Kia Sportage vs Toyota Highlander

The 2022 Toyota Highlander presented a modern and somewhat aggressive front-end design. It featured flared fender arches and a third-row window that kicked up, making the spacious SUV appear smaller than it was. Once inside, the Highlander offered a ton of cabin space and clever storage solutions for family essentials like iPads and juice boxes.

Our focus was particularly on the XSE trim, which stood out with its unique exterior styling, ambient interior lighting, and sport-tuned suspension. The bold red optional leather package against a sedate navy blue exterior added a touch of racy flair to the otherwise family-focused SUV. The trims ranged from the base L trim all the way up to the luxurious Platinum trim. The base L came with features like 18-inch alloy wheels, a pushbutton start, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. Higher trims added more luxurious elements such as silver roof rails, synthetic leather upholstery, larger touchscreen options, and advanced stereo systems.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Kia Sportage had evolved considerably over its first four generations in terms of styling. The 2023 model, arriving redesigned, could be mistaken for a French car due to its unique aesthetics. The new Sportage looked exciting and exotic, with standout features like bright boomerang-shaped daytime running lights and texture metal trim on the D Pillar.

For the 2023 model year, Kia offered the Sportage in seven trims, ranging from the usual LX, EX, SX, SX Prestige, to the new X-Line, X-Pro, and X-Pro Prestige trims. Inside, Kia replaced leather seating with more durable synthetic leather. The interior boasted a stunning two-foot display in models above the base trim, although it was marred by too much hard plastic and piano-black surfaces prone to fingerprints. The interior was designed thoughtfully, providing spacious rear legroom and practical storage areas.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came equipped with a robust 3.5-liter V6 engine making 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, customers had the option of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The V6 provided fine acceleration and a notably throaty exhaust note during overtakes. Furthermore, the Highlander’s handling was impressive, especially in the XSE trim which sported a sport-tuned suspension that balanced reduced body roll with a soft ride over bumps. The Highlander had a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds and a max payload capacity of 1,685 pounds.

In contrast, the 2023 Kia Sportage was offered with a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine making 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, noticeably less powerful compared to the Highlander's V6. This engine also paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and the option of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The Sportage’s new engine was larger and slightly more powerful than its predecessor’s but lacked the punch of a turbocharged option. However, the Sportage excelled in fuel efficiency over its previous generation, boasting 25 mpg city and 32 highway in FWD, and 23/28/25 in AWD configurations.

Kia introduced the X-Line and X-Pro trims to add rugged visual and functional capabilities, though the X-Pro provided more genuine off-road features such as BF Goodrich all-terrain tires. The Sportage offered commendable off-road performance, with 8.3 inches of ground clearance on AWD models, similar to SUVs with serious off-road intentions. However, the Sportage’s on-road manners suffered from these rugged elements, making the ride noisy and less smooth.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander offered remarkable versatility with its seating and cargo configurations. With the second- and third-row seats folded, the Highlander provided up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space. With only the second row in use, there was 48.4 cubic feet, and with all three rows deployed, 16 cubic feet. The power liftgate available on all but the base trim added convenience, while the hands-free power liftgate on the Limited and Platinum trims was a bonus. The front cabin was practically designed with numerous storage pockets, while the second-row captain’s chairs added comfort and accessibility to the third row.

In contrast, the 2023 Kia Sportage saw significant growth in size compared to its predecessor, now boasting an impressive 41.3 inches of rear-seat legroom and a trunk space of 39.6 cubic feet behind the rear seat, expanding to 74.1 cubic feet with the back seat folded down. The previous generation's compact size was replaced with a more spacious and accommodating interior. However, some interior design choices such as touch-sensitive HVAC controls with dual functionality could be frustrating. Driver and front-seat passengers benefited from typical storage solutions, including a spacious center console bin and cupholders.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came with a WiFi hotspot, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system supporting Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. Though lacking wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, its straightforward and user-friendly layout, supported by physical buttons, was appreciated. Higher trims offered a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system, enhancing the technology experience.

In the 2023 Kia Sportage, the technology was impressive, featuring a 12.3-inch touchscreen interface in trims starting from the EX and above. Paired with a 12.3-inch driver information display in higher trims, it created a sleek and sophisticated dashboard. However, some aspects like wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in higher trims and confusing icon designs on the screen impeded ease of use. Despite this, the Sportage offered advanced features like wireless charging, rear USB-C charging ports, navigation, Sirius XM Satellite Radio, and an optional Harman Kardon stereo system, ensuring it was equipped with modern tech features.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with Toyota Safety Sense, offering forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Upper trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and other advanced safety features like a surround-view parking monitor and head-up display. However, the lane-keeping systems could be overly active, providing an abrasive corrective experience on certain roads.

Similarly, the 2023 Kia Sportage came with a robust suite of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-following assist, lane-departure warning, and rear backup sensors. Higher trims added capabilities such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, safe exit warning, and adaptive cruise control. The top trims featured Kia’s Blind-view monitor and Highway driving assist, enhancing the driving safety experience.