Compare the2025 Lincoln AviatorVS 2024 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Lincoln Aviator 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Lincoln Aviator 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Aviator has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Sorento Plug-In 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.

Both the Aviator and the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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

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 Lincoln Aviator is safer than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:

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

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

The Lincoln Aviator’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Aviator has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

The Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 139 more horsepower (400 vs. 261) and 157 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 258) than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator is faster than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:

Both the Aviator and Sorento Plug-In Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Aviator has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Aviator has 7.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (20.2 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Aviator 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Aviator, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

For better stopping power the Aviator’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:

For better traction, the Aviator has larger standard tires than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (255/55R20 vs. 235/55R19). The Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (275/40R22 vs. 235/55R19).

The Aviator’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Aviator has standard 20-inch wheels. Only 19-inch wheels are available on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid. The Aviator offers optional 22-inch wheels.

The Aviator has a standard 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 Plug-In Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Aviator has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Aviator’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Aviator’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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Aviator’s wheelbase is 8.3 inches longer than on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (119.1 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Aviator is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

The Aviator’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s (55% to 45%). This gives the Aviator more stable handling and braking.

The Aviator AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Prestige (27.1 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a 1.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (8.7 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Aviator 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 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Aviator Reserve/Black Label uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Aviator offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid can only carry 6.

The Aviator has 35.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (140.6 vs. 105.3).

The Aviator has 2.8 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, 2.9 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear hip room, 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room, .1 inches more third row headroom and 1 inch more third row shoulder room than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

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

Both the Aviator and the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid have standard second row automatic folding seats. The Aviator’s third row seats also fold up or down at the press of a button. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer automatic folding third row seats.

The Aviator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s (5000 vs. 2000 pounds).

The Aviator uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sorento Plug-In 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 Aviator is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Aviator’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Aviator offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, certain gauge, warning, turn signal and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the Aviator 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 Plug-In Hybrid can only operate 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 Aviator’s exterior PIN entry system. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Aviator has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Aviator also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Aviator’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 Plug-In Hybrid has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Aviator has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Aviator (except Premiere) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

The Aviator (except Premiere)’s optional Active Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Aviator is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.