Compare the2025 Kia SorentoVS 2024 Chevrolet Traverse

Both the Sorento and Traverse 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 Traverse’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.

The Kia Sorento has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Traverse doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the Sorento and the Traverse have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 10 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the Traverse:

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 Traverse. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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

For better stopping power the Sorento’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Traverse:

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Traverse’s (37.9 feet vs. 39 feet). The Sorento’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the Traverse with optional 22-inch wheels’ (37.9 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Traverse (6.9 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the Sorento to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Sorento X-Line/X-Pro’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the Traverse Z71 (8.2 vs. 7.8 inches).

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 700 pounds less than the Chevrolet Traverse.

The Sorento LX/S/EX/SX is 1 foot, 2.9 inches shorter than the Traverse, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

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

The Sorento’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Traverse’s (2000 vs. 1499 pounds).

The Sorento’s standard driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Traverse’s standard driver’s power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully. The Sorento Prestige’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Traverse LT/Z71/RS’ passenger windows don’t close automatically.

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

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