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 Highlander’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.
The Pilot has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum offers a blind spot warning system.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Pilot has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Highlander LE/XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum has a rear cross-path warning system.
Both the Pilot and the Highlander 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 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 Toyota Highlander:
|
Pilot |
Highlander |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
149 |
292 |
Neck Injury Risk |
28% |
38.2% |
Neck Stress |
189 lbs. |
347 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
46 lbs. |
55 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
46/243 lbs. |
321/243 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
216 |
328 |
Chest Compression |
.6 inches |
.6 inches |
Neck Stress |
116 lbs. |
179 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, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Toyota Highlander:
|
Pilot |
Highlander |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
269 lbs. |
300 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.