Compare the2023 Infiniti QX55VS 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Infiniti QX55 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Infiniti QX55 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the QX55. But it costs extra on the Sorento Hybrid.

Both the QX55 and the Sorento Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available 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 Infiniti QX55 is safer than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

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

The QX55’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sorento Hybrid’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Infiniti pays for scheduled maintenance on the QX55 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Infiniti will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Sorento Hybrid.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Infiniti vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Infiniti 4 places higher in reliability than Kia.

The QX55’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 more horsepower (268 vs. 227) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (280 vs. 258) than the Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The QX55 has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the QX55’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Sorento Hybrid:

For better traction, the QX55 has larger tires than the Sorento Hybrid (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R17).

The QX55’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento Hybrid’s standard 65 series tires. The QX55’s tires are lower profile than the Sorento Hybrid’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the QX55 has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sorento Hybrid. The Sorento Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the QX55 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For better maneuverability, the QX55’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Sorento Hybrid’s (36.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the QX55 has a 1.75 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento Hybrid (8.6 vs. 6.85 inches), allowing the QX55 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The QX55 is 3.1 inches shorter than the Sorento Hybrid, making the QX55 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The QX55 uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The front step up height for the QX55 is 1.6 inches lower than the Sorento Hybrid (17.4” vs. 19”). The QX55’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the Sorento Hybrid’s (17.8” vs. 19”).

The QX55 has a much larger cargo volume than the Sorento Hybrid with its rear seat up (26.9 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the QX55 easier. The QX55’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.9 inches, while the Sorento Hybrid’s liftover is 31.7 inches.

The QX55 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sorento Hybrid uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Infiniti service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Infiniti 9th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 28% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

The QX55 Sensory has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The QX55’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sorento Hybrid’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the QX55 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Sorento Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The QX55’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Sorento Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the QX55 Essential/Sensory has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights.