The Honda Passport has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sorento doesn't offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport's side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Sorento's side airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Passport. But it costs extra on the Sorento.

The Honda Passport's Multi-View Camera System offers available integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Kia Sorento lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.

Both the Passport and the Sorento have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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 and available around view monitors.

The Passport's 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sorento runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are over 34 percent more Honda dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Passport's warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Passport's reliability 53 points higher than the Sorento.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Passport second among midsize suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Sorento isn't in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports' March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 9th.

The Passport's 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 94 more horsepower (285 vs. 191) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 181) than the Sorento LX/S' standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Passport's 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 4 more horsepower (285 vs. 281) than the Sorento EX/SX's standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine's cylinders helps improve the Passport's fuel efficiency. The Sorento doesn't offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Passport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it's removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sorento doesn't offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Passport higher (7 out of 10) than the Kia Sorento (6). This means the Passport produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Sorento every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Sorento.

For better stopping power the Passport's brake rotors are larger than those on the Sorento:

The Passport stops shorter than the Sorento:

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Sorento (265/60R18 vs. 235/65R17). The Passport TrailSport's tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sorento (275/60R18 vs. 255/45R20).

The Passport's tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento LX's standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Passport has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sorento LX.

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle's integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Sorento doesn't offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Passport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn't interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn't available on the Sorento; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport's wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer than on the Sorento (113.6 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 3.3 inches wider in the front and 3.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Sorento.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Passport uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Sorento doesn't offer active grille shutters.

The Passport has 13.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento (119.1 vs. 105.3).

The Passport has .2 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front hip room, 2.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 2.3 inches more rear hip room and 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sorento.

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Sorento with its rear seat up (44 vs. 12.6 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Sorento with its rear seat folded (83.8 vs. 75.5 cubic feet).

The Passport's standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sorento's (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 41% lower rating, Kia is ranked 27th.

The Passport's front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sorento's standard passenger windows don't open or close automatically.

The Passport's standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn't have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Sorento's standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don't exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Passport's headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Sorento's headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Passport's standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sorento offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don't dim.

The Passport has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won't have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Sorento S/EX/SX.

The Honda Passport has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Kia charges extra for Homelink® on the Sorento.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Passport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Sorento S/EX/SX offers wireless charging.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Honda Passport retains 54.21% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 47.74% resale value of the 2025 Kia Sorento after five years, which can save the Honda's owner.

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