2022 Kia Sorento

The Kia Sorento handles more like a sedan than a big SUV. Steering is tight and responsive, allowing it to maneuver nimbly around town. Punch the Sport mode switch and the chassis tightens up nicely to maintain its balance and poise when playing with corners. Other modes include Comfort, Eco, and Smart, with the latter combining many of the features from other modes. In fact, it allows the Sorento to adapt to your particular driving style. All-wheel-drive models gain an additional Snow mode.

The X-Line trims with AWD are quite a bit pricier, but the Sorento delivers a driving experience of a much more expensive vehicle. However, it's worth the extra investment to avoid the FWD models. They aren't bad, but the AWDs are better able to put down the greater power and torque of more potent models. The extra weight of the AWD setup necessitates the need for the turbocharged engine if you want to get the most out of driving the Sorento, though.

When it comes to comfort, the midsize Kia gives little to complain about. It is compliant and composed, with the suspension soaking up most bumps in the road. The surprisingly plush cabin doesn't hurt, either. If we were to niggle at something, it would be the lack of proper sound dampening. The engine is a torquey beast and the thrum when pushed to accelerate becomes rather tiresome.

Kia's Telluride is one the most popular vehicles in the USA, but its size and price can be off-putting to many. This is why the automaker designed the smaller Sorento, hoping to entice shoppers with the same desirable offering in smaller packaging. For the most part, it succeeded. Naturally, being smaller means that the Sorento cannot deliver quite the same levels of practicality, but its versatility sets it firmly apart from its direct competitors. It has a usable, if not comfortable, third row of seats. It functions better as a five-seater, though, with more cargo space to make daily errands possible.

A variety of capable engines make sure it never feels underpowered, while the hybrids ensure excellent fuel economy returns. Along with this, it has sporty and modern styling, as well as a comfortable cabin. The infotainment features are nice, especially above the entry-level model, but it's the safety tech that will ultimately get many to sign on the dotted line. The Kia Sorento tries to be something for everyone, and it largely succeeds. There is little to complain about and nothing to dislike.

In a comparison of these two siblings, what it all comes down to is whether or not you need a full-time three-row SUV. The Telluride is specifically designed for this purpose, so its 3rd row is extremely spacious and easy to live with. Meanwhile, the Sorento is more of a crunch-time 7-seater. The rear-most seats are technically useable, but they aren't comfortable. Also, it supplies subpar cargo capacity when these seats aren't folded down. However, it is smaller and more enjoyable to drive, and it doesn't have the polarizing chunky aesthetic of the Telluride. Naturally, the smaller Kia wins the fuel economy war, and both are on par when it comes to tech and safety. So, if you regularly need to move an entire basketball team, it's obvious which SUV wins, but if you only need the extra seating now and then, you may be better off with the Sorento.

As a corporate cousin to the Sorento, the Hyundai Santa Fe shares many of its underpinnings. However, it focuses on competing with other midsize SUVs without the third row of seats. This has some disadvantages in terms of practicality, but it does mean that the second row is very spacious and that there is plenty of standard cargo capacity. Their tech is almost identical, and so too is their pricing. Therefore, it can be rather difficult to pick a clear winner. That said, we do feel that the Santa Fe feels a bit lighter on its feet when driving, and the cabin is slightly more upscale. If we were just comparing five-seaters, it would be the clear winner. But, for buyers who occasionally need to move a few extra people, it's hard to ignore the versatility that the Sorento brings to the table.