Are you looking for an affordable compact SUV that’s easy to maneuver and seats five? Then allow us to introduce you to two of today’s best options: the 2024 Kia Sportage and the Toyota RAV4.
Each model is extremely popular due to its affordable price, available all-wheel drive (AWD), spacious interior, and a long list of available convenience and safety features.
There are only a few updates for the Sportage for the 2024 model year. LED projector headlights and second-row seat-mounted airbags are now standard. The RAV4 now offers a two-tone Army Green/Ice Edge color combination for the outdoor Adventure and TRD Off-Road variants.
Let’s take a closer look at the highlights of the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4.
2024 Kia Sportage
The 2024 Kia Sportage is available in seven trim levels and has a starting price of $28,565, including factory-to-dealer shipping costs. A 187-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine powers every Sportage through an 8-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard; AWD is optional. Standard features include an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, remote keyless entry and a digital instrument display.
Kia Sportage highlights
Excellent Guarantee: A key selling point of the Sportage is its outstanding 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. That far exceeds what the RAV4 offers.
Dual-screen infotainment display: All trim levels except the base Sportage LX come with an attractive dual-screen display consisting of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Kia Drive Wise: This driver assistance package is standard and consists of automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, driver attention monitor and automatic high beams.
Cargo space: Not many compact SUVs can boast more cargo space than the spacious RAV4. But the Kia Sportage barely manages this feat thanks to its 39.6 cubic feet of space.
Check out this week’s fair purchase price or view Sportage models near you.
2024 Toyota RAV4
For the 2024 model year, the Toyota RAV4 is available in six trim levels: LE, XLE, XLE Premium, Adventure, Limited and TRD Off-Road. Prices start at $30,025, including shipping. Take a look inside the engine bay and you’ll find a fuel-efficient 203-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder with an 8-speed automatic transmission. As with the Kia Sportage, front-wheel drive is standard, all-wheel drive is optional. This generation of RAV4 was introduced for the 2019 model year.
Highlights of the Toyota RAV4
Reliability and resale value: These are two reasons why SUV buyers keep coming back to the RAV4. This Toyota SUV’s excellent reliability and resale value make it a financially responsible choice.
Driving aids: Toyota counters the Kia Sportage with its own long list of driver assistance systems. Standard technologies include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beams.
Adventurous TRD model: Starting at around $39,000, the RAV4 TRD Off-Road is perfect for SUV buyers who enjoy getting outdoors. It has all-wheel drive, a more robust suspension, all-terrain tires, underbody protection and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Check out this week’s fair purchase price or view RAV4 models near you.
similarities
They’re efficient, comfortable, spacious and not unwieldy if you regularly have to squeeze into tight parking spaces. The Kia Sportage and the Toyota RAV4 are as coordinated as possible in the land of compact SUVs.
Diploma
To be clear, the Toyota RAV4 is one of the smartest and most hassle-free options when it comes to choosing a new vehicle. There’s a reason the RAV4 is currently the best-selling SUV in the United States – in fact, there are many good reasons.
However, this generation has been around for a while and certain things, such as the overall interior design, seem overdue for an update. The Kia Sportage may have a more polarizing design, but the fact that Kia relaunched this model last year makes it look and feel more modern.
Take a test drive and evaluate both; You can’t make a wrong choice here.
| 2024 Kia Sportage | 2024 Toyota RAV4 | |
| Starting price | $28,565 | $30,025 |
| Popular powertrains | ||
| engine | 2.5 liter 4 cylinder | 2.5 liter 4 cylinder |
| Horsepower | 187 hp at 6,100 rpm | 203 hp at 6,600 rpm |
| Torque | 178 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm | 184 lb-ft at 5,000 rpm |
| transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Fuel consumption MPG | 25 city/33 highway/28 combined | 27 city/35 highway/30 combined |
| Also available | all wheel drive | all wheel drive |
| Specifications | ||
| Basic guarantee | 5 years/60,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Total Safety | 5 Stars | 5 Stars |
| Maximum seating capacity | 5 | 5 |
| wheelbase | 108.5 inches | 105.9 inches |
| overall length | 183.5 inches | 180.9 inches |
| Width | 73.4 inches | 73.0 inches |
| Height | 65.4 inches | 67.0 inches |
| turning diameter | 38.6 feet | 36.1 feet |
| Front headroom | 39.6 inches | 37.7 inches |
| Headroom, rear | 39.4 inches | 39.5 inches |
| Front legroom | 41.4 inches | 41.0 inches |
| Rear legroom | 41.3 inches | 37.8 inches |
| Shoulder room at the front | 57.5 inches | 57.5 inches |
| Shoulder room at the back | 55.6 inches | 56.4 inches |
| Freight volume | 39.6 cubic feet | 37.6 cubic feet |