Compare the2021 Kia SorentoVS 2020 Infiniti QX60

Both the Sorento and QX60 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 QX60’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.

The Kia Sorento has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The QX60 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sorento’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The QX60 doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The Sorento’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the QX60 and is only available on QX60 Luxe.

The Sorento’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The QX60 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sorento and the QX60 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, 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 QX60’s 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Infiniti covers the QX60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the QX60 ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Kia dealers as there are Infiniti 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 QX60’s 550-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 QX60 isn’t in the top three 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 Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 37 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 15th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

The Sorento 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 270) than the QX60’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better fuel mileage than the QX60:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Sorento’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The QX60 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX60 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

For better stopping power the Sorento’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the QX60:

The Sorento stops shorter than the QX60:

For better traction, the Sorento SX/Prestige/X-Line’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the QX60 (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 QX60 Luxe’s optional 55 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the QX60’s (37.8 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the QX60 (8.2 vs. 6.5 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 450 to 700 pounds less than the Infiniti QX60.

The Sorento is 11.6 inches shorter than the QX60, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sorento has .9 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more third row headroom and .5 inches more third row hip room than the QX60.

The power windows standard on both the Sorento and the QX60 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sorento is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX60 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sorento EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The QX60 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento and the Infiniti QX60, based on reliability, safety and performance.