Compare the2025 Kia SorentoVS 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Sorento and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Sorento is safer than the Santa Fe:

	Sorento	Santa Fe
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	64	89
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	223 lbs.
Neck Compression	-89 lbs.	-22 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.71 in	.87 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.14 in	1.34 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	959 lbs.	1227 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	112 lbs.
Neck Compression	-67 lbs.	-45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	268 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	5 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Hyundai is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 1 place higher in reliability than Hyundai.

Engine

The Sorento EX/SX’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 4 more horsepower (281 vs. 277) than the Santa Fe’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the Santa Fe:

			MPG
Sorento
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
Santa Fe
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/28 hwy
		XRT 2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/26 hwy

Chassis

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 550 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Sorento. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sorento, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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