Compare the2023 Kia Sorento HybridVS 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Sorento Hybrid and Tiguan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento Hybrid has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Tiguan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sorento Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Kia Sorento Hybrid has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tiguan doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Sorento Hybrid’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Tiguan.

The Sorento Hybrid’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sorento Hybrid and the Tiguan 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Sorento Hybrid	Tiguan
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	280	330
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	49 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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 front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sorento Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Tiguan is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The Sorento Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Tiguan’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Hybrid 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Tiguan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Tiguan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 21 percent more Kia dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Sorento Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sorento Hybrid’s reliability 23 points higher than the Tiguan.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 74 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 72 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 14 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 43 more horsepower (227 vs. 184) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Sorento Hybrid is faster than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Sorento Hybrid	Tiguan
Zero to 30 MPH	3 sec	4.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.1 sec	10.3 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.7 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.3 sec	17.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	83 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento Hybrid gets better mileage than the Tiguan:

			MPG
Sorento Hybrid
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	39 city/35 hwy
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/33 hwy
Tiguan
	FWD	S 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/31 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
		R-Line 2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Sorento Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Sorento Hybrid has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan FWD’s standard fuel tank (17.7 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Sorento Hybrid has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank (17.7 vs. 15.9 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

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

The Sorento Hybrid stops much shorter than the Tiguan:

	Sorento Hybrid	Tiguan
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sorento Hybrid has larger tires than the Tiguan (235/65R17 vs. 215/65R17).

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sorento Hybrid is 2.8 inches wider in the front and 3.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Tiguan.

The Sorento Hybrid EX handles at .80 G’s, while the Tiguan 4Motion® pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento Hybrid EX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Tiguan 4Motion® (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Sorento Hybrid has .7 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, 4.1 inches more rear legroom, 1.6 inches more rear hip room, 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room, 3 inches more third row headroom, 1.7 inches more third row legroom, 3 inches more third row hip room and 5.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Tiguan.

Cargo Capacity

The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the Tiguan.

	Sorento Hybrid	Tiguan
Behind Third Seat	12.6 cubic feet	12 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	38.5 cubic feet	33 cubic feet
Third Seat Removed	45 cubic feet	37.6 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	75.5 cubic feet	65.3 cubic feet

The Sorento Hybrid has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Tiguan doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Sorento Hybrid. The Tiguan doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Sorento Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tiguan’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sorento Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Tiguan doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Tiguan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sorento Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Tiguan only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sorento Hybrid’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Tiguan’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Sorento Hybrid has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Tiguan SE/SEL.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sorento Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Tiguan SE/SEL offers wireless charging.

The Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sorento Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Tiguan isn't recommended.

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