audi TT

It isn’t just looks that brought a new credibility to the Sportage name—there’s plenty of cake underneath that icing. An all-new body used more high-strength steel than its predecessor, improving noise, vibration, and harshness and providing extra protection in the event of an accident. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave this generation its “Top Safety Pick” accolade.