Compare the2025 Honda PilotVS 2024 Subaru Ascent

The Honda Pilot has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Ascent doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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

The Pilot has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Ascent Premium/Onyx/Limited/Touring offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Pilot has standard Cross Traffic Monitor, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Ascent Premium/Onyx/Limited/Touring offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Both the Pilot and the Ascent have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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 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 Ascent:

There are over 67 percent more Honda dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Pilot has a standard 650-amp battery. The Ascent’s 530-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 1 place higher in reliability than Subaru.

The Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 25 more horsepower (285 vs. 260) than the Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Subaru Ascent:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The Ascent 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 Ascent 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 Ascent requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 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 Ascent 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 Subaru Ascent (5). This means the Pilot produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Ascent every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Pilot’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Ascent:

For better traction, the Pilot has larger standard tires than the Ascent (255/50R20 vs. 245/60R18). The Pilot TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Ascent (265/60R18 vs. 245/60R18).

The Pilot has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Ascent doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 Ascent; it requires you to 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 2.9 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Ascent.

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .85 G’s, while the Ascent Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

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 Ascent 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 Ascent doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Pilot TrailSport is quieter than the Ascent Touring (39 vs. 40 dB).

The Pilot has 5.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ascent (158.4 vs. 153.2).

The Pilot has .6 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room, 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.1 inches more third row headroom, .8 inches more third row legroom and 2.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Ascent.

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

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 Ascent doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Pilot’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Ascent’s (3500 vs. 2000 pounds).

The Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Ascent doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 Ascent doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Pilot and the Ascent 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 Ascent prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Ascent’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

On a hot day the Pilot’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Ascent can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Pilot has standard Push Button Start and Smart Entry that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start costs extra on the Ascent and isn’t available on the Ascent Base.

When the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Ascent’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Pilot is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Ascent doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its August 2023 issue and they ranked the Honda Pilot Elite higher than the Subaru Ascent Touring.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Subaru Ascent by 82% during 2023.