Compare the2026 Honda PilotVS 2026 Kia Sorento Hybrid

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Honda Pilot has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 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 Hybrid’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Pilot has standard Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Sorento Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Honda Pilot’s Multi-View Camera System has integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Kia Sorento Hybrid lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.

Both the Pilot and the Sorento Hybrid 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Pilot	Sorento Hybrid
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	382	446
Leg Forces (l/r)	178/233 lbs.	276/445 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	33.6%	43%

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Pilot	Sorento Hybrid
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	59 lbs.	117 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	15 inches
Hip Force	444 lbs.	552 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Pilot’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Sorento Hybrid runs out after 100,000 miles.

There are over 34 percent more Honda dealers than there are Kia dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 9th.

Engine

The Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 58 more horsepower (285 vs. 227) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 258) than the Sorento Hybrid’s 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Kia Sorento Hybrid:

	Pilot	Sorento Hybrid
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	3.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	8.4 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	11.6 sec	13.8 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.6 sec	4.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.6 MPH	87.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

Both the Pilot and Sorento 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 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

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 Hybrid.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Pilot	Sorento Hybrid
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.8 inches

The Pilot stops shorter than the Sorento Hybrid:

	Pilot	Sorento Hybrid
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	132 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Pilot has larger standard tires than the Sorento Hybrid (255/50R20 vs. 235/55R19). The Pilot TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sorento 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 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 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 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 Hybrid; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Sorento Hybrid.

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .81 G’s, while the Sorento Hybrid EX pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Pilot has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Sorento 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 Hybrid (8.3 vs. 6.9 inches).

Chassis

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 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Pilot offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Sorento Hybrid can only carry up to 7.

The Pilot has 53.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Sorento 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, .1 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 Hybrid.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pilot	Sorento Hybrid
Behind Third Seat	21.8 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	59.5 cubic feet	38.5 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	111.8 cubic feet	75.5 cubic feet

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

	Pilot	Sorento Hybrid
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	19.4”/51.3”/84.2”	15.5”/42.5”/76.5”
Max Width	57.6”	54”
Min Width	44.7”	42.4”
Height	33.9”	33”

Towing

The Pilot’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sorento Hybrid’s (3500 vs. 2000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 41% lower rating, Kia is ranked 27th.

Ergonomics

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 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 Hybrid’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Pilot’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Sorento Hybrid’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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 Hybrid has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Pilot and the Kia Sorento Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Kia Sorento by 46% during 2024.

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