Compare the2023 Kia SorentoVS 2023 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.

Both the Sorento and the Pathfinder 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, 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 125 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pathfinder is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

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.

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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan 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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 60 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

The Sorento 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 270) than the Pathfinder Rock Creek’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Sorento 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Nissan Pathfinder (base engine):

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Pathfinder Rock Creek requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Sorento stops much shorter than the Pathfinder:

The Sorento’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pathfinder’s optional 50 series tires.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the Pathfinder Platinum pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the Pathfinder Platinum (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Pathfinder’s (37.9 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento X-Line has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder Rock Creek (8.2 vs. 7.7 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 500 to 600 pounds less than the Nissan Pathfinder.

The Sorento is 8.7 inches shorter than the Pathfinder, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Sorento has 6.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more third row legroom than the Pathfinder.

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 Sorento has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Pathfinder’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Sorento’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Pathfinder SV/Rock Creek/SL/Platinum.

The Sorento will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sorento will retain 46.98% to 47.45% of its original price after five years, while the Pathfinder only retains 43.77% to 45.89%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Sorento will be $6415 to $7920 less than for the Nissan Pathfinder.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2021 issue and they ranked the Kia Sorento X-Line SX Prestige higher than the Nissan Pathfinder Platinum.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Nissan Pathfinder by 68% during the 2022 model year.