Compare the2025 Kia Sorento Plug-In HybridVS 2025 Chrysler Pacifica

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics

Safety

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Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and Pacifica 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 Pacifica’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 Plug-In Hybrid is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Chrysler Pacifica, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Pacifica
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-4 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-6 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-1 MPH
37 MPH Brights	-34 MPH	-22 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	-33 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.1 sec	No Warning

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 Pacifica.

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

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and Pacifica 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 Pacifica’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’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 Pacifica doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and the Pacifica have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and available 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 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Chrysler Pacifica:

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Pacifica
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	280	293
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	50 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 Plug-In Hybrid is safer than the Pacifica:

	Sorento Plug-In Hybrid	Pacifica
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	64	167
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	335 lbs.
Neck Compression	-89 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.71 in	.94 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.14 in	1.26 in
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	68	83
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	112 lbs.
Neck Compression	-67 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.18 in	1.97 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	12 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	1450 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 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 Pacifica last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023.

Warranty

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 Pacifica’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 Chrysler covers the Pacifica. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Pacifica ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Reliability

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 Chrysler 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, Chrysler is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 20 places higher in reliability than Chrysler.

Engine

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 1 more horsepower (261 vs. 260) than the Pacifica Hybrid’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 hybrid. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (270 vs. 262) than the Pacifica’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Chrysler Pacifica (6). This means the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Pacifica every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pacifica are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pacifica’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Pacifica.

Suspension and Handling

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid flat and controlled during cornering. The Pacifica 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Pacifica’s (37.9 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Pacifica AWD’s (37.9 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pacifica (6.9 vs. 5.4 inches), allowing the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid is 1 foot, 2.7 inches shorter than the Pacifica, making the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has .2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom and 1.3 inches more rear legroom than the Pacifica.

Ergonomics

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the Pacifica.