A kinetic study of the reactions C6H6 + CH3/C2H5 = C6H5 + CH4/C2H6 was carried out in the temperature range of 300-2500 K using high levels of electronic structure theory, namely, CCSD(T)/CBS//BH&HLYPIcc-pVDZ, and canonical variational transition state theory (CVT) with corrections for small curvature tunneling (SCT) and hindered internal rotation (HIR) treatments. It is found that variational effect is not important and both SCT and HIR corrections noticeably affect the rate constants. Being in good agreement with literature data, the calculated results provide solid basis information for the investigation of the polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) + alkyl radical reaction, an important class in combustion and soot formation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.