Compare the2027 Kia Telluride VS 2026 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.

The Telluride has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Pilot doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Telluride achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Honda Pilot has not been tested.

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 and rear 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.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Telluride is safer than the Pilot:

	Telluride	Pilot
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg Forces L/R	405/495 pounds	540/674 pounds
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	MARGINAL

The Kia Telluride (built after June 2026) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Pilot is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2026.

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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated lower.

The Telluride’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 49 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Telluride’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 44 more horsepower (329 vs. 285) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Kia Telluride 4 cyl. hybrid gas is faster than the Honda Pilot:

	Telluride	Pilot
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.3 sec	20.6 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.8 sec	7.9 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.5 sec	4.4 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.3 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95 MPH	89 MPH
Top Speed	135 MPH	112 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the Telluride gets better mileage than the Pilot:

			MPG
Telluride
	FWD	EX 2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	34 city/36 hwy
		EX 2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	32 city/34 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	30 city/32 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	18 city/24 hwy
Pilot
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/25 hwy
		TrailSport 3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/23 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Telluride Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Pilot doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Telluride’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pilot are solid, not vented.

The Telluride stops much shorter than the Pilot:

	Telluride	Pilot
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	189 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

The Telluride X-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Telluride X-Line has standard 21-inch wheels. The Pilot’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

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 offers an optional automatic rear 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 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Pilot doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Telluride’s wheelbase is 3.1 inches longer than on the Pilot (116.9 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Telluride’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (53% to 47%) than the Pilot’s (55.3% to 44.7%). This gives the Telluride more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Telluride has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (7.4 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Telluride to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Telluride X-Pro’s minimum ground clearance is .8 inch higher than on the Pilot TrailSport (9.1 vs. 8.3 inches).

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Telluride SX Prestige is quieter than the Pilot Elite:

	Telluride	Pilot
At idle	28 dB	40 dB
Full-Throttle	71 dB	78 dB
70 MPH Cruising	68 dB	68 dB

The Telluride has .4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 2.2 inches more rear legroom than the Pilot.

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

	Telluride	Pilot
Behind Third Seat	22.3 cubic feet	21.8 cubic feet

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Telluride’s second row seats and a control in the cargo area automatically lowers the third 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).

The Telluride uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pilot uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

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/Black Edition.

The Telluride EX/SX/Prestige has standard front air conditioned seats and the Telluride 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.

The Telluride Prestige has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pilot.

Compared to traditional radio, the Kia Telluride’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia Telluride has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console for two separate devices. Only the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition offers wireless charging.

The Telluride Prestige’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Pilot doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its July 2026 issue and they ranked the Kia Telluride SX Prestige first. They ranked the Honda Pilot Elite fourth.

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.