Used 2018 Kia Sorento Limited for sale 

There is no shortage of choices when it comes to buying a new Sorento SUV. Kia offers five different trims: L, LX, EX, SX, and SX Limited with prices ranging from $25,800 to $46,200. Every trim comes standard with front-wheel drive, which can be upgraded to all-wheel drive for $1,800.

There are also three engine options available. The L and LX come standard with a 185 horsepower 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. The EX only comes standard with a 2.0T turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. A 3.3-liter V6 is also available, which is optional on the LX and EX and comes standard on the SX and SX Limited. All the trims come mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Most Sorento's come standard with a third-row seat, which expands the seating capacity from five to seven but the L and EX 2.0T comes only as a five-seat SUV.

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The Sorento EX with the V6 engine comes with seven seats and offers an abundance of features (including advanced driving aids) at a price that undercuts bigger three-row crossovers. One can even get luxury add-ons, and still, the price is pretty reasonable. Avoid the underpowered base 4-cylinder engine if you can.

The 2018 Kia Sorento is offered with three engine options, each appealing in its own way. Select the one that best fits your driving needs, and you should be happy with the result. The standard 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine cranks out 185 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. Not surprisingly, the turbo and V6 feel strongest, but the 2.4 is adequate and offers better fuel economy, making the most of the 6-speed automatic transmission all the engine options use. Thus, a customer has the choice of choosing between fuel efficiency and performance. 

Meanwhile, the 240-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine offers a nice blend of brisk acceleration and efficiency but only comes in a 2-row configuration. The Sorento's 3.3-liter V-6 acquitted itself well against the competitors in both the two and three-row class. You can also get better-towing capacity with the V-6, though you sacrifice nimbleness for the extra power. All the engines come with a responsive 6-speed automatic transmission which works with a little fuss. In comparison, Hyundai Santa Fe and Honda Pilot stand in a league of their own as they outperform the other two competitors with a big margin.

Acceleration

The 2018 Sorento V6 hits 60 mph from a standstill in 7.6 seconds and its 290 horses are perfectly adequate for normal driving and light towing. Although Kia's V-6 feels weaker in real-world driving, with less yank at low rpm. The 2.0 liter 4-cylinder may be more efficient than the V6, but it slows down the car due to the lesser power output. 

As standard, the 2018 Kia Sorento is powered by the base 2.4 liter 4-cylinder that would take close to 9 seconds to hit 60 mph. This is not very quick considering the Honda Pilot is almost 3 seconds quicker.

Unfortunately, the base engine's potential is way lesser than what competition offers. The car comes out a potential lagger in the lot. The likes of Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and Santa Fe defeats the Sorento big time. Honda comes out with the crown by beating others in the 0-60mph sprint.

Braking and Handling

The Kia Sorento is incredibly comfortable and quiet due to its polished handling. But is it as complacent as its competitors? Well, it turns out that elements such as steering and brakes are adequate but not particularly noteworthy. The suspension can soak most bumps, potholes, or road undulations and keep you away from its after-effects. However, the steering lacks adequate feedback at high speeds. Due to the tall stance, the body roll is quite evident while taking on a sharp corner.

The AWD system of Sorento includes an electronically lockable 50-50 front and rear torque split, which could come in handy in low-traction scenarios while off-roading. 

Kia has equipped Sorento with 4-Wheel Disc brakes with Antilock Braking System (ABS), which comes as standard. Brake pedals feel spongier, but the braking distance of 130 feet is fairly long compared to rivals. Here again, Honda makes a mark by taking the least distance to stop from 60mph.

Towing Capacity

The Sorento can tow, too. It can tug up to 5,000 pounds with the V-6 AWD, which puts it in the league of high-end crossover spectrum. Opting for the front-wheel drive and either of the four-cylinder engines reduces max towing capacity significantly, to 3,500 pounds.

All other competitors on the table easily beat Kia in the towing department. The other competitors on the table offer to their customers a towing capacity of 5000lbs.

When fitted with either of the 4-cylinder engines, the Sorento gets better gas mileage than most vehicles in its class with an EPA rating of 21 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined. With the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, the estimates drop by 1 mpg. The V-6 AWD Sorento meanwhile checks in at 17/23/19 mpg.

It might run low on raw power, but the economy is Sorento's strong suit. Its 28 mpg mileage on the highway is the standard other competitors wish to achieve. If you look at the combined mileage figures, the Honda Pilot and Highlander share the same place while the Sorento delivers more.

The 2018 Sorento comes standard with seating for five people, cloth upholstery, and a 40/20/40 split-folding second row. Although you can carry up to seven people on the top trims with the available third-row, which folds with a 50/50 split. The first two rows are well-cushioned and provide ample room to accommodate adults. Even a keen eye would not find itself complaining about the quality of materials or fit and finish of various knobs and buttons. Everything feels well put together but the dashboard design fails to get you excited. All-around visibility is good as you sit higher up the ground and the cabin feels quite premium for an affordable mid-size SUV.

