Kia Telluride vs. Honda Pilot vs. Subaru Ascent | Midsize Family SUV Comparison Test 

None of those crossovers have the number 1 family feature which matters to me and other parents: 2nd row seats which provide access to the third row with a child car seat installed. In our Mazda CX-9, we have three child car seats installed in the 2nd row and can still use the third row as needed. The Pathfinder, and Atlas can also do this but neither drove as well. Working well with car seats matters more to parents than number of cupholders and towing ratings.

@@FoYo1005 I understand your myopia. Anyone who needs THREE child car seats simultaneously has enough to occupy their attention without noticing how unique their needs are. Moreover, the need for child seats is not a permanent condition. Kids grow up and that single priority disappears. I'm sure that fact seems to exist in the far distant future for you but trust me, it does happen. 😎

@@stephenhendricks103 People that need three car seats will buy what covers that need. Waiting a few years to use your car’s third row seat is not realistic. Might as well buy a two row one

@@stephenhendricks103 The video is titled "Midsize Family SUV comparison test" and the question prompt I was replying to asked, "how would you change ... to make them your perfect family SUV?" I literally answered the question about the number #1 feature I used to make my decision to pick an SUV to serve my family last year. It hardly seems myopic to consider what works for my family to make a better family SUV. I missed where you suggested what you would change to make them your perfect family SUV. As an aside, I'm looking forward to no longer needing child car seats but then I will be looking to no longer have a family SUV like those on this list.

@@FoYo1005 Sorry, my friend. I really didn't mean to offend you. I think I just took the opportunity to vent a bit about the fact that whenever "family" vehicles are reviewed the most prominent feature mentioned is typically their accommodation of child or infant seats. Perhaps I unfairly picked on your need for 3! seats simultaneously as an obvious example. But as noted, that's a need that many families have for a relatively short period of time or not at all. For example, I'm part of a family consisting of myself, my wife, my 16 year old daughter who now drives, and our large dog who accompanies the rest of us nearly everywhere. Neither my wife, my daughter nor the dog requires or would tolerate being belted into a child seat. My wife is especially insistent on this point. 😁 What we do require is a vehicle that easily accommodates at least the family's 4 passengers on long highway slogs along with a week's worth of luggage and gear. Though we all love one another dearly, being locked up together for extended periods can be a challenge so "roominess" is a priority. At the same time, the family SUV is my wife's and my daughter's daily driver. (My GTI is my daily driver unless I'm playing chauffeur.) They neither want nor need a behemoth 3 row SUV that's a challenge to navigate in the jungle of suburban and urban traffic and parking. On the other hand, we occasionally need a vehicle that will enable us to transport 5 to 7 passengers on a short local trip and avoid using two cars. And since the dog objects to being consigned to a captain chair in the back seat, we need a bench back there. Leather or "pleather" upholstery is far preferable to cloth that acts like a magnet for dog hair. And the gorgeous white leather upholstery that appears in many upscale SUV reviews is ridiculously inappropriate for our family of less than always spic and span passengers. Black or dark gray or brown are the only reasonable choices. And in cases where "Fido" returns muddy from a trip to the dog park or the beach, space for him in the cargo hold is essential. (He's a big dog so the space behind the second row has to be more than subcompact or most compact SUVs provide.) As noted we don't need child seats or backseat entertainment centers but my daughter would protest loudly the absence of easily accessible rear seat USB charging ports. (Note: The Mazda CX9's placement of two ports in the rear seat center console is clever but if the seat is occupied by 3 passengers there is NO access to the ports.) Since she's now a frequent (and very good) driver of the family SUV I want every possible driver assistance and safety feature I can get. (Dads are dads.) With three drivers in the family that range from 5' to almost 6' in height, memory settings for the driver are a huge convenience. Three would be ideal and two are a minimum. Fortunately, we own a near Goldilocks version of the SUV that meets our priorities, a 2018 top trim (SXL/PP) KIA Sorento. It's the perfect compromise in terms of trim size and the existence of a small but usable third row for short trips and substantial cargo space behind the second row. The top trim has durable and attractive nappa leather and a host of driver assistance and safety features. There are some tempting updates including a more powerful and fuel efficient replacement for the V6 with a 2.5L turbo four cylinder engine in the new Sorento but they're unfortunately coupled with some (significant to us) less desirable features. Specifically a bench seat is no longer available on upper (or even mid-level) trim Sorentos and the driver memory for two drivers has been inexplicably dropped from the new model. If I insisted on replacing our Sorento with the new model I'd probably have to pry my wife's cold, dead fingers from the steering wheel. 😜 I hope this long-winded comment about a "family" SUV for our particular family meets your expectations. The point is that families come in all shapes and sizes and the "number 1 family feature which matters to (you) AND OTHER PARENTS" is not necessarily easy accommodation of 2nd row child seats along with access to a third row. Our family is no more but also no less typical than yours and as parents child seats are irrelevant to us. Again, my apologies if my original comment led you to take offense.

