Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2025 Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid

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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 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 helps 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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Pilot 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Honda Pilot has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned an “Acceptable” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Pilot’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 over 35 percent more Honda dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 5 places higher in reliability than Kia.

The Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 24 more horsepower (285 vs. 261) than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

Both the Pilot and Sorento Plug-In Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Pilot has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Pilot has 6.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (18.5 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

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

For better traction, the Pilot has larger standard tires than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (255/50R20 vs. 235/55R19). The Pilot TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (265/60R18 vs. 235/55R19).

The Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition has standard 20-inch wheels. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Pilot’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (113.8 inches vs. 110.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 2.3 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

For greater off-road capability the Pilot has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (7.3 vs. 6.9 inches), allowing the Pilot to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Pilot TrailSport’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (8.3 vs. 6.9 inches).

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 350 pounds less than the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Pilot offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid can only carry 6.

The Pilot has 53.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (158.4 vs. 105.3).

The Pilot has .2 inches more front headroom, 2.8 inches more front hip room, 2.8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear legroom, 2.3 inches more rear hip room, 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.5 inches more third row headroom, 2.9 inches more third row legroom, 2.1 inches more third row hip room and 6.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pilot’s middle and third row seats recline. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Pilot’s cargo area provides more volume than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid.

The Pilot’s cargo area is larger than the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid’s in every dimension:

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Pilot uses the Vehicle Stability Assist 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 Pilot Elite/Black Edition has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information 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 Pilot’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.

On a hot day the Pilot’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid 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 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Pilot is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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

The Honda Pilot outsold the Kia Sorento by 24% during 2023.