Despite having grown up with cars, Patrick Rall has been writing about the automobile business for more than ten years. He spent a lot of time driving and working on all kinds of automobiles at the track because he was raised in his father’s performance business.
In the crowded mid-sized SUV market, the Hyundai Sante Fe and the Kia Sorento compete.
However, despite the fact that they frequently get overlooked in favor of more well-known brands, these two Korean models are the best if you want tons of material without spending a fortune. The Hyundai and Kia brands were initially the go-to options for motorists who were just interested in getting the best deal on a car, but over the past 20 years, they have evolved into market leaders in terms of value.
The Kia Sorento and Hyundai Sante Fe both meet the criteria for a mid-sized sport utility vehicle that provides a long list of premium amenities both inside and out without costing a premium. These two mid-sized SUVs have significantly diverse interior designs, despite sharing a common basic chassis framework and many drivetrain parts. Which one is best for you, considering how closely the two are related, aside from the seating arrangement?
Today, we compare the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Sante Fe’s major attributes and features, examining their similarities and differences as well as which vehicle performs best in the key categories.
In This Article...
Price
According to US News, the Kia Sorento is more expensive than the Hyundai Santa Fe. But the starting point is extremely similar. The base variants of the Sorento start at $25,990 and go as high as $44,690. As an alternative, the Santa Fe starts at $25,000, just $1,000 more than its rival. The most expensive Santa Fes cost just $39,550. Affordableness is where Hyundai outperforms the competition, especially with its more expensive models. With the Sorento, you still get your money’s worth because three rows are standard on all of its versions.
Which vehicle, the 2022 Kia Sorento or the 2023 Hyundai Santa Fe, is better for you? Use Edmunds’ head-to-head automobile comparison tool to learn more.
Sorento Kia
The Sorento is the flagship model in the Kia lineup. a large seven-seater SUV that has become popular with Australian families over the past ten years because to its roominess, functionality, safety features, and driving dynamics while also offering excellent value for the money.
The current model is leaner and meaner looking than the previous Sorento generation. So, has it still got any of the qualities that made it so popular, or has it gotten even better?
Rundown of Vehicle Comparisons
Both the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sorento are three-row midsize SUVs. Both of them provide all-wheel drive as an option in addition to front-wheel drive as the default. There are many similarities between Kia and Hyundai because they are both owned by the same parent business, but there are also some variances.
The Kia Sorento has a 185-horsepower engine as standard equipment and a 290-horsepower engine as an option. The Hyundai Santa Fe has 290 horsepower as standard.
Both of these SUVs have different amounts of cargo space. When the second and third rows are folded, the Sorento offers 73 cubic feet of room, which is much less than the Santa Fe’s 83.2 cubic feet. This is a significant discrepancy, which is probably caused by the Santa Fe’s extra six inches in length.
The decision between these two vehicles boils down to personal preference, unless you really require the additional cargo space provided by the Hyundai Santa Fe. See which one better meets your needs after testing out both and driving them. For regular family use, either the Kia Sorento or the Hyundai Santa Fe are good options.
Review of the 2022 Kia Sorento: City MPG: 21 to 25 MPG, Highway MPG: 25 to 28 MPG, and Seating Capacity: 5 seats, 6 to 7
Are the engines in the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe the same?
Since the platforms of the Sorento and the Santa Fe are identical, it is rather challenging. They are quite similar in terms of their dimensions (length, width, height, and wheelbase), and both have a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine mated to an eight-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.
What rivals a Kia Sorento in quality?
Eight passengers can fit in the 2019 Toyota Highlander, though second-row captain’s chairs are an option that reduces the number of seats to seven. Except for the base model, which offers a less potent four-cylinder engine as an option, all models come with a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive and a V6 engine as standard. The Highlander’s V6 engine allows it to pull up to 5,000 pounds and has 83.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the first row of seats.
Pre-collision warning with pedestrian recognition, lane departure warning with steering assistance, automatic high beams, and dynamic radar cruise control are all included as standard safety features. Six trims are available, with the base model costing $31,330.
which car is superior? Kia or Hyundai?
The Kia Benefit The conclusion is that, despite the similarity of the vehicles offered by Hyundai and Kia, Kia models offer greater value and better quality, as well as bolder style and a more engaging driving experience. Simply put, no matter what you value most in a car, Kia automobiles are better overall.
Kia Sportage or Hyundai Santa Fe, which is larger?
In comparison to the Kia Sportage, the Hyundai Santa Fe is larger. Off the line, the Santa Fe extends out to a width of 74.4 inches and a length of 187.8 inches. In contrast, the Kia Sportage is only 176.4 inches long and 73 inches broad. Additionally, the Santa Fe leads with a 108.9-inch wheelbase.
Which Kia model is identical to the Santa Fe?
A 148kW 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic and an on-demand all-wheel drive system powers both the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2021 Kia Sorento.
So it comes as no surprise that these two perform similarly on the road. This shared engine is incredibly quiet and smooth, and it is ready to rev high when complete acceleration is required.
This engine produces robust, willing performance aside from a tiny hesitation off-idle, which you must be prepared to work around when needing a rapid, aggressive launch in city intersections.
