Compare the2026 Kia SorentoVS 2026 Nissan Murano

Both the Sorento and Murano have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Murano’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Sorento achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Nissan Murano has not been tested.

Both the Sorento and Murano have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sorento has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Murano’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Sorento and the Murano have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Sorento comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Murano’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Murano. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Murano ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 3 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

The Sorento EX/SX’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (281 vs. 241) and 51 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 260) than the Murano’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Sorento EX/SX 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Nissan Murano:

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the Murano:

The Sorento has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Murano. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sorento higher (6 out of 10) than the Nissan Murano (5). This means the Sorento produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Murano every 15,000 miles.

The Sorento offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Murano doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sorento stops much shorter than the Murano:

The Sorento EX/SX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Murano Platinum’s 50 series tires.

The Sorento has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Murano doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the Murano Platinum pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the Murano Platinum (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 500 pounds less than the Nissan Murano.

The Sorento LX/S/EX/SX is 3.3 inches shorter than the Murano, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sorento has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Murano can only carry 5.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sorento’s middle row seats recline. The Murano’s rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Sorento is .8 inches lower than the Murano (19” vs. 19.8”). The Sorento’s rear step up height is 1.6 inches lower than the Murano’s (19” vs. 20.6”).

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

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

The Sorento’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Murano’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Murano is only 1500 pounds. The Sorento offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sorento uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Murano doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Sorento’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Murano’s power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Sorento Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Murano doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Sorento is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Murano doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Kia Sorento retains 47.74% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 44.66% resale value of the 2025 Nissan Murano after five years, which can save the Kia’s owner up to $5676.8025 in depreciation.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sorento, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Nissan Murano by over five to one during 2024.