Towing with 4cyl Sorento?

Take it to a scale see what it weights so you no, do a couple of panic stops with it in a controlled area, see if you comfortable with it. The decision is really yours. Good luck and enjoy it,

You can do it, but if you have never towed before, be aware of a couple of things.

If the Sedona has an automatic with overdrive, you should lock out the overdrive. An auto that has to hunt back and forth for the right gear all the time will cause the converter in the transmission to unlock and allow slippage, which creates heat, and heat kills trannys.

Going down a mountain grade, you must go as slowly as you went up the other side. Shift down to hold the rig back, using brakes sparingly for brief bursts. If you ride your brakes too much they'll overheat and give out, and you'll be a runaway rig.

If you decide you want to upgrade to trailer brakes, look under the trailer behind the wheel. If you see a square metal plate with probably 4 holes at the corners, that's a mounting plate for brakes; add the brake kit, wiring on tug and trailer, and you're set. If there's no backer plate for the brakes to mount, you'd need a new axle with the plates and brakes.

I once long ago towed a U-Haul 'egg' camper trailer with a 4 cyl Dodge Omni on a 2000 mile vacation from MI to CO and back. 90 HP didn't do so well, and I only drove 50 mph or less most of the time. But we had a nice vacation (other than some issues with the trailer's furnace and leaking front window). Not saying I'd do it that way again; now I'd want a few more horses (which you have double) and trailer brakes.

The prices have went up a bit due to corona virus and people buying anything they can. I wouldn't be surprised if its at 2500.

You're talking about a 1994 Palomino popup here, hardly going to break the bank. If you're paying more than $1000 for it, you're paying too much. Go get it, hitch it to the Kia, bring it home, and prove it to yourself.

The trip home isn't going to kill you or the car unless something was already ready to come apart. That would be entirely on you for not properly maintaining the car.

If you don't like it you can turn around and sell the trailer for what you paid, or at worst lose a couple hundred dollars.

I am all but 100% certain you are going to hit the road and wonder what all these people with the doom and gloom predictions were talking about. Modern cars are designed with braking power to spare, because so many people drive like sausages these days. They need to panic stop more than ever, so manufacturing a car that handles and brakes well is of the utmost importance. Of course you can no longer drive like a sausage with a trailer in tow, but you knew that.

As a Sorento owner I would do it. Have passengers and supplies in second vehicle. Going down hills kick over drive off and down shift to hold speed down. Don't wait until the speed is to fast to slow down. Start down major hills slow and maintain that speed.
Just put new brakes on my buddys 4 cyl Sorento and they are bigger than most. The Sorento is a overbuilt car.

2000 pound rating pulling 1200 pounds? That even fits in the "20% rule" of the weight police.
Don't push it hard and go have some fun.

You will have no issues with a popup that has no wind drag. A travel trailer of the same weight would present some challenges.

Small car brakes heat up fast, trying to hold any trailer back. A bigger suv or 1/2 ton truck brakes would get you by. A four cyl engine, light duty trans, is not going to help slow much on steep grades.

Trailer 1200 plus, I would not do it, your choice though, your comfort zone.

Jerry

Baby it. This whole setup is marginal at best and I think you are going to be very unhappy with it. Potential braking issues have been mentioned, but I was thinking cooling system. Watch your engine temps and if possible monitor the transmission temps.

your still thinking well wrong, your going down a small hill, stop sign ahead, you apply the breaks and there not holding you slide into the intersection and get slammed by a 18teen wheeler. your whole family makes the six o.clock news.