Compare the2022 Honda PilotVS 2021 Mercedes GLB

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 GLB’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 GLB.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Pilot’s standard cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The GLB doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Pilot and the GLB have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Pilot 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLB. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the GLB ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

The engine in the Pilot has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the GLB 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 GLB.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 19th in initial quality. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 30th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 15 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 59 more horsepower (280 vs. 221) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Mercedes GLB:

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

Both the Pilot and the GLB 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.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLB requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Pilot has 3.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLB (19.5 vs. 15.9 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 GLB doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 GLB.

The Pilot stops shorter than the GLB:

For better traction, the Pilot has larger tires than the GLB (245/60R18 vs. 235/55R18).

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 GLB doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Pilot has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the GLB; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the GLB don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 3.1 inches wider in the front and 3.1 inches wider in the rear than on the GLB.

The Pilot Elite 4WD handles at .83 G’s, while the GLB 250 4MATIC pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

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

The Pilot has standard seating for 8 passengers; the GLB can only carry up to 7.

The Pilot has 6.1 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom, 7.1 inches more rear shoulder room, 4.1 inches more third row headroom, 2.8 inches more third row legroom and 13.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the GLB.

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

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

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

The Pilot has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The GLB has no towing capacity.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Pilot has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLB only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Pilot has standard extendable sun visors. The GLB doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pilot to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The GLB doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Pilot has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the GLB. The Pilot Touring/Elite/Black Edition also has standard heated second row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the GLB.

Insurance will cost less for the Pilot owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pilot will cost $785 to $1835 less than the GLB 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 GLB only retains 49.91% to 50.73%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Pilot will be $287 to $8629 less than for the Mercedes GLB.

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