Even at highway speeds, it doesn’t exactly propel these vehicles forward with vigor, but once rolling, this engine enables subtle, linear performance.
The Hyundai returned 6.5L/100km and the Kia achieved 6.7L/100km, both close to their claimed average of 6.1L/100km, on our test loop, separating the two vehicles only little in terms of fuel economy.
Although the dual-clutch eight-speed automatic in both cars is among the best available, slow maneuvering up a steep incline is still not as progressive as a conventional auto.
The transmission, however, swaps gears smoothly up or down when the vehicle is moving, and both cars were able to lope along in top gear at 100 km/h with the tacho showing only 1500 rpm.
What automobiles compare to the Hyundai Santa Fe?
The 2019 Chevrolet Equinox is offered with a choice of two turbocharged gasoline engines or a turbocharged diesel engine, as well as front-wheel or all-wheel drive. A 7-inch color touchscreen with AM/FM, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto is included in the base infotainment system. In addition, there are two USB ports and 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity.
Although the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet conducted crash tests on this crossover, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has given it an overall rating of 5 stars. A special Teen Driver function is one of the standard safety features that tracks a teen’s driving so that parents may support them in forming safe driving practices. There are four trim levels, ranging in price from the Equinox L at the base to the Premier at $31,000.
What distinguishes a Sorento from a Santa Fe?
However, there is at least one significant difference between these midsize SUVs: the Sorento has three rows of seats while the Santa Fe just has two. The choice between the Santa Fe and Sorento may be straightforward if you’re expressly looking for a two-row or three-row crossover.
Is Tucson bigger than the Hyundai Santa Fe?
With a wheelbase of 108.5 inches and a total length of 182.3 inches, the Hyundai Tucson is a little bit smaller than the Hyundai Santa Fe. The car is slightly shorter (65.6 inches) and slightly broader (73.4 inches).
What set Hyundai and Kia apart from one another?
Although Kia and the Hyundai Motor Group are separate companies, Kia Motors is a subsidiary of Hyundai. The distinction between Kia and Hyundai is that each brand has its own brand philosophies to build its vehicles in a distinctive manner. They are connected but distinct, as you can see! Imagine a Kia Versus
Is buying a Kia Sorento actually worthwhile?
The Kia Sorento: A Reliable SUV The Kia Sorento is a solid midsize SUV, that much is true. The interior of this crossover has undergone a complete makeover for the 2021 model year, and it now features plush seats and a straightforward infotainment system.
Hyundai Sorento dependability
Rating of General Reliability The Sorento is one of the more dependable cars on the road since repairs are less severe and less frequent than with the ordinary automobile. With a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5, the Hyundai Santa Fe is ranked second among 26 midsize SUVs.
What is the Hyundai Santa Fe’s reliability?
With a reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5, the Hyundai Santa Fe is ranked second among 26 midsize SUVs. It has lower ownership costs than the national average due to the $515 average annual repair cost. The Santa Fe is one of the more dependable automobiles on the road since its maintenance are less severe and more seldom than those for other vehicles.
Is the Santa Fe larger than the Sorento?
The interior design of the two Korean midsized SUVs, the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Sante Fe, is where they differ the most from one another despite having numerous similarities. Although they are roughly the same size, the Sorento has three rows and can accommodate six or seven passengers, while the Sante Fe has two rows and five seats. Each vehicle has unique advantages due to this distinction.
Kia Sorento: The driver will have 40.3 inches of headroom, 59 inches of shoulder room, 55.5 inches of hip room, and 41.1 inches of legroom in the front row of the Kia Sorento. In some ways, the second row of seats is slightly smaller than the first row while being larger in others. Passengers in the second row have 41.7 inches of legroom, 58 inches of shoulder room, and 39.1 inches of headroom. Additionally, the buyer must choose between a bench seat and captain’s chairs when deciding if they wish to seat 6 or 7 people. As you may assume, the third row is smaller and is best reserved for young children. The third row is the smallest, with passengers only having 36.8 inches of headroom, 53 inches of shoulder room, 42.5 inches of hip room, and 29.6 inches of legroom.
who offers the best warranty Hyundai or Kia?
Best Value for Car Warranties: Kia The 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty and the five-year or 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty are comparable to those offered by the majority of rivals and equal Hyundai’s regular factory guarantees.
Greater than the Kia Sorento is what SUV?
More interior room: The Subaru Ascent is a larger SUV than the Kia Sorento, so it offers a lot more space inside. The spacious Ascent is more akin to a minivan than the Sorento if you’re searching for a family SUV.
What is the Kia Sorento’s expected lifespan?
A Kia Sorento should endure for at least 200,000 kilometers. If you travel roughly 15,000 miles each year, it should last for around 13 years. However, maintaining factory-recommended maintenance and making sure you don’t mistreat the vehicle are necessary for reaching the round amount.
Do Kia Sorentos have issues with their transmissions?
You can drive at the speed you want thanks to your transmission, which transfers power from the engine to the wheels.
Given that the transmission must convert the exact quantity of power for the required speed,