Compare the2026 Kia Sorento HybridVS 2025 Honda Pilot

Both the Sorento Hybrid and Pilot have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Sorento Hybrid 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.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia Sorento Hybrid 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 Sorento Hybrid and Pilot have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sorento Hybrid 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 Sorento Hybrid 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	Sorento Hybrid	Pilot
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	23%	28.9%
Neck Stress	208 lbs.	350 lbs.
Neck Compression	58 lbs.	101 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	340	440
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Stress	139 lbs.	232 lbs.
Neck Compression	52 lbs.	98 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	118/119 lbs.	396/388 lbs.

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 Kia Sorento Hybrid is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	Sorento Hybrid	Pilot
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	53
Hip Force	196 lbs.	276 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	100
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	196 lbs.	540 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	228	340
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	34 G’s

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

The Sorento Hybrid 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 Sorento Hybrid 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.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Sorento Hybrid’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Pilot’s camshafts. If the Pilot’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 6 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the Sorento Hybrid gets better mileage than the Pilot:

			MPG
Sorento Hybrid
	FWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	37 city/36 hwy
	AWD	1.6 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	32 city/35 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 Sorento Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Pilot doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Sorento Hybrid stops shorter than the Pilot:

	Sorento Hybrid	Pilot
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

The Sorento Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pilot EX-L’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sorento Hybrid has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Pilot EX-L.

The Sorento Hybrid 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.

The Sorento Hybrid EX handles at .80 G’s, while the Pilot Elite pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sorento Hybrid is 10.3 inches shorter than the Pilot, making the Sorento Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Sorento Hybrid easier. The Sorento Hybrid’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.7 inches, while the Pilot’s liftover is 33.2 inches.

The Sorento Hybrid has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly, without having to lift, carry or store heavy seats, like in the Pilot.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Sorento Hybrid’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Sorento Hybrid’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.

Compared to traditional radio, the Kia Sorento Hybrid’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 Sorento Hybrid has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition offers wireless charging.

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