Compare the2023 Kia Sorento Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Plug-In Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Model X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard Parking Collision Avoidance-Rear that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Model X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model X doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the Model X 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

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 Tesla Model X:

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Model X
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
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 Plug-In Hybrid the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 175 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Model X has not been tested, yet.

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

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 2 years longer than Tesla covers the Model X. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Model X ends after only 8 years.

There are over 5 times as many Kia dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s reliability 20 points higher than the Model X.

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 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is ranked 28th, below the industry average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 10 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s maximum EPA estimated range on a full tank and a full charge is 466 miles, after which it can be refueled at any gas station in minutes. The Model X’s range is only 311 to 348 miles, after which the minimum time to recharge is 15 minutes for only a 49% charge at a specially configured quick charge station not available in most areas. A full recharge using a conventional 110-volt outlet can take up to 82 hours and 53 minutes.

Tires and Wheels

The Sorento Plug-In 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 Model X; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Model X’s (37.9 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 850 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is 9.7 inches shorter than the Model X, making the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has .3 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more rear legroom, 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.8 inches more third row hip room and 12.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Model X.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Model X
Third Seat Folded	38.5 cubic feet	33.8 cubic feet
Third Seat Removed	45 cubic feet	37.1 cubic feet

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Model X doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

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 Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

An Oil Life Management System is standard on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

Ergonomics

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

The Sorento Plug-In 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 Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard rear wiper. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

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

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

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 Model X doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid will cost $8990 to $10035 less than the Model X over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid will be $46992 to $54175 less than for the Tesla Model X.

Recommendations

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

The Kia Sorento outsold the Tesla Model X by over three to one during 2022.