Thank you this helps a lot!

Same

same here :))

Found the opposite, the Kia the best of all that we test drove prior to purchasing, it’s the complete package. Picking it up today, can’t wait.

I’m stuck between the ascent, Pilot, and Highlander hybrid!

Yes, typical modern journalist prioritizing gimmicky tech over fundamentals. I also liked when he claimed how comfortable the third rows in the others were when we can see for ourselves that his knees are just as high in the Pilot as they are in the Ascent. I wouldn't necessarily claim the Ascent is the clear winner, though. They all have pros and cons.

You hit the nail on the head. I’ve owned 4 Subarus, and the reason why? They don’t muck around with gimmicks. Everything (and I mean everything) in the car is designed for a practicality. People are laughing about 19 cup holders (this reviewer included), but when I’m overlanding or camping, yeah, 4 gallons of water bottles in the cup holders is a necessity. I don’t care about an infotainment system that’s .05 seconds faster responding. I could care less about wireless charging. I want my car to be a usable tool, a companion that’s like a trained cocker spaniel. Always there, always works, always ready to go without letting everyone know you’re doing well for yourself.

How do you like it 4mo later?

@@CosmicApe It's a great SUV. My only complaint is the engine can get a little louder at lower speeds.

@@ks-bg5uk Well, that's the boxer engine. Nothing you can do about that.

@@ks-bg5uk hey after owning it this long would you still recommend the ascent?

@@seandaman6509 yes..just do a test drive. My only issue is it's noisy at lower RPM. See if you're ok with that. Best.

The Ascent is definitely the best vehicle that Subaru makes. But many of us car folks with a mechanical background know that Subaru doesn’t have a reputation for reliability long term. Neither does Kia. Anyone shopping for long term reliability will choose the Honda and not give Subaru a passing glance. With that said, the Ascent is what I would choose as I don’t keep vehicle longer than 3 years.

I changed my Ascent tires to Michelin CrossClimate 2. It's the best all season tires I've experienced so far. It does handle snow very well but not as good as dedicated winter tire. I swap them to 18" wheel with winter tire when it snow here.

So happy that you love your Kia. How has it been since your comments 11months ago. My only worry with is fit, finish and long term reliability. Kia has come a long way from it's humble beginnings. Thank you.

I've had my Telluride SX-P for 18 months now and still in love with it!

@@YukonHawk1 still lovin’ my Telluride. Just had the 30,000 mile service done. I did have one issue which I find has been common with the tow package. I noticed the back end slouch and would hear a knocking sound over speed bumps. It turns out the shocks were leaking/failed. The service department mentioned that they had experienced that with other Tellurides with the tow package/self leveling suspension. They had new shocks in stock and replaced them with the warranty of course. No more slouching or noise over speed bumps. Other than that, it has been a great SUV. The roominess inside has been everything I hoped for. The fit and finish are still great. My wife drives a 2021 Mercedes GLE and she doesn’t have a heated steering wheel. She drove my Telluride when it was cold and she was a bit jealous. The GLE is also three row but no captain seats and not as roomy as the Telluride. Other than that her GLE is better on everything else, 😊. But I love my Telluride. The main reason I wanted the tow package was for a bike rack. I purchased a 6 bike rack from Loloracks. The bikes hang from the handlebars and ride closer to the back of the Telluride. Love the rack as much as the Telluride. I also bought a Thule rooftop box that fit on the OEM roof rails. Thule Motion Xt L. I have only used the box on road-trips but I need the space so my 55 lb Siberian has room in the back. I would highly recommend the Telluride to anyone looking for a three row SUV or SUV that is still decent in gas mileage (22 mpg) that has a ton of room and doesn’t drive or park like it does. Hope this helps.

@@jamesbarron5590 wow....thank you so much for that run down. You have convinced me to put this at the top of my list. I am very happy that it has been a great SUV for you. I bet your awesome sweet dog loves it too. Now you have to get a Telluride for wife😁😁👍👍 I wish you continued good luck and thousands of happy miles. Please give your dog a big hug for me. 😁

Sure does! And it works great.

Does it the hitch comes with certain trims only?

My wife has one. It's pretty awesome.

@Cucking Liberals it’s ugly and pretty dated

No question the Telluride

Like Korean fashion? Looks good on the outside but is all plastic underneath.

i disagree. i have a 21 impreza hatch. i think its clunky and cheap feeling.

