Compare the2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee LVS 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
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Honda Pilot doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

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 Grand Cherokee L 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 Jeep Grand Cherokee L 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 Grand Cherokee L has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints 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 Grand Cherokee L has standard ParkSense Rear Park Assist with Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Pilot doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s standard Hill-descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Pilot doesn’t offer Hill-descent Control.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Pilot doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Grand Cherokee L (except Laredo) offers an optional 360-degree 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 Grand Cherokee L Summit’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 Grand Cherokee L 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 all wheel drive.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Jeep Grand Cherokee L is much safer than the Pilot:

	Grand Cherokee L	Pilot
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	163	206
Neck Tension	312 lbs.	335 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	870 lbs.	1339 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	96	206
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.69 in	2.05 in
Torso Deflection Rate	11 MPH	12 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Grand Cherokee L its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pilot last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Cherokee L for 3 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). Honda doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Pilot.

There are over 2 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Honda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee L’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Grand Cherokee L’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.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Grand Cherokee L has a standard 160-amp alternator (180-amp - Grand Cherokee L optional and 240 optional). The Pilot’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the Grand Cherokee L is under the seat, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Grand Cherokee L’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Pilot’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 29 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Honda.

Engine

The Grand Cherokee L’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 13 more horsepower (293 vs. 280) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The Grand Cherokee L’s optional 5.7 V8 produces 77 more horsepower (357 vs. 280) and 128 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Grand Cherokee L V8 is faster than the Honda Pilot:

	Grand Cherokee L	Pilot
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.5 MPH	91.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Grand Cherokee L 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 Jeep Grand Cherokee L higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Honda Pilot (3). This means the Grand Cherokee L produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Pilot every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Grand Cherokee L	Pilot
Front Rotors	13.9 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13 inches

The Grand Cherokee L’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 Grand Cherokee L stops shorter than the Pilot:

	Grand Cherokee L	Pilot
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	150 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee L has larger standard tires than the Pilot (265/60R18 vs. 245/60R18). The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (275/45R21 vs. 245/60R18).

The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Grand Cherokee L Summit offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Pilot’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Grand Cherokee L offers an optional 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 Grand Cherokee L 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 Grand Cherokee L 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 Grand Cherokee L offers an optional automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Grand Cherokee L’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Pilot doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Grand Cherokee L’s wheelbase is 10.7 inches longer than on the Pilot (121.7 inches vs. 111 inches).

The Grand Cherokee L’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the Pilot’s (56.1% to 43.9%). This gives the Grand Cherokee L more stable handling and braking.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4 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 Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Pilot Elite 4WD (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Grand Cherokee L’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Pilot’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee L Laredo/Limited has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (8.5 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s minimum ground clearance is 3.6 inches higher than on the Pilot (10.9 vs. 7.3 inches).

Chassis

The front grille of the Grand Cherokee L 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.

Passenger Space

The Grand Cherokee L has 7.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Pilot (159.1 vs. 151.7).

The Grand Cherokee L has .3 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom and 1 inch more rear legroom than the Pilot.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Honda Pilot is limited to 5000 pounds. The Grand Cherokee L 4x4 offers up to a 7200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee L 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee L can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Pilot can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Grand Cherokee L 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 Grand Cherokee L 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

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Pilot, the Grand Cherokee L Limited/Overland/Summit offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Grand Cherokee L’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 Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit offers an optional 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 Grand Cherokee L’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 Grand Cherokee L and the Pilot have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Grand Cherokee L 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 Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’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 avoid possible obstacles, the Grand Cherokee L has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Pilot doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Grand Cherokee L’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.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Grand Cherokee L’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Pilot doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland Lux Tech/Summit has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pilot.

The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Pilot doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Honda Pilot by over two to one during 2022.

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