2022 Subaru Outback vs 2021 Kia Sorento

The 2021 Kia Sorento marked a significant departure from its predecessor'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 interior offered comfortable seating with various adjustment options, although the front passenger seat had limited adjustability in lower trims. The panoramic sunroof provided ample light, though it could let in too much heat during sunny days. The real perforated leather upholstery in the SX Prestige trim exceeded expectations, offering comfort and support.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness stood out with its increased ground clearance of 9.5 inches, aggressive all-terrain tires, and restyled bumpers for improved approach and departure angles. The unique grille design, black 17-inch wheels, and Anodized Copper accents added to its rugged charm. The roof rack and rail system supported a 700-pound static load, making it ideal for rooftop camping. Inside, the cabin featured dark gray StarTex water-repellant upholstery, a black headliner, Gunmetal Gray interior trim, and Anodized Copper stitching. The Wilderness package included waterproof rear seatback material and a cargo tray. The Outback Wilderness injected purpose and personality into the Outback's styling, appealing to those seeking adventure. Priced between the Onyx XT and Limited XT trims, the Outback Wilderness offered a compelling package for outdoor enthusiasts. Our test car, equipped with a power sunroof, navigation system, and reverse automatic braking, brought the total cost to $39,965, including destination charges.

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, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, powered the LX and S trims. However, our test car featured the 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 all-wheel drive. This setup provided ample power for merging, cruising, and passing. The Sorento also had a hybrid version with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, available in front-wheel drive only. The AWD system in our test car 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 drive modes, including Eco, Normal, and Sport, offered varying levels of throttle response and fuel efficiency. Despite its 4,000-pound weight, the Sorento handled corners well without excessive body lean.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness featured a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. This engine, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), provided sufficient power for the 3,896-pound vehicle, with a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 lbs. The EPA estimated fuel efficiency at 24 mpg in combined driving, though our test averaged 21.3 mpg on a mountainous route. While the engine was strong, the CVT's droning and simulated gear changes detracted from the driving experience. The Outback Wilderness came standard with all-wheel drive and featured 9.5 inches of ground clearance, 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, and improved approach, breakover, and departure angles. The dual function X-Mode traction system, with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes, enhanced off-road capability. On pavement, the Outback Wilderness felt quick but limited by its tires. Off-road, it excelled, handling steep hills and challenging trails with ease. The Outback Wilderness traded some on-road grip and handling for superior off-road performance.

The 2021 Kia Sorento, a three-row SUV, was best considered a four-seater in its top trims due to the second-row captain's chairs and tight third-row seating. The cargo space behind the third row was limited to 12.6 cubic feet, making it more practical to fold those seats. The second-row captain's chairs were comfortable, and the front and rear seats offered ample legroom at 41.4 inches and 41.7 inches, respectively. The Sorento provided convenient storage options, including a phone spot with an optional wireless charger, cupholders, and a center console bucket. The total cargo volume was 75.5 cubic feet, comparable to compact crossovers like the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness featured dark gray StarTex upholstery, which was water-repellant but could be uncomfortable in hot weather. The front seats were heated, and the driver's seat offered 10-way power adjustment, while the front passenger had 8-way power adjustment. The rear seat provided generous space for two adults or three kids, with rear air conditioning vents and dual USB charging ports. The cargo area measured 32.5 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 75.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded flat. The Outback Wilderness included waterproof seatbacks and a cargo tray, along with LED lighting for the cargo area. The robust roof rack supported a 220-pound dynamic load and a 700-pound static load, ideal for rooftop camping.

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 had a larger 10.25-inch screen with haptic touch buttons and physical knobs, but required a wired connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screen's right third displayed redundant information, reducing its effective size. 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.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness came with an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment and climate control system. While it had physical knobs for volume and tuning and buttons for temperature control, most functions required the touchscreen. The voice recognition technology was less responsive to natural commands, making Apple CarPlay or Android Auto preferable. The Outback Wilderness lacked a premium sound system, which was available in other trims. However, it featured PIN code entry technology, allowing access to the vehicle without the key fob.

The 2021 Kia Sorento came with a comprehensive array of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver-attention warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, lane-following assist, and auto high beams. Our test car also had a surround-view camera and adaptive cruise control, which worked smoothly. 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), with the SX trim levels earning top marks for their LED headlights.

The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness featured the EyeSight advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, lane-centering assistance, and a driver monitoring system. The Outback Wilderness also had steering-responsive headlights, blind-spot warning, lane-change assistance, and rear cross-traffic warning. The EyeSight technology proved effective and unobtrusive during testing. While crash-test results for the 2022 model were not available, the 2021 Outback earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a 5-star overall rating from the NHTSA.