Compare the2024 Audi Q7VS 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q7 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Kia Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Q7’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Q7 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q7. But it costs extra on the Sorento Hybrid.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Q7 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Q7 and the Sorento Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 available around view monitors.

The Audi Q7 weighs 562 to 1003 pounds more than the Kia Sorento Hybrid. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q7 is safer than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Q7	Sorento Hybrid
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	99	334
Leg Forces (l/r)	61/46 lbs.	212/405 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	102	390
Neck Injury Risk	44%	53%
Neck Stress	118 lbs.	159 lbs.
Neck Compression	38 lbs.	89 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/29 lbs.	81/191 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 Audi Q7 is safer than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Q7	Sorento Hybrid
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches
Hip Force	557 lbs.	579 lbs.

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q7 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 44 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sorento Hybrid was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

The Q7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sorento Hybrid’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 3 places higher in reliability than Kia.

Engine

The Q7 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 34 more horsepower (261 vs. 227) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Q7 55 TFSI’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 108 more horsepower (335 vs. 227) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 258) than the Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Q7 55 TFSI 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid is faster than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Q7	Sorento Hybrid
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	8.1 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	88 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Q7 has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento Hybrid (22.5 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Audi Q7, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sorento Hybrid.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q7’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Sorento Hybrid:

	Q7	Sorento Hybrid
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	12.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	12.8 inches

The Q7 stops shorter than the Sorento Hybrid:

	Q7	Sorento Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	121 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q7 has larger standard tires than the Sorento Hybrid (255/55R19 vs. 235/65R17). The Q7’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sorento Hybrid (285/45R20 vs. 235/65R17).

The Q7’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento Hybrid’s standard 65 series tires. The Q7 Prestige’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Sorento Hybrid’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q7 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sorento Hybrid. The Q7 Prestige’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Sorento Hybrid.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Q7 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Q7 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 Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q7’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the Sorento Hybrid (117.9 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q7 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Sorento Hybrid.

The Q7 Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the Sorento Hybrid EX pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q7 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Sorento Hybrid EX (26.4 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Q7 has a 1.45 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento Hybrid (8.3 vs. 6.85 inches), allowing the Q7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Q7 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is 2.85 inches higher than on the Sorento Hybrid (9.7 vs. 6.85 inches).

Passenger Space

The Q7 has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Sorento Hybrid can only carry 6.

The Q7 has .3 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Sorento Hybrid.

Cargo Capacity

The Q7’s cargo area provides more volume than the Sorento Hybrid.

	Q7	Sorento Hybrid
Behind Third Seat	14.2 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet

The Q7’s cargo area is larger than the Sorento Hybrid’s in almost every dimension:

	Q7	Sorento Hybrid
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	19.5”/44.7”/80.7”	15.5”/42.5”/76.5”
Max Width	52.5”	54”
Min Width	42.6”	42.4”
Height	30”	33”

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia Sorento Hybrid is limited to 2000 pounds. The Q7 offers up to a 7700 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Q7 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sorento Hybrid 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.

The engine in the Q7 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Sorento Hybrid. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 31% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige, the Q7 Prestige offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Q7 Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Q7’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sorento Hybrid’s passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Q7 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Sorento Hybrid can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q7’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 Sorento Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q7 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Laser headlights, optional on the Q7 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Sorento Hybrid’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q7 Prestige offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Q7 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Q7 has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A manual rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are optional in the Q7 (except Premium) to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Q7’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 Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Q7 and the Sorento Hybrid have standard heated front seats. The Q7 also offers optional heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the Sorento Hybrid.

The Q7 Prestige offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Sorento Hybrid.

The Q7 55 TFSI Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q7 and the Kia Sorento Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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