Compare the2025 Kia SorentoVS 2024 Nissan Pathfinder

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
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the Sorento and Pathfinder have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento S/EX/SX/Prestige/X-Line 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 Pathfinder’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.

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

Both the Sorento and the Pathfinder have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, driver alert monitors, 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 Kia Sorento is safer than the Nissan Pathfinder:

	Sorento	Pathfinder
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	31%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	348 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	53 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	159 lbs.	216 lbs.
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	93 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	81/191 lbs.	236/309 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 Kia Sorento is safer than the Nissan Pathfinder:

	Sorento	Pathfinder
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	37 G’s

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Kia Sorento is safer than the Pathfinder:

	Sorento	Pathfinder
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	64	125
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	268 lbs.
Neck Compression	-89 lbs.	22 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	959 lbs.	1160 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	-67 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	178 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Sorento comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Pathfinder’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

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

Reliability

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 Sorento’s reliability 15 points higher than the Pathfinder.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 6th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 7 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

Engine

The Sorento EX/SX’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 270) than the Pathfinder Rock Creek’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Sorento EX/SX 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Nissan Pathfinder (base engine):

	Sorento	Pathfinder
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	92.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the Pathfinder:

			MPG
Sorento
	FWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/28 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
Pathfinder
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/25 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/23 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Pathfinder Rock Creek requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Sorento has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Pathfinder. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

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

Transmission

The Sorento offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Pathfinder doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sorento stops much shorter than the Pathfinder:

	Sorento	Pathfinder
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Sorento EX/SX’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pathfinder’s optional 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the Pathfinder Platinum pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the Pathfinder Platinum (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Pathfinder’s (37.9 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento X-Line/X-Pro has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder Rock Creek (8.2 vs. 7.7 inches), allowing the Sorento to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 500 pounds less than the Nissan Pathfinder.

The Sorento LX/S/EX/SX is 8.1 inches shorter than the Pathfinder, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento has 6.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more third row legroom than the Pathfinder.

Cargo Capacity

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

Ergonomics

The Sorento’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Pathfinder SV/Rock Creek/SL/Platinum.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Sorento owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sorento will cost $255 less than the Pathfinder over a five-year period.

The Sorento will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sorento will retain 52.6% to 54.37% of its original price after five years, while the Pathfinder only retains 47.85% to 49.39%.

Recommendations

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2021 issue and they ranked the Kia Sorento X-Line SX Prestige higher than the Nissan Pathfinder Platinum.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Nissan Pathfinder by 24% during 2023.

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