2017 Kia Sorento: Best 3-Row SUV for the Money

2017 Kia Sorento Is U.S. News & World Report’s Best 3-Row SUV for the Money

U.S. News & World Report ‘s Best 3-Row SUV for the Money is the Kia Sorento. The result was determined by evaluating the vehicle’s overall quality and long-term value. The Sorento bested other SUVs including the Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Honda Pilot.

A vehicle’s quality rating is determined by the overall score it achieved in the U.S. News new car rankings at the time the awards were calculated. The 2017 Kia Sorento performs very well in U.S. News' midsize SUV rankings, a particularly competitive ranking category.

The 2017 Kia Sorento is the complete package. It has powerful engine options, a high quality interior, and a low starting price. The SUV wins high marks for its roomy interior, user-friendly infotainment system, precise steering, and good ride. For 2017, Kia has added Apple Carplay and Android Auto capability to the Sorento, as well as new safety features. 

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Why the 2017 Kia Sorento Won: Quality

Critics especially like the Sorento’s drive capability, saying it yields a connected drive, even though it isn’t as sporty as what some competitors offer. Its overall design and quality are reminiscent of a higher end vehicle when you opt for one of the top trim levels. Seating is spacious and there is plenty of cargo space. Its dashboard has an appealing design and the infotainment system is responsive.

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Why the 2017 Kia Sorento Won: Value

The Sorento’s value is measured by a combination of a vehicle's five-year total cost of ownership, provided by Vincentric, LLC, and the average price paid for the vehicle at the time the awards are published, as calculated by TrueCar.com.

The total cost of ownership is a combination of a low initial cost, maintenance, fuel, insurance, and repair costs. The Sorento’s five-year total cost is $7,092.23 and the average price paid is $32,064. Its total cost of ownership edged out the Toyota Highlander by a few hundred dollars and its next closest competitor by a few thousand dollars.

The Kia Sorento has one of the lowest starting prices in the class and achieves good fuel economy, both elements that helped it earn its Best 3-Row SUV for the Money honor.

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Performance: Acceleration

The Sorento’s standard 185-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine does not provide the best power, so upgrading is worth the money. Under the hood of the EX trim is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder power plant that puts out 240 horsepower. A 3.3-liter V6 engine that produces 290 horsepower is standard in the SX and Limited trims and optional in EX and LX trims.

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Performance: Handling

The 2017 Kia Sorento comes standard with front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive is optional. Its lower trim levels offer an engaged drive experience. Moving up to the SX trim gives the driver an even more responsive drive via an improved steering mechanism.

Despite its heavy on-the-road drive, the Sorento provides a stable ride for passengers. Its Torque Vectoring Cornering Control offers drivers more stability when cornering and traction on slick streets. In higher trim levels, the ride is especially quiet.

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Interior: Space and Comfort

Lower grades of the 2017 Kia Sorento offer buyers a cost effective approach to buying a three-row vehicle. This means the seats are cloth and many surfaces are made of materials that lack refinement. Higher trim levels give off a premium cabin look and feel.

The Kia Sorento’s first and second row seats are roomy. The second row seats are able to slide and recline. Third row seats only allow enough knee- and legroom for children and small adults to be comfortable. Third row seats are not available in the base L model.

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Interior: Features and Technology

The base model Kia Sorento L has few standard features and doesn’t have any available options. Purchasing a higher trim level will allow you more choice. Kia’s UVO infotainment system is intuitive.

Available features include a 4.3-inch touch-screen display, Kia’s UVO infotainment system, an 8-inch touch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, navigation, HD Radio, a 10-speaker Infinity sound system, a rearview camera, rear park assist, 360-degree camera bird’s eye view, push-button start, remote start, dual-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, and adaptive headlights. 

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Reliability

The 2017 Kia Sorento has not yet been rated for reliability by J.D. Power & Associates. There have not been many changes from the 2016 model, so it is safe to assume that its reliability score would be about the same for the 2017 model. J.D. Power ranks the 2016 Kia Sorento’s reliability as Better Than Most.

The Sorento features one of the best warranties in the business, with a five-year/60,000-mile limited warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.

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Safety: Crash Tests

The 2017 Kia Sorento is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+. It scored Good in all five of IIHS’s evaluation categories. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has given the Sorento a five-star overall safety rating. The SUV received a perfect score in the NHTSA’s Frontal and Side Crash testing. It scored four out of five stars for its Rollover crash performance.

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Safety: Features

The Kia Sorento scores highly in a number of U.S. News & World Report categories. Its U.S. News safety score is tied for the highest in the class, a 9.7 out of 10, placing it with the Hyundai Santa Fe, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse, and Buick Enclave.

Available safety technology includes blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking.

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Other Cars to Consider

If you know you want a midsize SUV but don’t think the Kia Sorento is for you, take a closer look at the Nissan Murano, Toyota Highlander, and Honda Pilot.

The Murano is the highest rated midsize SUV in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings. It offers performance and comfort at a budget-friendly price, its V6 engine achieves good fuel economy, and its technology is easy to use. The Murano seats up to five people.

Toyota’s Highlander was recently refreshed. The 2017 model offers drivers good fuel economy, a comfortable ride, and a number of standard safety features. Although, like the Sorento, it has cramped third row seating.

The Honda Pilot has the best three row seating among U.S. News & World Report’s top-rated midsize SUVs. Its seats are comfortable, even on long road trips, and the third row offers good legroom. The Pilot has abundant storage space and receives good safety scores.

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More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report

The best way to save money on these award winners is to use U.S. News & World Report's Best Price Program. It can save you thousands off MSRP by helping you find the dealer in your area with the best price. You can save even more money by checking our new car financing deals and lease deals pages for manufacturer incentives.