Kelley Blue Book’s cheapest mid-size SUVs list, as of October 2026, ranks the 2026 Kia Sorento second at an expert rating of 4.7 for a starting price of $33,885. Two pricier three-row rivals land well below it: the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder at 4.1 and $39,045 sits sixth, and the 2027 Chevrolet Traverse at 4.1 and $42,795 sits fifteenth.
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Put simply, the least expensive of the three is also the best rated by a margin of six tenths of a point. The Pathfinder costs $5,160 more than the Sorento and the Traverse costs $8,910 more, and neither buys a higher score on KBB’s scale. The gap says something about how the rating weighs value, warranty and cabin design against raw size and power.
Kia Sorento: the value case in numbers
Reviewer Eric Brandt calls the Sorento, on its KBB vehicle page, one of the best values among midsize three-row SUVs. It seats seven as standard, and turbocharged versions swap in second-row captain’s chairs that cut capacity to six. KBB records a 5-year, 60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, which it describes as tied for the longest coverage with the Hyundai Santa Fe and Mitsubishi Outlander.
The page lists the base LX at $33,885, against a KBB Fair Purchase Price of $33,100, and the top X-Pro SX Prestige at $49,285. Front-drive gasoline versions are rated up to 26 mpg combined, with all-wheel drive at 25 and the turbo engine at 23. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions exist but start higher. KBB lists tight cargo room behind the third row as the main drawback, and Brandt advises reserving the rearmost seats for children. The page also shows a conflicting FAQ starting price of $33,635, so the list figure is the one used here.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the Sorento its Top Safety Pick+ award, but only for 2026 vehicles built after September 2025. IIHS says earlier builds of the 2025 model drew a Marginal result in the updated moderate overlap front test because of rear-passenger restraints.
Nissan Pathfinder: more power, lower score
KBB’s Pathfinder page rates it 4.1 and gives a starting price of $39,045 for the S, rising to $50,945 for the Platinum. Its 3.5-liter V6 is the only engine, and KBB credits it with towing up to 6,000 pounds, an easy-access third row and strong safety scores. The 2026 refresh adds a standard 12.3-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Fuel economy is the weak point: 23 mpg combined for most trims, 22 for the Platinum and 21 for the Rock Creek.
Brandt’s verdict is blunt, describing the Pathfinder as a tool that gets the job done, and he notes that the third row is tight for adults and that cargo space runs slightly below average for the class. KBB’s listed cons are interiors that rivals beat and the single-engine lineup.
On crash testing the Nissan keeps pace with the Kia. IIHS lists the 2026 Pathfinder as a Top Safety Pick+ winner, with Good results in the small overlap, updated moderate overlap and updated side tests, so the rating gap comes from KBB’s other categories and not from crash performance.
Chevrolet Traverse: roomy and expensive
The 2027 Traverse is the most expensive of the three at $42,795 for the LT, and KBB’s range runs to $58,095 for the High Country. Robert Duffer, the reviewer, calls it one of the roomiest midsize three-row SUVs and credits about 23 cubic feet behind the third row, compared with roughly 18 cubic feet typical of rivals. It seats up to eight, and the base LT includes a 17.7-inch touchscreen.
A 328-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder replaced the old V6, and Duffer says it hesitates from a stop but feels strong at speed. Combined economy is 22 mpg, or 21 with all-wheel drive. Optional Super Cruise hands-free driving sits in a $3,935 package.
KBB’s list text still calls the Traverse a relative value, and it ranks fifteenth overall on the cheapest mid-size SUVs ranking. Its 4.1 score matches the Pathfinder’s, so the extra $3,750 over the Nissan buys cargo room and seating for eight rather than a better rating. The consumer score on the Traverse page rests on only four reviews, a thin sample that makes it a weak counterweight to the expert number.
All figures are starting manufacturer prices and expert ratings as KBB listed them in October 2026. They exclude fees and taxes, and the list mixes model years, since the Sorento and Pathfinder are 2026 models while the Traverse is a 2027. A shopper cross-checking the list against dealer quotes should expect some drift, and should confirm trim, drivetrain and build date, which matter for both price and the IIHS result.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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