@@MatthewSmith-uf6tr I don't think Subaru is as refined as maybe a Toyota/Honda, but they make great vehicles that last their owners a long time. They might not be as premium, and they go by the parts bin philosophy, but their track record speaks for itself. They've always been a quirky brand.

@@JasonB72481 I can agree with you on that. We ended up getting my wife a pilot this weekend. It’s just so solid feeling compared to the Subaru. I think they’re both Great and everyone has their own preference.

Subaru gives me tiny mini van vibes-going with telluride..

@@princeofpeaceproductions3506 telluride was 5k over msrp and they offered us 4k less than what we got for my wifes trade in through honda. Kia can suck it!

Agreed. I like the way delivers and simplifies this review

It’s a non factor for me. And I have a Telluride

So true. Didn't buy an Ascent to tow. Got it for it's active safety features. When we want to tow our travel trailer, I use my GMC 2500

Literally any awd vehicle will do well on snow. It comes down to tires. Period. Science and dozens of YT videos have proven this over and over. 🤦🏾‍♂️

​@@haroldbeauchamp3770 AWD systems make a big difference. You need to look beyond simple acceleration and braking tests. Examples: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-k-TQdIqFvZo.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-P21lwEYY-D0.html

That’s always been what determines resale value, demand.

@@jalmonte91 not because it is a good deal. There are much less expensive premium choices like Buick Enclave starting in the low $30's, or less than a Honda Pilot.

@@normt430 I'm sorry but you can't compare an Enclave to the Telluride.

@@marycooper5454 the Telluride S is middle $30's while the Enclave is low $30's. It is also more efficient with more power from 3.6l (310 hp) than the H/K 3.8l. The Enclave and Telluride have similar residual values set by the bank(Edmund's), the less expensive vehicle will hold it's value better than a more expensive one.

Is enclave reliable?

That's why Subaru are practical in everyway. I don't like the styling of Telluride and Palisade. To me it's look very alien and more like a Range Rover wannable. I test drove all the 3 rows SUV except American brand one and decided to go with 2020 Ascent.

I like the Ascent but it's a bit cramped for a family that actually needs three rows. I guess all of these are compared to a minivan, but the Ascent is more so.

@@DarianDT Yeah styling is subjective, but I find the Telluride to look rather lumpy and cartoonish. Not a dealbreaker, but I don't really understand all the fawning over it.

It's definitely a segment leader but most kia dealerships been wanting $2-5k market up since it launched... It's nice but to me, it's not worth $8k more than a similar equipped Honda Pilot

@Juan Dela Cruz most car reviewers say otherwise

@Juan Dela Cruz The Pilot is probably the worst and oldest 3-row in thr segment today.

@Juan Dela Cruz you know H/K owners paid too much! They could make a good deal selling within a year of purchase but not longterm.

@Juan Dela Cruz Sour grapes eh? Don't be a sore loser! I'm sure the next Pilot will be better than the current one!

I know right, I saw him in the same uncomfortable position in all 3 cars. At least don’t say “much better”, we all know that 3rd row sucks for adults

@@MoisesEstrada Exactly. The Ascent IS more cramped back there, particularly in headroom, but you are sitting with your knees in the air in all three. None of them is comparable to a minivan or GM full size.

Did you pick up your Ascent yet? If so, how do you like it so far?

@@slandshark hello! We’ve had it for 3 weeks now and so far we love it! Very comfortable for our family, lots of space, very quiet. Haven’t found anything about it we don’t like yet. We’ll do some more adventurous stuff in the coming months and utilize the capabilities, but so far so good!

Hey there, it's been a year. How'd it be going there?

@@averageguy1261, A little over a year and no regrets! Being that it’s not as nice looking, we did do our own ‘Onyx’ package, de chroming it so it’s all black and white. Still not as sharp as the Kia, but we really like the impact of the simple mods! We turned 17k mileage on the way back from a NoCal trip, 1 of many it’s been on. Still very comfortable, and still doing everything we can ask of it. The AWD provides a lot of confidence, especially in rough weather. If I had it to do over, I would!

@@CenCalBimat Thanks for the update! Will definitely look at it!

Honda's VTM is pretty capable too, even better in some conditions.

Honda is doing it in 2023

B

Did you lease or buy? It seems we have similar taste, highlanders are not available to me in my area, I’m deciding between an ascent, pilot and after reading your message may be considering the cx-9

@@CharlieSpecter We did a lease because the deals were great at the moment. We leased a grand touring because we wanted the captain chairs with the pass-through in the middle for easy access for the kiddos. We plan on buying at the end of the lease as the car will probably be worth more than the residual, and the new version, the cx90, will be more expensive. We’ll see. All other things aside, when you drive it, you will see the difference in luxury and driving dynamics. The 4-cylinder is a beast in low-end torque. I also have a Mazda 6 turbo for me :)

How is it im looking to buy one my self

@@wayboogie Amazing. Really like it so far. Very roomy and comfy

Niceee i love honda pilot can't wait to see the new 2022 😊😊👍🏾👍🏾

I've been a Subaru owner for 20 years, and I love my car, but now that I live in Florida, I would take the Telluride as well.

