How to Ship a Kia Sportage
The Sportage is a compact SUV of entirely ordinary dimensions, which means the vehicle is not what determines your quote. The route, the timing and the access are. If a price comes back higher than you expected, the reason is one of those three rather than anything about the car.
Where It Sits on a Trailer
A Sportage runs roughly 3,300 to 3,900 pounds depending on generation and drivetrain, is around 15 feet long and a little over 5 feet 5 inches tall.
Nothing there is a constraint. It loads on any deck position on a standard open hauler and every carrier has moved one. It sits alongside the CR-V and the Crosstrek in the ordinary compact crossover band, above a sedan and well below a full size SUV.
The hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions weigh several hundred pounds more. Immaterial at this size, but say which one you have so the quote is built on the right figure.
All wheel drive is common and entirely routine for transport. The vehicle is carried rather than towed, so the drivetrain is doing nothing and nothing needs disconnecting.
What Actually Changes the Price
The lane. How much carrier traffic already runs your route matters far more than the mileage. A busy corridor between metropolitan areas prices well; two small towns off the interstate system do not.
Timing. A range of pickup days is the single most valuable thing you can offer. Summer is the busiest season because the moving season and the school calendar collide.
Access at both ends. A loaded hauler is around 75 feet long and 13 feet 6 inches tall. A narrow street with low branches means a meeting point at a large lot near a highway, which is normal and worth agreeing when you book.
Open or enclosed. Enclosed costs 20 to 30 percent more and is unnecessary for an ordinary Sportage. It makes sense on a nearly new example or one with fresh paintwork.
Whether it runs. An inoperable vehicle needs a winch and a carrier equipped for it. Say so up front, because a car discovered not to start at pickup is the most expensive kind of surprise.
The Two Things Worth Removing
Roof racks and cargo boxes. The Sportage is a practical family and outdoor vehicle and a good share carry a box, a bike carrier or a kayak rack. Anything on the roof adds height at exactly the point where deck clearance is tightest on a two-level trailer, and a cargo box is easy to catch. Take it off. Factory crossbars can stay; give the measured height.
Hitch-mounted carriers. Bike racks and cargo trays on the hitch add length behind the rear bumper and are a snag hazard when a vehicle is being positioned on a deck. Remove them.
Neither takes long, and removing a roof box is frequently the cheapest single improvement to a quote available to an owner.
Preparing It
Wash it so existing marks are visible, then photograph every panel in daylight, including the wheels, the lower bumpers and the rocker panels, which are what loading marks. Photograph the odometer.
Leave about a quarter tank of fuel. More is unnecessary weight; less risks the car not making it to a station after delivery.
Empty the cabin and the trunk completely, including under the load floor. Personal items are not covered by cargo insurance, they add weight and they move around in transit.
Fold the mirrors, disable a motion sensitive alarm, and remove a toll transponder so you are not billed for the truck’s route. Check tire pressures and note any fluid leaks.
At Pickup and Delivery
Walk around the car with the driver at pickup rather than handing over the keys and going inside. The condition report on the bill of lading is written then, and it is the document that settles any later dispute. If you disagree with something on it, say so before it is signed.
At delivery, inspect before signing, in daylight if at all possible, and compare against your photographs. Look at the lower bodywork, the wheels, the rear bumper and the areas around the tie-down points first.
Note anything unexpected on the paperwork while the driver is present. If it arrives after dark or in heavy rain, write that a full inspection was not possible before you sign. Our guide to what car shipping insurance actually covers explains the cargo policy.
Buying One Remotely
A large share of Sportage shipments are remote purchases rather than owner moves, because a particular trim and color is frequently several states away.
Nobody has an independent record of the car’s condition before collection: the driver writes the report at pickup with no idea what it looked like beforehand, and the buyer sees it for the first time at delivery.
Ask the seller to photograph it properly before release, close up and in daylight, including each wheel and the lower bodywork, and to send those rather than the listing photographs. Then make sure whoever receives it understands they can decline to sign a clean bill of lading if something is wrong.
Transit Times
Once collected, plan on one to two days regionally, three to five across half the country, and five to seven coast to coast, plus a few days for a carrier to be assigned beforehand.
Treat a delivery date as a range rather than an appointment. Drivers work under federal hours of service limits and a hauler making several stops does not travel in a straight line.
Common Questions
Is a Sportage expensive to ship? No. It is an ordinary compact crossover and prices in the normal range for its lane.
Do I need to remove the roof box? Yes, along with bike carriers and hitch trays. Factory crossbars can stay.
Does all wheel drive matter? No. The vehicle is carried rather than towed.
Does a hybrid cost more? Marginally, on weight. Say which version you have so the quote is right first time.
Do I need enclosed transport? Only for a nearly new example or fresh paintwork.
Get a Quote
Call Ship A Car, Inc. at (866) 821-4555 with both zip codes, the model year and any accessories fitted, or price the move with the instant calculator.
