Model Year | 2020 | 2015 | |
Model | Toyota Highlander | Kia Sorento | |
Engine | 3.5L V6 DOHC-4v 295 hp@6600 263 lb-ft@4700 |
3.3L V6 DOHC-4v 290 hp@6400 252 lb-ft@5200 |
|
Transmission | 8-speed shiftable automatic | 6-speed shiftable automatic | |
Drivetrain | AWD | AWD | |
Body | 4dr SUV | 4dr SUV | |
Difference | |||
Wheelbase | 112.2 in | 106.3 in | 5.9 in |
Length | 194.9 in | 184.4 in | 10.5 in |
Width | 76.0 in | 74.2 in | 1.8 in |
Height | 68.1 in | 66.9 in | 1.2 in |
Curb Weight | 4330 lb. | 3894 lb. | 436 lb. |
Fuel Capacity | 17.9 gal. | 17.4 gal. | 0.5 gal. |
Headroom, Row 1 | 41.2 in | 39.2 in | 2 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 1 | 59.0 in | 59.3 in | -0.3 in |
Hip Room, Row 1 | 57.2 in | 56.3 in | 0.9 in |
Legroom, Row 1 | 42.0 in | 41.3 in | 0.7 in |
Headroom, Row 2 | 39.4 in | 39.2 in | 0.2 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 2 | 58.7 in | 58.7 in | 0 in |
Hip Room, Row 2 | 57.0 in | 55.9 in | 1.1 in |
Legroom, Row 2 | 41.0 in | 37.6 in | 3.4 in |
Headroom, Row 3 | 36.1 in | 36.7 in | -0.6 in |
Shoulder Room, Row 3 | 55.0 in | 53.8 in | 1.2 in |
Hip Room, Row 3 | 45.6 in | 44.4 in | 1.2 in |
Legroom, Row 3 | 27.7 in | 31.3 in | -3.6 in |
Total Legroom | 110.7 in (over 3 rows) | 110.2 in (over 3 rows) | 0.5 in |
Cargo Volume, Minimum | 16.0 ft3 | 9.1 ft3 | 6.9 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Behind R2 | 48.4 ft3 | 36.9 ft3 | 11.5 ft3 |
Cargo Volume, Maximum | 84.3 ft3 | 72.5 ft3 | 11.8 ft3 |
2020 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Comment | |
With each redesign (for 2008, 2014, and 2020) Toyota has enlarged the Highlander, yet the crossover's third-row seat remains uncomforably low and tight. For adults to be even passably comfortable in the way-back the second row must be slid forward, rendering legroom there also marginal. Some three-row crossovers have much roomier and more comfortable third-row seats. But if you want to be able to squeeze in eight people, Highlanders with a second-row bench can do this. Because they have significantly narrower third-row seats, the Ford Explorer and Kia Sorento cannot fit three people back there even in a pinch, so in hybrid form the former has a maximum capacity of seven people and the latter only six. (The Sorento PHEV will be able to seat seven.) This noted, if you want your adult passengers to have plenty of room, the practical capacity of each is four people. see full Toyota Highlander review |
2020 Toyota Highlander Seat Room and Comfort: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2020 | 4dr SUV 295-horsepower 3.5L V6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
The 3rd row seating is just not for adults at all, and I'm not certain that children would be easy to fit back there as well. I'm not sure what Toyota was thinking, even making the 2020 longer didn't make any difference at all. My one complaint is it is just TOO SMALL! see full Toyota Highlander 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.