Kia engineers have obviously been reading books like Time-Life's How to Build a Better SUV and one of amazon.com's best sellers, Johnny's Guide to Automotive Ergonomics. Drivers and passengers are treated to supportive, firm seats with enough side bolstering to give them some shape. A rotary knob used to adjust the tilt of the seat bottom works as intended, though a lever would be preferred. Even the rear seat, often flat and narrow in small SUVs, has a comfortable position accented by a handy reclining feature, a fold-down center armrest, adjustable headrests for three passengers, and three-point seatbelts for center passengers. However, the hard front seatbacks will wipe the smiles off of the faces and skin off the knees of long-legged rear seat passengers. Thanks to its height and a well-placed hip point, getting in and out of the Sportage doesn't require any climbing or jumping, and the rear doors open wide for easy access. Head, leg, shoulder, and hip room measurements are on par with others in the small SUV segment, suggesting that smaller passengers should be comfortable, though tall or large adults might find the accommodations to be a bit tight. The 2005 Kia Sportage's 103.9 cubic feet of passenger room ranks it near the best in the class. Once inside, the driver faces a thoughtfully constructed gauge cluster and instrument panel. Included are a large tachometer and a trip computer that tracks travel time and distance, average miles-per-gallon, and fuel range. Stability control and four-wheel drive lock controls have been placed left of the steering wheel, and power door lock and power mirror controls are located on the driver's door, exactly where most people will expect them to be. Decorating those controls is an attractive alloy trim, which also adorns the door handles, shift plate, and surrounds the center instrument panel. Within that instrument panel are the climate and audio units, the latter of which plays cassettes, CDs, and MP3s through six speakers. Controls for the stereo are basic knobs and buttons, so there's no challenge in tuning or adjusting the volume. Similarly, the climate system consists of three main rotary knobs that manage temperature, fan direction, and fan speed. It's a basic, logical setup connected to a system that quickly heats and cools the interior.
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