Honda CR-V vs Kia Sorento: Which Used Buy Wins?

As used buys (August 2026), the Honda CR-V typically lists for $32,039 against $33,996 for the Kia Sorento (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Honda CR-V takes fuel economy (28 MPG combined vs 23 MPG); the Honda CR-V leads on NCAP safety (4.9★ vs 4.6★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the LX at $28,898 vs the LX at $25,648; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.

Verdict: for most used-car buyers the Honda CR-V is the stronger pick right now — it wins 3 of the scored dimensions below (prices judged on the same model years, 2024–2026). Choose the Kia Sorento if you care most about fewer recalls per year.

Head to head

Typical used price (2024–2026)Honda CR-V
Honda CR-V$32,039
Kia Sorento$33,996
EPA combined (typical version)Honda CR-V
Honda CR-V28 MPG
Kia Sorento23 MPG
NCAP overall (avg of rated years)Honda CR-V
Honda CR-V4.9★
Kia Sorento4.6★
NHTSA recalls / model yearKia Sorento
Honda CR-V4.3
Kia Sorento4.1
For sale on VehiSales now
Honda CR-V21,401
Kia Sorento7,757

Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)

A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Honda CR-V LX ($28,898) faces the Kia Sorento LX ($25,648); the most common trims on the market are the EX-L (28.2% of Honda CR-V listings) and the S (36.1% of Kia Sorento listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,799) faces the EX; X-LINE EX ($35,500). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.

Honda CR-V Kia Sorento
TrimTypical priceShare TrimTypical priceShare
LXCheapest $28,898 9.7% LXCheapest $25,648 14.4%
EX $30,848 18.7% SMost popular $28,994 36.1%
SPORT $31,995 16.9% EX $29,500 16.2%
EX-LMost popular $32,974 28.2% SX/SX PRESTIGE $30,185 17.1%
SPORT-L $35,100 13.1% SX-P $33,400 6.9%
SPORT TOURINGPriciest $36,799 12.0% EX; X-LINE EXPriciest $35,500 9.4%
TRAILSPORT $38,992 1.4%

Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Honda CR-V prices · Kia Sorento prices.

Used price by model year

YearHonda CR-V typicalKia Sorento typicalDifferenceHonda CR-V MPGKia Sorento MPG
2026 $37,858 $36,208 Honda CR-V +$1,650 29–40 MPG 23–33 MPG
2025 $33,418 $33,996 Kia Sorento +$578 28–40 MPG 23–33 MPG
2024 $32,039 $28,255 Honda CR-V +$3,784 29–40 MPG 23–34 MPG
2023 $30,273 $28,753 Honda CR-V +$1,520 29–30 MPG 24–34 MPG
2022 $26,998 $24,585 Honda CR-V +$2,413 29–30 MPG 24–34 MPG
2021 $24,945 $21,583 Honda CR-V +$3,362 29–30 MPG 24–26 MPG
2020 $23,247 $15,495 Honda CR-V +$7,752 29–30 MPG 20–25 MPG
2019 $21,011 $13,986 Honda CR-V +$7,025 27–30 MPG 21–25 MPG
2018 $19,070 $12,249 Honda CR-V +$6,821 27–30 MPG 19–24 MPG
2017 $17,999 $11,693 Honda CR-V +$6,306 27–30 MPG 19–24 MPG
2016 $15,613 $9,995 Honda CR-V +$5,618 27–29 MPG 19–24 MPG
2015 $14,696 $8,294 Honda CR-V +$6,402 28–29 MPG 20–23 MPG
2014 $13,080 $7,989 Honda CR-V +$5,091 25–26 MPG 20–22 MPG
2013 $11,989 $6,995 Honda CR-V +$4,994 25–26 MPG 20–24 MPG
2012 $11,024 $5,998 Honda CR-V +$5,026 25–26 MPG 20–24 MPG
2011 $9,499 $5,995 Honda CR-V +$3,504 23–24 MPG 20–24 MPG

Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (August 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper to buy used — Honda CR-V or Kia Sorento?

Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Honda CR-V is cheaper: it typically lists for $32,039 versus $33,996 for the Kia Sorento (national medians, August 2026).

Which gets better fuel economy — Honda CR-V or Kia Sorento?

The Honda CR-V: its typical rated version returns 28 MPG combined versus 23 MPG for the Kia Sorento (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).

Which is safer — Honda CR-V or Kia Sorento?

By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Honda CR-V averages 4.9 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.6 for the Kia Sorento. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.

Which is more reliable — Honda CR-V or Kia Sorento?

NHTSA lists an average of 4.3 recalls per model year for the Honda CR-V and 4.1 for the Kia Sorento — an edge for the Kia Sorento. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.

Which trims should I actually compare?

Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Honda CR-V LX typically lists for $28,898 vs $25,648 for a Kia Sorento LX; the most common trims on the market are the EX-L ($32,974, 28.2% of Honda CR-V listings) and the S ($28,994, 36.1% of Kia Sorento listings); at the top of the market, the SPORT TOURING ($36,799) faces the EX; X-LINE EX ($35,500). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.

About this data: prices and availability are national aggregates of live VehiSales inventory (August 2026), refreshed daily. Fuel economy: U.S. EPA/DOE (fueleconomy.gov). Safety & recalls: NHTSA. How to cite: “VehiSales Research, Honda CR-V vs Kia Sorento” with a link to https://vehisales.com/research/compare/honda/cr-v/vs/kia/sorento.

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See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.

© 2026 VehiSales · Data from live US vehicle listings · Methodology · Editorial policy · About · Press: cite as “VehiSales Used Car Price Index” with a link to this page.