Maybe the Kia Telluride is the hottest thing in the 3-row midsize SUV market. Or maybe the all-new Honda Pilot is the hottest thing in the 3-row midsize SUV market. They’re both great-looking, highly capable family haulers with seating for up to eight and reasonable sticker prices. They’re both selling fast, and they’re both incredibly well-rounded.
Let’s make a tale-of-the-tape comparison to see what sets them apart.
2025 Kia Telluride
The Kia Telluride made its debut in 2020 and was an instant hit. With a stylish and masculine exterior and a V6 engine putting out 291 hp, it gives buyers looking for room and capability an excellent starting point.
Perhaps even more impressive is that you can dress this ute up, pushing it from handsome to dashing. There are 10 different trim combinations available to interested buyers, from the base model LX to the SX Prestige X-Pro. The LX comes with front-wheel drive, but for $2K, you can add all-wheel drive. Once you move into the EX X-Line, AWD is standard equipment.
The Telluride’s a great place to be if you need your technology. It features five USB-C ports throughout the SUV and a free 1-year subscription to Kia Connect Ultimate, which offers improved navigation with real-time and predicted traffic levels. Pricing for the Telluride starts at $37,585.
Kia Telluride Highlights
Big power: The Kia Telluride features a 291-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and front- (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). That kind of power helps when tooling around town or trying to get out of town.
Safe space: The Telluride can carry up to eight people, so it’s important to know it’s a safe vehicle. It features a 5-star overall rating from NHTSA and the Top Safety Pick+ award from IIHS.
The longest warranty in the business: Kia protects the Telluride with a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. That’s a powerful differentiator — major repairs on your 2025 Telluride could be covered in 2035.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Telluride models for sale near you.
2025 Honda Pilot
The Pilot’s 2023 makeover proved it can look rough and ready while still performing soccer mom duties. When families want to go off the beaten track, Honda’s got a trim package for that: the TrailSport edition. It features steel skid plates, an extra inch of ground clearance, the TrailWatch Camera System to better navigate rocks and trees around the vehicle, and special software designed to help it traverse more challenging terrain than its predecessor.
Whether you’re looking to get away from it all for a few days or simply need a roomy, comfortable place to be while getting around town, the Pilot is ready. Honda upgraded the Pilot’s on-road componentry, such as its suspension and steering. The changes made it stiffer, giving it more agility for moments when being nimble is critical. Pricing for the Pilot starts at $41,595, including destination fees.
Honda Pilot Highlights
Off-road ready: The top-of-the-line TrailSport, with its 285-horsepower V6 engine, the most powerful Honda engine ever, can tow 5,000 pounds. Honda claims that equates to a 24-foot camper or a 22-foot boat.
Traffic Jam Assist: Under the right conditions, the Honda Pilot can pretty well drive itself through slower-moving highway traffic. Just keep a hand on the steering wheel to let it know you’re paying attention, and it’ll go, stop, and steer for miles at a time. It works very well, and it’s standard across the lineup.
Easy access: The Touring and Elite models offer a removable center seat in the second row, making access to the third row easier. The seat can then fit under the cargo space floor in readiness for when the Pilot needs to be an 8-seater again.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Pilot models for sale near you.
Similarities
All 3-row SUVs are similar, but we’ll pull back the curtain on our work enough to say that this is one of the hardest comparisons we’ve made. These two are at the top of their class, with similar aesthetics and similar specifications.
Conclusion
When automakers design a new car, they typically buy the best models in its class to keep around as benchmarks. We have no doubt that was the case here. This is one of the closest comparisons we’ve ever written. The Telluride’s lower price and longer warranty will make it the right choice for some. The Pilot’s flexible seating and professional grade off-road TrailSport trim will make it the right choice for others.
But many shoppers could flip a coin between these two and be happy with how it landed.
New 2025 Kia Telluride Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (92620)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$37,805 |
$36,126 |
|||
$40,805 |
$39,123 |
|||
$43,505 |
$42,012 |
|||
$47,605 |
$45,805 |
|||
$47,900 |
$46,252 |
|||
$48,800 |
$46,442 |
|||
$51,300 |
$49,263 |
|||
$52,805 |
$50,666 |
|||
$54,200 |
$51,994 |
|||
$55,100 |
$52,945 |
New 2025 Honda Pilot Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (92620)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$41,650 |
$39,046 |
|||
$44,950 |
$42,001 |
|||
$48,950 |
$45,645 |
|||
$50,850 |
$47,468 |
|||
$54,530 |
$51,094 |
|||
$56,030 |
$52,247 |
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Kia Telluride vehicles and New 2025 Honda Pilot vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
Specs
| 2025 Kia Telluride | 2025 Honda Pilot | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 3.8-liter V6 | 3.5-liter V6 |
| Horsepower | 291 hp @ 6,000 rpm | 285 hp @ 6,100 rpm |
| Torque | 262 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm | 262 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm |
| Transmission | 8-spd automatic | 10-spd automatic |
| Fuel Economy | 20 city/26 highway/22 combined | 19 city/27 highway/22 combined |
| Also Available | AWD | AWD |
| Specs | ||
| Basic warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 3 years/36,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 10 years/100,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety Rating | 5 stars | 5 stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 8 | 8 |
| Wheelbase | 114.2 inches | 113.8 inches |
| Overall Length | 196.9 inches | 199.9 inches |
| Width | 78.3 inches | 78.5 inches |
| Height | 68.9 inches | 71.0 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 38.8 feet | 37.8 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 40.9 inches | 40.5 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 40.2 inches | 40.2 inches |
| Headroom, 3rd Row | 38.1 inches | 39.3 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 41.4 inches | 41.0 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 42.4 inches | 40.8 inches |
| Legroom 3rd Row | 31.4 inches | 32.5 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 61.6 inches | 61.9 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 61.2 inches | 61.7 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 3rd Row | 55.3 inches | 59.5 inches |
| EPA Cargo Volume | 21.0/46.0/87.0 cubic feet | 18.6/48.5/87.0 cubic feet |
