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2023 Kia Telluride vs Hyundai Palisade vs Honda Pilot Comparison

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Three-row SUVs are the perfect family utility vehicles, with enough room to handle everything you can throw at it... or in it. The Honda Pilot has been a staple of the midsize SUV segment for years, while both the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade are recent additions to the scene.

These 8-seater SUVs have many of the same strengths, like spacious interiors, strong standard V6 engines, and good standard safety features. But, there are some key differences to know before making your purchase. Let's take a peek.

Pricing

These three SUVs have very similar price points across their trim levels, with the Palisade slightly edging out the Pilot and Telluride for entry price. All prices listed below include all freight and transportation charges:

2023 Kia Telluride

  • Starting Price $52,866
  • Five Trim levels available
  • Fully Loaded Price $65,466

2023 Honda Pilot 

  • Starting Price $52,726
  • Five Trim levels available
  • Fully Loaded Price $64,926

2023 Hyundai Palisade

  • Starting Price $50,706
  • Three Trim levels available
  • Fully Loaded Price $59,506

Both the Pilot and Telluride offer more flexibility with 5 trim options, while the Palisade offers 3 distinct trim levels to choose from. This helps account for the price difference you see above. This is especially true on the fully loaded trims - as both the Telluride and Pilot offer higher luxury versions than what the Palisade can offer.

 

Engine & Performance

All three vehicles come with a single V6 engine option that powers the vehicle across all trim options:

2023 Kia Telluride

  • Base Engine 3.8L V6 GDI (Gasoline Direct Injected) engine (291 Horsepower / 262 lb-ft of torque)
  • Fuel Economy (L/100 KM) City /Hwy /Combined 12.8 / 9.8 / 11.4 L/100 KM

2023 Honda Pilot

  • Base Engine 3.5-litre, 24-valve, Direct Injection, DOHC, i-VTEC V6 (285 Horsepower / 262 lb-ft of torque)
  • Fuel Economy (L/100 KM) City /Hwy /Combined 12.4 / 9.3 / 11.0 L/100 KM

2023 Hyundai Palisade

  • Base Engine 3.8L Gasoline Direct Injection V6 engine (291 Horsepower / 262 lb-ft of torque)
  • Fuel Economy (L/100 KM) City /Hwy /Combined 12.8 / 9.8 / 11.4 L/100 KM

The Telluride and Hyundai offer essentially an identical engine option, while the Pilot offers a very similar V6 setup. Fuel efficiency is almost identical across the board.

All three vehicles come with standard 20 inch wheels and provide a powerful and responsive engine that can tow up to 5000 pounds.

 

Interior & Technology

All three vehicles come equipped with a host of cutting edge technology. These include a standard touchscreen, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, ventilated and heated seats and much much more.

The Telluride and Palisade come equipped with a standard 12.3 inch touchscreen display that controls all of your media. The Pilot comes with a 7 inch touchscreen. This significant 5.3 inch difference makes operating the larger touchscreen much easier while driving your vehicle.

The Kia and Hyundai also have standard features like wireless phone charging that you’ll need to upgrade for on the Honda.

The fully loaded Pilot includes a Bose premium sound system, while the Kia and Hyundai offer a Harman Kardon premium audio system.

Where the Pilot leads the competition with technology is with exclusive features like WIFI hotspot capability.

The Telluride, Pilot and Palisade all offer similar cargo capacity across the various options with seats folded down. However, the Telluride outclasses the Palisade by 3 cubic feet when comparing cargo space behind the 3rd row. This gives the Telluride a much more cargo capable vehicle even when all seats are in use.

 

Safety

All three SUVs come loaded with safety features across all trim levels, including the entry level trim option. Staples like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and blind spot monitoring are available across all 3 brands. When it comes to safety, you can’t go wrong with the Telluride, Palisade, or Pilot.

 

Exterior Design

The Pilot, Telluride and Palisade all feature cutting edge designs that give each vehicle a fully unique and distinctive look: The Pilot received a redesign in 2023 while the Palisade underwent a mid model facelift that includes an all new front grille. The 2023 Telluride features a new headlight design compared to previous models.

While style is subjective, all three SUVs offer head turning looks that represent some of the best vehicle design on the road today.

 

Conclusion

You really can’t go wrong when choosing between the Telluride, Pilot and Palisade. All three offer similar price points and cutting edge features that rival any vehicle on the road today. While all three offer a unique look that can help you make your choice, the Telluride offers more cargo space over the Palisade and has more standard features like a larger 12.3 inch touchscreen and wireless phone charging.

The Kia Telluride catapulted onto the SUV scene in 2020 winning the highly coveted 2020 World Car of the Year. More recently, in the last two years alone, the Kia Telluride has garnered numerous prestigious awards.

  • 2023 Car and Driver Editor's Choice Award
  • 2023 IIHS top Safety Pick +
  • 2023 Car and Driver 10 Best
  • 2023 Kelly Blue Book Best Buy Award
  • 2022 Best Family Car by Kelly Blue Book
  • 2022 US News Best Car for Families
  • 2022 Car and Driver Editor's Choice Award
  • 2022 US News Best Car for the Money
  • 2022 Edmunds' Top Rated Award
  • 2022 Kelly Blue Book Best Buy Award
  • 2022 Car and Driver 10 Best

Come try out the head turning Kia Telluride for yourself by stopping by our showroom.

Learn more about the 2023 Kia Telluride here!