Compare the2024 Kia Sorento Plug-In HybridVS 2023 Nissan Ariya

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and Ariya have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento Plug-In 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 Ariya’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.

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

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and Ariya have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Ariya’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the Ariya have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 driver alert monitors.

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 163 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Ariya has not been tested, yet.

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 Ariya’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Nissan covers the Ariya. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Ariya ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is rated lower.

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 Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 60 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 6 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 47 more horsepower (261 vs. 214) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 221) than the Ariya’s standard electric motor. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 23 more horsepower (261 vs. 238) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 221) than the Ariya +’s standard electric motor.

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 Ariya’s range is only 205 to 304 miles, after which

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 Ariya; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer than on the Ariya (110.8 inches vs. 109.3 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Ariya Engage+/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ (6.9 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard seating for 6 passengers; the Ariya can only carry 5.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has 4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ariya (105.3 vs. 101.3).

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has 2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.7 inches more rear legroom, 2.6 inches more rear hip room and 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Ariya.

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

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the Ariya’s in almost every dimension:

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

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid. The Ariya doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Sorento Plug-In 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 Ariya doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Ariya doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’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 Ariya’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 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 Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Ariya Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+ offers wireless charging.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Ariya doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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

The Kia Sorento outsold the Nissan Ariya by almost 415 to one during 2022.