Compare the2024 Kia SportageVS 2024 Toyota Rav4

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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Rav4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Sportage and the Rav4 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, 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 is safer than the Rav4:

The Kia Sportage achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Rav4 last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023.

The Sportage comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Rav4’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sportage 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Rav4. 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 ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Sportage has a 150-amp alternator. The Rav4’s standard 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sportage higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota Rav4 (6). This means the Sportage produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Rav4 every 15,000 miles.

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

The Sportage stops shorter than the Rav4:

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

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sportage’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Rav4 (108.5 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The Sportage X-Pro Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the Rav4 Limited 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Sportage X-Pro executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Rav4 Limited (27.9 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

The Sportage has .1 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 3.5 inches more rear legroom and 5.7 inches more rear hip room than the Rav4.

The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Rav4 with its rear seat up (39.6 vs. 37.6 cubic feet). The Sportage has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Rav4 with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 69.8 cubic feet).

The Sportage’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4’s (2500 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Sportage SX/Prestige/X-Pro’s standard Easy Access Function 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 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Sportage’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 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 X-Pro to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Rav4 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

When the Sportage SX/Prestige/X-Pro 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’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its June 2023 issue and they ranked the Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige three places higher than the Toyota Rav4 TRD Off-Road.