Compare the2022 Honda PilotVS 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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

Safety

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

The Pilot’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

Both the Pilot and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, 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 Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	28%	28%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	201 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/243 lbs.	401/317 lbs.

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 Cherokee:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
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	.1/.5 kN	4.9/2.3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	3%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Tibia index R/L	.41/.41	1.06/.54

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 Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	101 G’s	126 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	304 lbs.	689 lbs.

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

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Pilot has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 14 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee V6	Grand Cherokee V8
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7.7 sec	6.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.8 sec	14.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.9 MPH	88.4 MPH	92.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee:

			MPG
Pilot
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
Grand Cherokee
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 V8 engine requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

A nine-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 Cherokee.

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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Cherokee.

The Pilot Elite 4WD handles at .80 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 (27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 950 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Pilot has an electronically controlled liquid-filled main engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The Grand Cherokee uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

Passenger Space

The Pilot has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Grand Cherokee can only carry 5.

The Pilot has 46.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (151.7 vs. 105.4).

The Pilot has .6 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room, 3.3 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and 4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee
Third Seat Folded	55.9 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	36.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	109.2 cubic feet	68.3 cubic feet

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

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 Grand Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Grand Cherokee’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 Grand Cherokee’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Pilot SE/Elite//Black Edition has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Pilot owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pilot will cost $410 less than the Grand Cherokee 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 Grand Cherokee only retains 46.04% to 49.49%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pilot is less expensive to operate than the Grand Cherokee because it costs $109 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Pilot than the Grand Cherokee, including $196 less for a muffler, $64 less for front brake pads, $26 less for front struts and $522 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 $2374 to $13044 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Recommendations

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

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