2022 Buick Enclave vs 2021 Kia Sorento

The 2021 Kia Sorento marked a significant departure from its previous generation's jelly-bean-inspired styling. The new model showcased a more athletic and muscular silhouette, making it a handsome crossover SUV. The SX Prestige trim with the X-Line package added roof rails and a shark fin antenna, enhancing its sporty look. The front featured an expansive tiger-nose grille with a noticeable curve, complemented by squinting headlights and running lights. The side profile included a silver accent between the front fender and the door, while the rear boasted beautiful vertical taillights. The interior was filled with high-value features like heated outside mirrors, second-row air vents, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and keyless entry. The seats varied in adjustability across trims, with the SX Prestige offering the most comfort with 10-way adjustment and lumbar support.

The 2022 Buick Enclave, historically known for its conservative styling, underwent a significant transformation over the years. The 2022 model featured several exterior enhancements, including a new grille, front and rear fascias, headlamps, taillamps, and wheel designs. The Avenir trim level had unique styling elements and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave received a restyled center console with new push-button gears and upgraded materials. The Avenir trim offered climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and unique trim and seat stitching. The Enclave's interior was spacious, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room for passengers in all three rows. The cargo space was generous, with 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded.

The 2021 Kia Sorento offered a range of powertrains, with the most common being a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 191 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. However, our test car featured the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 281 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) with a wet clutch to all-wheel drive. This setup provided ample power for merging, cruising, and passing. The Sorento also had a hybrid version with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. The AWD system with torque vectoring and a center-locking differential ensured traction in various conditions. The suspension, consisting of McPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear, provided a smooth and comfortable ride. The Sorento's drive modes, including Eco, Normal, and Sport, offered different driving experiences, with Sport mode providing the most responsive throttle.

The 2022 Buick Enclave kept it simple with a single powertrain option: a 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct injection, producing 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Enclave came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave's ride quality was exceptional, thanks to the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The AWD-equipped test vehicle handled various terrains with ease, providing a smooth and quiet ride. The powertrain's responsiveness was impressive, with good off-the-line acceleration and a nine-speed automatic transmission that performed seamlessly. The Enclave's cabin remained quiet, even at wide-open throttle, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology.

The 2021 Kia Sorento, while practical as a three-row SUV, was best suited as a four-seater in its top trims due to the tight third row. The second-row captain's chairs were comfortable, and the front and rear seats offered ample legroom. Cargo space behind the third row was limited to 12.6 cubic feet, but folding the seats expanded the cargo volume to 75.5 cubic feet. The Sorento provided various storage options, including a spot for a phone, cupholders, and a center console bucket. The door pockets and second-row cupholders added to the convenience.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered easy ingress and egress, with excellent visibility thanks to its large windshield and window openings. The interior was spacious, with comfortable seating for six adults in all three rows. The second-row captain's chairs made accessing the third row easy, and the seats flipped and folded for added versatility. The restyled center console featured new push-button transmission gears and a covered compartment with cupholders. The Enclave's cargo space was generous, with 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. The power-folding third-row seats made accessing the cargo space even easier.

The 2021 Kia Sorento featured an 8-inch touchscreen display on lower trims and a 10.25-inch screen on higher trims. The smaller screen had hard buttons, a volume knob, and a tuning knob, and could wirelessly project Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screen used haptic touch buttons and required a physical connection for smartphone projection. The Sorento had plenty of USB ports but lacked USB-C ports. The optional Bose stereo system was decent but not exceptional. The navigation system needed improvement, particularly in voice search and Point-of-Interest functions.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came with a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, with an 8-inch reconfigurable version on higher trims. The Essence trim featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The Enclave's infotainment system could pair up to 10 devices, with two smartphones active simultaneously. A built-in WiFi hotspot supported up to four devices. The Premium and Avenir trims had a 10-speaker Bose system, which was superior to the standard six-speaker system but could use more power. The Enclave also included a three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM 360L and six USB ports, with two in each row. Notable available features included adaptive cruise control, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, hitch guidance with hitch view, a digital rear camera mirror, and HD surround vision.

The 2021 Kia Sorento came with a comprehensive array of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a driver-attention warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, lane-following assist, and auto high beams. Our test car also had a surround-view camera and adaptive cruise control. The Sorento received four out of five stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The 2022 Buick Enclave saw significant updates in its driver-assist and safety tech. The Buick Driver Confidence Plus package became standard on all Enclaves, including features like automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional features on higher trims included enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The NHTSA had not published crash-test ratings for the 2022 Enclave, but it received four out of five stars for rollover resistance. The IIHS gave the Enclave "Good" ratings in all but one crash test, where it received an "Acceptable" score.