2026 Kia Sorento · Weighing a Third Row Against Two
Kia Sorento vs Honda Passport
A genuine third row. Coverage that’s almost twice as long. Thousands off the sticker.
Here’s the honest starting point: these two SUVs aren’t really chasing the same buyer. Honda rebuilt the 2026 Passport as a rugged two-row machine that seats five, while the Kia Sorento hauls up to seven people across three full rows. Need that extra row? You already have your answer. Still cross-shopping both body styles? The Sorento also carries a longer warranty, a plug-in hybrid option, and a lower starting price right here at Dean McCrary Kia Hattiesburg on US-98 — while the Passport counters with standard AWD, a bigger touchscreen, and a bit more towing muscle.
10yr/100kKia powertrain warranty
281 hp2.5T Turbo — plus Hybrid & PHEV
$32,390Starting MSRP*
7Seats standard — 3 rows
4,500 lbMax towing, properly equipped
TSP+2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick+
Bottom Line First
The Sorento’s Edge, in Four Parts — Starting With That Third Row
Before you even get to brand loyalty, body style already splits these two apart. If a third row is on your must-have list, the Sorento takes it without argument. Beyond seating, it keeps winning — longer warranty, electrified options, and a friendlier price.
Seating Leader
3rows, up to 7
Passport is 2-row, 5-seat only
The redesigned Passport doesn’t offer a third row at all, full stop. Families that need one can stop reading here — the Sorento’s already won this round.
Warranty Leader
2×the coverage
10yr/100k vs Passport’s 5yr/60k
Honda’s powertrain promise runs out well before Kia’s does — ten years or 100,000 miles here against five years or 60,000 on the Passport.
Electrified Choice
Hybrid& PHEV
Passport is gas V6 only
Choose Sorento and you can go standard Hybrid or plug-in PHEV. The all-new Passport, meanwhile, sticks to gas only — no electrified version exists.
Value Leader
~$12klower start
$32,390 vs ~$44,750 Passport RTL
Sorento’s base price sits comfortably under the Passport’s — part of that gap comes from the Passport’s standard AWD and V6 padding the cost of even its entry-level RTL trim.
Meet the Lineup
The Full Sorento Lineup — And What’s On Sale Now
Third row or not, click through each Sorento trim below to see what it adds — plus the live offers currently running on our lot.
Sticker Price, Side by Side
An Extra Row, For Less Money.
More people fit in the Sorento, it offers a plug-in variant, and it starts thousands cheaper. In return, the Passport brings a bigger screen, a higher tow rating, and standard AWD gear suited to rougher terrain.
Configuration
Kia Sorento2026
Honda Passport2026
Starting MSRP*
$32,390Lower Start
~$44,750 (RTL)
Seating / Rows
Up to 7, 3 rowsOnly 3-Row Option
5 seats, 2 rows only
Powertrains
Gas, Hybrid & PHEVElectrified Options
Gas V6 only
Standard Touchscreen
8″
12.3″ standard, every trim
Off-Road Trim
X-Pro SX Prestige (8.2″ clearance, BFG A/T, torque-vectoring AWD)
TrailSport / TrailSport Elite (8.3″ clearance, A/T tires)
Drivetrain
FWD standard, AWD available
AWD standard, every trim
What’s Under Each Hood
Four Sorento Powertrains. Just One for the Passport.
Honda’s only engine, a standard V6, wins on peak horsepower and tow rating by a small margin. Kia counters with more torque, plus hybrid and plug-in variants that the gas-only Passport can’t match.
Kia Sorento
4 Powertrain Options
- 2.5L GDI — 191 hp / 181 lb-ft
- 2.5T Turbo — 281 hp / 311 lb-ft
- 8-speed automatic
- Standard FWD, available AWD (standard on X-Line / X-Pro)
- Sorento Hybrid & Sorento PHEV also available
Honda Passport
1 Powertrain Option
- 3.5L V6 — 285 hp / 262 lb-ft
- 10-speed automatic
- Standard AWD (i-VTM4), every trim — no FWD offered
- No hybrid or plug-in powertrain available
Powertrain Spec
Kia Sorento
Honda Passport
Top Horsepower
281 hp (2.5T Turbo)
285 hp (V6)Passport leads
Top Torque
311 lb-ft+49 lb-ft
262 lb-ft
Hybrid Available
Yes — Sorento HybridExclusive
Not offered
Plug-In Hybrid Available
Yes — Sorento PHEVExclusive
Not offered
Max Towing
4,500 lb (2.5T, tow pkg)
5,000 lbPassport leads
Life With Either One
The Differences You’ll Actually Feel
It really comes down to this: a genuine three-row family SUV versus a rugged two-row five-seater. Decide which body style your household needs, and the rest of the comparison falls into place.
