Compare the2023 Subaru ForesterVS 2023 Kia Sorento

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

Safety

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

The Forester 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 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

Both the Forester and the Sorento have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, rear parking sensors, 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 Forester is safer than the Kia Sorento:

	Forester	Sorento
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	186	334
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	22 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	248/368 lbs.	212/405 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	293	390
Neck Injury Risk	31%	53%
Leg Forces (l/r)	105/93 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 Forester is safer than the Kia Sorento:

	Forester	Sorento
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	121	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, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Forester the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sorento last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

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

Reliability

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 Forester’s reliability 70 points higher than the Sorento.

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

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Forester
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy
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

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Forester higher (7 out of 10) than the Kia Sorento (5). This means the Forester produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Sorento every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Forester 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 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Forester stops shorter than the Sorento:

	Forester	Sorento
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	133 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Forester’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.

The Forester Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Sorento; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Sorento’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

Chassis

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 500 pounds less than the Kia Sorento.

The Forester is 6.3 inches shorter than the Sorento, making the Forester easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Forester uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Sorento doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Forester has 6.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento (111.6 vs. 105.3).

The Forester has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more rear headroom than the Sorento.

The front step up height for the Forester is 3.5 inches lower than the Sorento (15.5” vs. 19”). The Forester’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the Sorento’s (17.25” vs. 19”).

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a much larger cargo volume than the Sorento with its rear seat up (28.9 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.4 inches, while the Sorento’s liftover is 31.7 inches.

Servicing Ease

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

Ergonomics

The Forester’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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s exterior PIN entry system. The Sorento doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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

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

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Forester owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Forester will cost $180 to $2675 less than the Sorento over a five-year period.

The Forester will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Forester will retain 54.16% to 57.43% 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 Subaru Forester will be $7437 to $12112 less than for the Kia Sorento.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Kia Sorento isn't recommended.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Kia Sorento by 37% during 2022.

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