Compare the2024 Kia SorentoVS 2024 Toyota 4Runner

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 second-row seat shoulder belts of the Kia Sorento 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 Toyota 4Runner doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Sorento and 4Runner 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 4Runner’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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sorento Prestige has standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Rear that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The 4Runner doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Sorento and 4Runner have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sorento has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The 4Runner’s Rear Cross-Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Sorento uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The 4Runner uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Sorento and the 4Runner have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 Kia Sorento is safer than the Toyota 4Runner:

	Sorento	4Runner
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	47%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	438 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	54 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	212/405 lbs.	488/468 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	53%	57%
Neck Stress	159 lbs.	271 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	81/191 lbs.	453/353 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Sorento is safer than the 4Runner:

	Sorento	4Runner
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	83	142
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	1 cm	12 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	1/.8 kN	3.9/2.4 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Tibia index R/L	.56/.53	.95/.85
Tibia forces R/L	2.2/.7 kN	5/2.9 kN

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 4Runner:

	Sorento	4Runner
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	20 inches
HIC	280	507
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	43 G’s

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Sorento, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 8.7% less likely to roll over than the 4Runner, which received a three-star rating.

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 4Runner’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 4Runner. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 4Runner ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 above average in initial quality. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

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 EX/SX’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 11 more horsepower (281 vs. 270) and 33 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 278) than the 4Runner’s 4.0 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Sorento EX/SX 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota 4Runner:

	Sorento	4Runner
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	87.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the 4Runner:

			MPG
Sorento
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
4Runner
	RWD	4.0 DOHC V6	16 city/19 hwy
	AWD	4.0 DOHC V6	16 city/19 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Sorento’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The 4Runner doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Sorento has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the 4Runner. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sorento higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota 4Runner (5). This means the Sorento produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 4Runner every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Kia Sorento, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a five-speed automatic is available for the 4Runner.

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 4Runner doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sorento stops much shorter than the 4Runner:

	Sorento	4Runner
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	138 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Sorento LX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4Runner’s standard 70 series tires. The Sorento SX/SX Prestige’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the 4Runner Limited/TRD Sport’s 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Kia Sorento has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota 4Runner has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sorento is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 4Runner.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the 4Runner TRD Off-Road pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3 seconds quicker than the 4Runner TRD Off-Road (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 29.5 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

Chassis

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 pounds less than the Toyota 4Runner.

Unibody construction lowers the Sorento’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The 4Runner doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

Passenger Space

The Sorento has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 8.8 inches more rear legroom, .3 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.5 inches more third row headroom and .3 inches more third row legroom than the 4Runner.

Cargo Capacity

The Sorento’s cargo area provides more volume than the 4Runner.

	Sorento	4Runner
Behind Third Seat	12.6 cubic feet	9 cubic feet

The Sorento has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The 4Runner 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 4Runner doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sorento EX/SX/Prestige’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Servicing Ease

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Sorento to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the 4Runner.

Ergonomics

The engine computer on the Sorento automatically engages the starter until the car starts with one twist of the key and disables the starter while the engine is running. The 4Runner’s starter can be accidentally engaged while the engine is running, making a grinding noise and possibly damaging the starter and ring gear.

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 4Runner doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Sorento’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The 4Runner’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Sorento and the 4Runner have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sorento is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The 4Runner prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Sorento’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The 4Runner’s power mirror and cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Sorento SX/Prestige’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The 4Runner’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Sorento has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The 4Runner has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Limited/TRD Pro.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sorento to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 4Runner doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Sorento’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The 4Runner’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

When the Sorento 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 4Runner’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Sorento and the 4Runner offer available heated front seats. The Sorento Prestige also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the 4Runner.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 4Runner doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Sorento will be $2010 to $6180 less than for the Toyota 4Runner.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sorento, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Toyota 4Runner isn't recommended.