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 TX doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
The Honda Pilot’s Multi-View Camera System offers available integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Lexus TX lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.
Both the Pilot and the TX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, driver alert monitors, 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 Lexus TX:
|
Pilot |
TX |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
28.9% |
39.3% |
Neck Stress |
350 lbs. |
355 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
178/233 lbs. |
331/316 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
Chest Compression |
.5 inches |
.6 inches |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the TX:
|
Pilot |
TX |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Restraints |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Head Neck Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head injury index |
104 |
112 |
Peak Head Forces |
0 G’s |
0 G’s |
Steering Column Movement Rearward |
0 cm |
5 cm |
Chest Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Hip & Thigh Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Femur Force R/L |
.4/.6 kN |
3.5/1.3 kN |
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L |
0%/0% |
1%/0% |
Lower Leg Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Tibia index R/L |
.26/.42 |
.69/.57 |
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 Lexus TX:
|
Pilot |
TX |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Abdominal Force |
59 lbs. |
64 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
39 G’s |
39 G’s |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
10 inches |
17 inches |
HIC |
340 |
344 |
Spine Acceleration |
34 G’s |
48 G’s |
Hip Force |
444 lbs. |
823 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pilot is 1.4% to 3.1% less likely to roll over than the TX.
The Honda Pilot achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The TX is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.