Used 2021 Kia Seltos S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT) Consumer Reviews
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Great CUV For The Price
JAM520, Mesa, AZ, 10/27/2020
Kia Seltos S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
65 of 69 people found this review helpful
I have owned my Seltos for six months and have only put 2,200 miles on it. It’s a great CUV for the price. I opted for the FWD S as I live in sunny Arizona and rarely drive on non-paved roads or in snow. The Seltos drives great and offers a number of advanced safety features. I do wish it offered LED headlights and blind-spot monitoring on all trims. I turned off lane keep assist as it was annoying, and disengage the auto start/stop every time I start the vehicle for the same reason. While I’m happy to have the option to turn off auto start/stop, I wish I didn’t have to do this every time I start the vehicle. Similarly, the Seltos defaults back to Normal driving mode with each restart which is also annoying if you want to drive and stay in Smart or Sport mode. I do love the Apple CarPlay integration and find it intuitively easy to navigate the entire infotainment system. The Seltos drives smooth and I think it’s very quiet on the highway. Acceleration is more than adequate in my opinion, too, as the S is non-turbo. While I wish there was an option to add a cover to the hatch area, I have found the interior cabin to be very spacious and I like the utility of the adjustable cargo floor. I especially love the overall look of the Seltos, especially in Neptune Blue (the color of mine), Starbright Yellow, or Mars Orange. Despite the number of things I wish the Seltos had, I love it and would buy it again today. Definitely worth checking out and cross shopping if considering a CUV.
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Awful
Bre, Johnstown, CO, 10/18/2021
Kia Seltos S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
34 of 36 people found this review helpful
Bought this car in August 2020. It was great at first. A few months later it started having issues with the oil. The oil would run dry before I was even due for an oil change. I’ve taken it back to the dealership multiple times because it continues to have a loud clicking noise when I step on the gas. Today my car broke down on the side of the highway as I was trying to accelerate. As I stepped on the gas the car lost power and all of the lights on the dashboard appeared. I turned the car off and on again and it was able to get me home but this car has been nothing but an inconvenience since I purchased it. This will be my last Kia I own and I have been a Kia owner since 2010. The dealership has no idea what is wrong and Kia will not fix the issue until the car is completely unable to work.
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It checked all of my boxes; love it
Bruce Paulsrud, Mansfield, IL, 09/06/2020
Kia Seltos S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
35 of 38 people found this review helpful
I live in rural central Illinois with a 35-minute commute. I spent a great deal of time researching this purchase and I narrowed my July 2020 test drives down to the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, and Hyundai Kona. The 2021 Kia Seltos caught me by surprise at the dealership since I had not even heard of it. However, for the price, features, and long warranty, the Seltos was able to check all of my boxes and just won me over. I have about 4,000 miles on it now; including two 12-hour trips and I really like this car. It's not a luxury vehicle, but is comfortable enough (good seats and quiet ride) with essential features. Moreover, it has excellent acceleration (even in SMART mode) and gas mileage. On my daily commute I average about 37 MPG and can achieve 41 MPG if I drive carefully. The lane assist/warning is a nice feature for long trips. It has good ground clearance and I look forward to seeing how it handles on ice/snow. Suggestions for the next model year (in order of importance to me): 1. Provide tilt steering in addition to the existing steering height and telescoping features. This will help with arm fatigue on long trips and will improve visibility of the center instrument cluster. 2. Raise the rear-view mirror attachment point higher and make the mirror easier to adjust (it is very stiff). Also, get rid of the black plastic shroud (purpose?) behind the mirror to provide more front windshield visibility, especially when turning right and going downhill. 3. Reduce the width of the center console (or lower it) slightly to give the driver just a bit more room for the right knee. A wide center console is the main reason reason I flat-out rejected the Ford Escape and the Mazda CX-5. 4. Get rid of the analog speedometer (which is blocked by the steering wheel anyway) and redesign the instrument panel so you can easily see the digital display for speed, Avg MPG, miles to empty, etc. 5. Give the front passenger the ability to raise their seat just like the driver can. 6. The headlight auto bright/dimming feature needs work; it sometimes flicks on and off and was so annoying that I stopped using it. 7. The flip-out key does not always slide into the ignition smoothly; why not just get rid of the traditional key?
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Still great after over a year of ownership.
Bill J, Mechanicsburg, PA, 03/15/2020
updated 03/22/2021
Kia Seltos S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
88 of 98 people found this review helpful
I bought my Soul in 2016 when my Hyundai Elantra Touring was starting to ride a bit rough. A few weeks ago, I took it in for an oil change, and foolishly stuck around at the dealership. Naturally I had to waste some time by roaming around the showroom. Never knew the Seltos existed, but when I saw it, I thought 'oh crap, this is exactly the car I wanted when I bought my Soul.' You see, the only gripe I had about the Soul was the lack of cargo space, and the Seltos, while still small, had ample space for my needs (ie. could fit my golf clubs with the seats up). Within a few days, I had one to replace the Soul. Took a bit of searching to find the one I wanted (a FWD 'S' trim in 'Mars Orange'), but I found it in another state about on hour and a half away. So far, it fits the bill perfectly. I think it rides a bit smoother than the Soul, but not as smoothly as my wife's Suby Crosstrek. If it performs as well as the Soul did, I plan on keeping it for a while. I just need to avoid waiting at the dealership during oil changes. Update 3/22/21 - Just got back from a road trip from PA to Florida and back with the Seltos, and still loving it. Driver's seat is very comfortable, and I had no problem with the 15 hr drive. The 'lane following assist' was great for saving some energy, though it truly is just an assist. Not sure it reads yellow lane markings well, as it tended to drift at times, and would not have held the lane had I not been steering. Road noise was pronounced on some surfaces (like 'oil and chip'), but I found it acceptable. Very versatile vehicle, and I still don't see one better in its class. My son's GF has a Kona, and it is very nice, but doesn't have nearly the cargo space of the Seltos.
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Love this car!
Jean Kelley, Nobleboro, ME, 09/19/2020
Kia Seltos S 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl CVT)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
I was coming from a lease and tried the Seltos after reading about this new model. Within 5 minutes of driving it, I was sold. It is nimble, responsive, comfortable, sharp-looking, and affordable. I have the base model and am still pleased. I am averaging 36.6 mpg and that is not highway driving. I do miss auto tailgate opener, keyless entry, and may miss heated seats as winter arrives but overall for the price I’m super pleased with this roomy vehicle.
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