One of the ongoing challenges of the Hyundai engines that the major Korean manufacturers continue to use is fuel economy. Believe it not, the 3.8L V6 in the Telluride has been designed to improve fuel efficiency by running the Atkinson cycle. Without that feature moving the Telluride (and the Palisade) would be even more expensive.

Newer Toyota's are usually plagued with problems. The Ascent fell victim of reliability and Consumer Reports dropped it from recombination. The new Outback gets a 3 out of 5 in reliability which means they don't think you won't be going back to the dealership to get something fixed. The Ascent gets a 1 out of 5 as there is no 0 out of 5.

I think you are right with this. The Ascent is our 5th Subaru. Wife had no interest in a Pilot or Highlander and thinks the Telluride is ugly. I'm just glad the adaptive cruise works as smoothly as it does.

Firs time Subaru owner, we got the Ascent Touring '21. Negotiated well and got it pretty fully loaded for 9.2% under MSRP. Conversely, 2 Kia dealers wanted $7500 and $9000 above MSRP for top trim Telluride due to inventory being low. That turns into an almost $20k swing and why should I pay for all wheel drive when Subaru comes standard plus has it all over these 2 in safety ratings.

@@normt430 Consumer Reports uses their own subscribers to rate cars. Not sure the overlap in Subaru Ascent owners and CR paid customers, but doubt it's strong. Also Subaru's sell mainly in the Northern states due to AWD. What CR does do, and they admit this, is supplant data when there's not enough (e.g., 2019 was Ascent debut, so there's no 5 year owners until 2024) hence the reliability ratings from CR mean almost nothing to me.

@@marcisikoff which area did you buy the ascent from? I am looking for one and everyone seems to be selling it for MSRP.

Redline review guy made it 6.1 second 0-60 by break torque

No, the Pilot do not have SH-AWD. It's a 1 step down from SH-AWD, not as aggressive as Acura SH-AWD. Look it up.

Honda has been so bad with reliability over the last decade, I don’t even know if Kia has inferior reliability at this point

@@hondajohn6948 Subaru had a very rough start with the Ascent as well. One of the least reliable vehicles on the road when it was released. Have they fixed all the transmission and general quality issues? Only time will tell.

You so right! Bought the the 2021 Black Edition Pilot (exact same as the one in this comparison). Was looking at the Telluride but could not find one at the trim level equal to the Pilot for comparable money. Everything I saw was 5-10 grand more with more miles on them🤷🏾‍♂️! The Telluride is nice but not that nice! I have never seen the top trim level go for the prices all the reviews quote them at🤷🏾‍♂️.

We have a Highlander Limited that we love, but with grown kids and grandkids we're really considering the Telluride. We're not interested in a Hybrid. I wish the Highlander would have the room and safety features of the Telluride. When is Toyota going to understand if they'd make some improvements they wouldn't lose customers. We personally think the body style of the Highlander is more attractive than the Telluride. We know how comfortable our Highlander is and we've been driving it for 11 years without any complaints. We love our Toyota, but we are seriously considering the Telluride.

Telluride doesn't have anything close to 35 MPG, but it still is better than the Highlander.

The Highlander is really nice to be sure! Not as nice as the Telluride. And the Kia just has soooo much more space. In fact, the Sorrento has more interior space than the Highlander.

@@pamelahicks517 checkout the Kia carnival also

Lexus level luxury is a lie, telluride is way above, the highlander has way less luxury features and quality than telluride, and unless your keeping a car for over ten years the Kia will be just fine, also the highlander is tiny compared to the telluride

They are doing a full redesign in 2023

I agreed with Hybrid being the future of cars. However, a Toyta Rav4 hybrid prime or a Highlander Hybrid going for $60k out the door at my local dealerships. I don't see that's $20k over competitors is a gas saving option.

@@DarianDT I looked at a Highlander Hybrid but the dealer wanted $5K over sticker and it was up to a one year wait. Not to mention the cost to replace the battery in 8 years or so. That was a no from me. Kia is the same issue. Nothing on the lots and dealers charging way over MSRP.

Agreed, but I'm not sure they can mount that engine in here, as it was designed to be mounted longitudinally. ie; for RWD platforms.

@@johnholst hmm ok, how about the new 2.5L Turbo from the GV80?? Less weight and more power. :)

@@ctk4949 That might work! That engine can be mounted either way!

The Ascent is now recommended by Consumer Reports.