Compare the2023 Kia Sorento HybridVS 2023 Infiniti QX50

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

Safety

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Both the Sorento Hybrid and QX50 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 QX50’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 Hybrid’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The QX50 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sorento Hybrid and the QX50 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, 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 Infiniti QX50:

	Sorento Hybrid	QX50
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	26%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	245 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	42 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	159 lbs.	161 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	81/191 lbs.	504/622 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 Infiniti QX50:

	Sorento Hybrid	QX50
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	17 inches
HIC	280	333
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	39 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 vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sorento Hybrid the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The QX50 has not been fully tested, yet.

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 QX50’s 4-year/60,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Hybrid 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Infiniti covers the QX50. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the QX50 ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Kia dealers as there are Infiniti 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 Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 48 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 25th, below the industry average.

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 Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento Hybrid gets better mileage than the QX50:

			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
QX50
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Sorento Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The QX50 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Sorento Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The QX50 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX50 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento Hybrid has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the QX50 (17.7 vs. 16 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Infiniti QX50 (6). This means the Sorento Hybrid produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the QX50 every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sorento Hybrid stops shorter than the QX50:

	Sorento Hybrid	QX50
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Sorento Hybrid has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the QX50; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

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 the average track on the QX50.

Passenger Space

The Sorento Hybrid has standard seating for 6 passengers; the QX50 can only carry 5.

The Sorento Hybrid has 1.8 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear legroom, 1.3 inches more rear hip room and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the QX50.

Cargo Capacity

The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the QX50.

	Sorento Hybrid	QX50
Third Seat Folded	38.5 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	45 cubic feet	31.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	75.5 cubic feet	65.1 cubic feet

The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the QX50’s in almost every dimension:

	Sorento Hybrid	QX50
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	15.5”/42.5”/76.5”	n.a./39”/71.7”
Max Width	54”	54.5”
Min Width	42.4”	41.5”
Height	33”	31.2”

Towing

The Sorento Hybrid’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the QX50’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sorento Hybrid uses 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. The QX50 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Sorento Hybrid and the QX50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sorento Hybrid is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 QX50’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

The Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The QX50 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 $260 to $4345 less than the QX50 over a five-year period.

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 45.41% to 46.07% of its original price after five years, while the QX50 only retains 43.84% to 45.08%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Sorento Hybrid will be $8111 to $20646 less than for the Infiniti QX50.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento Hybrid and the Infiniti QX50, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Infiniti QX50 by almost 8 to one during 2022.

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