- The turbocharged Sorento is a blast to drive.
- But the fuel economy has been disappointing.
- The front seats aren't the most comfortable.
We Sprinted to 20,000 Miles in Our Kia Sorento
Disappointing fuel economy didn't dampen our enthusiasm for the Kia SUV
We cleared the 20,000-mile mark on our 2021 Kia Sorento about a month ahead of it departing our long-term test fleet. A long road trip at the beginning of our year with the Sorento helped put a dent in our mileage goal and gave us some great early impressions of the compact Kia SUV, many of which have held up over the past year. Namely, the Sorento has been solid and reliable, albeit with a few quirks.
The Sorento is a blast to drive
Our Sorento's torque-rich motor has earned mostly positive reviews from our staff. One editor wrote, "The 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in our Sorento isn't the most refined engine of its kind but, man, it hauls the mail."
That love has not extended to its transmission, which was critiqued for the way it handled accelerating from a stop. As one editor noted, "In normal everyday driving, when you leave from a stop, there's a serious hiccup from the eight-speed automatic transmission between first and second gear. It's slightly less annoying from second to third, at which point it smooths out. I tried everything, and here's what I found: The hitch is most pronounced when the drive mode is set to Smart, Eco or Comfort. If you keep it in Sport mode, the problem is far less pronounced."
We're disappointed by its fuel economy
We've come up with all sorts of theories for why the Sorento hasn't quite lived up to its EPA estimate of 24 mpg combined (21 city/28 highway), but it just doesn't seem to be particularly efficient. While our lifetime average of 22.9 mpg is close to the combined EPA number, we have never touched the 28 mpg highway mark. Our best fill is a 26.3 mpg tank that featured a whole lot of highway driving.
It's just not as comfortable as the Kia Telluride
The Kia Telluride has won the Edmunds Top Rated SUV award three years running for good reason. Comparing the Sorento to its larger sibling is in some ways inevitable and not always flattering in the case of its front seats, as one editor wrote. "I can say with certainty that the Sorento is not as comfortable as the Telluride. The seat cushions are the first thing you notice as they feel a bit flat and lack support. I didn't think the Telluride had the greatest seats but they were definitely more comfortable."
Edmunds says
Disappointing fuel economy and lackluster front seats haven't stopped us from racking up the miles on our Sorento. Its spirited performance and solid underpinnings illustrate why we think the Sorento is the best small three-row crossover on the market.