Compare the2023 Kia SorentoVS 2022 Toyota Highlander

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

Safety

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Both the Sorento and Highlander have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line 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’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 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sorento 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 Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Sorento and the Highlander 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view 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 is safer than the Toyota Highlander:

	Sorento	Highlander
	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 is safer than the Toyota Highlander:

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Highlander. 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 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 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 48 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 263) than the Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

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

	Sorento	Highlander
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	90.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the Highlander:

			MPG
Sorento
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/29 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
		2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/25 hwy
Highlander
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy

Transmission

The Sorento offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Highlander doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sorento stops much shorter than the Highlander:

	Sorento	Highlander
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sorento’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Highlander (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Sorento’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Highlander XSE/Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

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

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the Highlander Platinum AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Highlander Platinum AWD (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento X-Line has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Highlander (8.2 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Sorento to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 450 pounds less than the Toyota Highlander.

The Sorento is 5.9 inches shorter than the Highlander, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento has .1 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear legroom, .7 inches more third row headroom and 1.9 inches more third row legroom than the Highlander.

Cargo Capacity

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

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

Ergonomics

The Sorento Prestige’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Highlander doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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