Model Year | 2008 | 2015 | |
Model | Mazda Mazda5 | Kia Sorento | |
Engine | |||
Transmission | |||
Drivetrain | |||
Body | 4dr Minivan | 4dr SUV | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 108.3 in | 106.3 in | 2 in |
Length | 181.5 in | 184.4 in | -2.9 in |
Width | 69.1 in | 74.2 in | -5.1 in |
Height | 64.2 in | 66.9 in | -2.7 in |
Curb Weight | 3417 lb. | 3594 lb. | -177 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 15.9 gal. | 17.4 gal. | -1.5 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 40.7 in | 39.2 in | 1.5 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 55.5 in | 59.3 in | -3.8 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 52.9 in | 56.3 in | -3.4 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 40.7 in | 41.3 in | -0.6 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 39.4 in | 39.2 in | 0.2 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 55.6 in | 58.7 in | -3.1 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 58.3 in | 55.9 in | 2.4 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 35.2 in | 37.6 in | -2.4 in |
Headroom, Row 3 | 37.1 in | 36.7 in | 0.4 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 3 | 49.2 in | 53.8 in | -4.6 in |
Hip Room, Row 3 | 40.9 in | 44.4 in | -3.5 in |
Legroom, Row 3 | 30.7 in | 31.3 in | -0.6 in |
Total Legroom | 106.6 in (over 3 rows) | 110.2 in (over 3 rows) | -3.6 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 11.3 ft3 | 9.1 ft3 | 2.2 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 44.4 ft3 | 36.9 ft3 | 7.5 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 70.9 ft3 | 72.5 ft3 | -1.6 ft3 |
2008 Mazda Mazda5 Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2008 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed manual FWD |
Space for two kids or adult to sit comfortably - elderly father sits up straight and can access easily with sliding doors. Pop up seats deal with short term travel with friends/teammates. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2008 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Ample space for such a small exterior. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2008 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed manual FWD |
3rd row in a "car" is nice - we always have the occasional 3rd or 4th child and like that they are somewhat temporarily available. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2008 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed manual FWD |
One of the smallest vehicles with seating for 6. Going to a full size minivan removes the option for a manual transmission, severely reduces visibility and adds too much weight. SUVs are just way too big see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2007 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed manual FWD |
Rear seats fit adults or kids in car seats adequately, especially for an economy car. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2008 Mazda Mazda5 Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2009 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Not enough leg room overall in the car. As a larger driver (6'3"), I need to push the drivers seat back. So the kid behind me has to get pushed back. Well the third row can't move back, so I've I'm driving, no one can sit in the third row driver's side and have any leg room. This is the worst for kids in full-size car seats, because the seats position their legs higher and forward of where a small adult's would be with no car seat. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2009 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
The center seats are adequate for tall adults. Judicious positioning of the front and center seats should get you better results than a subcompact. The third-row rear seats are for kids only. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2009 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
The back seat is made for very small folks only. The middle row seat belts are placed somewhat far back. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2009 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
The six-chair setup of the 5 means that luggage space is limited, and some may find the "three rows of two" arrangement adds difficulty to monitoring children in the far rear seats. In order to carry significant cargo the seats need to be removed. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2007 | 4dr Minivan 153-horsepower 2.3L I4 5-speed manual FWD |
With the seat all back, there is not much room for anyone over six feet tall. see full Mazda Mazda5 review |
2015 Kia Sorento Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
Hyundai offers the Santa Fe in two lengths, a two-row 184.6-inch "Sport" and a three-row 193.1-inch regular version. Though the 2011-2015 Sorento had an optional third-row seat, it was about the same length as the Santa Fe Sport. Perhaps to better fit that third-row seat and differentiate itself from the two Hyundai variants, the 2016 Sorento is three inches longer than the 2015, for a total of 187.4. Kia has done a good job packaging the new SUV. Though the Toyota Highlander and (2009-2015) Honda Pilot are considerably longer, their rear seats have no more rear legroom than the new Sorento's. At 5-9, I can just barely fit in any of them. Passengers will have more room to stretch their legs in the Santa Fe, though third-row headroom is similarly limited to people of at most my height. If you need an adult-friendly third-row, you really need a minivan. Kia offers an especially stylish one. Like the Santa Fe, the Sorento falls between others' compact and midsize SUVs in width. There might not be more rear legroom in a Highlander or Pilot, but there's enough additional shoulder room to include a third seating position in the third row. If you need an eight-passenger vehicle, both the Sorento and the Santa Fe are out of contention. At least all trim levels of the Sorento can seat seven people. The Santa Fe Limited can only fit six. In both the Kia and the Hyundai the second-row seat is mounted comfortably high off the floor, not a given among midsize crossovers. The third-row seat is mounted low to the floor, forcing a knees-high seating position, but this is pretty much a given in the class. see full Kia Sorento review |
None of our members have yet commented on the seat room and comfort of the 2015 Kia Sorento.