Compare the2022 Subaru OutbackVS 2021 Kia Sorento

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Outback have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Sorento doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Outback has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Sorento doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Outback. But it costs extra on the Sorento.

Both the Outback and the Sorento have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 blind spot warning systems, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outback its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 62 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sorento has not been tested, yet.

The Outback’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sorento runs out after 100,000 miles.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 7 places higher in reliability than Kia.

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 69 more horsepower (260 vs. 191) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 181) than the Sorento 2.5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Sorento doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Outback gets better fuel mileage than the Sorento:

The Outback has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Sorento doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Outback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Sorento are solid, not vented.

The Outback Wilderness/Onyx Edition XT has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Sorento; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Sorento’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento (8.7 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.3 inches higher than on the Sorento (9.5 vs. 8.2 inches).

The front grille of the Outback 2.5i uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Sorento doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Outback has 3.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento (109 vs. 105.3).

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume than the Sorento with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Outback easier. The Outback’s trunk lift-over height is 28.4 inches, while the Sorento’s liftover is 31.7 inches.

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sorento’s (2700 vs. 2000 pounds).

The engine in the Outback is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Sorento. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

When two different drivers share the Outback Limited/Touring, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Sorento doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Outback’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Sorento’s parking brake has to released manually.

The Outback’s standard front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sorento’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Outback Limited/Wilderness/Touring/Onyx Edition’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Outback’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Outback Base). The Sorento doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Outback has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Sorento doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Outback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Sorento doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Outback Limited/Touring is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Sorento’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Outback’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sorento offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Outback and the Sorento offer available heated front seats. The Outback Limited/Touring/Onyx also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the Sorento.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Outback as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.