Compare the2024 Honda PilotVS 2024 Buick Enclave

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Honda Pilot have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Buick Enclave doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Pilot 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 Buick Enclave doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Honda Pilot 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 Enclave doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Enclave doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Pilot and the Enclave have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The Pilot’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Enclave’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Pilot for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Buick doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Enclave.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 6 places higher in reliability than Buick.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Buick Enclave:

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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The Enclave doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Pilot has a standard locking fuel door that locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Enclave. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Pilot higher (7 out of 10) than the Buick Enclave (6). This means the Pilot produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Enclave every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Enclave.

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

The Pilot stops shorter than the Enclave:

For better traction, the Pilot TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Enclave (265/60R18 vs. 255/65R18).

The Pilot LX/EX-L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Enclave’s standard 65 series tires. The Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Enclave’s optional 55 series tires.

The Pilot TrailSport has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Enclave; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .85 G’s, while the Enclave Essence pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Enclave Avenir (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Pilot TrailSport’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Enclave’s (37.7 feet vs. 39 feet). The Pilot’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Enclave’s (37.8 feet vs. 39 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Pilot TrailSport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (8.3 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Pilot to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 350 pounds less than the Buick Enclave.

The Pilot is 4.9 inches shorter than the Enclave, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Pilot TrailSport is quieter than the Enclave Essence (76 vs. 78 dB).

The Pilot offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Enclave can only carry 7.

The Pilot has .3 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom, .1 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.7 inches more third row headroom and 2.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Enclave.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pilot’s middle and third row seats recline. The Enclave’s third row seats don’t recline.

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

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Pilot. The Enclave doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Pilot’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Pilot uses the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Enclave doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Pilot’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Enclave’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pilot to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Enclave doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Pilot and the Buick Enclave, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Pilot third among upper midsize SUVs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Enclave isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Buick Enclave by over three to one during 2022.