Compare the2022 Lexus RXLVS 2022 Honda Pilot

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Lexus RXL have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Honda Pilot doesn’t offer pretensioners for the middle seat belts.

The Lexus RXL has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Pilot doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The RXL has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Pilot doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The RXL offers optional Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Pilot doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The RXL offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Pilot only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The RXL’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Pilot doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the RXL and the Pilot have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available all wheel drive.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RXL the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pilot last would have qualified as a “Top Pick” in 2019.

The RXL comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Pilot’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the RXL 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Honda covers the Pilot. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Pilot ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The RXL’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Pilot’s (6 vs. 5 years).

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the RXL’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Pilot’s camshafts. If the Pilot’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 RXL’s reliability 27 points higher than the Pilot.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the RXL first among midsize premium suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Pilot isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 64 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

The RX 350L’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 10 more horsepower (290 vs. 280) and 1 lbs.-ft. more torque (263 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The RX 450hL’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid produces 28 more horsepower (308 vs. 280) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the RX 450hL 3.5 V6 Hybrid CVT AWD gets better fuel mileage than the Pilot 4WD (29 city/28 hwy vs. 19 city/26 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the RXL Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Pilot doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Lexus RXL higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Honda Pilot (3). This means the RXL produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Pilot every 15,000 miles.

The RX 450hL has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Pilot doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the RXL’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Pilot:

The RXL’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pilot are solid, not vented.

The RXL stops shorter than the Pilot:

The RXL has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Pilot’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better maneuverability, the RXL’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Pilot’s (38.8 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the RXL has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (8.1 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the RXL to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The RXL has .3 inches more front headroom and .5 inches more front legroom than the Pilot.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers or raises the RXL’s optional second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The RXL uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pilot uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 49% lower rating, Honda is ranked 20th.

The RXL offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Pilot doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The RXL’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Pilot’s parking brake has to released manually.

The power windows standard on both the RXL and the Pilot have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the RXL is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Pilot prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The RXL’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Pilot’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The RXL’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Pilot’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the RXL offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Pilot doesn’t offer cornering lights. The RXL also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The RXL’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Pilot’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

Insurance will cost less for the RXL owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the RXL with a number “5” insurance rate while the Pilot is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the RXL is less expensive to operate than the Pilot because typical repairs cost less on the RXL than the Pilot, including $165 less for a fuel pump and $86 less for front struts.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Lexus RXL as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.