Compare the2025 Kia SorentoVS 2025 Toyota 4Runner

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Kia Sorento have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota 4Runner doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Sorento and 4Runner 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 4Runner’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 Toyota 4Runner has not been tested.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sorento has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the 4Runner Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro offers Parking Support Brake.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Sorento uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The 4Runner uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Sorento and the 4Runner have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 Sorento comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The 4Runner’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 Toyota covers the 4Runner. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the 4Runner 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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 17th.

As tested in Motor Trend the Sorento EX/SX 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Toyota 4Runner turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the 4Runner:

Regardless of its engine, the Sorento’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Toyota only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the 4Runner Limited/i-FORCE MAX.

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 4Runner doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sorento stops much shorter than the 4Runner:

The Sorento LX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4Runner SR5’s standard 70 series tires. The Sorento EX/SX’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the 4Runner TRD Sport/Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the 4Runner’s (37.9 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 1300 pounds less than the Toyota 4Runner.

The Sorento LX/S/EX/SX is 5.3 inches shorter than the 4Runner, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Sorento’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The 4Runner doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Sorento has .6 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 6.9 inches more rear legroom and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the 4Runner.

The Sorento’s cargo area provides more volume than the 4Runner.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Sorento’s optional second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The 4Runner doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Sorento has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 4Runner doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Sorento’s standard Smart Key allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Key standard on the 4Runner doesn’t offer a sensor on the cargo door.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sorento has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the 4Runner only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sorento to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 4Runner doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sorento, based on reliability, safety and performance.