Compare the2024 Kia Sportage HybridVS 2024 Toyota Rav4 Hybrid

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sportage Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sportage Hybrid’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Sportage Hybrid and the Rav4 Hybrid 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Kia Sportage Hybrid is safer than the Rav4 Hybrid:

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sportage Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 58 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Rav4 Hybrid is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

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 Rav4 Hybrid’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 Rav4 Hybrid. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Rav4 Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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.

The Sportage Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 8 more horsepower (227 vs. 219) than the Rav4 Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Sportage Hybrid is faster than the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Sportage Hybrid gets better mileage than the Rav4 Hybrid:

For better stopping power the Sportage Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4 Hybrid:

The Sportage Hybrid stops shorter than the Rav4 Hybrid:

For better traction, the Sportage Hybrid has larger tires than the Rav4 Hybrid (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

The Sportage Hybrid has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Rav4 Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

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 Rav4 Hybrid 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 Rav4 Hybrid (108.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Sportage SX Prestige HEV AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Rav4 Hybrid Woodland Edition pulls only .78 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 Rav4 Hybrid (8.3 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Sportage Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Sportage Hybrid has .1 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 5.7 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4 Hybrid.

The Sportage Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Rav4 Hybrid with its rear seat up (39.5 vs. 37.6 cubic feet). The Sportage Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rav4 Hybrid with its rear seat folded (73.7 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

The Sportage Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4 Hybrid’s (2000 vs. 1750 pounds).

The Sportage Hybrid SX-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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Sportage Hybrid’s variable intermittent wipers have an adjustable delay to allow the driver to choose a setting that best clears the windshield during light rain or mist. The Rav4 Hybrid LE’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

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 Rav4 Hybrid 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 Rav4 Hybrid’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 Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Sportage Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Rav4 Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sportage Hybrid and the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.