Compare the2023 Hyundai Santa FeVS 2023 Kia Sorento

Both the Santa Fe and the Sorento have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, 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 Hyundai Santa Fe is safer than the Kia Sorento:

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 Hyundai Santa Fe is safer than the Kia Sorento:

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

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 standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Santa Fe its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 112 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sorento is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

The Santa Fe’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sorento’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Santa Fe for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sorento.

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 Santa Fe’s reliability 50 points higher than the Sorento.

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 90 more horsepower (281 vs. 191) and 130 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 181) than the Sorento’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Sorento 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Santa Fe gets better mileage than the Sorento:

The Santa Fe has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento (18.8 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Santa Fe 2.5T’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Sorento:

The Santa Fe stops shorter than the Sorento:

The Santa Fe’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 Santa Fe has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sorento LX.

For greater off-road capability the Santa Fe has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento (8.2 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Santa Fe to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Santa Fe has 6.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento (111.5 vs. 105.3).

The Santa Fe has .9 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more rear hip room and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sorento.

The front step up height for the Santa Fe is 1.5 inches lower than the Sorento (17.5” vs. 19”). The Santa Fe’s rear step up height is .7 inches lower than the Sorento’s (18.3” vs. 19”).

The Santa Fe has a much larger cargo volume than the Sorento with its rear seat up (36.4 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Santa Fe easier. The Santa Fe’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29 inches, while the Sorento’s liftover is 31.7 inches.

The Santa Fe uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sorento uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Santa Fe Calligraphy has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sorento doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Santa Fe’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Sorento’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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

The Santa Fe Limited/Calligraphy’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Sorento doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Santa Fe owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Santa Fe will cost $695 less than the Sorento over a five-year period.

The Santa Fe will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Santa Fe will retain 51.18% to 51.49% of its original price after five years, while the Sorento only retains 46.98% to 47.45%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Santa Fe will be $3437 to $3578 less than for the Kia Sorento.

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

The Hyundai Santa Fe outsold the Kia Sorento by 43% during 2022.