Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2024 Nissan Pathfinder

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

Both the Pilot and the Pathfinder 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, front wheel drive, 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Pathfinder:

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 18 points higher than the Pathfinder.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 12 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Nissan Pathfinder (base engine):

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot 4WD gets better fuel mileage than the Pathfinder Rock Creek 3.5 DOHC V6 (19 city/25 hwy vs. 20 city/23 hwy).

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Pathfinder Rock Creek requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Pilot has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Pathfinder. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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

The Pilot stops shorter than the Pathfinder:

For better traction, the Pilot TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pathfinder (265/60R18 vs. 255/60R18).

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

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .85 G’s, while the Pathfinder SL pulls only .80 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 Pathfinder Platinum (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Pilot TrailSport’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Pathfinder’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.7 feet). The Pilot’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Pathfinder’s (37.8 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Pilot has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Pathfinder (7.3 vs. 7.1 inches), allowing the Pilot to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Pilot TrailSport’s minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the Pathfinder Rock Creek (8.3 vs. 7.7 inches).

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 Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Pilot has 10.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Pathfinder (158.4 vs. 148).

The Pilot has .1 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 5.3 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room, 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.5 inches more third row headroom, 4.5 inches more third row legroom and 1.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Pathfinder.

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

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Pilot’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Pathfinder’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Pathfinder offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Insurance will cost less for the Pilot owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pilot will cost $170 to $2565 less than the Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder only retains 47.85% to 49.39%.

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

The Honda Pilot outsold the Nissan Pathfinder by 54% during 2023.