Compare the2022 Kia Sorento HybridVS 2021 Ford Escape FHEV

Both the Sorento Hybrid and Escape FHEV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento Hybrid 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 Escape FHEV’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 Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Sorento Hybrid and the Escape FHEV 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and front parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape FHEV:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sorento Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 113 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape FHEV is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.

The Sorento Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Escape FHEV’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 14th.

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 Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 22nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 7 places higher in reliability than Ford.

The Sorento Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 27 more horsepower (227 vs. 200) than the Escape FHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Sorento Hybrid has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FHEV (17.7 vs. 14.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Sorento Hybrid’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Escape FHEV are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Sorento Hybrid has larger tires than the Escape FHEV (235/65R17 vs. 225/65R17).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sorento Hybrid’s wheelbase is 4.1 inches longer than on the Escape FHEV (110.8 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sorento Hybrid is 2.6 inches wider in the front and 3.6 inches wider in the rear than on the Escape FHEV.

The Sorento Hybrid has standard seating for 6 passengers; the Escape FHEV can only carry 5.

The Sorento Hybrid has .3 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear legroom, 1.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape FHEV.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sorento Hybrid’s middle row seats recline. The Escape FHEV’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the Escape FHEV.

The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Escape FHEV’s in almost every dimension:

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

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Sorento Hybrid. The Escape FHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Sorento Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escape FHEV’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Sorento Hybrid’s driver’s power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths. The Escape FHEV’s standard driver’s power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sorento Hybrid’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape FHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

The Sorento Hybrid’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford charges extra for heated mirrors on the Escape FHEV.

The Sorento Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sorento Hybrid will retain 48.48% to 49.14% of its original price after five years, while the Escape FHEV only retains 44.81% to 45.23%.