Compare the2023 Kia Sorento HybridVS 2022 Lexus RXL

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Sorento Hybrid and RXL 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 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Lexus RXL:

	Sorento Hybrid	RXL
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	33.2%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	212/405 lbs.	433/719 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	159 lbs.	267 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	81/191 lbs.	403/457 lbs.

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

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 Lexus RXL:

	Sorento Hybrid	RXL
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	44 G’s

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 Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RXL is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

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 RXL’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Hybrid 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 Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento Hybrid gets better mileage than the RXL:

			MPG
Sorento Hybrid
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	39 city/35 hwy
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/33 hwy
RXL
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.5 V6 Hybrid	29 city/28 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

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

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sorento Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus RXL (5 to 7). This means the Sorento Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RXL every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sorento Hybrid stops much shorter than the RXL:

	Sorento Hybrid	RXL
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sorento Hybrid is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the RXL.

The Sorento Hybrid EX handles at .80 G’s, while the RX 350L AWD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento Hybrid EX executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the RX 350L (27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sorento Hybrid’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the RXL’s (37.9 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Sorento Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 650 pounds less than the Lexus RXL.

The Sorento Hybrid is 7.5 inches shorter than the RXL, making the Sorento Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento Hybrid has .5 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 9.8 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 Hybrid is 1.5 inches lower than the RXL (19” vs. 20.5”). The Sorento Hybrid’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the RXL’s (19” vs. 20.8”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Sorento Hybrid	RXL
Behind Third Seat	12.6 cubic feet	7.5 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	38.5 cubic feet	23 cubic feet
Third Seat Removed	45 cubic feet	n/a
Second Seat Folded	75.5 cubic feet	58.5 cubic feet

Towing

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

Trailer Stability Assist is standard on the Sorento Hybrid, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the RXL.

Ergonomics

The Sorento Hybrid’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.

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 RXL’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sorento Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the RXL.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Sorento Hybrid owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sorento Hybrid will cost $425 to $2960 less than the RXL over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Sorento Hybrid will be $10514 to $14844 less than for the Lexus RXL.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento Hybrid and the Lexus RXL, based on reliability, safety and performance.