Compare the2022 Honda PilotVS 2022 Buick Enclave

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Pilot are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Buick Enclave doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

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

The Pilot offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Enclave doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Pilot and the Enclave have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, 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 and available rear parking sensors.

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
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	149	216
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	198 lbs.
Neck Compression	46 lbs.	77 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	216	333
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.9 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	35.2%
Neck Stress	116 lbs.	128 lbs.

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, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Buick Enclave:

	Pilot	Enclave
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	101 G’s	161 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	304 lbs.	716 lbs.

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

Warranty

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

Reliability

The engine in the Pilot has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Enclave has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

Engine

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

	Pilot	Enclave
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.9 MPH	84.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot gets better mileage than the Enclave:

			MPG
Pilot
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
Enclave
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 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.

Brakes and Stopping

The Pilot stops much shorter than the Enclave:

	Pilot	Enclave
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

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 Enclave’s standard 65 series tires. The Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Enclave’s optional 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Pilot (except LX)’s optional drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Enclave doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Pilot Elite 4WD handles at .83 G’s, while the Enclave Avenir pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Enclave Avenir (27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Buick Enclave.

The Pilot is 8.3 inches shorter than the Enclave, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Pilot Elite 4WD is quieter than the Enclave Essence (37 vs. 38 dB).

Passenger Space

The Pilot has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Enclave can only carry 7.

The Pilot has .1 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear legroom, .4 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.3 inches more third row headroom and .3 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
Second Seat Folded	109.2 cubic feet	97.4 cubic feet

The Pilot has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Enclave doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A standard locking glovebox 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).

Ergonomics

The Pilot’s front power windows 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 front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Pilot has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Enclave doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Pilot’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Enclave’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Enclave’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

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.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Pilot owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pilot will cost $470 less than the Enclave over a five-year period.

The Pilot will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Pilot will retain 51.32% to 53.62% of its original price after five years, while the Enclave only retains 33.96% to 37.87%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pilot is less expensive to operate than the Enclave because it costs $691 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Pilot than the Enclave, including $154 less for a water pump, $133 less for front brake pads, $141 less for fuel injection, $369 less for a timing belt/chain and $548 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Pilot will be $11712 to $13219 less than for the Buick Enclave.

Recommendations

The Honda Pilot has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Pilot	Enclave
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE