Compare the2024 Honda PilotVS 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

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 Jeep Grand Cherokee L doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Pilot and the Grand Cherokee L have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Pilot has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Grand Cherokee L.

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 24 points higher than the Grand Cherokee L.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated lower.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L V6:

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot gets better mileage than the Grand Cherokee L:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Cherokee L with the 5.7 V8 engine requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 51.4 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Pilot higher (7 out of 10) than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L (5 to 7). This means the Pilot produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Grand Cherokee L 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 an eight-speed automatic is available for the Grand Cherokee L.

The Pilot stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee L:

The Pilot TrailSport has a standard full size spare so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare costs extra on the Grand Cherokee L. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Grand Cherokee L.

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .81 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4 pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4 (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Pilot TrailSport’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee L’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.4 feet). The Pilot’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Grand Cherokee L’s (37.8 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 600 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

The Pilot is 5 inches shorter than the Grand Cherokee L, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Pilot offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the Grand Cherokee L can only carry up to 7.

The Pilot has .7 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front hip room, 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room, 3.7 inches more rear shoulder room, 2 inches more third row headroom, 2.2 inches more third row legroom, 1.7 inches more third row hip room and 7.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee L.

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

The Pilot’s cargo area provides more volume than the Grand Cherokee L.

The Pilot’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 Grand Cherokee L’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Pilot, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Jeep Grand Cherokee L isn't recommended.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its August 2023 issue and they ranked the Honda Pilot Elite three places higher than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L Overland 4x4.

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 Grand Cherokee L isn’t in the top three in its category.