5 Small Family Automobiles With Increased Ratings Than The Kia Sportage

When looking for a household automotive, you must contemplate a mannequin with consolation, seating capability, cargo area, reliability, and security. One mannequin that ought to undoubtedly be in your radar is the Kia Sportage as a result of specialists throughout totally different websites have featured it on their advice lists. The 2026 Kia Sportage has been effectively acquired, with specialists giving it strong rankings of their hands-on testing. 

For instance, the staff of specialists at U.S. News rated the mannequin 8.9 out of 10 and ranked it third general among the many aggressive compact SUV section. Car and Driver rated the Kia Sportage 8 out of 10 and has shortlisted it as one of many best compact SUV models that you could purchase. The staff at Consumer Reports was additionally impressed with the Kia Sportage, with a few of its variants incomes a advice.

Users have additionally rated the Kia Sportage effectively — it earned a Consumer Rating of 81 out of 100, based on J.D. Power. But regardless of the Kia Sportage’s spectacular scores, some fashions have confirmed to be higher by incomes larger scores. To spherical out this listing of automobiles with higher rankings than the Kia Sportage, we have relied on scores from 5 totally different websites: iSeeCars, Car and Driver, U.S. News, Consumer Reports (CR), and J.D. Power.

The 2026 Subaru Outback options up to date styling, adopting a boxy design that makes it look extra like an SUV than a station wagon. Subaru’s controversial Outback styling apart, totally different specialists have reviewed the 2026 Subaru Outback, and it stood tall in opposition to the Kia Sportage, incomes larger scores on all our reference websites. In Car and Driver’s test, the 2026 Outback was awarded 8.5 out of 10, 0.5 factors larger than the Sportage. Similarly, the Outback scored larger in iSeeCars’ Family Car Score, which elements in reliability, security, and different family-friendly options. It scored 8.5 out of 10 and was topped the most effective small household SUV by the location.

Expert reviewers at U.S. News additionally rated the Subaru Outback larger than the Sportage of their testing. The Outback scored 9.3 out of 10 general (the Sportage was awarded 8.9 out of 10), indicating it is a barely higher mannequin. CR individually buys automobiles and critiques them, and for the 2026 Subaru Outback, the staff was way more impressed with the Subaru than the Sportage.

The Outback earned a powerful general CR rating, larger than all of the variants of the Kia Sportage, and was ranked as the most effective midsize SUV mannequin by the location. J.D. Power’s Consumer Rating additionally reveals customers rank the Outback larger than the Kia, because it scored 83 out of 100 vs. 81. The 2026 Subaru Outback has a beginning sticker worth of $36,445 and tops out at $49,445 with none additional choices.

The second different to the Kia Sportage value contemplating due to its rankings is the Honda CR-V, considered one of the best-selling SUVs of 2026 so far. Like the Subaru Outback, the 2026 Honda CR-V additionally has higher rankings than the Kia Sportage. According to specialists at Car and Driver, the 2026 Honda CR-V is the right compact SUV you may get, because it earned a ten out of 10 within the staff’s hands-on assessment. While U.S. News did not give it the identical excellent rating, it scored a strong 9.0 out of 10, barely higher than the Kia Sportage, which obtained 8.9 out of 10. 

Ratings from different reference websites additionally corroborated Car and Driver and U.S. News, giving the CR-V larger scores than the Sportage. In iSeeCars’ rankings, the CR-V emerged because the second-best small household SUV, with a household rating of 8.5 out of 10. The CR-V additionally scored larger than the Kia Sportage in Consumer Reports’ testing.

Consumers additionally rated the CR-V extremely, giving it 82 out of 100 in J.D. Power’s Consumer Ratings, a degree larger than the Sportage’s rating. The 2026 Honda CR-V begins at $32,470 and comes with a 190-hp 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a constantly variable computerized transmission (CVT), which may be configured with front- or all-wheel drive.

