Compare the2024 Chrysler PacificaVS 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Chrysler Pacifica are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Kia Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Chrysler Pacifica has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Pacifica and the Sorento Hybrid 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 Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Pacifica	Sorento Hybrid
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	168	334
Leg Forces (l/r)	75/194 lbs.	212/405 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	196	390
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	53%
Neck Stress	117 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 Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Pacifica	Sorento Hybrid
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pacifica is 4.3% to 5% less likely to roll over than the Sorento Hybrid.

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 standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Pacifica its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 125 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sorento Hybrid is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The Pacifica’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sorento Hybrid runs out after 100,000 miles.

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

Engine

The Pacifica Hybrid’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 hybrid produces 33 more horsepower (260 vs. 227) than the Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid. The Pacifica’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 60 more horsepower (287 vs. 227) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 258) than the Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chrysler Pacifica is faster than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Pacifica Hybrid	Pacifica V6	Sorento Hybrid
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	6.7 sec	8.4 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	15.1 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88 MPH	92.4 MPH	87.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running on electricity gets better mileage than the Sorento Hybrid:

			MPGe
Pacifica
	FWD	Hybrid Electric Motor	87 city/77 hwy
Sorento Hybrid
			MPG
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	39 city/35 hwy
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/33 hwy

The Pacifica Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 32 miles. The Sorento Hybrid can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

The Pacifica’s standard fuel tank has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento Hybrid (19 vs. 17.7 gallons).

The Pacifica 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chrysler Pacifica, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sorento Hybrid.

The Pacifica Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Pacifica	Pacifica AWD	Sorento Hybrid
Front Rotors	13 inches	13.8 inches	12.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.4 inches	12.8 inches

The Pacifica stops shorter than the Sorento Hybrid:

	Pacifica	Sorento Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Pacifica’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sorento Hybrid (245/50R20 vs. 235/65R17).

The Pacifica’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento Hybrid’s optional 55 series tires.

For better load carrying, ride, handling and brake cooling the Pacifica offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Sorento Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Pacifica can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Pacifica’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Pacifica’s wheelbase is 10.8 inches longer than on the Sorento Hybrid (121.6 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pacifica is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Sorento Hybrid.

Chassis

The front grille of the Pacifica 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

Passenger Space

The Pacifica offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Sorento Hybrid can only carry 6.

The Pacifica has 59.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento Hybrid (165.1 vs. 105.3).

The Pacifica has 3.4 inches more front hip room, 4.7 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 9.7 inches more rear hip room, 4.9 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.9 inches more third row headroom, 6.9 inches more third row legroom, 7 inches more third row hip room and 8.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Sorento Hybrid.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pacifica’s middle and third row seats recline. The Sorento Hybrid’s third row seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Pacifica is 2.7 inches lower than the Sorento Hybrid (16.3” vs. 19”). The Pacifica’s rear step up height is .8 inches lower than the Sorento Hybrid’s (18.2” vs. 19”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pacifica	Sorento Hybrid
Behind Third Seat	32.3 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	87.5 cubic feet	38.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	140.5 cubic feet	75.5 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pacifica easier. The Pacifica’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 24.3 inches, while the Sorento Hybrid’s liftover is 31.7 inches.

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

	Pacifica	Sorento Hybrid
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	23.2”/57.5”/92.5”	15.5”/42.5”/76.5”
Max Width	49.3”	54”
Min Width	48.8”	42.4”
Height	47.6”	33”

The Pacifica has standard Stow’n Go second and third row seats (except Hybrid for the second row), which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Sorento Hybrid only has a third row seat which folds into the floor. The Sorento Hybrid’s second row seat doesn’t fold into the floor and eats up cargo room.

Towing

The Pacifica’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sorento Hybrid’s (3600 vs. 2000 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Pacifica’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Sorento Hybrid does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Pacifica’s standard front power windows open 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 front passenger window doesn’t open automatically. The Pacifica Limited/Pinnacle’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches.

The Pacifica’s standard sliding doors can be opened with less than three inches side clearance. The Sorento Hybrid’s standard rear swing-out doors are bulky and make loading in tight spots difficult.

The Pacifica’s power side sliding doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the van. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a power rear door.

The Pacifica’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.

The Pacifica’s optional 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 Pacifica and the Sorento Hybrid have standard heated front seats. The Pacifica 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 Pacifica 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 Hybrid SX Prestige.

The Pacifica (except Touring)’s optional ParkSense Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Pacifica as the 2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Sorento Hybrid has never been chosen.

The Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager outsold the Kia Sorento by 18% during 2022.

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