Compare the2021 Kia SorentoVS 2020 Nissan Pathfinder

Both the Sorento and Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder’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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sorento Prestige/X-Line has a standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Rear that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Sorento’s 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. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sorento and the Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Pathfinder. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Pathfinder ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sorento’s reliability 21 points higher than the Pathfinder.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Sorento first among midsize suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Pathfinder 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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 13th.

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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

The Sorento 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 259) than the Pathfinder’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

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

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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sorento higher (5 out of 10) than the Nissan Pathfinder (3 to 5). This means the Sorento produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Pathfinder every 15,000 miles.

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

The Sorento stops shorter than the Pathfinder:

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 Pathfinder Platinum’s 55 series tires.

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

For greater off-road capability the Sorento has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder (8.2 vs. 7 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 550 pounds less than the Nissan Pathfinder.

The Sorento is 9.5 inches shorter than the Pathfinder, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The rear step up height for the Sorento is 1.8 inches lower than the Pathfinder (19” vs. 20.8”).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Sorento’s optional second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The power windows standard on both the Sorento and the Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Sorento’s standard driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the switch, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Pathfinder’s standard power window’s switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully. The Sorento Prestige/X-Line’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches. With the Pathfinder SV/SL/Platinum’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

The Sorento has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The automatic headlight on/off feature is not available on the Pathfinder S.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Sorento detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

The Sorento’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Pathfinder and aren’t offered on the Pathfinder S.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Sorento, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Nissan Pathfinder isn't recommended.