Compare the2023 Mercedes GLSVS 2022 Honda Pilot

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLS have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Honda Pilot doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The GLS’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Pilot doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes GLS has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps 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 GLS offers an optional Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Pilot doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the GLS. But it costs extra on the Pilot.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the GLS’ standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The Pilot doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.

The GLS has a standard Surround View System 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 GLS’ 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 GLS and the Pilot have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available lane departure warning systems.

The Mercedes GLS weighs 1146 to 2044 pounds more than the Honda Pilot. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The GLS comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Pilot’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 35 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Honda.

Engine

The GLS 450’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 82 more horsepower (362 vs. 280) and 107 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The GLS 580’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 203 more horsepower (483 vs. 280) and 254 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The Maybach GLS 600’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 270 more horsepower (550 vs. 280) and 276 lbs.-ft. more torque (538 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes GLS is faster than the Honda Pilot:

	GLS 450	GLS 580	Pilot
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	4.7 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	13.2 sec	15.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	105.9 MPH	91.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

The GLS has 4.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pilot (23.8 vs. 19.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	GLS	Pilot
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	13 inches

The GLS’ 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 GLS stops much shorter than the Pilot:

	GLS	Pilot
70 to 0 MPH	154 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	153 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GLS has larger standard tires than the Pilot (275/50R20 vs. 245/60R18). The GLS’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (F:285/40R23 & R:325/35R23 vs. 245/60R18).

The GLS 450’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pilot EX-L’s standard 60 series tires. The GLS’ optional 285/40R23 front and 325/35R23 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLS 450 has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Pilot EX-L. The GLS’ optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the GLS uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Pilot, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The GLS offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Honda doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Pilot.

The GLS has a standard 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 GLS has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The GLS’ 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 GLS’ wheelbase is 12.4 inches longer than on the Pilot (123.4 inches vs. 111 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the GLS is .3 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Pilot.

The GLS 450 handles at .92 G’s, while the Pilot Elite 4WD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLS 450 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Pilot Elite 4WD (26.4 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the GLS has a 2.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (10.1 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the GLS to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The GLS Off-Road Package’s minimum ground clearance is 4 inches higher than on the Pilot (11.3 vs. 7.3 inches).

Passenger Space

The GLS has .3 inches more rear headroom, 3.5 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more third row legroom than the Pilot.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the GLS’ second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The GLS’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pilot’s (7700 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The GLS 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 GLS 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 GLS has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, suspension setting, power steering assist, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLS 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 GLS’ 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 GLS and the Pilot have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GLS 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 GLS’ 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 GLS’ rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Pilot’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLS to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Pilot doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLS has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Pilot doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLS also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the GLS has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Pilot doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The GLS’ 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.

The GLS has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Honda doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Pilot.

The GLS has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally 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.

The GLS offers an optional center folding armrest for the third row rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and can provide a barrier between children. The Pilot doesn’t offer a third row rear seat center armrest.

The GLS offers optional massaging front and second row seats, which keep the driver and middle row passengers. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pilot.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLS has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console and one for the rear passengers. Only the Pilot SE/Elite//Black Edition offers wireless charging.

The GLS’ Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Pilot doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the GLS is less expensive to operate than the Pilot because typical repairs cost less on the GLS than the Pilot, including $69 less for a fuel pump and $46 less for a timing belt/chain.

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