Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "" video.
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Good and fair review, Ryan. The Telluride is impressive in many ways. Ignoring the marketing hype about its suitability for rock climbing, river fording, and such, it's a very strong contender in its class. And it's clear that both KIA and Hyundai needed vehicles to compete in the larger midsize crossover market segment. The Sorento and the Santa Fe, each about 189 inches in length, are in the "tweener" class with vehicles like the Honda Passport among others and where all but the Sorento offer only two row seating.
I have to object, however, to your characterization of the third row of Sorento as being "too small for anything other than the tiniest of children." (0:30-0:35). The Sorento's third row is definitely an "occasional use" feature. In our family, it's stowed about 90% of the time. But when we need it, it easily accommodates a couple of teenagers or average size adults on a local trip. In fact, it does a better job of that than several of its larger competitors. Consider the third row headroom and legroom of the Sorento vs several rivals.
KIA Sorento: 36.3" HR; 31.7" LR; 189" Length
Mazda CX-9: 35.4" HR; 29.7" LR; 199" Length
Honda Pilot: 38.9" HR; 31.9" LR; 196.5" Length
Toyota Highlander (2020 w/o sunroof): 35.9" HR; 27.7" LR; 192.5" Length
Subaru Ascent: 36.3" HR; 31.7" LR; 196.8" Length
Ford Explorer (2020): 38.9" HR; 32.2" LR; 199" Length
KIA Telluride: 38.1" HR; 31.4" LR; 196.9" Length.
As the actual specs indicate, the Sorento offers a surprisingly accommodating third row. More than the CX-9 that's 10" longer, more than the Highlander, and virtually identical to the Subaru Ascent that is nearly 8" greater in overall length. Most surprisingly, it has a tiny bit more legroom in the third row than the Telluride! If the Sorento's third row is suitable only for "the tiniest of children," what does that say about practically every other three row midsize crossover?
I wouldn't claim the Sorento is an ideal vehicle for six or more passengers on a trip with luggage/gear. (That's a minivan's mission statement.) Given its smaller size than other "midsize" SUV's, it sacrifices cargo space behind the third row (11 cubic feet) to accommodate third row passengers. And the fact that access to the third row is available only from the passenger side is a weakness justified by KIA as a "safety feature." But for chauffeuring a gaggle of teenagers around town or transportation to an event for 6 or 7 average size teens or adults when a second vehicle would otherwise be required, it's more than adequate.
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