Compare the2025 Kia SorentoVS 2025 Cadillac XT6

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Kia Sorento 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 Cadillac XT6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Sorento and XT6 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 XT6’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.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Kia Sorento is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Cadillac XT6, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Sorento	XT6
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-7 MPH
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-4 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-1 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
37 MPH Brights	-34 MPH	-13 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	-33 MPH	-10 MPH

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sorento’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The XT6 doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

Both the Sorento and XT6 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 XT6’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The Sorento’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The XT6 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sorento and the XT6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 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 Cadillac XT6:

	Sorento	XT6
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	280	292
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	39 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 much safer than the XT6:

	Sorento	XT6
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	357 lbs.
Neck Compression	-89 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.71 in	.75 in
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	68	170
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	156 lbs.
Neck Compression	-67 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	POOR
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	1.61 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.18 in	2.2 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	692 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Kia Sorento achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The XT6 is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

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 XT6’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Cadillac covers the XT6. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the XT6 ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

There are over 38 percent more Kia dealers than there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Sorento’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Sorento has a standard 760-amp battery. The XT6’s 730-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 51 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

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 Cadillac 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, Cadillac is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 6 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The Sorento EX/SX’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 271) than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Sorento EX/SX 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport 3.6 DOHC V6:

	Sorento	XT6
Zero to 30 MPH	2.6 sec	3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.5 sec	7.1 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	3.9 sec	5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99 MPH	93 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento gets better mileage than the XT6:

			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
XT6
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento uses regular unleaded gasoline. The XT6 with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine 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 XT6. 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 Cadillac XT6 (5 to 6). This means the Sorento produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XT6 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 XT6 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Sorento’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the XT6:

	Sorento	XT6
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12.6 inches

The Sorento stops much shorter than the XT6:

	Sorento	XT6
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige handles at .85 G’s, while the XT6 Sport AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento X-Line SX Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XT6 Sport AWD (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.2 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sorento’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the XT6’s (37.9 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XT6 (6.9 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Sorento to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Sorento X-Line/X-Pro’s minimum ground clearance is 1.5 inches higher than on the XT6 (8.2 vs. 6.7 inches).

Chassis

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 550 pounds less than the Cadillac XT6.

The Sorento LX/S/EX/SX is 8.9 inches shorter than the XT6, making the Sorento easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento has .5 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, 5.5 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear legroom, .7 inches more rear shoulder room, .1 inches more third row legroom and 3 inches more third row hip room than the XT6.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Sorento easier. The Sorento’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.7 inches, while the XT6’s liftover is 33 inches.

The Sorento has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The XT6 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Towing

The Sorento’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT6’s (2000 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac XT6 is only 4000 pounds. The Sorento offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The Sorento Prestige’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The XT6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Sorento to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT6 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Sorento Prestige has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XT6 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Sorento owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sorento will cost $570 to $3275 less than the XT6 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 XT6 only retains 49.6% to 50.95%.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento and the Cadillac XT6, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Cadillac XT6 by almost five to one during 2023.

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