Hi @bouncingbelle
Why do you keep thinking that you shouldn't go for a Skoda? Is this to do with the 1980s jokes about them, when they were considered an Eastern bloc unreliable heap etc?
Today's Skoda is light years away from that image, and funnily enough you'll have a slew of solidly middle class folk on here in a minute extolling the virtue of the brand and how it's the smart money choice - the cars are part of the Volkswagen Group and share platforms and technology, so you're getting a Tiguan for two thirds of the money, is one way of looking at it.
Kia has had the luxury of not having an image to get over, but I think they're very comparable in terms of price points, place in the market, etc. Kia does have the fantastic seven year warranty to recommend it, and the Sportage looks a lot better in its second generation than its first.
I can't recommend either personally (see my SUV thread for more, ha) but they're both solid well reviewed family cars.
The Skoda does get better ratings for its driveability and technology. If you can see past the badge (and thousands of people are now) then it's a very safe bet.
As an aside, I honestly think the Skoda Octavia is this decade's Volvo estate in terms of its image and prevalence amongst certain classes.