Compare the2023 Kia Sorento HybridVS 2023 Honda CR-V Hybrid

Both the Sorento Hybrid and CR-V Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid’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.

The Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V Hybrid only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Sorento Hybrid has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Sorento Hybrid and the CR-V Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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 available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sorento Hybrid the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CR-V Hybrid has not been tested, yet.

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 CR-V Hybrid’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th, 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 Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

The Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 23 more horsepower (227 vs. 204) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 247) than the CR-V Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Sorento Hybrid has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V Hybrid (17.7 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Sorento Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the CR-V Hybrid:

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 CR-V Hybrid are solid, not vented.

The Sorento Hybrid stops shorter than the CR-V Hybrid:

The Sorento Hybrid has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the CR-V Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Sorento Hybrid 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 CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sorento Hybrid’s wheelbase is 4.5 inches longer than on the CR-V Hybrid (110.8 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sorento Hybrid is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the CR-V Hybrid.

The Sorento Hybrid EX handles at .80 G’s, while the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento Hybrid EX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring AWD (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

The Sorento Hybrid has standard seating for 6 passengers; the CR-V Hybrid can only carry 5.

The Sorento Hybrid has 2.1 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom, 5.6 inches more rear hip room and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the CR-V Hybrid.

The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the CR-V Hybrid.

The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the CR-V Hybrid’s in almost every dimension:

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Sorento Hybrid’s optional second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Sorento Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V Hybrid’s (2000 vs. 1000 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 CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The power windows standard on both the Sorento Hybrid and the CR-V Hybrid have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sorento Hybrid is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CR-V Hybrid prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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

When the Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige 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 CR-V Hybrid’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 CR-V Hybrid Sport Touring 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 CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sorento Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.