The 2009 Kia Borrego EX is the perfect car released at the worst possible time, and we need to talk about it. A body‑on‑frame SUV dropped smack dab into the salted earth of the late 2000s economy. It was luxury geometry meeting old school capability, yet it vanished after just one year, and lives on today as a bizarre time capsule of the 2000s: a time period where optimism and despair had regular sleepovers. The Kia Borrego EX may not have been right for 2009, but it’s perfect for this week’s Regular Car Reviews. We’ll give you an in-depth analysis, critique, and a test drive of the rare SUV that’s as fascinating as it was forgettable.