Compare the2022 Honda PilotVS 2022 Infiniti QX80

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
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 QX80’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Pilot uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The QX80 uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Pilot and the QX80 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, 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 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 Infiniti QX80:

	Pilot	QX80
OVERALL STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	2 Stars
HIC	149	384
Neck Injury Risk	28%	36%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	439 lbs.
Neck Compression	46 lbs.	95 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	46/243 lbs.	983/651 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	3 Stars
HIC	216	285
Chest Compression	.6 inches	1.2 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	37%
Neck Stress	116 lbs.	219 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	478/436 lbs.	452/534 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 Honda Pilot is safer than the Infiniti QX80:

	Pilot	QX80
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.6 inches	1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	15 inches	16 inches
HIC	406	437

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pilot, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 4.4% to 7.3% less likely to roll over than the QX80, which received a three-star rating.

Warranty

There are over 5 times as many Honda dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

Reliability

The engine in the Pilot has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the QX80 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 16 points higher than the QX80.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Infiniti.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 6 places higher in reliability than Infiniti.

Engine

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Pilot is faster than the Infiniti QX80:

	Pilot	QX80
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	6.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.2 sec	17.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.3 sec	6.7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.1 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot gets better mileage than the QX80:

			MPG
Pilot
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
QX80
	RWD	5.6 DOHC V8	14 city/20 hwy
	AWD	5.6 DOHC V8	13 city/19 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The QX80 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Pilot’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The QX80 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX80 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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 QX80 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the QX80.

Brakes and Stopping

The Pilot stops much shorter than the QX80:

	Pilot	QX80
70 to 0 MPH	180 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	153 feet	155 feet	Consumer Reports

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 QX80 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 QX80 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Pilot Elite 4WD handles at .80 G’s, while the QX80 AWD 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 1.1 seconds quicker than the QX80 AWD (27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Pilot’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the QX80’s (39.4 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

Chassis

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1600 to 1650 pounds less than the Infiniti QX80.

The Pilot is 1 foot, 1.7 inches shorter than the QX80, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Pilot’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The QX80 uses body-on-frame design instead.

The Pilot uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The QX80 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Pilot has 1.3 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more third row headroom and 3.1 inches more third row legroom than the QX80.

Cargo Capacity

The Pilot’s cargo area provides more volume than the QX80.

	Pilot	QX80
Behind Third Seat	18.5 cubic feet	16.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	55.9 cubic feet	49.6 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	109.2 cubic feet	95.1 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 QX80 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The Pilot has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The QX80 doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pilot to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The QX80 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pilot is less expensive to operate than the QX80 because it costs $564 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Pilot than the QX80, including $29 less for front brake pads, $47 less for fuel injection, $4 less for front struts, $869 less for a timing belt/chain and $523 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

	Pilot	QX80
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

The Honda Pilot outsold the Infiniti QX80 by over 10 to one during the 2021 model year.