Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee L
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	-20 MPH	-11 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	-34 MPH	-33 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.4 sec	2 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-28 MPH	-28 MPH

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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Pilot is much safer than the Grand Cherokee L:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee L
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	POOR
Chest Rating	GOOD	POOR
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD

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:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee L
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	31	163
Neck Tension	112 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.67 in	1.06 in
Torso Max Deflection	.59 in	1.3 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	335 lbs.	870 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	89 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.71 in	1.38 in
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	1.69 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	513 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Honda Pilot has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned an “Acceptable” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Grand Cherokee L is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Reliability

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’ 2024 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 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated below average.

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.

Engine

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:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee L
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	2.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	8 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	11.6 sec	13.3 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.6 sec	4.3 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	16.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.6 MPH	86 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Pilot
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/25 hwy
		TrailSport 3.5 DOHC V6	18 city/23 hwy
Grand Cherokee L
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

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 49.8 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

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.

Transmission

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.

Brakes and Stopping

The Pilot stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee L:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee L
70 to 0 MPH	189 feet	194 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	139 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	140 feet	150 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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.

Suspension and Handling

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).

Chassis

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 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:

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee L
At idle	39 dB	39 dB
Full-Throttle	76 dB	79 dB
70 MPH Cruising	66 dB	68 dB

Passenger Space

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.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Pilot	Grand Cherokee L
Behind Third Seat	21.8 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	59.5 cubic feet	46.9 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	111.8 cubic feet	84.6 cubic feet

Ergonomics

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.

Economic Advantages

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.

Recommendations

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.

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