Compare the2024 Kia TellurideVS 2023 Honda Pilot

Both the Telluride and Pilot have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Telluride 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 Pilot’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.

Both the Telluride and Pilot have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Telluride has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Pilot’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Telluride and the Pilot have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Telluride its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pilot has not been tested, yet.

The Telluride comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Pilot’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Telluride 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the Pilot. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Pilot ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Telluride’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Pilot’s camshafts. If the Pilot’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 24th.

The Telluride’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 6 more horsepower (291 vs. 285) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Kia Telluride is faster than the Honda Pilot:

On the EPA test cycle the Telluride 4x4 gets better fuel mileage than the Pilot TrailSport 4WD (18 city/24 hwy vs. 18 city/23 hwy).

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Pilot:

The Telluride has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Pilot’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Telluride has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Pilot doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Telluride SX 4x4 handles at .80 G’s, while the Pilot Elite pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Telluride SX 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Pilot TrailSport (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Telluride has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Telluride to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Telluride X-Line’s minimum ground clearance is .1 inch higher than on the Pilot TrailSport (8.4 vs. 8.3 inches).

The Telluride is 3 inches shorter than the Pilot, making the Telluride easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. The Telluride is 3.3 inches shorter than the Pilot TrailSport.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Telluride SX 4x4 is quieter than the Pilot TrailSport:

The Telluride has .4 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear hip room than the Pilot.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Telluride’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Telluride’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pilot’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Consumer Reports rated the Telluride’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Pilot’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Telluride’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite.

The Telluride EX/SX has standard front air conditioned seats and the Telluride SX Prestige also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Pilot doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Kia Telluride as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its August 2023 issue and they ranked the Kia Telluride SX Prestige X-Line 4x4 higher than the Honda Pilot Elite.

The Telluride was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023 and 3 more times in the last 4 years. The Pilot hasn’t been picked since 2007.

Motor Trend selected the Telluride as their 2020 Sport Utility of the Year. The Pilot has never been chosen.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Telluride as the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Pilot has never been chosen.

The Kia Telluride outsold the Honda Pilot by 324 units during 2022.