Compare the2025 Mitsubishi OutlanderVS 2025 Kia Sorento

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

The Outlander has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Sorento doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Outlander and the Sorento 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Outlander’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Sorento’s (7/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

Mitsubishi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Outlander for 2 years and 30,000 miles. Mitsubishi will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sorento.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Outlander’s reliability 26 points higher than the Sorento.

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

The Outlander has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sorento doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Outlander has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Sorento doesn’t offer a CVT.

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

The Outlander’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Sorento are solid, not vented.

The Outlander stops much shorter than the Sorento:

The Outlander ES’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento LX’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Outlander ES has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sorento LX.

The Outlander has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Sorento doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Outlander SEL AWC handles at .87 G’s, while the Sorento X-Pro SX Prestige pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Outlander’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Sorento’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outlander ES has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento (8.3 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Outlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outlander SE/SEL/Platinum’s minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the Sorento X-Line/X-Pro (8.4 vs. 8.2 inches).

The Outlander is 3.8 inches shorter than the Sorento LX/S/EX/SX, making the Outlander easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Outlander uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Sorento doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Outlander has 20.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento (125.5 vs. 105.3).

The Outlander has .3 inches more front headroom and .3 inches more front legroom than the Sorento.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Outlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Sorento’s third row seats don’t recline.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Mitsubishi service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Mitsubishi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 37% lower rating, Kia is ranked 24th.

The Outlander (except ES/SE) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sorento doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Outlander ES’ standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Sorento’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the Outlander’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Sorento’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Outlander’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Sorento’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Outlander S-AWC has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Sorento doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Outlander has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Sorento S/EX/SX.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Outlander second among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Sorento isn’t in the top three in its category.