Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2025 GMC Acadia

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
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 Acadia doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Acadia’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

With its standard Collision Mitigation Braking System, the Honda Pilot is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the GMC Acadia, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Pilot	Acadia
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	-20 MPH	-20 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-17 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-16 MPH
37 MPH Brights	-34 MPH	-16 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.4 sec	1.9 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-28 MPH	-16 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.6 sec	1.4 sec

The Honda Pilot TrailSport/Elite/Black Edition’s Multi-View Camera System is available with washers for its front and rear cameras, ensuring crystal-clear visibility in any weather condition. Conversely, the GMC Acadia only offers a rear camera washer, which may not provide the same level of all-weather performance.

Both the Pilot and the Acadia have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, 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 GMC Acadia:

	Pilot	Acadia
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	33.6%	35.9%

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 GMC Acadia:

	Pilot	Acadia
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	53	64
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	59 lbs.	73 lbs.
Hip Force	276 lbs.	372 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	113
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	48 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	10 inches	14 inches
HIC	340	346
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	444 lbs.	721 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Acadia:

	Pilot	Acadia
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	31	55
Neck Tension	112 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	.59 in	.79 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	335 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	101	260
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.71 in	.83 in
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	1.06 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	513 lbs.	602 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Pilot’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Acadia’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Pilot’s reliability 11 points higher than the Acadia.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. GMC is ranked 20th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the GMC Acadia:

	Pilot	Acadia
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	15.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.6 MPH	90.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot 4WD gets better fuel mileage than the Acadia AWD (19 city/25 hwy vs. 19 city/24 hwy).

The Pilot has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Acadia. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Pilot higher (6 out of 10) than the GMC Acadia (5). This means the Pilot produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Acadia every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Acadia.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Pilot	Acadia
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.4 inches

The Pilot stops shorter than the Acadia:

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

Tires and Wheels

The Pilot EX-L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Acadia AT4’s standard 65 series tires.

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 Acadia; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Pilot’s turning circle is tighter than the Acadia’s:

	Pilot	Acadia
AWD 4dr Sport Utility	37.7 feet	38.8 feet

For greater off-road capability the Pilot has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Acadia Elevation (7.3 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the Pilot to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Pilot TrailSport’s minimum ground clearance is .5 inch higher than on the Acadia AT4 (8.3 vs. 7.8 inches).

Chassis

The Pilot is 4.1 inches shorter than the Acadia, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Pilot has .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more third row headroom, .4 inches more third row legroom and 1.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Acadia.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pilot	Acadia
Third Seat Folded	59.5 cubic feet	57.3 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	111.8 cubic feet	97.5 cubic feet

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than GMC. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With an 8% lower rating, GMC is ranked 15th.

Ergonomics

The Pilot’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Acadia’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pilot to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Acadia doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Acadia’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Pilot and the GMC Acadia, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Honda Pilot outsold the GMC Acadia by almost three to one during 2024.

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