Compare the2024 Honda PilotVS 2024 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.

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

With its standard Collision Mitigation Braking System, the Honda Pilot is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Jeep Grand Cherokee L, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Grand Cherokee L:

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 27 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.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 21 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

The Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 257) than the Grand Cherokee L’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

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 .85 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4 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 Grand Cherokee L Overland (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.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Pilot TrailSport is quieter than the Grand Cherokee L Limited 4x4:

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.

Insurance will cost less for the Pilot owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pilot will cost $210 to $2635 less than the Grand Cherokee L over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Pilot will be $2393 to $15492 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

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.

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.