Compare the2024 Honda PilotVS 2024 GMC Acadia

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Pilot deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Pilot’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Acadia’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

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

The Honda Pilot achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Acadia has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Pilot’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Acadia’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. GMC only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Acadia.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 19 places higher in reliability than GMC.

The Pilot has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Acadia doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 Acadia.

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 Acadia; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For greater off-road capability the Pilot has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Acadia Elevation (7.3 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the Pilot to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Pilot TrailSport’s minimum ground clearance is .5 inch higher than on the Acadia AT4 (8.3 vs. 7.8 inches).

The Pilot is 4.1 inches shorter than the Acadia, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Pilot uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Acadia doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

The Pilot has .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more third row headroom, .4 inches more third row legroom and 1.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Acadia.

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

The Pilot’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’s (3500 vs. 0 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 Acadia 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 Acadia’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

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

The Honda Pilot outsold the GMC Acadia by 66% during 2023.