2021 Kia Sorento
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Features We Love
  • Car Seat Flexibility: Every seat in the second and third row has lower anchors + tether anchors, which is rare.
  • Premium Interior at a Great Price: Clean design, great materials, and a layout that feels closer to luxury than budget.
  • Spacious Second Row + Easy Third Row Access: The second row has impressive legroom and comfort, plus one-touch slide access to the third row.
Car Mom Review

The Exterior

The Sorento’s redesign gives it a bold, athletic look that feels fresh and modern. I especially love the honeycomb grille and the heavy use of high-gloss black accents instead of chrome—it gives the car a sporty, cohesive vibe.

LED headlights come standard (huge win), improving both visibility and overall styling. It definitely carries some Kia family DNA from the Telluride, but still feels like its own vehicle.

The back end? Not my personal favorite—it leans a little aggressive with sharp angles—but bonus points for the hidden rear wiper, which keeps things looking clean and streamlined.

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First Row

Interior: Budget-Friendly Price, Luxury Feel

This is where the Sorento really surprised me.

The interior feels way more premium than its price point. Between the contrast stitching, unique air vent design, and thoughtful finishes, it honestly gives off luxury vibes.

Standout features:

  • Wireless Apple CarPlay
  • Wireless charging
  • Heated seats
  • Quiet Mode (GENIUS for moms—audio only plays in the front seats)
  • “Sounds of Nature” ambient audio

A couple drawbacks:

  • The 8-inch screen feels a bit small
  • Door storage is shallow
  • Headrests are bulky and not adjustable in tilt

But overall? Super impressed.

Second Row

Second Row: Comfort + Space Win

The second row is a win.

  • Plenty of legroom (even with a tall driver)
  • Sliding seats for flexible space
  • Well-placed cupholders (not on the floor)
  • Multiple USB ports (a must for families)

What’s missing?

  • No sunshades
  • No heated second-row seats

Still, for everyday family use, this row is comfortable, practical, and well-designed.

Third Row

Third Row: Usable… with Limitations

The third row is where you’ll notice the Sorento’s smaller size.

Pros:

  • Legit legroom (better than expected!)
  • Easy access with one-touch slide
  • Two actual seats (not a cramped middle seat situation 🙌)

Cons:

  • Elevated floor = knees-up seating position
  • Limited headroom for adults
  • No ceiling vents (big miss for kids in back)

Best use case?
Occasional passengers or older kids—not everyday third-row duty.

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Trunk

Cargo Space: The Trade-Off

Here’s the reality: you can’t have it all in a smaller SUV.

  • Third row up → very limited cargo space
  • Third row down → great storage (fits a double stroller easily!)

If you regularly need:

  • 3 rows and big cargo space → this may feel tight
  • 2 rows + occasional third row → perfect fit

Safety

Safety: Strong, with a Caveat

The Sorento comes loaded with advanced safety tech (which Kia does incredibly well).

Ratings:

  • IIHS: Top Safety Pick
  • NHTSA: 4 stars overall

While there’s a slight discrepancy, it still lands as a safe and solid choice for families.

Car Seat Setup

Car Seat Setup: Major Flexibility

This is where the Sorento really shines.

With captain’s chairs, you get:

  • 6-passenger seating
  • Lower anchors + tether anchors in every seat (second AND third row)

That means:

  • Easy installs
  • Tons of flexibility
  • Real options for growing families

In testing:

  • Rear-facing behind a tall driver?  Plenty of space
  • Forward-facing + third-row access?  Totally doable

For a “smaller” three-row SUV, this is seriously impressive.

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Community Reviews

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3.9 / 5

32 Reviews

Exterior Styling
3.2
Performance
4.1
Technology
4.5
Interior Design
3.8
Second Row Comfort
4.5
Third Row Comfort
3.6
Reliability Score
4.6 /5
82%
Would
purchase
again
12 Reviews with 3+ years of ownership
Kids
=
2 Kids
filters
Year

Madison Rauscher

Mom of
1
1
July 9, 2026
4.3
stars
Owned
2022
Kia
Sorento

I love the look and set up of this car for 1 kid (2 would be ok). It has a great exterior color and the mixed colors inside make it look pretty high end. It has all of the bells and whistles and a moon roof that make it feel super spacious. I have the captains chairs which also add an element of comfort and style. It's a plug-in hybrid with 32 miles EV so it's perfect for around town and potentially to and from work commutes. I like that it stays EV mode until the battery is depleted so there are periods of time where I don't use gas for days My only complaint would be that we've had some issues with the hybrid system transitioning out of EV and with air conditioning; both within the first two years. It is preowned, but still thought these things wouldn't pop up so fast. Thankfully it's under warranty. You do have to pick either 3rd row or trunk space but that works well for us. The third row leg space is tight but comfortable enough for adults to be back there for like a 30-60 minute ride. I'm holding out hope the issues are behind us would overall recommend it for a small family that wants luxury feel on a budget.

