Compare the2025 Kia SorentoVS 2024 Nissan Murano

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
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 Nissan Murano doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

Both the Sorento and Murano 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 Murano’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.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Kia Sorento is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Nissan Murano, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Sorento	Murano
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	-34 MPH	-27 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	-33 MPH	-20 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.1 sec	1 sec

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

Both the Sorento and Murano 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 Murano’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Sorento and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 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 Nissan Murano:

	Sorento	Murano
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	17 inches
HIC	280	439
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	41 G’s

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

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 much safer than the Murano:

	Sorento	Murano
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	64	286
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	402 lbs.
Neck Compression	-89 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.71 in	1.65 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.14 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	9 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	959 lbs.	1138 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	68	182
Neck Compression	-67 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	.63 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	5 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Kia Sorento 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 Murano is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

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

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Sorento has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Murano’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Sorento has a standard 760-amp battery. The Murano’s 550-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 6th.

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 Nissan 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, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 7 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The Sorento EX/SX’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 21 more horsepower (281 vs. 260) and 71 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 240) than the Murano’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

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

	Sorento	Murano
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	91.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			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
Murano
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 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 Murano doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sorento higher (6 out of 10) than the Nissan Murano (5). This means the Sorento produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Murano every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Sorento	Murano
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sorento EX/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Murano (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Sorento EX/SX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Murano Midnight/SL/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the Murano Platinum AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Murano Platinum AWD (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .64 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Murano’s (37.9 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento X-Line/X-Pro has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Murano (8.2 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Sorento to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Sorento LX/S/EX/SX is 3.2 inches shorter than the Murano, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Murano can only carry 5.

The Sorento has .4 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room and 3 inches more rear legroom than the Murano.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Sorento	Murano
Third Seat Folded	38.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	45 cubic feet	32.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	75.5 cubic feet	67 cubic feet

Towing

The Sorento’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Murano’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Murano is only 1500 pounds. The Sorento offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sorento uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Murano doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

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

The power windows standard on both the Sorento and the Murano 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 Murano prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Sorento Prestige’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Murano’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Sorento SX’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Murano’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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

The Sorento’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Murano SV/Midnight/SL/Platinum.

Both the Kia Sorento and Nissan Murano offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Sorento offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Murano’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Sorento Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Murano doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

The Sorento will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sorento will retain 52.6% to 54.37% of its original price after five years, while the Murano only retains 48.45% to 49.9%.

Recommendations

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

The Kia Sorento outsold the Nissan Murano by almost three to one during 2023.

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