Compare the2024 Buick EnclaveVS 2023 Kia Sorento

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Buick Enclave’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Kia Sorento doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

The Enclave has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Sorento doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Enclave and the Sorento have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 Buick Enclave is safer than the Kia Sorento:

	Enclave	Sorento
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	216	334
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	21%
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	212/405 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	333	390
Neck Injury Risk	35.2%	53%
Neck Stress	128 lbs.	159 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	89 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 Buick Enclave is safer than the Kia Sorento:

	Enclave	Sorento
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	15 inches
HIC	251	280
Hip Force	554 lbs.	579 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Enclave’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Sorento’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

There are almost 3 times as many Buick dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Enclave’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Enclave has a standard 170-amp alternator. The Sorento’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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 Enclave’s reliability 47 points higher than the Sorento.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Enclave second among midsize suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Sorento isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked 8th.

Engine

The Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 119 more horsepower (310 vs. 191) and 85 lbs.-ft. more torque (266 vs. 181) than the Sorento’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 29 more horsepower (310 vs. 281) than the Sorento 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Enclave FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento (19.4 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento (21.7 vs. 17.7 gallons).

The Enclave has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sorento doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Enclave higher (6 out of 10) than the Kia Sorento (5). This means the Enclave produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Sorento every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Buick Enclave, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Sorento.

Brakes and Stopping

The Enclave’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Sorento are solid, not vented.

The Enclave stops shorter than the Sorento:

	Enclave	Sorento
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	133 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Enclave has larger tires than the Sorento (255/65R18 vs. 235/65R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Enclave has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sorento LX.

The Buick Enclave’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Kia Sorento only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Enclave has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Sorento doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Enclave offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Sorento’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Enclave’s wheelbase is 10.1 inches longer than on the Sorento (120.9 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Enclave is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Sorento.

For greater off-road capability the Enclave has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento (7.5 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Enclave to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Enclave uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Sorento doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

Passenger Space

The Enclave has 52 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento (157.3 vs. 105.3).

The Enclave has 2.3 inches more front headroom, 3.4 inches more front hip room, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 2.6 inches more rear hip room, 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room, .8 inches more third row headroom, 3.9 inches more third row legroom, 6 inches more third row hip room and 4.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Sorento.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Enclave	Sorento
Behind Third Seat	23.6 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.7 cubic feet	38.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	97.4 cubic feet	75.5 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Enclave easier. The Enclave’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.5 inches, while the Sorento’s liftover is 31.7 inches.

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

	Enclave	Sorento
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	26.2”/54”/90”	15.5”/42.5”/76.5”
Max Width	52.7”	54”
Min Width	48.5”	42.4”
Height	30.8”	33”

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Sorento is limited to 3500 pounds. The Enclave offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Enclave uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sorento 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 Buick service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 38% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

Ergonomics

The Enclave Premium/Avenir has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and tachometer readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sorento doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Enclave’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Sorento’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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

If the windows are left open on the Enclave the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Sorento can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Enclave’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Sorento doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

Consumer Reports rated the Enclave’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Sorento’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

The Enclave’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sorento offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Enclave has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Sorento Prestige.

The Enclave Premium/Avenir has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Sorento.

The Enclave has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Enclave has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige offers wireless charging.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Buick Enclave, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Kia Sorento isn't recommended.