Compare the2026 Kia SorentoVS 2025 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 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.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Sorento achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Nissan Pathfinder has not been tested.

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	23%	31%
Neck Stress	208 lbs.	348 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	43%	45.1%
Neck Stress	139 lbs.	216 lbs.
Neck Compression	52 lbs.	93 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	118/119 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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sorento is safer than the Nissan Pathfinder:

	Sorento	Pathfinder
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	84
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	117 lbs.	138 lbs.
Hip Force	196 lbs.	244 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	88
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	33 G’s
Hip Force	196 lbs.	461 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	228	234
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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 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 6 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’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 3 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 (4). This means the Sorento produces up to 12.1 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 has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder (8.2 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Sorento to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Sorento’s minimum ground clearance is .5 inch higher than on the Pathfinder Rock Creek (8.2 vs. 7.7 inches).

Chassis

The Kia Sorento may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 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 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

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Kia Sorento retains 47.74% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 44.19% resale value of the 2025 Nissan Pathfinder after five years, which can save the Kia’s owner up to $3596.84307 in depreciation.

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 19% during 2024.

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