Kia Sorento vs Toyota Grand Highlander
Two three-row SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.
// VERDICT
Our verdict
Buy the Kia Sorento based on your priorities for this class.
Buy the Toyota Grand Highlander based on your priorities for this class.
// COST HEAD TO HEAD
Maintenance and ownership cost
| Kia Sorento | Toyota Grand Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual maintenance | $533 | — |
| 5-year total cost | $2,665 | — |
| Reliability score | 8 / 10 | — |
| Major repair risk (5yr) | 11% | — |
| Cargo space | — | — |
| Starting price (new) | $32,390winner | $41,860 |
| Best years to buy | — | — |
// RELIABILITY
Which is more reliable?
| Kia Sorento | Toyota Grand Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| RepairPal score | 8 / 10 | — |
| NHTSA complaints / 100k | 494.7 | 0winner |
| Years to avoid | 2011, 2013, 2014 | None identified |
| Value retained · 3 yr | 75.6% | — |
| Value retained · 5 yr | 51.6% | — |
| Value retained · 7 yr | 39.8% | — |
// COMMON PROBLEMS
What breaks — and what it costs
| Kia Sorento | Toyota Grand 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 Grand Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Avg annual premium | $2,005winner | $2,474 |
// 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 →