Compare the2023 BMW X5VS 2023 Honda Pilot

The X5’s 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 X5 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.

The X5 has a standard PostCrash iBrake, 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.

Both the X5 and the Pilot have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the X5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 176 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pilot has not been tested, yet.

The X5 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.

The X5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Pilot’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X5 for 1 year and 12000 miles longer than Honda pays for maintenance for the Pilot (3/36,000 vs. 2/24,000).

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the X5’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.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the X5 third among upper midsize premium 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 BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 18 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 BMW vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 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 2023 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

The X5 40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 50 more horsepower (335 vs. 285) and 69 lbs.-ft. more torque (331 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The X5 M50i’s standard 4.4 turbo V8 produces 238 more horsepower (523 vs. 285) and 291 lbs.-ft. more torque (553 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the X5 40i 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Honda Pilot:

On the EPA test cycle the X5 gets better mileage than the Pilot:

Regenerative brakes improve the X5’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Pilot doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The X5 has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pilot (21.9 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The X5’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Pilot doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the X5 M Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Pilot:

The X5’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 X5 stops much shorter than the Pilot:

For better traction, the X5 has larger standard tires than the Pilot (265/50R19 vs. 255/50R20). The X5’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (F:275/40R21 & R:315/35R21 vs. 265/60R18).

The X5’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 X5’s optional 275/35R22 front and 315/30R22 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X5 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Pilot EX-L. The X5’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the X5 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Pilot doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The X5 M50i 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 X5 M50i 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 X5 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X5’s wheelbase is 3.3 inches longer than on the Pilot (117.1 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The X5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50.2% to 49.8%) than the Pilot’s (55.3% to 44.7%). This gives the X5 more stable handling and braking.

The X5 xDrive40i handles at .89 G’s, while the Pilot TrailSport pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the X5 has a 1.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (8.7 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the X5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The X5’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the Pilot TrailSport (8.7 vs. 8.3 inches).

The X5 is 5.6 inches shorter than the Pilot, making the X5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the X5 xDrive40i is quieter than the Pilot TrailSport:

The X5 has a much larger cargo volume than the Pilot with its rear seat up (33.9 vs. 21.8 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X5’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers the X5’s optional third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The X5’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Pilot’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The X5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pilot’s (5952 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Honda Pilot 4WD is only 5000 pounds. The X5 offers up to a 7209 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the X5 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 31% lower rating, Honda is ranked 25th.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite, the X5 M50i has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

If the windows are left open on the X5 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Pilot can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The X5’s 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 manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the X5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Pilot doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the X5 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Pilot doesn’t offer cornering lights. The X5 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The X5’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite.

The X5 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pilot.

The X5’s optional Parking Assistant Plus 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the BMW X5, based on reliability, safety and performance.