Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2025 Kia Telluride

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
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2025Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. HMJYX-8VLEF 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2025/06/16

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Honda Pilot have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Kia Telluride doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Honda Pilot has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Telluride doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Pilot deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Pilot’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Telluride’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Honda Pilot’s Multi-View Camera System offers available integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Kia Telluride lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.

Both the Pilot and the Telluride have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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, 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 Honda Pilot is safer than the Kia Telluride:

	Pilot	Telluride
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	178/233 lbs.	164/998 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	33.6%	36%

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 Honda Pilot is safer than the Kia Telluride:

	Pilot	Telluride
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	59 lbs.	84 lbs.
Hip Force	276 lbs.	342 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	15 inches
HIC	340	444
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	51 G’s
Hip Force	444 lbs.	543 lbs.

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 Honda Pilot is safer than the Telluride:

	Pilot	Telluride
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	31	68
Neck Tension	112 lbs.	156 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	.59 in	1.18 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	6 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	335 lbs.	1026 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	1.46 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Pilot’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Telluride runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are over 34 percent more Honda dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Pilot’s reliability 17 points higher than the Telluride.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 9th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Kia Telluride:

	Pilot	Telluride
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	2.5 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.2 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.6 sec	3.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	15.4 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot 4WD gets better fuel mileage than the Telluride 4x4 (19 city/25 hwy vs. 18 city/23 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The Telluride doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Pilot’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Telluride doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Pilot 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 Telluride doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Pilot higher (6 out of 10) than the Kia Telluride (5). This means the Pilot produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Telluride every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Telluride.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Pilot’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Telluride:

	Pilot	Telluride
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Pilot has larger standard tires than the Telluride (255/50R20 vs. 245/60R18). The Pilot TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Telluride (265/60R18 vs. 245/60R18).

The Pilot has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Telluride doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Pilot TrailSport has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Telluride; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .85 G’s, while the Telluride SX Prestige 4x4 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Telluride SX 4x4 (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Pilot TrailSport’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Telluride’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.8 feet). The Pilot’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Telluride’s (37.8 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Pilot has an electronically controlled liquid-filled main engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The Telluride uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Pilot uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Telluride doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Pilot uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Telluride doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Pilot TrailSport is quieter than the Telluride SX 4x4 (66 vs. 67 dB).

Passenger Space

The Pilot has 3.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Telluride (158.4 vs. 155).

The Pilot has .3 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.2 inches more third row headroom, 1.1 inches more third row legroom, .9 inches more third row hip room and 4.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Telluride.

Cargo Capacity

The Pilot’s cargo area provides more volume than the Telluride.

	Pilot	Telluride
Behind Third Seat	21.8 cubic feet	21 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	59.5 cubic feet	46 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	111.8 cubic feet	87 cubic feet

The Pilot’s cargo area is larger than the Telluride’s in almost every dimension:

	Pilot	Telluride
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	19.4”/51.3”/84.2”	20.4”/49.8”/83.8”
Max Width	57.6”	54.4”
Min Width	44.7”	43.5”
Height	33.9”	34.5”

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 41% lower rating, Kia is ranked 27th.

Ergonomics

On a hot day the Pilot’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Telluride can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Telluride offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Pilot and the Kia Telluride, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Kia Telluride by 24% during 2024.

See Available Inventory