Compare the2025 Kia EV6VS 2025 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the EV6 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The EV6 offers optional Parking Collision-Avoidance Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The EV6 (except Short Range) offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the EV6’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The EV6 has standard 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the EV6 and the Model X have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee 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 and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia EV6 is safer than the Tesla Model X:

	EV6	Model X
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	19.2%	26%
Neck Stress	191 lbs.	207 lbs.
Neck Compression	20 lbs.	33 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, results indicate that the Kia EV6 is safer than the Tesla Model X:

	EV6	Model X
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	77	101
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	367 lbs.	425 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the EV6 is 1.1% less likely to roll over than the Model X.

Warranty

The EV6 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Model X’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV6 2 years longer than Tesla covers the Model X. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Model X ends after only 8 years.

There are over 4 times as many Kia dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EV6’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 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 103 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is ranked 32nd, 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 Tesla 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, Tesla is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 8 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

Fuel Economy and Range

The EV6 can travel longer on a full charge than the Model X on a full charge:

			Miles
EV6
	RWD	Long Range Electric Motor	319 miles
	AWD	19" Wheels Electric Motors	295 miles
Model X
	AWD	Plaid 22" Wheels Electric Motors	294 miles

Brakes and Stopping

The EV6 stops much shorter than the Model X:

	EV6	Model X
70 to 0 MPH	159 feet	172 feet	Car and Driver

Suspension and Handling

The EV6 GT handles at .92 G’s, while the Model X pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The EV6 GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Model X (25.1 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 26.7 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the EV6’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Model X’s (38.2 feet vs. 40.3 feet). The EV6 GT’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Model X’s (39.2 feet vs. 40.3 feet).

Chassis

The Kia EV6 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 1000 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

The EV6 is 1 foot, 2.3 inches shorter than the Model X, making the EV6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The EV6 has 1.3 inches more front legroom and .3 inches more rear legroom than the Model X.

Cargo Capacity

The EV6 has a much larger cargo volume than the Model X with its rear seat up (24.4 vs. 15 cubic feet).

The EV6’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the EV6’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Model X doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the EV6’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the EV6 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

Ergonomics

The EV6’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

The EV6 GT-Line/GT has a standard 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 Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The EV6’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The EV6’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the EV6 has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The EV6’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

The EV6 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

The EV6 offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the rear seat, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Model X doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The EV6 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Model X doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the EV6 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the EV6 will cost $8135 to $10680 less than the Model X over a five-year period.

The EV6 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the EV6 will retain 51.38% to 51.88% of its original price after five years, while the Model X only retains 38.31% to 39.81%.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the EV6 first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Model X isn’t in the top three.

The EV6 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Model X has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV6 as the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Model X has never been chosen.

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