Compare the2023 Honda PilotVS 2023 Infiniti QX80

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Pilot’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The QX80 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Pilot’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 QX80 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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.

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 20 points higher than the QX80.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 21 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Infiniti.

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

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 stoplights 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.

A 10-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.

For better maneuverability, the Pilot’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the QX80’s (37.8 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1400 pounds less than the Infiniti QX80.

The Pilot is 10.3 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 front grille of the Pilot uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The QX80 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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.

The Pilot has 5.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the QX80 (158.4 vs. 152.5).

The Pilot has .6 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more third row headroom and 3.7 inches more third row legroom than the QX80.

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Pilot Elite/Touring’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.

The Pilot Elite has a standard 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 QX80 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Pilot’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The QX80’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Pilot and the QX80 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Pilot is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX80 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Infiniti QX80 by almost 14 to one during 2022.