Compare the2023 Kia Sorento Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

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

Safety

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Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento Plug-In 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 Highlander 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.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the Highlander Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, 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 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Highlander Hybrid
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	38.2%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	347 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	55 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	159 lbs.	179 lbs.
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	90 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	81/191 lbs.	545/323 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 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Highlander Hybrid
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	15 inches
HIC	280	366
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	41 G’s

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

Warranty

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Highlander Hybrid’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Highlander 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 Highlander Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 14th.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fifth.

Engine

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 18 more horsepower (261 vs. 243) than the Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the Highlander Hybrid:

			MPGe
Sorento Plug-In Hybrid
	AWD	Electric Motor	83 city/75 hwy
Highlander Hybrid
			MPG
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/35 hwy
		2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 32 miles. The Highlander Hybrid can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Tires and Wheels

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Highlander Hybrid LE/XLE/Bronze’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Highlander Hybrid LE/XLE/Bronze.

Suspension and Handling

The Sorento Plug-In 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 Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

Chassis

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is 5.5 inches shorter than the Highlander Hybrid, making the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has .1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear legroom, .7 inches more third row headroom and 1.6 inches more third row legroom than the Highlander Hybrid.

Cargo Capacity

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

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

Ergonomics

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Highlander Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Highlander Hybrid XLE/Bronze/Limited/Platinum offers wireless charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.