Compare the2023 Toyota 4RunnerVS 2022 Honda Pilot

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
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 4Runner 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 4Runner 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 4Runner 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the 4Runner 4WD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Pilot doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The 4Runner offers an optional Multi-Terrain/Panoramic 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 4Runner’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 4Runner and the Pilot 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 and available four-wheel drive.

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 Toyota 4Runner is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	4Runner	Pilot
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	41	109
Hip Force	233 lbs.	269 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	89	233
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	42 G’s

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

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the 4Runner 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 4Runner’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the 4Runner’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 4Runner’s reliability 18 points higher than the Pilot.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the 4Runner first among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Pilot isn’t in the top three in its category.

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.

Engine

The 4Runner’s 4.0 DOHC V6 produces 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (278 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

The 4Runner has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pilot (23 vs. 19.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota 4Runner higher (5 out of 10) than the Honda Pilot (3). This means the 4Runner 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 4Runner’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Pilot:

	4Runner	Pilot
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.6 inches

The 4Runner’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 4Runner stops shorter than the Pilot:

	4Runner	Pilot
60 to 0 MPH	131 feet	136 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	145 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the 4Runner’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (265/70R17 vs. 245/60R18).

The Toyota 4Runner’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 4Runner 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.

Suspension and Handling

The 4Runner has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Pilot’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The 4Runner TRD Off-Road offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Pilot doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The 4Runner’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (53.6% to 46.4%) than the Pilot’s (56.1% to 43.9%). This gives the 4Runner more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the 4Runner’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Pilot’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the 4Runner has a 2.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (9.6 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the 4Runner to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The 4Runner is 6.3 inches shorter than the Pilot, making the 4Runner easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the 4Runner TRD Off-Road is quieter than the Pilot Elite 4WD (73 vs. 78 dB).

Passenger Space

The 4Runner has .8 inches more front legroom and .1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Pilot.

Cargo Capacity

The 4Runner 5-Passenger’s optional sliding cargo floor is capable of supporting 440 pounds, to make loading and unloading cargo easier and safer. The Pilot doesn’t offer a sliding load floor.

The 4Runner’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.

Towing

The 4Runner’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pilot’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The 4Runner 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.

The engine in the 4Runner 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.

Ergonomics

The 4Runner’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.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the 4Runner is less expensive to operate than the Pilot because typical repairs cost much less on the 4Runner than the Pilot, including $102 less for a muffler, $21 less for front brake pads, $22 less for a fuel pump, $87 less for front struts and $361 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The TRD Pro was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2015 4x4 of the Year. The Pilot has never been chosen.

The Toyota 4Runner outsold the Honda Pilot by 5239 units during 2020.

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