Compare the2021 Kia SportageVS 2020 Toyota Rav4

Both the Sportage and the Rav4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Sportage comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Rav4’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Rav4. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rav4 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sportage second among compact suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Rav4 isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 41 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 19th, below the industry average.

The Sportage SX Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 34 more horsepower (237 vs. 203) and 76 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Sportage SX Turbo’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 37 more horsepower (240 vs. 203) and 76 lbs.-ft. more torque (260 vs. 184) than the Rav4’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Sportage 4 cyl. is faster than the Toyota Rav4:

The Sportage has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Rav4 (16.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Sportage SX Turbo’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

The Sportage stops much shorter than the Rav4:

For better traction, the Sportage SX Turbo’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Rav4 (245/45R19 vs. 235/55R19).

The Sportage LX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4 LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Sportage SX Turbo’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited’s 55 series tires.

The Sportage has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Rav4 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Sportage SX Turbo AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Sportage SX Turbo AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sportage’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Rav4 LE/XLE’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Sportage’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Sportage is 4.5 inches shorter than the Rav4, making the Sportage easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sportage has .5 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more rear legroom and 3.5 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

The Sportage’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Sportage’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Sportage to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Rav4 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Sportage’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Rav4’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Sportage has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Rav4 has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road.

Insurance will cost less for the Sportage owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sportage will cost $460 less than the Rav4 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Sportage is less expensive to operate than the Rav4 because it costs $37 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Sportage than the Rav4, including $33 less for front brake pads, $302 less for a starter, $54 less for fuel injection, $268 less for a fuel pump and $561 less for a timing belt/chain.

The Kia Sportage has won recognition from these important consumer publications: