Yes, if you’re shopping on value. Warranty coverage tilts heavily toward Kia (10-year/100,000-mile powertrain protection versus Toyota’s 5-year/60,000-mile), a 12.3-inch touchscreen comes standard across every trim, and pricing starts roughly $4,660 below the RAV4. Toyota fires back with segment-leading hybrid fuel economy and a broader hybrid/PHEV lineup. If efficiency tops your list, the RAV4 deserves a look. If warranty, standard tech, and price matter more, the Sportage takes the win. Check out current Sportage inventory here.

This category belongs to the RAV4. Since every 2026 RAV4 runs hybrid power, output ranges from 226 hp in FWD form up to 236 hp with AWD, and the Plug-in Hybrid variant reaches 324 hp combined. By comparison, the Kia Sportage’s standard 2.5L engine delivers 187 hp and 178 lb-ft. Shoppers wanting to match or exceed that figure can move to the separate Sportage Hybrid or PHEV, both of which keep the same value pricing and extended warranty as the rest of the lineup.

It doesn’t anymore. For 2026, Toyota discontinued every non-hybrid RAV4 powertrain, leaving hybrid and plug-in hybrid as the only options — and that shift raised the starting price. Kia, meanwhile, keeps things simple with a standard 2.5L gas engine on the Sportage at a lower entry point, reserving Hybrid and PHEV variants elsewhere in the lineup for buyers who want an electrified option.

Considerably so. An LX Sportage starts at an estimated $28,690 MSRP, while a base RAV4 LE Hybrid starts at $33,350 (neither figure includes destination) — a gap of roughly $4,660. On top of that, every Sportage trim includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen standard, whereas Toyota saves its larger 12.9-inch screen exclusively for top-tier trims.

There’s a substantial gap: Kia covers the Sportage for 10 years / 100,000 miles on the powertrain and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the limited warranty, while Toyota’s RAV4 gets 5 years / 60,000 miles powertrain and just 3 years / 36,000 miles limited (though Toyota does extend hybrid components to 8 years/100,000 miles, with the hybrid battery covered for 10 years/150,000 miles). That longer core powertrain coverage comes standard on every new Sportage at Dean McCrary Kia.

Fuel efficiency is the RAV4’s clear strength — running hybrid-only, it earns an EPA estimate as high as 48 MPG in the city, well ahead of the Sportage’s gas engine at roughly 26-28 MPG combined. Toyota backs that up with a longer hybrid-battery warranty (10yr/150k miles) and solid resale value. For buyers prioritizing hybrid-only efficiency, the RAV4 comes through — though the separate Sportage Hybrid or PHEV can match that efficiency for Kia shoppers, typically at a lower price than an equivalent RAV4.

You’ll find the full Sportage lineup at Dean McCrary Kia, 7124 US Hwy 98 in Hattiesburg — right where I-59, US-49, US-98, and US-11 all meet, easy to reach from Petal, Oak Grove, Purvis, Columbia, and the rest of the Pine Belt. Stop by and take one for a drive to see the difference yourself.