Compare the2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee LVS 2024 Honda Pilot

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L 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 Honda Pilot doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Grand Cherokee L 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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Pilot doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Grand Cherokee L has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Pilot Sport/EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Grand Cherokee L has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Pilot Sport/EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite offers Cross Traffic Monitor.

Both the Grand Cherokee L 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, 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, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Grand Cherokee L its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 50 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pilot has not been tested, yet.

There are over 2 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Honda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee L’s warranty.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Grand Cherokee L’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.

The battery on the Grand Cherokee L is under the seat, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Grand Cherokee L’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Pilot’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 29 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Jeep higher than Honda.

The Grand Cherokee L’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 8 more horsepower (293 vs. 285) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Grand Cherokee L’s optional 5.7 V8 produces 72 more horsepower (357 vs. 285) and 128 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Jeep Grand Cherokee L V8 is faster than the Honda Pilot:

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee L 3.6 DOHC V6 4x4 gets better fuel mileage than the Pilot TrailSport 4WD (18 city/25 hwy vs. 18 city/23 hwy).

The Grand Cherokee L has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pilot (23 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Grand Cherokee L’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 Grand Cherokee L stops shorter than the Pilot:

For better traction, the Grand Cherokee L has larger standard tires than the Pilot (265/60R18 vs. 255/50R20). The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (275/45R21 vs. 265/60R18).

The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Grand Cherokee L Summit offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Pilot’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Grand Cherokee L has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Pilot’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Grand Cherokee L offers an available 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 Grand Cherokee L offers an optional automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Grand Cherokee L’s 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 Grand Cherokee L’s wheelbase is 7.9 inches longer than on the Pilot (121.7 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Grand Cherokee L’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the Pilot’s (55.3% to 44.7%). This gives the Grand Cherokee L more stable handling and braking.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland handles at .82 G’s, while the Pilot Elite pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Pilot TrailSport (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 27.9 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee L Laredo/Limited has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pilot (8.5 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee L to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s minimum ground clearance is 2.6 inches higher than on the Pilot TrailSport (10.9 vs. 8.3 inches).

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4 is quieter than the Pilot Elite (39 vs. 40 dB).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Grand Cherokee L Overland/Summit’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Maximum trailer towing in the Honda Pilot is limited to 5000 pounds. The Grand Cherokee L 4x4 offers up to a 7200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Cherokee L 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee L can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Pilot can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The engine in the Grand Cherokee L 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.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite, the Grand Cherokee L Overland Luxury Tech/Summit has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position (with optional power wheel adjuster), outside mirror angle and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Grand Cherokee L’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Pilot does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Grand Cherokee L’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Pilot’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Grand Cherokee L has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Pilot doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Grand Cherokee L’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.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Grand Cherokee L’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Pilot doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Grand Cherokee L Overland Luxury Tech/Summit has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pilot.

The Grand Cherokee L Summit’s Parallel and Perpendicular Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Pilot doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its October 2023 issue and they ranked the Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4 higher than the Honda Pilot Elite.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Honda Pilot by over two to one during 2022.