Kia Sportage
- Price: $18,500
- What's retro: 21 mpg city/29 mpg highway
Tech-savvy retirees will appreciate the Bluetooth wireless with streaming audio, USB input jacks and steering-wheel-mounted Bluetooth buttons that come standard in all 2012 Kia Sportages.
The LX version of the Kia Sportage actually gets better gas mileage -- 22 mpg city/32 mpg highway -- than the base model.
The 176-horsepower, 2.4-liter, four-cylinder SUV is the winner of the 2012 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and named a best buy by Consumer Digest. The Sportage comes equipped with six air bags for front and rear seats. Front seats have active headrests and seat-belt pretensioners designed to tighten in a collision. Standard in all Sportage models are electronic stability control, brake assist, and downhill brake control and traction control.
Safety isn't the only thing the Sportage has going for it. Drivers will welcome the power adjustable seat with lumbar support, keyless entry and a tilt or tilt-and-telescoping steering column, depending on the model.
The Kia Sportage has a slew of optional packages, including the convenience package and the navigation package. Retirees often on the road will appreciate the cooling glove box, telescopic wheel and backup warning system that comes with the convenience package. Hate getting lost? Then the Navigation with SIRIUS Traffic package with voice command navigation may be right for you.