Compare the2022 Honda PilotVS 2022 Chevrolet Traverse

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

The Pilot has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Traverse’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Pilot has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Cross-path warning costs extra on the Traverse.

Both the Pilot and the Traverse have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and 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 Chevrolet Traverse:

	Pilot	Traverse
	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 Chevrolet Traverse:

	Pilot	Traverse
	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 Traverse’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

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

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 15 points higher than the Traverse.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 12 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Pilot is faster than the Chevrolet Traverse:

	Pilot	Traverse
Zero to 30 MPH	2.2 sec	2.5 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	6.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.2 sec	17.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.3 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.1 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Pilot
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
Traverse
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/27 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 Traverse doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Both the Pilot and the Traverse have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Pilots have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

Brakes and Stopping

The Pilot stops much shorter than the Traverse:

	Pilot	Traverse
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	135 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 Traverse’s standard 65 series tires. The Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Traverse’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 Traverse doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Pilot Elite 4WD handles at .83 G’s, while the Traverse Premier AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 950 pounds less than the Chevrolet Traverse.

The Pilot is 9.4 inches shorter than the Traverse, 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 Traverse High Country AWD (37 vs. 41 dB).

Passenger Space

The Pilot has 1 inch more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear hip room, .7 inches more third row headroom and .1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Traverse.

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

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pilot	Traverse
Second Seat Folded	109.2 cubic feet	98.2 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 Traverse doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Pilot. The Traverse doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Pilot’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Traverse’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 Traverse’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Pilot the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Traverse can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Traverse 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 Traverse’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Pilot Elite/Black Edition’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

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 Traverse’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Pilot has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Traverse doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

Economic Advantages

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 Traverse only retains 39.06% to 43.91%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pilot is less expensive to operate than the Traverse 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 Traverse, including $31 less for a water pump, $119 less for front brake pads, $160 less for fuel injection and $814 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Pilot will be $3447 to $8347 less than for the Chevrolet Traverse.

Recommendations

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

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its May 2020 issue and they ranked the Honda Pilot Black Edition 4WD three places higher than the Chevrolet Traverse Premier.