Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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

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

Both the Pilot and the Grand Highlander 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 Toyota Grand Highlander:

	Pilot	Grand Highlander
	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 Grand Highlander:

	Pilot	Grand Highlander
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 Toyota Grand Highlander:

	Pilot	Grand Highlander
	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 Grand Highlander.

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 Grand Highlander is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

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 17 points higher than the Grand Highlander.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Toyota Grand Highlander:

	Pilot	Grand Highlander Hybrid	Grand Highlander turbo 4 cyl.
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.5 sec	8.3 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	15.7 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.6 MPH	88.8 MPH	86.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Pilot’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Pilot has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Pilot has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 Grand Highlander.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Pilot	Grand Highlander
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.4 inches

The Pilot stops shorter than the Grand Highlander:

	Pilot	Grand Highlander
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	134 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Pilot TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Grand Highlander (265/60R18 vs. 255/65R18).

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 Grand Highlander LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 2 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Grand Highlander.

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .85 G’s, while the Grand Highlander Platinum AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Grand Highlander XLE AWD (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Pilot TrailSport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Highlander (8.3 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Pilot to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Pilot uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Pilot uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Pilot TrailSport is quieter than the Grand Highlander Platinum AWD (66 vs. 67 dB).

Passenger Space

The Pilot has 5.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Highlander (158.4 vs. 153.3).

The Pilot has 1.9 inches more front hip room, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear legroom, .4 inches more rear hip room, 2.9 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.1 inches more third row headroom and 2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Grand Highlander.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pilot	Grand Highlander
Behind Third Seat	21.8 cubic feet	20.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	59.5 cubic feet	57.9 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 Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 23% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 24th.

Ergonomics

The Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Grand Highlander doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Pilot’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Grand Highlander’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Grand Highlander offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Pilot and the Toyota Grand Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2024 issue and they ranked the Honda Pilot Elite higher than the Toyota Grand Highlander XLE AWD.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Toyota Grand Highlander by almost two to one during 2024.

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