Compare the2021 Kia SorentoVS 2021 Lexus RXL

Both the Sorento and RXL have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The RXL’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Sorento are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The RXL doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Sorento and the RXL have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Sorento comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The RXL’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the RXL. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the RXL ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sorento’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Sorento has a standard 760-amp battery. The RXL’s 580-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sorento first among midsize suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The RXL was rated third in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 12th.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Sorento 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the RX 350L 3.5 DOHC V6:

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better fuel mileage than the Durango:

Regardless of its engine, the Sorento’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the RXL Hybrid.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RX 450hL requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The RXL doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sorento stops shorter than the RXL:

For better traction, the Sorento SX/Prestige/X-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RXL (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The Sorento SX/Prestige/X-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RXL’s optional 55 series tires.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sorento is .3 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the RXL.

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the RXL’s (37.8 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RXL (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Sorento to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 800 pounds less than the Lexus RXL.

The Sorento is 7.9 inches shorter than the RXL, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sorento has .5 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 10.8 inches more rear legroom, .3 inches more rear shoulder room, 2 inches more third row headroom, 6.1 inches more third row legroom and 7.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the RXL.

The front step up height for the Sorento is 1.5 inches lower than the RXL (19” vs. 20.5”). The Sorento’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the RXL’s (19” vs. 20.8”).

The Sorento’s cargo area provides more volume than the RXL.

The Sorento’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RXL’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

The Sorento’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The RXL’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.