Kia offers two crossover SUVs, the Sportage and the Sorento. The two vehicles are similar in size and price, so you may have trouble deciding which is best. Hopefully, this list of differences will help make your decision easier.
Size
The 2017 Kia Sportage is part of the compact crossover category, while the Sorento is a midsize crossover. Everything else aside, this means the Sorento has room for an optional third row of seats, improving the passenger capacity from five to seven (although those seven won’t have as much room as they would in a full-size SUV or a minivan). The cargo capacity is also more significant for Sorento. With a five-passenger model and the rear seats folded down, the Sorento can hold up to 73.5 cubic feet, while the Sportage can only manage 60.1 cubic feet.
Fuel Efficiency
It’s generally true that smaller vehicles use less gasoline than bigger ones, and Kia’s crossovers are no exception. The 2017 Sportage can manage 21-26 combined miles per gallon, depending on the engine size and the drive configuration. The 2017 Sorento also has several engines and drives to choose from, but its fuel efficiency ranges from 19-24 combined mpg.
Towing Capacity
Even a relatively small SUV can tow a small trailer, and with the right equipment, the 2017 Sportage can tow up to 2000 pounds. However, the more significant engine option on the SX Turbo trim doesn’t increase this. The 2017 Sorento also starts with a base 2000-pound towing capacity, but with the right engine and the Trailer Package, it can pull up to 5000 pounds behind it.
Variety
Larger vehicles in the same category tend to have more features and options, so the larger Sorento has more features than the Sportage at the same trim levels. However, Sorento offers trim levels that are more than twice the number of trim levels: seven instead of three. This means that not only do you have more options overall, but you also get more power to customize precisely which features you want and which you can leave behind. The Sorento also has a V6 engine option on top of the two I4 engines offered for both crossovers.
Price
There’s no two ways about it: when you get more size, more features, and more power, you’re going to pay a higher price. There isn’t much difference between the 2017 Sportage’s starting MSRP of $22,990 and the 2017 Sorento’s $25,400 MSRP, but $2500 is still enough to be a deal-breaker, depending on your budget. The difference is even more significant when comparing the highest trims’ starting prices: $32,500 for the Sportage SX Turbo versus $43,900 for the Sorento SX Limited V6. Whether the added cost is worth it is entirely up to you.
The 2017 Sportage and Sorento may look similar, but the two crossovers differ significantly. Knowing which differences are most important, you should have no trouble deciding which one to buy.