Compare the2023 Subaru AscentVS 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Ascent 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Ascent 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

Both the Ascent and the Sorento Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

	Ascent	Sorento Hybrid
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	190	334
Neck Injury Risk	21%	21%
Neck Compression	8 lbs.	22 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	159/292 lbs.	212/405 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	210	390
Neck Injury Risk	33%	53%
Leg Forces (l/r)	35/30 lbs.	81/191 lbs.

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

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 Subaru Ascent is safer than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Ascent	Sorento Hybrid
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	149	280

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ascent its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sorento Hybrid was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

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

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 2 places higher in reliability than Kia.

Engine

The Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 33 more horsepower (260 vs. 227) and 19 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 258) than the Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Ascent is faster than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Ascent	Sorento Hybrid
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	8.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.5 MPH	87.2 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Ascent lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Ascent has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento Hybrid (19.3 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Ascent 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Ascent	Sorento Hybrid
Front Rotors	13.1 inches	12.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.8 inches

The Ascent stops shorter than the Sorento Hybrid:

	Ascent	Sorento Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	121 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Ascent has larger tires than the Sorento Hybrid (245/60R18 vs. 235/65R17).

The Ascent’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 Hybrid’s standard 65 series tires. The Ascent Onyx/Limited/Touring’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Sorento Hybrid’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ascent has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sorento Hybrid. The Ascent Onyx/Limited/Touring’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Sorento Hybrid.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ascent’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the Sorento Hybrid (113.8 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

The Ascent Touring executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Sorento Hybrid EX (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Ascent has a 1.85 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento Hybrid (8.7 vs. 6.85 inches), allowing the Ascent to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Ascent has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Sorento Hybrid can only carry 6.

The Ascent has 47.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento Hybrid (153.2 vs. 105.3).

The Ascent has .9 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 2.4 inches more rear hip room, 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.1 inches more third row legroom, 3.4 inches more third row hip room and 4.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Sorento Hybrid.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ascent’s middle and third row seats recline. The Sorento Hybrid’s third row seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Ascent is 1.3 inches lower than the Sorento Hybrid (17.7” vs. 19”). The Ascent’s rear step up height is .9 inches lower than the Sorento Hybrid’s (18.1” vs. 19”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Ascent	Sorento Hybrid
Behind Third Seat	17.8 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	43.5 cubic feet	38.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	75.6 cubic feet	75.5 cubic feet

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

	Ascent	Sorento Hybrid
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	20.3”/48”/82.9”	15.5”/42.5”/76.5”
Max Width	50.5”	54”
Min Width	45.9”	42.4”
Height	34”	33”

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Sorento Hybrid is limited to 2000 pounds. The Ascent offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

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

Ergonomics

The Ascent’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 Hybrid’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

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

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

The Ascent’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 Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Ascent owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Ascent will cost $710 to $2030 less than the Sorento Hybrid over a five-year period.

The Ascent will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Ascent will retain 52.78% to 54.99% of its original price after five years, while the Sorento Hybrid only retains 45.41% to 46.07%.

Recommendations

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