2020 Honda Pilot vs. 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Both the Pilot and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Grand Cherokee:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Pilot the rating of “Top Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 106 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Grand Cherokee was not even a standard “Top Pick” for 2016.

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.

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 16 points higher than the Grand Cherokee.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 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 16th in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 17th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 16th in reliability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is ranked 24th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ December 2018 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 7 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 V8 engine requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot Touring/Elite/Black Edition, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Grand Cherokee.

The Pilot stops much shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

The Pilot LX/EX/EX-L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Pilot LX/EX/EX-L has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee Laredo.

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 Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Pilot (except LX)’s optional drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Cherokee.

The Pilot Elite 4WD handles at .80 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Grand Cherokee Summit 4x4 (27.5 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 950 pounds less than the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Pilot has an electronically controlled liquid-filled main engine mount. A computer-controlled electric current in the liquid changes its viscosity, allowing the mount to dampen the engine completely at all RPMs. The Grand Cherokee uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The Pilot has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Grand Cherokee can only carry 5.

The Pilot has 47.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Grand Cherokee (152.9 vs. 105.4).

The Pilot has .2 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room, 3.3 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and 4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

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

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

If the windows are left open on the Pilot the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Grand Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Pilot’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Grand Cherokee’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Pilot Elite//Black Edition has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Insurance will cost less for the Pilot owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pilot will cost $585 less than the Grand Cherokee over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pilot is less expensive to operate than the Grand Cherokee because it costs $109 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Pilot than the Grand Cherokee, including $195 less for a muffler, $58 less for front brake pads, $26 less for front struts and $517 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Pilot will be $1925 to $33633 less than for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Honda Pilot has won recognition from these important consumer publications: