Compare the2023 Toyota SequoiaVS 2022 Honda Pilot

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 Sequoia 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 Sequoia 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 Sequoia 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 Sequoia has standard Parking Support 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Sequoia 4x4’s optional Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Pilot doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

The Sequoia has a standard 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.

Both the Sequoia and the Pilot have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 four-wheel drive.

The Toyota Sequoia weighs 1299 to 2144 pounds more than the Honda Pilot. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sequoia 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 Sequoia’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 above average in initial quality. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Honda is rated below average.

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 overall reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

The Sequoia’s 3.4 turbo V6 hybrid produces 157 more horsepower (437 vs. 280) and 321 lbs.-ft. more torque (583 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

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

The Sequoia has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pilot (22.5 vs. 19.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Toyota Sequoia, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Pilot.

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

The Sequoia’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.

For better traction, the Sequoia has larger standard tires than the Pilot (265/70R18 vs. 245/60R18). The Sequoia TRD Pro’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (285/65R18 vs. 245/60R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Sequoia Capstone has standard 22-inch wheels. The Pilot’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Toyota Sequoia’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Honda Pilot only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Sequoia has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Pilot; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Sequoia offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Pilot’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Sequoia Platinum/Capstone has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Pilot doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Sequoia’s wheelbase is 11 inches longer than on the Pilot (122 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sequoia is 2.8 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Pilot.

For greater off-road capability the Sequoia has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (8.6 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Sequoia to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Sequoia TRD Pro’s minimum ground clearance is 1.8 inches higher than on the Pilot (9.1 vs. 7.3 inches).

The front grille of the Sequoia uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Pilot doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Sequoia has .3 inches more front legroom, 3.5 inches more front hip room, 3 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear legroom, 3.5 inches more rear hip room, 1.8 inches more third row legroom, 6.3 inches more third row hip room and 5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Pilot.

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

The Sequoia’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Pilot’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Sequoia’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pilot’s (9120 vs. 3500 pounds).

The engine in the Sequoia is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Pilot. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

The Sequoia’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Pilot does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Sequoia (except SR5/Limited/TRD Pro) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed 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 Sequoia’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Pilot’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Sequoia and the Pilot have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Sequoia 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 Sequoia’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 Sequoia Limited/TRD Pro/Platinum/Capstone has standard front air conditioned seats and the Sequoia Platinum/Capstone also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Pilot doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.