Model Year | 2009 | 2017 | |
Model | Toyota Highlander | Kia Sorento | |
Engine | 3.5L V6 DOHC-4v 201 kW@6200 336 Nm@4700 |
3.3L V6 DOHC-4v 216 kW@6400 342 Nm@5300 |
|
Transmission | 5-speed shiftable automatic | 6-speed shiftable automatic | |
Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | |
Body | 4dr SUV | 4dr SUV | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 2,789 mm | 2,779 mm | 0 mm |
Length | 4,785 mm | 4,760 mm | 0 mm |
Width | 1,910 mm | 1,890 mm | 0 mm |
Height | 1,730 mm | 1,684 mm | 0 mm |
Curb Weight | 1,895 kg | 1,860 kg | 0 kg |
Fuel Capacity | 73 L | 71 L | 2 L |
Headroom, Row 1 | 1,031 mm | 1,003 mm | 0 mm |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 1,516 mm | 1,501 mm | 0 mm |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 1,440 mm | 1,440 mm | 0 mm |
Legroom, Row 1 | 1,097 mm | 1,046 mm | 0 mm |
Headroom, Row 2 | 1,019 mm | 998 mm | -997 mm |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 1,511 mm | 1,473 mm | 0 mm |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 1,435 mm | 1,433 mm | 0 mm |
Legroom, Row 2 | 973 mm | 1,001 mm | 972 mm |
Headroom, Row 3 | 922 mm | 922 mm | 0 mm |
Shoulder Room, Row 3 | 1,397 mm | 1,341 mm | 0 mm |
Hip Room, Row 3 | 1,074 mm | 1,052 mm | 0 mm |
Legroom, Row 3 | 742 mm | 805 mm | -63 mm |
Total Legroom | 2,812 mm (over 3 rows) | 2,852 mm (over 3 rows) | 0 mm |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 292 L | 320 L | -28 L |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 1,198 L | 1,076 L | 0 L |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 2,701 L | 2,067 L | 0 L |
2009 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2010 | 4dr SUV 187-horsepower 2.7L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD |
Lots of room in the second row, including seats that recline and move back & forth. Having the third row as an option for occasional use was really the deciding factor. see full Toyota Highlander review |
2008 | 4dr SUV 270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
Limo-like leg room and captains chairs see full Toyota Highlander review |
2008 | 4dr SUV 209-horsepower 3.3L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD |
The widest seats of all Midsize SUVs (X5, Q7, Tourag, Cayenne, etc.) see full Toyota Highlander review |
2008 | 4dr SUV 270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
Third row seating and 2nd row has more leg room than the Murano by about 1". see full Toyota Highlander review |
2008 | 4dr SUV 270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
4 cup holders see full Toyota Highlander review |
2009 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2009 | 4dr SUV 270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
Only two seats in the 2nd row, very small leg room in the 3rd row. see full Toyota Highlander review |
2009 | 4dr SUV 270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
seats were hard and flat. Even top of the line luxury model seats were a big disappointment . . . one of the principal reasons we did not choose this vehicle see full Toyota Highlander review |
2008 | 4dr SUV 270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
3rd row seat is full bench seat and individual side can not be raised or lowered independently. Access and available room much less than MDX. see full Toyota Highlander review |
2017 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 2017 Kia Sorento.