Compare the2026 Ford Escape PHEVVS 2025 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Escape PHEV 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 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

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

The Escape PHEV has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Escape PHEV and the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and available around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Escape PHEV is much safer than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:

The Escape PHEV’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Ford dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escape PHEV’s warranty.

The Escape PHEV has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

The battery on the Escape PHEV is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Escape PHEV’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Escape PHEV first among compact suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid isn’t in the top three in its category.

On the EPA test cycle the Escape PHEV running on electricity gets better mileage than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid running on electricity (111 city/91 hwy vs. 77 city/71 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Escape PHEV running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid running its gasoline engine (42 city/37 hwy vs. 33 city/34 hwy).

The Escape PHEV can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 37 miles. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has to start its internal combustion engine after only 30 miles.

Regenerative brakes improve the Escape PHEV’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Escape PHEV has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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

The Escape PHEV has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Escape PHEV’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid:

For better maneuverability, the Escape PHEV’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s (37.2 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

The Ford Escape PHEV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 pounds less than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

The Escape PHEV is 9.5 inches shorter than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid, making the Escape PHEV easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Escape PHEV uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Escape PHEV has 1 inch more front legroom and .2 inches more rear headroom than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

The Escape PHEV has a much larger cargo volume than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid with its rear seat up (34.4 vs. 12.6 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Escape PHEV easier. The Escape PHEV’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.9 inches, while the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s liftover is 31.7 inches.

The Escape PHEV can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Escape PHEV can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Escape PHEV uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Escape PHEV offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Escape PHEV’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid SX Prestige’s .

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Escape PHEV’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Escape PHEV’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Escape PHEV has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid SX Prestige.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Ford Escape PHEV, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Ford Escape outsold the Kia Sorento by 57% during 2024.