Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2025 Buick Enclave

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
Towing
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 Enclave 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 Enclave’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 Buick Enclave, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Pilot	Enclave
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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Pilot’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Enclave doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

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 Buick Enclave only offers a rear camera washer, which may not provide the same level of all-weather performance.

Both the Pilot and the Enclave 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 Buick Enclave:

	Pilot	Enclave
	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 Buick Enclave:

	Pilot	Enclave
	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 Enclave:

	Pilot	Enclave
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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pilot is 1.9% to 4.2% less likely to roll over than the Enclave.

Warranty

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

There are over 15 percent more Honda dealers than there are Buick dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Buick is ranked 11th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Buick Enclave:

	Pilot	Enclave
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	15.6 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The Enclave doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

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 Buick Enclave (5). This means the Pilot produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Enclave 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 Enclave.

Brakes and Stopping

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

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

Tires and Wheels

The Pilot has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Enclave doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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

Suspension and Handling

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .85 G’s, while the Enclave Avenir pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Pilot TrailSport’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Enclave’s (37.7 feet vs. 39 feet). The Pilot’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Enclave w/22” wheels’ (37.8 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Pilot has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (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 1.5 inches higher than on the Enclave (8.3 vs. 6.8 inches).

Chassis

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 250 pounds less than the Buick Enclave.

The Pilot is 7.7 inches shorter than the Enclave, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Pilot offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Enclave can only carry 7.

The Pilot has .2 inches more rear headroom, 1 inch more third row headroom, .4 inches more third row legroom and 1.7 inches more third row shoulder room than the Enclave.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pilot	Enclave
Third Seat Folded	59.5 cubic feet	57.1 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	111.8 cubic feet	97.5 cubic feet

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Pilot. The Enclave doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Pilot’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Buick. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 3% lower rating, Buick is ranked 9th.

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 Enclave’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 Enclave doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Recommendations

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

The Honda Pilot outsold the Buick Enclave by over five to one during 2024.

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