2025 Kia Telluride vs 2025 Honda Pilot

The 2025 Honda Pilot was available in Canada in several trims, including Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring, and Black Edition. The Sport trim was the most affordable, but it lacked many appealing amenities, making the leather-lined EX-L a recommended upgrade. Prices ranged from $55,486 to $67,236, including destination charges and dealer fees. The U.S. version of the Pilot Black Edition was evaluated, featuring black wheels, blacked-out exterior trim, and black badges. Inside, it boasted black leather seats with red perforation accents, red contrast stitching, and red ambient lighting. The Black Edition's custom look was more suited for suburban environments, while the TrailSport trim offered added off-roading capability. The Pilot's interior was thoughtfully designed with quality materials, though the digital driver display and infotainment system appeared dated, lacking a significant "wow factor."

The 2025 Kia Telluride was available in Canada in five trims: EX, SX, SX Limited, X-Line, and X-Pro, with base prices ranging from $53,840 to $66,540, including destination charges and fees. The X-Line trim added increased ground clearance, improved approach and departure angles, and a self-levelling rear suspension, along with a blacked-out look and exclusive wheel designs. The X-Pro trim featured 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires and increased towing capacity to 2,500 kilograms. The test vehicle was the X-Pro trim, which included comprehensive standard equipment, towing capacity, and off-roading capability. The Midnight Lake Blue paint increased the MSRP to $66,916. The Telluride was a good-looking SUV with attractive proportions and upscale details, though the blacked-out X-Line and X-Pro treatment erased some of its personality. Inside, the black-over-Terracotta interior contrasted sharply with the blue exterior paint, featuring simulated wood trim, metallic accents, chevron-pattern Nappa leather, and an artificial suede headliner. The dual-screen display dominated the dashboard, looking more technologically advanced than it was, with buttons and knobs for easy operation.

The 2025 Honda Pilot featured a 3.5-litre V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, generating 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This drivetrain allowed the Pilot to tow up to 2,268 kilograms. It offered various driving modes, including Normal, Econ, Snow, Tow, Sport, Trail, and Sand. In Canada, every Pilot came with Honda's Intelligent Variable Torque Management AWD system, providing hill descent control and up to 18.5 centimetres of ground clearance. The AWD system featured torque vectoring, allowing up to 70 percent of engine output to flow to a single rear wheel. The V6 provided good acceleration, but the transmission sometimes felt slow to downshift. Fuel economy was unimpressive, with city-heavy driving averaging 15.9 litres per 100 kilometres. The Pilot averaged 14.1 L/100 km on the evaluation loop, falling short of the official NRCan rating of 11.2 L/100 km in combined driving. The handling was predictable and secure, with a compliant suspension benefiting typical driving situations.

The 2025 Kia Telluride featured a 3.8-litre V6 engine generating 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD. It offered Eco, Comfort, Sport, Snow, and Smart driving modes, with Smart mode adjusting to driver behaviour. The V6 provided smooth and refined power, with occasional breathlessness at higher elevations. It returned a respectable 11.6 litres per 100 kilometres over nearly 2,000 kilometres of driving, aligning with the NRCan rating of 11.7 L/100 km in combined driving. The X-Pro trim's 18-inch all-terrain tires provided enhanced off-pavement traction but sacrificed some on-pavement grip. The X-Pro's tires and compliant suspension soaked up impacts on narrow, winding roads and aging city streets. The X-Pro's tires added confidence when exploring trails, with a standard ground clearance of 20.3 centimetres and 21.3 cm for the X-Line and X-Pro versions. The Telluride X-Pro provided a pleasurable driving experience, though brake pedal behaviour in thick traffic was occasionally sticky.

The 2025 Honda Pilot excelled in form and function, with three rows of comfortable seats and thoughtful storage solutions. The Black Edition's front row featured a 10-way power seat adjustment for the driver, but the front passenger only had a four-way adjustment, lacking height and cushion tilt adjustments. The front seats were comfortable and supportive, with heating and ventilation available on higher trims. The second-row seats were roomy, with a removable centre section for captain's chairs. The third row was habitable for adults if the second row slid forward. The Pilot offered 635 litres of cargo space behind the third row, with a large storage well under the load floor. Folding the third-row seat provided up to 1,702 litres of cargo room, and folding both rear rows created a maximum of 3,219 litres.

The 2025 Kia Telluride's interior featured numerous surprise-and-delight features, including heated and ventilated second-row seats. Each door armrest had a narrow tray for holding items, and USB-C charging ports were embedded in the front seatbacks. The second row offered reclining captain's chairs with adjustable armrests, a rear climate control zone, and ample charging and storage solutions. The third-row seat was reasonably comfortable and accessible for adults. The Telluride offered 601 litres of cargo space behind the third row, with a hidden compartment under the load floor. Folding the third-row seats expanded cargo space to 1,304 litres, and flattening the second-row seats provided a maximum volume of 2,455 litres.

The 2025 Honda Pilot's technology appeared dated, with smaller display screens compared to rivals. The Black Edition featured a 10.2-inch digital gauge panel and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and wireless smartphone charging. However, the wireless CarPlay function had issues, and Honda's voice recognition system was hit-and-miss. The 12-speaker Bose audio system was adequate but not impressive. The Pilot's CabinTalk feature allowed the driver to communicate with passengers over the stereo speakers, and a small four-inch head-up display was included.

The 2025 Kia Telluride featured a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system under a single piece of glass. A 10-inch head-up display complemented them on higher trims. The head-up display alerted the driver to vehicles in blind spots, and the Blind Spot View Monitor showed a live video feed when using the turn signal. However, the Telluride lacked wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the data port was a USB-A. The standard voice recognition system was rudimentary, but the SiriusXM satellite radio subscription and multi-device Bluetooth connectivity provided entertainment options. The 10-speaker Harman Kardon audio system delivered impressive sound quality.

The 2025 Honda Pilot came with a comprehensive menu of standard Honda Sensing safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control. The Black Edition also had parking sensors and a multi-view camera system. However, the adaptive cruise control had issues in thick traffic, and the lane-centring assist system affected steering feel. The Pilot earned high marks in crash tests, with a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

The 2025 Kia Telluride featured standard safety equipment, including forward collision warning, pedestrian and cyclist detection, intersection assistance, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane centring assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. Highway Driving Assist was standard, pairing adaptive cruise control and lane-centring assist for semi-autonomous highway driving. Higher trims added features like the Blind Spot View Monitor, reverse automatic braking, and front cross-traffic alert. The lane-centring assist system had trouble with bends and curves, but the Telluride earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.