Room for More
7seats, 3 rows
Passport tops out at 5 seats
Whether it’s carpool runs, grandparents along for the ride, or one extra kid tagging along, the Sorento has a seat waiting. The Passport was designed as a two-row SUV on purpose — that’s not a shortcoming, just a different mission.
Peace of Mind
100kmile warranty
vs Passport’s 60k-mile powertrain
Kia’s powertrain protection runs a full ten years or 100,000 miles — double the term Honda puts on the Passport’s powertrain.
Cargo, Honestly
44 cu ftPassport, row 2 back
A genuine Passport strength
Skipping a third row lets the Passport carve out a deep, genuinely practical cargo hold behind its back seat — a real advantage if you never need seats six or seven.
Screens, Software, and Safety
Both Do Well Here — But the Passport’s Screen Wins.
Both earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating. Trim for trim, though, the Passport’s standard 12.3-inch display dwarfs the Sorento’s 8-inch screen — credit where it’s due, Honda takes this category.
Kia Sorento
Standard 8″ display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto included
Complete driver-assist suite comes standard starting with the base LX
Every AWD trim gets Terrain Mode (Snow, Mud, Sand) at no extra cost
BOSE audio, a panoramic roof, and a full-display digital mirror available
Powertrain backed for 10 years / 100,000 miles
Earned 2025 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ honors
Honda Passport
Every trim gets a standard 12.3″ touchscreen with Google built in
Standard on every trim: the Honda Sensing driver-assist suite
Sensing 360+ isn’t offered here, so there’s no hands-free highway driving mode
AWD (i-VTM4 with Trail Torque Logic) comes standard across the whole lineup
V6 gas power only — no hybrid or plug-in variant exists
Powertrain warranty runs 5 years / 60,000 miles
Also carries 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status
What the Reviewers Say
Different Vehicles, Equally Well Regarded
They don’t look alike, but the people who test SUVs for a living respect them equally.
U.S. News & World Report
Best 3-Row Midsize SUV for the Money
The Sorento claimed this 2026 title outright, and the Sorento Hybrid earned its own separate nod as Best Midsize Hybrid SUV for the Money.
Kelley Blue Book
Best Midsize SUVs List
Kelley Blue Book’s editors rank the Sorento among 2026’s top midsize SUV picks.
Kia Factory Warranty
5-Year/60,000-Mile Limited
Every new Sorento comes with Kia’s 5-year/60,000-mile limited warranty and 5-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance — solid factory peace of mind.
IIHS
Top Safety Pick+ — Both
Both the Sorento and the reworked Passport hold IIHS Top Safety Pick+ status — on crash protection, two otherwise very different SUVs finish in a true tie.
Third Row a Must? The Sorento’s Your Starting Point.
Browse our full stock of Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, and Sorento PHEV models, get a straightforward trade-in figure, and experience the difference firsthand — all during one stop at our Hub City showroom on US-98.
Your Sorento-Passport Questions, Answered
Is the Kia Sorento better than the Honda Passport?⌄
Truthfully, that depends on what matters most to you, because these two SUVs were built for slightly different purposes. If a third row matters, only the Sorento delivers one — the redesigned Passport is strictly two-row, five-seat. Kia also outlasts Honda on warranty (10yr/100k powertrain versus Honda’s 5yr/60k), offers Hybrid and PHEV options the V6-only Passport lacks entirely, and undercuts it by around $12,000 to start. Honda counters with a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen, a modest tow-rating bump, and legitimately capable TrailSport equipment. Browse live Sorento inventory.
Does the Honda Passport have a third row?⌄
No, it doesn’t have one. The complete 2026 redesign locks the Passport into a two-row, five-passenger layout, swapping the previous generation’s cargo-focused design for a tougher, more trail-ready appearance. Anyone who needs six or seven seats across three rows should look to the Kia Sorento instead — that’s a genuine difference in vehicle category, not merely a spec-sheet footnote.
Which has more power, the Sorento or the Passport?⌄
The Passport’s standard 3.5L V6 makes 285 hp and 262 lb-ft, enough to beat the Sorento’s base 191-hp 2.5L and even nose past the turbocharged 281-hp 2.5T Sorento. Torque tells a different story — the Sorento turbo’s 311 lb-ft outmuscles the Passport’s 262. Honda also holds the towing advantage, rated for 5,000 lb versus the Sorento’s 4,500 lb.
