Compare the2023 Honda PassportVS 2022 Kia Sorento

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Sorento’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

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

The Passport has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Passport has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Passport and the Sorento have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Passport is safer than the Kia Sorento:

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

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

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Passport for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sorento.

There are over 37 percent more Honda dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

The engine in the Passport has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Sorento have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

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 Passport’s reliability 53 points higher than the Sorento.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport third among midsize SUVs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Sorento isn’t in the top three.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 10 places higher in reliability than Kia.

The Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 89 more horsepower (280 vs. 191) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 181) than the Sorento 2.5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Passport is faster than the Sorento 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The Sorento doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Passport has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento (19.5 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Passport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sorento doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Sorento.

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Sorento (245/60R18 vs. 235/65R17). The Passport EX-L/Elite’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sorento (265/45R20 vs. 255/45R20).

The Passport TrailSport’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento LX’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport TrailSport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sorento LX.

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Sorento doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Sorento.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento (8.1 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Passport uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Sorento doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Passport has 9.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento (114.9 vs. 105.3).

The Passport has 3.5 inches more front hip room, 3 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear hip room and 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sorento.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Sorento with its rear seat up (41.2 vs. 12.6 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Sorento with its rear seat folded (77.7 vs. 75.5 cubic feet).

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sorento’s (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

The Passport’s 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.

If the windows are left open on the Passport the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Sorento can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Passport’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Sorento’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Passport Elite’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

Consumer Reports rated the Passport’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Sorento’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

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

The Passport’s standard 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.

The Passport 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 Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Passport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Sorento EX/SX/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The Passport TrailSport/Elite 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 Sorento doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Passport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Passport will cost $100 to $2140 less than the Sorento over a five-year period.

The Passport will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Passport will retain 50.47% to 51.56% of its original price after five years, while the Sorento only retains 46.98% to 47.45%.

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