Compare the2025 Kia SorentoVS 2025 Ford Bronco Sport

Both the Sorento and Bronco Sport have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Bronco Sport’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Sorento achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Ford Bronco Sport has not been tested.

Both the Sorento and the Bronco Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sorento is safer than the Ford Bronco Sport:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Kia Sorento is safer than the Bronco Sport:

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Sorento is 1.5% less likely to roll over than the Bronco Sport.

The Sorento comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Bronco Sport’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Ford covers the Bronco Sport. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Bronco Sport ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 9th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Ford is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 4 places higher in reliability than Ford.

The Sorento LX/S’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 10 more horsepower (191 vs. 181) than the Bronco Sport’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder. The Sorento EX/SX’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 31 more horsepower (281 vs. 250) and 34 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 277) than the Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Sorento EX/SX 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the Bronco Sport:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Bronco Sport Badlands requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Bronco Sport (17.7 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Sorento has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Bronco Sport. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The Sorento offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Sorento’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Bronco Sport:

The Sorento stops much shorter than the Bronco Sport:

For better traction, the Sorento has larger standard tires than the Bronco Sport (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17). The Sorento EX/SX’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Bronco Sport (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R17).

The Sorento EX/SX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bronco Sport’s optional 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sorento EX/SX has standard 20-inch wheels. The Bronco Sport’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sorento’s wheelbase is 5.7 inches longer than on the Bronco Sport (110.8 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sorento is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Bronco Sport.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the Bronco Sport Outer Banks pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Bronco Sport Outer Banks (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

For excellent aerodynamics, the Sorento has standard flush composite headlights. The Bronco Sport has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The Sorento has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Bronco Sport can only carry 5.

The Sorento has .4 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, 4.8 inches more rear legroom, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bronco Sport.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sorento’s middle row seats recline. The Bronco Sport’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Sorento’s cargo area provides more volume than the Bronco Sport.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Sorento’s optional second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sorento EX/SX’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Bronco Sport is limited to 2700 pounds. The Sorento offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

Trailer Stability Assist is standard on the Sorento, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Bronco Sport.

The Sorento Prestige’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Sorento’s standard driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the switch, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Bronco Sport’s standard power window’s switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully. The Sorento Prestige’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches. With the Bronco Sport Outer Banks/Badlands’ power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sorento to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Sorento Prestige is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Bronco Sport’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Kia Sorento and Ford Bronco Sport offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Sorento offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Bronco Sport’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Both the Sorento and the Bronco Sport offer available heated front seats. The Sorento Prestige also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Bronco Sport.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sorento SX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Sorento is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Bronco Sport doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento and the Ford Bronco Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance.