2022 Subaru Ascent vs 2021 Kia Sorento

The 2021 Kia Sorento marked a significant departure from its previous generation's jelly-bean-inspired styling, embracing a more athletic and muscular silhouette. The SX Prestige trim with the X-Line package featured roof rails, a shark fin antenna, and a rear roof spoiler, enhancing its rugged appeal. The front showcased an expansive tiger-nose grille with a noticeable curve, complemented by squinting headlights and running lights. A silver accent between the front fender and door added visual interest. The rear design included large D-pillars and beautiful vertical taillights, giving the Sorento a cautiously modern look. Inside, the Sorento boasted high-value features like heated outside mirrors, second-row air vents, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and keyless entry. The SX Prestige trim offered luxurious perforated leather seats, although the front passenger seat adjustments were limited in lower trims. The panoramic sunroof provided ample light, though it occasionally let in too much heat during a 2,100-mile road trip.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent introduced the Onyx Edition trim, featuring blacked-out exterior trim, badges, and 20-inch aluminum wheels. This trim level added a sporty appearance to the Ascent, which was previously lacking. The interior of the Onyx Edition included water-repellant StarTex synthetic leather seats in a gray two-tone scheme with light gray stitching. While the gray interior was preferable to an all-black one, the StarTex material tended to trap sweat, making it uncomfortable on hot days. The Ascent's interior also featured metallic trim on the dashboard and door panels, creating an appropriate mood. However, the lack of ventilated seats in the Onyx Edition was a drawback. The Ascent's overall design aimed to attract youthful buyers with its sporty and practical features.

The 2021 Kia Sorento offered a range of powertrains, with the most common being a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. This engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations. However, the test vehicle featured a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with a wet clutch to AWD. This setup provided ample power for merging, cruising, and passing. The Sorento also offered a hybrid version with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, available only in FWD. The AWD system in the Sorento included torque vectoring and a center-locking differential for improved traction. The X-Line package added 1.3 inches of ride height, 20-inch alloy wheels, and a roof rack. The suspension, consisting of McPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear, ensured a smooth and comfortable ride. The Sorento's various drive modes, including Eco, Normal, and Sport, provided different driving experiences, with Sport mode offering improved throttle response. Despite its 4,000-pound weight, the Sorento handled corners well without excessive body lean.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent came equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) and AWD were standard across all trims. The Ascent achieved an EPA fuel economy rating of 22 mpg combined, with the test vehicle averaging 20.5 mpg. The flat-four engine design, also known as a boxer engine, contributed to a lower center of gravity for improved handling. The CVT featured eight programmed ratios and manual shift control using paddles on the steering wheel, providing brisk acceleration and commendable passing power. The Ascent's X-Mode off-road traction control system, hill descent control, and 8.7 inches of ground clearance enhanced its off-roading capabilities. In urban and suburban driving, the Ascent felt nimble and maneuverable, thanks to its responsive acceleration, excellent outward visibility, and absorbent suspension. However, sudden braking could result in excessive braking response. On country and mountain roads, the Ascent demonstrated athleticism, though its compliant suspension and tall height led to more body motion. On highways, the Ascent's lane-keeping and lane-centering assistance technologies could create an uncertain feel, but turning them off improved the driving experience.

The 2021 Kia Sorento, while a three-row SUV, was best suited as a four-seater in its top trims due to the second-row captain's chairs and tight third-row space. The LX and S trims offered a second-row bench seat, accommodating up to five adults. The cargo space behind the third row was limited to 12.6 cubic feet, making it more practical to fold the seats for additional storage. The second-row captain's chairs provided ample legroom, with 41.4 inches in the front and 41.7 inches in the rear. The Sorento offered convenient storage solutions, including a phone spot with an optional wireless charger, cupholders, and a center console bucket. The total cargo volume was 75.5 cubic feet, which was on the smaller side for a midsize crossover, comparable to compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent could carry up to eight people with a second-row bench seat, but the third row was best suited for children. The second-row seats were comfortable and easy to access, thanks to wide rear doors that opened nearly 90 degrees. Captain's chairs were available in all trims, featuring coat hooks on their inner sides. The Ascent Onyx Edition included triple-zone climate control, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, and a wiper de-icer. The available panoramic sunroof extended over the second-row seats, and some models included rear-side window shades. The Ascent provided ample storage, including a useful shelf running the width of the dashboard and large cupholders in the second row. The cargo capacity behind the third row was 17.8 cubic feet, with a shallow storage area under the floor. With the second-row seats folded, the Ascent offered 47.5 cubic feet of cargo space, and the maximum capacity with both rows folded was 86.5 cubic feet. Models with the panoramic sunroof had slightly reduced cargo space.

The 2021 Kia Sorento featured an 8-inch touchscreen display on the LX, S, and EX trims, with hard buttons, volume and tuning knobs, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The SX and SX Prestige trims came with a larger 10.25-inch screen, haptic touch buttons, and physical knobs. However, the larger screen required a physical connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the right third of the screen displayed redundant information. The Sorento offered plenty of USB ports but lacked USB-C ports. The optional Bose stereo system was decent but not exceptional. The navigation system needed improvement, particularly in voice search and Point-of-Interest functions. Most drivers would likely rely on Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for navigation.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent's base trim included a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD Radio, satellite radio, and a CD player. The Premium trim added an 8-inch display with Starlink connected services, including a WiFi hotspot and remote engine starting with climate control pre-conditioning. Both systems featured volume and tuning knobs and shortcut buttons. The voice recognition technology required improvement, as it was slow to respond and needed specific commands. The Onyx Edition used standard stereo speakers, which lacked sonic quality. The optional Harman Kardon premium sound system was not available in this trim. The Touring trim included additional technology features like a digital rearview mirror and a 180-degree-view front camera.

The 2021 Kia Sorento came with a comprehensive array of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a driver-attention warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, lane-following assist, and auto high beams. The test vehicle also had a surround-view camera and front- and rear-camera views at low speeds. The adaptive cruise control worked smoothly, but the lane-keeping assist system occasionally made excessive corrections. The Sorento received a four-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). However, the LED reflector headlights on lower trims received a poor rating.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and five-star crash-test ratings from the NHTSA, except for a four-star rating in rollover resistance. The Ascent came standard with Subaru's EyeSight driver-assistance technology, including advanced adaptive cruise control with lane-centering. However, EyeSight's camera-based technology performed intermittently in direct sunlight, and the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering lacked refinement. The Ascent included steering responsive LED headlights with automatic high-beam assist, but blind-spot monitoring was only available from the Premium trim level. Reverse automatic braking and a Starlink Safety and Security subscription plan were also available.