Kia Sorento vs. Toyota Highlander: Which One’s Best For Me?

SUVs are the very best variety of automobile to travel if you have a large family members or engage in chauffeur to lots of men and women, but it can be difficult to select which is the very best for your cash. Two of the newest SUVs are the Kia Sorento and the Toyota, each 3-row SUVs with aggressive prices. How do these two examine when pitted in opposition to every other, and which is proper for you? Let’s locate out.

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Review Summary

  • The Kia Sorento is a great budget SUV, although it can’t directly compete with the Highlander.
  • If you’re not that interested in performance or cargo space, consider checking out some of the Sorento’s premium trim packages. Even with numerous add-ons, you’ll likely pay less than a factory standard Highlander.
  • The Highlander has more spacious third-row seats than the Sorento, but the Sorento has more spacious front and second-row seats.
  • The Highlander has a much more powerful engine than the Sorento, for the performance-minded folks.
  • The Sorento has slightly better fuel economy and offers several hybrid options that include a plug-in model. If you’re interested in a hybrid SUV, the Sorento is the better pick.

At a Glance

Let’s get a peek at the raw requirements of each and every SUV so you can get a better thought of their capabilities.

Kia Sorento
  • Horsepower: 191 HP
  • Engine: 2.5L 4-cylinder
  • Starting MSRP: $29,590
  • Fuel economy: 24 mpg city/29 mpg highway
  • Cargo space: 75.5cu-ft
  • Number of seats: 6-7
Toyota Highlander
  • Horsepower: 295 HP
  • Engine: 3.5L 6-cylinder
  • Starting MSRP: $35,405
  • Fuel economy: 21 mpg city/29 mpg highway
  • Cargo space: 84.3 cu-ft
  • Number of seats: 7-8

car and road dividerOverview of Kia Sorento:

The Kia Sorento was recently reworked for 2022 with top quality interior characteristics and alternatives, like faux wooden inlays, quilted leather-based seat stitching, and metallic textures. Total, the interior feels precisely how Kia’s designers explained it: refined boldness. With a 12.three-inch digital instrument cluster and a normal eight-inch touchscreen, the Sorento is not devoid of modern features.

As significantly as basic safety, the Sorento comes with a blind-spot check and 360-degree surround see that will help maintain you protected. Top quality trim deals offer many upgrades to the inside, the most notable of which is a wi-fi charging center console, ambient LED lighting, and JBL surround sound speakers.

The Sorento is basically a great price range SUV, which points out why it’s so well-known in Canada. It has wonderful fuel mileage for an SUV, which only gets much better if you go with the plug-in hybrid. It does not offer anything at all unique as far as power, but that’s not these kinds of a huge deal.

Pros
  • Plug-in hybrid options are available
  • $10,000 cheaper than the Highlander at MSRP
  • Excellent premium trim options
  • Slightly better fuel economy than the Highlander
  • Slightly smaller exterior length helps cornering and parking
  • Taller front and second-row seats than the Highlander
Cons
  • Weaker engine than the Highlander
  • Fewer seats
  • Less cargo space
  • Can only tow up to 3,500 pounds
  • Smaller third-row seats

car and road dividerOverview of Toyota Highlander:

Toyota Highlande
Image Credit: BONDART PHOTOGRAPHY, Shutterstock

The Toyota Highlander is a powerhouse disguised as an SUV. With a 3.5L 6-cylinder powertrain, you’d be hard-pressed to locate a far better-performing SUV. Along with that energy will come a outstanding 5,000lb towing ability, which is important if you routinely fish or haul other weighty gear. Speaking of hauling, the Highlander has a palatial eighty five cubic toes of cargo space, which paired with the towing capability, can make it a wonderful fishing car.

The Highlander also rewards greatly from Toyota’s legendary track record for reliability, which helps the automobile keep its resale value for several years. That is wonderful if you program to trade in or offer it later, but it tends to make buying a utilized Highlander difficult.

Pros
  • More cargo space than the Sorento
  • 1 more seat than the Sorento
  • More powerful engine
  • Able to tow up to 5,000 pounds
  • Taller third-row seats than the Sorento
Cons
  • Starting MSRP is almost $10,000 more expensive than the Sorento
  • Worse fuel economy than the Sorento
  • Slightly longer exterior makes cornering and parking incrementally more difficult
  • No plug-in hybrid option
  • Smaller front and second-row seats than the Sorento
  • More expensive when buying used

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What Are The Differences Between Them?

All round, the Highlander is a far better SUV, but it is important to observe that the Sorento is considerably more affordable. Let’s verify out how they evaluate in many important places.

Performance

Edge: Toyota Highlander

With its 3.5L six-cylinder motor, the Toyota Highlander enjoys an extraordinary 295 horsepower. This makes the SUV very punchy and responsive

Price

Edge: Kia Sorento 

Starting up at a entire $ten,000 less expensive than the Highlander, the Sorento is the excellent SUV budget select. If you want some thing a little bit fancier, you can constantly opt for high quality trim and next-row captain-design seats. You will even now appear out a good deal more affordable than the foundation Highlander, which is at the very least really worth considering.

Cargo Space:

Edge: Toyota Highlander

With practically 10 much more cubic toes of cargo room than the Sorento, the Highlander is a great deal a lot more suited to hauling lots of products. No issue precisely what you’re transporting, you will be grateful for the extra room in the back and all through the cab.

Seating:

Edge: Toyota Highlander

If you are getting an SUV, then probabilities are getting a good deal of seats is crucial to you. If you have a quite massive loved ones or regularly haul cargo with your motor vehicle, it is really worth mentioning that the Highlander has a single much more seat than the Sorento.

car and road dividerWhat the Users Say

  • Users note that the newly remodeled Kia Sorento is very nice but won’t be as reliable as the Highlander, and nor will it hold its value as well.
  • People note that the Highlander is a better pick if you intend to use it for a long time, but that the Sorento has more amenities and would be better if you intend to trade it in after a couple of years.
  • Drivers say that the Highlander is the objectively better SUV, but that the Sorento is an excellent choice if you’re trying to save money.
  • Users note that if you’re looking for a Sorento, you should wait and shop around for deals. Kia dealers are known for frequent promotions and special financing deals.
  • One user mentioned that the Highlander feels great to drive and is very useful for cargo, but that the Kia has better value for a much lower price.

car and road dividerConclusion

Equally the Kia Sorento and Toyota Highlander are wonderful SUVs, but they are separated by a $ten,000 price hole. If you can manage the extra income, go with the Highlander. If you’re searching for anything more affordable, the odds are very good you can uncover a Sorento substantially marked down. Both way, you cannot go incorrect.


Highlighted Image Credit rating: (Left) Daniliuc Victor, Shutterstock (Right) BONDART Images, Shutterstock

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