Compared to metal, the Sportage’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Forester has a metal gas tank.
Both the Sportage and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Subaru Forester:
|
Sportage |
Forester |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
222 |
293 |
Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.7 inches |
Neck Stress |
151 lbs. |
213 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
70 lbs. |
103 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
33/16 lbs. |
105/93 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Subaru Forester:
|
Sportage |
Forester |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Abdominal Force |
104 G’s |
122 G’s |
Hip Force |
327 lbs. |
389 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
239 |
246 |
Spine Acceleration |
56 G’s |
56 G’s |
Hip Force |
465 lbs. |
670 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
13 inches |
16 inches |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Sportage is 1.4% to 2.2% less likely to roll over than the Forester.