Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 Honda Pilot

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Highlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Pilot doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota Highlander has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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 Highlander has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Pilot doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Pilot doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Highlander Limited/Platinum has standard Automated Braking 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Highlander AWD’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Pilot doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

The Highlander (except L/LE/XLE/XSE) offers an optional Bird’s Eye View Camera 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 Highlander’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 Highlander and the Pilot 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	Highlander	Pilot
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	35%
Neck Compression	90 lbs.	478 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	545/323 lbs.	478/436 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	Highlander	Pilot
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	109
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	79 G’s	101 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	233
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	42 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	304 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	15 inches
HIC	366	406
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	664 lbs.	838 lbs.

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

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 standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pilot last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Pilot.

There are over 16 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Honda dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Highlander’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 Highlander’s reliability 22 points higher than the Pilot.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander third among upper midsize 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 Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 7 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 47 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

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

Engine

The Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 15 more horsepower (295 vs. 280) and 1 lbs.-ft. more torque (263 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/29 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
Pilot
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Highlander higher (5 out of 10) than the Honda Pilot (3). This means the Highlander produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Pilot every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Highlander	Pilot
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.3 inches	13 inches

The Highlander’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 Highlander stops much shorter than the Pilot:

	Highlander	Pilot
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	141 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Highlander’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Pilot (112.2 inches vs. 111 inches).

The Highlander’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the Pilot’s (56.1% to 43.9%). This gives the Highlander more stable handling and braking.

The Highlander XLE AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Pilot Black Edition 4WD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Highlander XLE AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Pilot Elite 4WD (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Pilot’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Highlander has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 2.6 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more third row hip room than the Pilot.

Towing

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pilot’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Highlander Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, 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 Highlander’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 Highlander and the Pilot have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Highlander 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 Highlander’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.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Highlander Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Pilot doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Highlander’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.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Highlander owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Highlander with a number “8” insurance rate while the Pilot is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Highlander is less expensive to operate than the Pilot because typical repairs cost much less on the Highlander than the Pilot, including $275 less for a water pump, $409 less for a muffler, $18 less for front brake pads, $60 less for a fuel pump, $112 less for front struts and $317 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander and the Honda Pilot, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Honda Pilot by 88% during the 2021 model year.