Compare the2023 Kia Sportage HybridVS 2023 Toyota Venza

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

Both the Sportage Hybrid and the Venza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Venza. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Venza ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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.

The Sportage Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 8 more horsepower (227 vs. 219) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kia Sportage Hybrid is faster than the Toyota Venza:

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

The Sportage Hybrid stops shorter than the Venza:

For better traction, the Sportage Hybrid has larger tires than the Venza (235/65R17 vs. 225/60R18).

The Sportage 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 Venza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage Hybrid’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Venza (108.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Sportage SX-Prestige HEV AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Venza Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Sportage Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Venza (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Sportage Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Kia Sportage Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the Toyota Venza.

The Sportage Hybrid is 3.1 inches shorter than the Venza, making the Sportage Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sportage Hybrid has 1 inch more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 3.5 inches more rear legroom and 8.2 inches more rear hip room than the Venza.

The Sportage Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Venza with its rear seat up (39.5 vs. 28.8 cubic feet). The Sportage Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venza with its rear seat folded (73.7 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

The Sportage Hybrid has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Venza has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sportage Hybrid uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Venza doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Sportage Hybrid offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Venza doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Venza doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

When the Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Venza’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige’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 Venza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Sportage Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Venza doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sportage Hybrid and the Toyota Venza, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Sportage outsold the Toyota Venza by almost four to one during 2022.