The available third-row seats are cramped but it has more legroom than the rivals like Toyota Highlander.

Being a 7-Seater, the Sorento feels quite ergonomic as compared to its 8-Seater rivals. However, the scooping roof does tend to exhort the overall feel limiting the headroom as we go towards the rear end. Despite its jubilant numbers, the SUV finds a hard time beating the Japanese exuberance of comfort with the Honda Pilot. As usual, the Santa Fe deposits the lowest interior space in comparison. 

Infotainment System

Sorento's updated infotainment system is straightforward and highly functional. Kia has done a nice job laying out redundant buttons and knobs on the center stack, allowing the driver to operate the control effortlessly. For top trims, which come with 8-inch displays, the UVO interface is easy to use, and graphics are excellent too. The entry-level trim comes with:

• 8-Inch Infotainment System 
• Navigation, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay
• Dual rapid-charge USB ports
• 10-speaker Infinity surround-sound audio system (O)
• Six speakers Standard
• Satellite radio
• A USB port and Bluetooth
• 3″ Touch-Screen Display

Cargo Space

The 2018 Sorento offers less cargo space than most in the competition, but it is enough to satisfy most of your daily needs. There is 11.3 cubic feet of space behind the third-row seat, which is the least as compared to other rivals. Thus we would recommend installing a roof rack if you plan on going for a vacation, full-house.

Its 38.3 cubic feet of cargo hold behind the second row and 73 cubic feet overall is also less than others in the competition. Even the standard cargo bay is much less when you compare it with cars like Honda Pilot. Once again Honda shows its dominance by providing the consumers with the best in class cargo space of 18.0 cu-ft.

Just like the interiors, the 2018 Sorento exudes an indefinite look of the competent design. In addition to the Tiger Nose grille that now marks the signature element of the Korean brand, the overall blunt styling puts it in line for the best-looking SUV in the segment. The 2018 Kia Sorento is neither the longest nor the widest in the segment but it cues up all the correct lines and curves of an SUV.

The LED lights accent the front and the rear while the chrome work adds a little class to the overall look.

Wheel sizes meanwhile range from 17-inch alloys on base and LX models, to the 18-inch alloys on EX models, all the way to 19-inches on SX models with chrome 10-spoke-alloy wheel, which delivers top-of-the-line style. The 19-inch wheels are good for off-roading and also provide better ride quality. The Japanese Highlander provides the most ground clearance of 8 inches. All the 2018 Sorento's comes with a set of upgrades like:

• LED accent lights in the headlights
• Base L models now come with automatic headlamps
• Power rear liftgate
• Power-folding side-view mirrors
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers

The IIHS has called the 2018 Sorento a Top Safety Pick with all "Good" scores in crash tests, and "Acceptable" headlight performance in top trims. Lower trims only manage a "Poor" score in the headlight test. The NHTSA gave the Sorento five stars overall this year, with only a four-star in rollover rating, keeping it from a perfect score. Along with this, Sorento boasts a host of advanced safety technology and is a solid safety pick for the roads. The standard driver safety feature includes:

• Side Mounted Air Bag
• Rear Air Bags
• Anti-lock brakes
• Blind Spot Monitoring
• Back up camera
• Parking sensor
• Heated seats

Kia Sorento Vs Honda Pilot

The 2018 Honda Pilot comes standard with a V6 engine, which means you get zestier acceleration with the Pilot. As the larger of two, the Pilot also carries more people (up to eight) and more cargo. Its starting price is 5,000 higher than the Kia's, making it a better choice between the two.

Kia Sorento Vs Toyota Highlander

Toyota Highlander is an exceptional midsize SUV, and it shares many characteristics with the Sorento. Although the Highlander isn't a good value for money as it costs about $5,000 more than the Kia Sorento. Safety features like forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control come standard with the Toyota, but you can add many of these items to the Sorento and say within $2,000 of the Highlanders base price.

Kia Sorento Vs Hyundai Santa Fe

Kia is owned by Hyundai Motor Group, one can notice much in common between the Santa Fe and the Sorento. Both SUVs have three engine options, the choice of 2- or 3-row configuration, and similar standard features. Besides styling,

one major difference is that you can add select packages to the base Santa Fe trim, while no such package is available for the entry-level Sorento.

The Kia Sorento is one of the best midsize SUVs in the segment you can get today. It's available in a variety of configurations to suit your needs and offers time-tested powertrain options. Since each configuration presents a different temperament, the Sorento can be shaped to meet a variety of needs. The lower-priced base trim with its above-average fuel economy along with a healthy list of included features makes it a good pick for budget-savvy shoppers. On the other hand, the Sorento EX, which has an energetic turbocharged engine, offers a livelier, more athletic experience. You can get a V6-powered model to increase towing capacity, or gain extra grip with the available all-wheel drive. Thus, if you are looking for a feature-rich SUV that comes with the least compromises, the Kia Sorento is quite a sensible buy.