Compare the2022 Honda PilotVS 2022 Nissan Pathfinder

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

Both the Pilot and the Pathfinder 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, 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, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 8 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Pilot is faster than the Nissan Pathfinder:

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

The Pilot has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Pathfinder (19.5 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For greater off-road capability the Pilot has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder (7.3 vs. 7 inches), allowing the Pilot to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 pounds less than the Nissan Pathfinder.

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

The Pilot has 3.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Pathfinder (151.7 vs. 148).

The Pilot has .8 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear legroom, 1 inch more rear hip room, 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.1 inches more third row headroom and 3.9 inches more third row legroom than the Pathfinder.

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

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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Pilot’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Pathfinder SV/SL/Platinum.

The Pilot’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 Pathfinder offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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