Toyota Kluger vs Kia Sorento

The Sorento S Diesel is $54,380 against the Kluger GX Hybrid's $62,410, an $8,030 saving up front for the Kia, both well-equipped, all-wheel-drive, seven-seat family SUVs.

Running costs are close and both excellent for the size. The Kluger's petrol hybrid sips 5.6L/100km (about $1,595 a year over 15,000km at $1.90/L), while the Sorento's efficient diesel uses 6.0L/100km (around $1,710 a year at $1.90/L for diesel). The Kluger has a slight edge on fuel, but the Sorento's lower purchase price and longer 7-year warranty (versus Toyota's 5) tilt total cost of ownership in its favour, though Toyota's stronger resale narrows that gap.

Both are 5-star ANCAP (2021) with the full active-safety suite, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise and rear cross-traffic alert, standard. Both are large, sturdy family SUVs with ISOFIX points across the second row. There's nothing to separate them on everyday safety.

Both are genuine seven-seaters with usable third rows, the Kluger the larger car overall at 4,966mm versus the Sorento's 4,815mm, which translates to a little more third-row and boot space. Both offer the kind of family-friendly packaging, multiple USB points, big door bins, flexible seating, that these vehicles live or die by.

The Sorento's cabin feels a touch more modern and richly equipped at the price, reflecting Kia's recent interior gains, while the Kluger's is more conservative but solidly built and easy to use. Both make sensible, durable family haulers; the choice is more about powertrain and price than cabin quality.

Two different philosophies. The Kluger's 2.5-litre petrol hybrid makes 184kW and is the more powerful and efficient, returning a remarkable 5.6L/100km for a big seven-seater, ideal for buyers who do lots of suburban and city driving where the hybrid shines. The Sorento's 2.2-litre turbo-diesel makes 148kW but a much stronger 440Nm, the kind of low-down torque that makes light work of a full load of family and gear, or a 2,000kg trailer.

Both are all-wheel drive and both tow the same 2,000kg, but they feel different doing it: the Sorento's diesel torque is more relaxed under load and on long highway hauls, while the Kluger is smoother and quieter around town and cheaper to run in stop-start traffic. If you tow or do big country miles, the diesel Sorento suits; if you mostly do city and suburban running, the hybrid Kluger is in its element.