Exterior Styling
5.0
Performance
3.0
Technology
5.0
Interior Design
5.0
Second Row Comfort
5.0
Third Row Comfort
2.5
show more less

Beth Costantino

Mom of
2
2
July 9, 2026
4.3
stars
Owned
2025
Kia
Sorento

This is a fantastic car! With two children, we often drive with the third row down. It was purchased to maximize storage space and avoid continuing to rent larger cars for road trips. It fits everything for two small kids including a side-by-side double stroller, travel high chair, and two inflatable toddler beds! We also occasionally have 1-2 additional passengers, or have one of us ride third row to keep the kids entertained/awake. While the third row isn't the place most want to be, it easily holds adults or larger (Britax One4Life) car seats as needed. The captains chairs and 2 seat 3rd row make this a perfect 6 seat car with every seat having enough room to make it work (no American Girl doll middle seats!). Ours is the PHEV model, which is great for going around town and school drop offs on solely EV. On the road, the hybrid option gives us amazing mileage and we couldn't be happier! Importantly, we wanted a larger car but needed it to fit in our small garage. This model checked all of our boxes and is a good combo of enough technology without being overwhelming. I would recommend this car over and over for anyone that asks!

Exterior Styling
4.5
Performance
4.0
Technology
4.5
Interior Design
4.5
Second Row Comfort
5.0
Third Row Comfort
3.0
show more less

Larisa Boehm

Mom of
2
2
July 9, 2026
3.6
stars
Owned
2023
Kia
Sorento

The gas mileage is good and second row legroom works well for us. There’s not enough usable cupholders in the front when my husband and I are both in the car. I use the second row cupholders in the door every day while loading the kids. There is essentially no cargo space with the third row up. I don’t feel comfortable with a passenger in the third row with how close their head is to the back glass. With the third row down, there is great cargo space; it fits my Wonderfold W2 with wheels on.

Exterior Styling
4.0
Performance
4.0
Technology
5.0
Interior Design
3.5
Second Row Comfort
4.0
show more less

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Overall Rating
4.0
Exterior Styling
3.2
Performance
3.2
Technology
3.2
Interior Design
3.2
Second Row Comfort
3.2
Third Row Comfort
3.2
Kids
=
2 Kids
filters
Year

Madison Rauscher

Mom of
1
1
July 9, 2026
4.3
stars
Owned
2022
Kia
Sorento

I love the look and set up of this car for 1 kid (2 would be ok). It has a great exterior color and the mixed colors inside make it look pretty high end. It has all of the bells and whistles and a moon roof that make it feel super spacious. I have the captains chairs which also add an element of comfort and style. It's a plug-in hybrid with 32 miles EV so it's perfect for around town and potentially to and from work commutes. I like that it stays EV mode until the battery is depleted so there are periods of time where I don't use gas for days My only complaint would be that we've had some issues with the hybrid system transitioning out of EV and with air conditioning; both within the first two years. It is preowned, but still thought these things wouldn't pop up so fast. Thankfully it's under warranty. You do have to pick either 3rd row or trunk space but that works well for us. The third row leg space is tight but comfortable enough for adults to be back there for like a 30-60 minute ride. I'm holding out hope the issues are behind us would overall recommend it for a small family that wants luxury feel on a budget.

Exterior Styling
5.0
Performance
3.0
Technology
5.0
Interior Design
5.0
Second Row Comfort
5.0
Third Row Comfort
2.5
show more less

Beth Costantino

Mom of
2
2
July 9, 2026
4.3
stars
Owned
2025
Kia
Sorento

This is a fantastic car! With two children, we often drive with the third row down. It was purchased to maximize storage space and avoid continuing to rent larger cars for road trips. It fits everything for two small kids including a side-by-side double stroller, travel high chair, and two inflatable toddler beds! We also occasionally have 1-2 additional passengers, or have one of us ride third row to keep the kids entertained/awake. While the third row isn't the place most want to be, it easily holds adults or larger (Britax One4Life) car seats as needed. The captains chairs and 2 seat 3rd row make this a perfect 6 seat car with every seat having enough room to make it work (no American Girl doll middle seats!). Ours is the PHEV model, which is great for going around town and school drop offs on solely EV. On the road, the hybrid option gives us amazing mileage and we couldn't be happier! Importantly, we wanted a larger car but needed it to fit in our small garage. This model checked all of our boxes and is a good combo of enough technology without being overwhelming. I would recommend this car over and over for anyone that asks!

Exterior Styling
4.5
Performance
4.0
Technology
4.5
Interior Design
4.5
Second Row Comfort
5.0
Third Row Comfort
3.0
show more less

Larisa Boehm

Mom of
2
2
July 9, 2026
3.6
stars
Owned
2023
Kia
Sorento

The gas mileage is good and second row legroom works well for us. There’s not enough usable cupholders in the front when my husband and I are both in the car. I use the second row cupholders in the door every day while loading the kids. There is essentially no cargo space with the third row up. I don’t feel comfortable with a passenger in the third row with how close their head is to the back glass. With the third row down, there is great cargo space; it fits my Wonderfold W2 with wheels on.

Exterior Styling
4.0
Performance
4.0
Technology
5.0
Interior Design
3.5
Second Row Comfort
4.0
show more less

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