Kia Sorento vs Toyota Highlander
Two three-row SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.
// VERDICT
Our verdict
Buy the Toyota Highlander to minimise 5-year ownership cost.
Buy the Toyota Highlander if long-term reliability matters most.
// COST HEAD TO HEAD
Maintenance and ownership cost
| Kia Sorento | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance | $533 | $489winner |
| 5-year total cost | $2,665 | $2,445winner |
| Reliability score | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Major repair risk (5yr) | 11%winner | 13% |
| Cargo space | — | — |
| Starting price (new) | $32,390winner | $45,870 |
| Best years to buy | — | — |
// RELIABILITY
Which is more reliable?
| Kia Sorento | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| RepairPal score | 8 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| NHTSA complaints / 100k | 494.7 | 0winner |
| Years to avoid | 2011, 2013, 2014 | None identified |
| Value retained · 3 yr | 75.6% | 83.6%winner |
| Value retained · 5 yr | 51.6% | 63.7%winner |
| Value retained · 7 yr | 39.8% | 51.5%winner |
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks — and what it costs
| Kia Sorento | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 41.0% | —winner |
| Electrical | 7.2% | —winner |
| ADAS | 5.0% | —winner |
| Brakes | 4.8% | —winner |
| Suspension | 0.9% | —winner |
| Steering | 3.5% | —winner |
| Fuel system | 1.1% | —winner |
| Glass/Windows | 2.1% | —winner |
| Airbags | 5.3% | —winner |
| Lighting | 5.2% | —winner |
One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.
// INSURANCE
Which is cheaper to insure?
| Kia Sorento | Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg annual premium | $2,005winner | $2,401 |
// FULL MODEL PAGES
// FAQ
Common questions
The Sorento costs $533/year to maintain — $40 below the three-row segment average of $573. Repair frequency of 29% is well below the class average of 40%. Reliability score of 8 is above the segment average of 7, and major repair probability of 11% is well below the 13% norm. One of the strongest ownership-cost profiles in the three-row class.
How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →