Compare the2023 Kia SportageVS 2023 GMC Terrain

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia Sportage are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The GMC Terrain doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sportage Prestige has standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Terrain doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Sportage’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 Terrain doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sportage and the Terrain have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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 “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 164 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Terrain last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than GMC covers the Terrain. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Terrain 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 GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is ranked 7th.

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 GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 47 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is ranked 17th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 1 place higher in reliability than GMC.

The Sportage’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 12 more horsepower (187 vs. 175) than the Terrain’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Terrain FWD (25 city/32 hwy vs. 24 city/29 hwy).

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

For better traction, the Sportage has larger tires than the Terrain (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

The Sportage has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Sportage flat and controlled during cornering. The Terrain’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Terrain (108.5 inches vs. 107.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sportage is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Terrain.

For greater off-road capability the Sportage has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Terrain SLE (8.3 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Sportage to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Sportage’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali (8.3 vs. 7.9 inches).

The Sportage has .5 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more rear hip room than the Terrain.

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Terrain with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Terrain with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 63.3 cubic feet).

The Sportage’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Terrain’s (2500 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Sportage EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line/X-Pro’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Terrain’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Sportage has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Terrain doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Sportage (except LX/EX/X-Line) to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Terrain doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 Sportage’s available headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Terrain’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Sportage will be $2860 to $12816 less than for the GMC Terrain.

The Kia Sportage outsold the GMC Terrain by 52% during the 2022 model year.