Dodge Nitro vs. Kia Sportage Review

Utility
Neither the Kia Sportage nor the Dodge Nitro has a marked advantage as far as seating capacity. There's no clear winner between the Dodge Nitro and the Sportage regarding hauling capacity. Towing is substantially more the Dodge Nitro's forte than it is the Kia Sportage's.

Dimensions
The Kia Sportage's tank is approximately the same size as the Dodge Nitro's, though the Dodge Nitro's is slightly larger. The Kia Sportage and the Nitro compete for the same parking spaces.

Convenience
You most definitely won't have to visit your friendly gas station more often with the Dodge than with the Kia Sportage, because both offer similar ranges.

Cost
The destination charge is a standard charge for transporting the vehicle from its point of origin to the dealer. It costs roughly the same to get the Kia Sportage to the dealership as the Nitro. The Dodge pales in comparison to the Sportage with respect to fuel economy. The Sportage won't save you much money at the pump compared to the Nitro. In terms of MSRP, the Dodge Nitro costs about as much as the Kia Sportage (though the Kia Sportage is somewhat cheaper).

Handling
With their comparable turning circles, the Kia Sportage and the Dodge most certainly handle roughly the same into and out of tight spots.

Drivetrain
The Kia Sportage's engine is tremendously smaller than the Nitro's. Note that a smaller engine usually has to work a little harder; on the other hand, smaller engines are often cheaper to fix. The Dodge Nitro packs quite a punch compared to the Kia Sportage with respect to torque, which is roughly equivalent to acceleration.

Comfort
While the front cabin in the Sportage offers a bit more head room than the Dodge, there honestly isn't much of a difference. While the rear of the Dodge Nitro offers a bit more head- and leg-room than the Kia Sportage, there frankly isn't much of a difference.

Warranty
The basic warranty that comes with the Dodge Nitro isn't quite as generous as the Kia Sportage's.