2021 Honda CR-V vs 2022 Kia Sorento

Even in a grim year, Honda is selling a staggering number of CR-Vs. The CR-V is the best-selling Honda by far. It’s also the second best-selling compact SUV, just behind the Toyota RAV4. And it's the fifth best-selling vehicle in the U.S., and if you take out all the commercial sales of full-size pickups it’s one of the two best-selling vehicles year in and year out.

So it’s hard to argue against the CR-V formula. Honda’s been at this almost as long as crossovers have been a thing, launching the CR-V in 1997—a year after the RAV4 debuted.

The funny thing is, aside from sales volume, there’s only one thing the CR-V particularly excels at. Aesthetics are subjective, but it would be hard to argue the CR-V is the best looking vehicle in its class. It’s not the cheapest. It’s not the best equipped, especially at the middle to lower trim levels. It’s not the fastest, nor is it the quietest, or the most fuel efficient. It’s not even the most reliable, showing up nowhere in J.D. Power's Most Reliable list.

So what makes it so appealing to American consumers? Let’s see if we can figure that out.

Kia redesigned the popular Sorento last model year and for 2022 the midsize, three-row crossover SUV gets a few changes.

For starters, the appealing X-Line package is now available with S and EX trim in addition to the SX Prestige. All 2022 Kia Sorento models except for the base LX trim now have a standard 10.25-inch infotainment system with navigation and UVO connected services. Additionally, the top-of-the-line SX Prestige adds a more comfortable driver’s seat and heated second-row captain’s chairs as standard equipment.

The big news, however, pertains to a new all-wheel-drive option for the efficient Sorento Hybrid and the debut of the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid, which can travel 32 miles on electricity before switching to gas-electric hybrid propulsion and returning 34 mpg in combined driving.