Compare the2024 Honda PilotVS 2024 Infiniti QX80

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 QX80’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Pilot’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The QX80 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

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 QX80 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Pilot uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The QX80 uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Pilot and the QX80 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, 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 QX80 has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

There are over 5 times as many Honda dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

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 20 points higher than the QX80.

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 Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 8 places higher in reliability than Infiniti.

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot gets better mileage than the QX80:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The QX80 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Pilot’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The QX80 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX80 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

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 QX80 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Pilot higher (7 out of 10) than the Infiniti QX80 (5). This means the Pilot produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the QX80 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 seven-speed automatic is available for the QX80.

The Pilot stops much shorter than the QX80:

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .85 G’s, while the QX80 AWD pulls only .72 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 QX80 AWD (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Pilot TrailSport’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the QX80’s (37.7 feet vs. 41.3 feet). The Pilot’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the QX80’s (37.8 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1400 to 1650 pounds less than the Infiniti QX80.

The Pilot is 10.3 inches shorter than the QX80, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Pilot’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The QX80 doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

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 QX80 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Pilot uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The QX80 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Pilot has 5.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the QX80 (158.4 vs. 152.5).

The Pilot has .6 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more third row headroom and 3.7 inches more third row legroom than the QX80.

The Pilot’s cargo area provides more volume than the QX80.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pilot easier. The Pilot’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 33.2 inches, while the QX80’s liftover is 35.8 inches.

The Pilot’s cargo area is larger than the QX80’s in almost every dimension:

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Pilot Elite/Touring/Black Edition’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The QX80 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Pilot Elite/Black Edition has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The QX80 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Pilot’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The QX80’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Pilot and the QX80 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Pilot is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX80 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pilot to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The QX80 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Insurance will cost less for the Pilot owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pilot will cost $3575 to $6205 less than the QX80 over a five-year period.

The Pilot will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Pilot will retain 55.18% to 56.17% of its original price after five years, while the QX80 only retains 51% to 51.42%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Pilot will be $35568 to $40340 less than for the Infiniti QX80.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Pilot, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Infiniti QX80 isn't recommended.

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 QX80 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Infiniti QX80 by almost 9 to one during 2023.