Compare the2023 Kia Sorento Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Ford Escape PHEV

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and Escape PHEV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento Plug-In 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 PHEV’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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

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

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the Escape PHEV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid weighs 667 pounds more than the Ford Escape PHEV. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Ford Escape PHEV:

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Escape PHEV
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	280	344

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is 1.5% less likely to roll over than the Escape PHEV.

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 Plug-In Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escape PHEV is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

The Sorento Plug-In 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 PHEV’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Ford covers the Escape PHEV. 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 PHEV ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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 Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 10th.

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 Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 16th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 9 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 40 more horsepower (261 vs. 221) than the Escape PHEV’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape PHEV (12.4 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sorento Plug-In 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 PHEV are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has larger tires than the Escape PHEV (235/55R19 vs. 225/60R18).

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escape PHEV’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the Escape PHEV.

Suspension and Handling

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

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

Passenger Space

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard seating for 6 passengers; the Escape PHEV can only carry 5.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Escape PHEV (105.3 vs. 102.2).

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has .3 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Escape PHEV.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the Escape PHEV.

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Escape PHEV
Third Seat Folded	38.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	45 cubic feet	34.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	75.5 cubic feet	60.8 cubic feet

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Escape PHEV’s in almost every dimension:

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Escape PHEV
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	15.5”/42.5”/76.5”	n.a./36.7”/68.3”
Max Width	54”	57.3”
Min Width	42.4”	41.4”
Height	33”	32.8”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Escape PHEV 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 Plug-In Hybrid. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

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

Ergonomics

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Escape PHEV’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Plug-In Hybrid’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape PHEV’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the Escape PHEV have standard heated front seats. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Escape PHEV.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Escape PHEV doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the Ford Escape PHEV, based on reliability, safety and performance.