Hyundai’s Tucson additionally obtained larger rankings than the Kia Sportage. In reality, it beat the Kia Sportage in rankings on virtually all of our reference websites. However, on some websites, the 2 fashions had been neck and neck, scoring equally. For instance, in J.D. Power’s Consumer Ratings, that are primarily based on critiques from precise house owners, the Tucson scored 81 out of 100, much like the Kia Sportage. Similarly, in Car and Driver’s test, each the Hyundai and Kia scored 8 out of 10. However, different assessment websites rated the Tucson larger. 

CR examined the non-hybrid Tucson and gave it the next general rating than the gas-only Kia Sportage. However, the hybrid Tucson and Sportage had comparable scores. iSeeCars’ rankings additionally ranked the Tucson larger, giving it an 8.3 out of 10, 0.3 factors larger than the Sportage. However, each fashions had been shortlisted among the many web site’s compilation of the most effective small household SUVs. U.S. News gave the Tucson 9.3 out of 10, larger than the Kia Sportage’s general rating of 8.9.

The 2026 Hyundai Tucson is offered with a hybrid and non-hybrid powertrain. You can get it with an all-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive choice, with the precise engine that you simply get relying on the variant you choose. The non-hybrid affords a 187-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder, whereas the hybrid has a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with a mixed output of 231 hp or 268 hp. The mannequin has a beginning sticker worth of $31,300.

Another mannequin value contemplating if you happen to want a automotive with higher rankings than the Kia Sportage is the 2026 Subaru Forester. The 2026 Forester ranks among the many greatest in its class, and totally different websites have discovered it to be higher than the Kia Sportage. Starting with Consumer Reports, the staff’s assessment of the 2026 Forester gave it a strong general rating for each the hybrid and non-hybrid variants. In reality, each Forester fashions scored larger than all Kia Sportage variants, together with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and gas-only fashions.

iSeeCars additionally gave the Subaru the next rating of 8.3 out of 10, which is barely higher than the Sportage’s rating of 8.0. Similarly, based on critiques from customers in the actual international stage, the Forester is a greater automotive. According to J.D. Power’s Consumer Rating, the Forester scored 84 out of 100, three factors larger than Kia’s mannequin. However, some specialists did discover the Forester to be a bit inferior to the Kia, with each Car and Driver and U.S. News ranking the Sportage larger, though it wasn’t by an enormous margin.

In Car and Driver’s assessment, it is a blended bag — the non-hybrid Forester acquired 0.5 factors much less, and the hybrid one scored 0.5 factors larger. For U.S. News, the Forester was rated 8.6 out of 10, 0.3 factors lower than the Kia. The 2026 Subaru Forester comes with commonplace all-wheel drive, a 180-hp 2.5-liter flat-four engine with a CVT. It has a beginning sticker worth of $31,445.

The Toyota RAV4 is a fairly robust different to the Kia Sportage if you would like a small SUV for your loved ones. According to specialists at CR, the 2026 RAV4 is healthier general than the Sportage. The RAV4 carried out effectively in CR’s assessment, incomes the next rating than the Kia Sportage and in addition standing tall amongst different fashions within the compact SUV class by getting the very best rating. The RAV4 carried out higher in particular person classes as effectively, incomes larger scores in predicted proprietor satisfaction in addition to the highway take a look at.

It additionally scored larger in predicted reliability, which is not shocking, because the RAV4 is considered one of Toyota’s most reliable SUVs. Car and Driver’s staff additionally rated the RAV4 larger than the Kia Sportage, giving it an general ranking of 8.5 out of 10 vs. 8.0. Owners of the RAV4 have additionally appreciated it significantly better than those that obtained the Kia Sportage. According to J.D. Power’s Toyota RAV4 Consumer Ratings, it scored 85 out of 100, 4 factors larger than the Kia Sportage.

It’s solely in U.S. News critiques and iSeeCars’ rankings that the RAV4 scored decrease than the Sportage. U.S. News rated the RAV4 with an general rating of 8.3 out of 10, 0.6 factors decrease than the Kia Sportage. Per iSeeCars, the Kia Sportage narrowly beat the RAV4 by incomes a Family Car Score of 8.0 out of 10, simply 0.1 factors larger. The 2026 RAV4 affords hybrid-only powertrains and begins at an MSRP of $33,495.