Kia Mohave vs Honda Pilot vs Ford Explorer

[freespin]

clips from kia-world.net

SUV comparison report from the United Arab Emirates. Their very popular auto-magazine issued a comparison test among three popular body-on-frame built SUVs. One of them was Kia Mohave, known as Borrego in USA, and they pitched it against it’s two main rivals, the second generation Honda Pilot and the good old Ford Explorer.
Compared in several different areas, such as exterior design, interior styling and driving. Kia Mohave beats or equals both contenders. It also offers better off-roading capabilities, packs more standard equippement and is competitevily priced. It’s a clear winner among compared SUVs.

Verdict

All three SUVs are fairly accomplished, but they have their share of drawbacks too. The Honda isn’t very capable off-road but it’s very well built and packs a load of kit. That said, it is also the most expensive. On the flip side Honda will hold it’s value better than the Kia or Ford.
The Mohave, meanwhile, is a fine first attempt from the South Korean Kia and packs a huge amount of kit as standard. It’s fairly competent off-road, but suffers from poor brakes.
It’s cheaper than Honda, but costs more than Ford. Although it comes with Kia’s bullet-proof warranty, it’s too early to determine it’s resale value compared to it’s rivals.
Finally, Ford explorer is the cheapest, but doesn’t get much standard kit. It has acceptable dynamics, but is let down by staid styling and a dull interior.
If I had to choose, I’d pick the Mohave. It’s more expensive than the Ford, but you get a lot more for your money. All-around, it offers the best compromise in terms of price and performance.

[noobskie]

It would have been nice if they included the Hyundai Veracruz and the Mazda CX-9 in the comparison as well. The Mohave has a very modern design which I like a lot. That with the 3.0 V6 CRDI of the Veracruz and it'd be very very appealing.