Is the Kia Sorento cheaper than the Honda Passport?⌄
Yes, and the gap isn’t small. The Sorento LX starts at $32,390 MSRP, while a 2026 Passport RTL runs roughly $44,750 (neither figure includes destination) — about a $12,000 difference. Some of that comes down to standard AWD on every 2026 Passport, a cost the Sorento’s FWD-based entry trims avoid.
What is the warranty difference between Kia and Honda?⌄
Kia simply covers you longer: 10 years / 100,000 miles on the powertrain plus 5 years / 60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, compared to Honda’s 5 years / 60,000 miles powertrain and 3 years / 36,000 miles limited coverage. That factory coverage comes standard on every new Sorento from Dean McCrary Kia.
What does the Honda Passport do better?⌄
Fair’s fair: the Passport offers a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen on every trim (versus 8 inches on the Sorento), a 5,000-lb tow rating, standard AWD backed by legitimately capable TrailSport hardware, and Honda’s long-standing reputation for durability. If you don’t need a third row and want a rugged, tech-heavy two-row SUV, the Passport deserves a look. But if price, warranty length, seating flexibility, or a plug-in option matter most to you, the Sorento comes out ahead.
Where can I compare the Sorento and Passport near Hattiesburg, MS?⌄
You’ll find Dean McCrary Kia at 7124 US Hwy 98, right where I-59, US-49, and US-11 converge in the heart of Hattiesburg, carrying the complete Sorento lineup in gas, Hybrid, and PHEV form — a short drive from Petal, Oak Grove, Purvis, Columbia, and the rest of the Pine Belt. Stop in and experience the difference in person.
Pine Belt Shoppers · Sorento vs Passport
Looking for a 3-Row SUV Around Hattiesburg?
We serve Pine Belt households throughout Forrest, Lamar, Covington, and Perry counties with the area’s largest Sorento selection. Cross-shopping the Honda Passport too? Here’s why it still makes sense to start here.
- Real-time inventory across every Sorento trim — LX through X-Pro SX Prestige, plus Hybrid & PHEV
- An honest number on your trade — get your vehicle’s value in minutes
- Transparent pricing plus Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty on every new Sorento we sell
- Kia-trained technicians, factory-scheduled maintenance, and genuine Kia parts
Dean McCrary Kia
Address7124 US Hwy 98, Hattiesburg, MS 39402
Sales(601) 544-4007
Sales HoursMon–Sat 8:30 AM–6:00 PM
Sources & Verification
This comparison pits the 2026 Kia Sorento against the fully redesigned 2026 Honda Passport. We pulled specs and pricing from manufacturer sources (kia.com, hondanews.com, automobiles.honda.com), along with Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds, current as of publication. Listed MSRP is base pricing only, before destination, taxes, title, and dealer fees; upgraded trims cost more. Horsepower, torque, towing, and payload figures are measured independently and won’t necessarily all peak at once. Keep in mind the Sorento seats up to seven across three rows while the redesigned Passport seats five across two — a real segment gap worth weighing alongside every spec above. IIHS ratings are provided for comparison only and can change as new model-year testing is released.
Honda, Passport, TrailSport, and Honda Sensing remain trademarks of Honda Motor Co.; mentions of Kia and Sorento are used solely for descriptive, side-by-side comparison. This page represents the dealership’s own viewpoint and is meant for general information only. Pricing and current offers can change without notice — reach out to Dean McCrary Kia to confirm today’s numbers.
Kia Sorento vs Honda Passport: A Hattiesburg, MS Comparison From Dean McCrary Kia
Seating up to seven across three rows, the 2026 Kia Sorento stands apart from the completely reworked 2026 Honda Passport, a two-row SUV limited to five seats — a real difference in vehicle class before specs even enter the picture. Within the areas where they do overlap, the Sorento holds the edge in warranty length (10-year/100,000-mile powertrain versus 5-year/60,000-mile), electrified availability (Hybrid and PHEV versus the Passport's V6-only lineup), and starting price (roughly $32,390 versus $44,750). In return, the Passport brings a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen, standard AWD, and a 5,000-lb tow rating. Both models carry an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating. Located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi — where I-59, US-49, US-98, and US-11 all converge — Dean McCrary Kia stocks the complete Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, and Sorento PHEV lineup, serving shoppers across Forrest, Lamar, Covington, and Perry counties, including Petal, Oak Grove, Purvis, and Columbia.