Kia Sorento vs Hyundai Santa Fe: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
The 2025 Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe tie on EPA's best combined rating at 36 mpg.
Kia Sorento
36mpg
Best 2025 version: 1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual
Hyundai Santa Fe
36mpg
Best 2025 version: 1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2025 Sorento and 5 recalls for the Santa Fe.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | Sorento | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 36 mpg 1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual | 36 mpg 1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 26 mpg (clearly better) | 24 mpg |
Hybrid or plug-in available | Hybrid and plug-in 36 mpg; plug-in 74 MPGe | Hybrid 36 mpg |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $1,800 | $1,800 |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Saves $2,500 | Saves $2,500 |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 4 | 5 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 127 | 223 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars (clearly better) | 4 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | 15.9% (clearly better) | 17.4% to 18.5% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2016. The Sorento rated higher in 6 of the 11 years both were sold, and they tied in the other 5.
- Kia Sorento
- Hyundai Santa Fe
2025: Kia Sorento 36 mpg · Hyundai Santa Fe 36 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Kia Sorento | Hyundai Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 24 | 23 |
| 2017 | 24 | 24 |
| 2018 | 24 | 24 |
| 2019 | 25 | 25 |
| 2020 | 25 | 25 |
| 2021 | 37 | 34 |
| 2022 | 37 | 34 |
| 2023 | 37 | 34 |
| 2024 | 37 | 36 |
| 2025 | 36 | 36 |
| 2026 | 37 | 36 |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Kia Sorento (left bar)
- Hyundai Santa Fe (right bar)
2026: Kia Sorento 2 recalls · Hyundai Santa Fe 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Kia Sorento | Hyundai Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 | 3 |
| 2017 | 4 | 7 |
| 2018 | 3 | 5 |
| 2019 | 2 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 | 2 |
| 2021 | 5 | 8 |
| 2022 | 9 | 8 |
| 2023 | 4 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 | 7 |
| 2025 | 4 | 5 |
| 2026 | 2 | 4 |
More on each model
- 2025 Kia Sorento MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Kia Sorento by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Hyundai Santa Fe by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
How do they compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 Sorento is rated 5 stars overall and the Santa Fe 4 stars. Rollover risk is 15.9% for the Sorento and 17.4% to 18.5% for the Santa Fe.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.