Compare the2025 Kia Sorento HybridVS 2025 Audi Q7

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/11/23

The Kia Sorento Hybrid has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q7 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

With its standard Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, the Kia Sorento Hybrid is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Audi Q7, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Sorento Hybrid	Q7
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Low beams	-33 MPH	-31 MPH

Both the Sorento Hybrid and the Q7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact 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, 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 Hybrid is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Sorento Hybrid	Q7
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	25%
Neck Stress	168 lbs.	186 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	37 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Q7:

	Sorento Hybrid	Q7
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	83	225
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	24 cm	30 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	4%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Tibia index R/L	.56/.53	.57/.7

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 Hybrid is safer than the Audi Q7:

	Sorento Hybrid	Q7
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	280	290
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	40 G’s

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

Warranty

The Sorento Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q7’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Sorento Hybrid 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sorento Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 79 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 31st, 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 Audi 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, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 9 places higher in reliability than Audi.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento Hybrid gets better mileage than the Q7:

			MPG
Sorento Hybrid
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	34 city/34 hwy
Q7
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	20 city/26 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6 Hybrid	18 city/23 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Sorento Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q7 55 TFSI requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sorento Hybrid higher (6 out of 10) than the Audi Q7 (4). This means the Sorento Hybrid produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q7 every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sorento Hybrid stops shorter than the Q7:

	Sorento Hybrid	Q7
60 to 0 MPH	132 feet	133 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Sorento 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 Q7; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the Q7 don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Sorento Hybrid’s turning circle is 3.1 feet tighter than the Q7’s (37.9 feet vs. 41 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Sorento Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 pounds less than the Audi Q7.

The Sorento Hybrid is 10 inches shorter than the Q7, making the Sorento Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento Hybrid has .4 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more rear headroom, 1.9 inches more rear legroom, .9 inches more third row headroom, .4 inches more third row legroom and 3.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Q7.

Cargo Capacity

The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q7.

	Sorento Hybrid	Q7
Third Seat Folded	38.5 cubic feet	35.7 cubic feet
Third Seat Removed	45 cubic feet	n/a
Second Seat Folded	75.5 cubic feet	68.1 cubic feet

The Sorento Hybrid has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Q7 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Sorento Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Sorento Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q7.

The Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige 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 Q7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Sorento Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia Sorento Hybrid and the Audi Q7, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Kia Sorento outsold the Audi Q7/SQ7 by over three to one during 2023.