Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2012 Kia Sorento VS 2012 Jeep Grand Near Phoenix, AZ

Both the Sorento and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all-wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sorento is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sorento is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Sorento comes with a full 5 year/60,000 mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Grand Cherokee’s 3 year/36,000 mile basic warranty expires 2 years and 24,000 miles sooner.

The Sorento comes with free roadside assistance for 5 years 60,000 miles. Kia will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Jeep doesn’t give free roadside assistance for the Grand Cherokee.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 5 years longer than Jeep covers the Grand Cherokee. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Grand Cherokee ends after only 5 years or 100,000 miles.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Sorento have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 18th in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 25th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2011 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 19th in reliability. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 33rd.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Sorento V6 is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee V8:

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better fuel mileage than the Grand Cherokee:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 V8 engine requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

The Sorento LX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires.

The Sorento has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Sorento flat and controlled during cornering. The Grand Cherokee’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Sorento EX AWD handles at .78 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento EX AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 (28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee’s (35.7 feet vs. 37.1 feet).

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 1100 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Sorento is 6.3 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sorento offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Grand Cherokee can only carry 5.

The Sorento has 44 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (149.4 vs. 105.4).

The Sorento has 1 inch more front legroom, .6 inches more front shoulder room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

The Sorento’s cargo area provides more volume than the Grand Cherokee.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Sorento easier. The Sorento’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.9 inches, while the Grand Cherokee’s liftover is 32.4 inches.

The Sorento’s cargo area is larger than the Grand Cherokee’s in almost every dimension:

Insurance will cost less for the Sorento owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Sorento with a number “8” insurance rate while the Grand Cherokee is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

The Sorento will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. Kiplinger’s estimates that the Sorento will retain a greater percentage of its original price after two and four years than the Grand Cherokee.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Sorento is less expensive to operate than the Grand Cherokee because typical repairs cost less on the Sorento than the Grand Cherokee, including $96 less for a water pump, $6 less for front brake pads, $166 less for a starter, $27 less for front struts and $179 less for a timing belt/chain.