Honda is one of the biggest automobile manufacturers in the world. The Japanese brand has a stellar reputation all over the market for its reliable cars and family-oriented vehicles which are affordable and fun to be in. In recent years, the market has begun preferring bigger vehicles to smaller ones, which has made crossovers more popular than ever.
Honda's Pilot is one such vehicle, which treads the line between a minivan and crossover, and is as versatile as they come. On the other hand, there is also the Honda Odyssey, which has remained a reliable family vehicle for almost three decades now.
Both the Odyssey and the Pilot are great examples of Honda's engineering and reliability, which definitely makes choosing between the two a bit of a task. While the Odyssey started off as a family hauler that offered nothing but space in the beginning, it is now a rather luxurious offering on the market today, with a bevy of features. The case is similar with the Honda Pilot, which is just as impressive overall.
Thus, if you're in the market for a new minivan or crossover for your family, chances are that the Honda Pilot and the Odyssey are near the top of your list. Here are 5 things we like about the Pilot, and 5 reason why we would bring home an Odyssey instead.
10 The Honda Pilot Is The Quicker Option
If you wish to have a bit of fun in your family vehicle apart from the grocery runs and the daily commute, the Honda Pilot is the better option to pick. This is because while both the Odyssey and the Pilot make the same power and share their engine as well, Honda has tuned the Pilot to be faster.
The Honda Pilot takes 6.2 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph, while the Honda Odyssey, being larger and heavier with a longer wheelbase, takes 7.1 seconds. The 10-speed automatic transmission of the Odyssey doesn’t feel sluggish, but when it comes to speed, the Pilot wins.
9 The Honda Odyssey Offers More Room In The Third Row
Both the Honda Odyssey and the Pilot are spacious offerings from the brand. The first and the second row seats prove to be comfortable and roomy in both the vehicles, but it is in the third row that the Odyssey takes the cake.
Most crossovers, and even bigger SUVs, usually have third row seating best suited for toddlers, but the Odyssey, thanks to its longer wheelbase, provides ample legroom even for adults. This makes it a better place to be in for bigger or taller occupants.
8 All-Wheel-Drive Is Only Available On The Honda Pilot
If you’re looking for an all-wheel-drive powertrain on your family minivan or crossover, the Honda Odyssey would let you down. Honda only offers the Odyssey with a front-wheel-drive powertrain, which leaves the Honda Pilot as the only choice if AWD is a must for you.
AWD is not standard on the Pilot, as opposed to rivals like the Mazda CX-9, but it still proves to be a capable system that does give the Pilot just a tad more ability than the Odyssey.
7 The Honda Odyssey Comes With Way More Cargo Space
The Honda Pilot isn’t a slouch when it comes to cabin space, but when it comes to room in the trunk, there is simply no beating the Odyssey. In fact, the Odyssey’s third row is roomier than the Pilot’s second row!
Compared to the Honda Pilot’s 109.2 cubic-feet of cargo room, the Odyssey beats it by quite a mile with 158 cubic-feet of space. Furthermore, the Odyssey has removable seats which you can reconfigure to play around with your cargo and adjust larger items a lot more easily.
6 The 2023 Honda Pilot Would Also Offer Rugged Off-Road Credentials
Honda is all set to bring forth the new 2023 Pilot, which brings forth a new generation. This time around, the Pilot is going to prove to be a lot more capable on off-road terrain, especially in its TrailSport trim.
The Honda Odyssey, however, remains a fully family-oriented minivan, which boasts zero off-roading ability and would be hard-pressed to handle a trail, if and when taken off the tarmac. In that aspect, the Honda Pilot will prove to be the best choice for a more rugged family that loves adventure.
5 The Honda Odyssey Comes With A Cheaper Base Price
Looking strictly at price tags of both the Honda Odyssey and the Honda Pilot, the Odyssey does come a lot cheaper than the Pilot. The Odyssey, with its LX trim, starts at about $33,000, while the Pilot retails its base EX-L trim at the $36,380 mark.
The Odyssey, thus, proves to be easier on the wallet than the Pilot, even though the Pilot does come with features like a power tailgate, leather-trimmed upholstery.
4 The New Honda Pilot Looks A Lot More Appealing And Stylish
With its stylish new design for the 2023 model year, the Honda Pilot is heads and shoulders above the Odyssey when it comes to visual appeal. Up until now, both the vehicles from Honda looked rather similar, owing to their traditional boxy design that was nothing more than utilitarian.
However, with its fresh new design, the Honda Pilot is a lot more pleasing to the eyes, and comes with a great front fascia that commands attention and praise. If you could hold out for the 2023 model year of the Honda Pilot to begin selling, there is simply no beating the Pilot against the Odyssey when it comes to visual appeal.
3 The Safety Rating Of The Honda Odyssey Is Higher
Crash-tests have indicated that the Honda Odyssey proves to be safer than the Pilot. Even though both the vehicles have earned the NHTSA’s excellent five-out-of-five star safety rating, the Odyssey proved to be more protective of its occupants with a five-star frontal-crash score, while the Pilot could only get four stars for the test.
While the Pilot received the highest ‘Good’ score in all six of its crashworthiness tests, the Honda Pilot missed out with one Acceptable score in the front crash testing. On the flip side, the Honda Pilot’s standard Blind-Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are missing on the Odyssey’s base trim.
2 Owners Get A Higher Tow Rating With The Honda Pilot
If you’ve got a trailer parked in the garage that you’re definitely going to be towing when the time comes for a family trip interstate, the Honda Pilot would prove to be a more capable towing SUV. This is because even though the Pilot and the Odyssey both have the same standard towing capability of 3,500 lbs, you can tow a lot more on the former depending on the trim.
The Honda Pilot, on its all-wheel-drive powertrain, is capable of towing 5,000 lbs compared to the Odyssey’s 3,500 lbs. Seeing how Honda simply doesn’t offer the Odyssey with an AWD drivetrain, the Pilot has a higher towing capacity.
1 The Honda Odyssey Proves To Be More Family-Oriented
Anyone looking for a family-focused vehicle that does its job perfectly well need not look any further than the Honda Odyssey. With its lower price tag, extra cargo space and cabin room, and similarly-powered engine as the Pilot, the Honda Odyssey really does everything it is asked to, and does it well.
The inclusion of AWD, off-roading ability, and leather upholstery on the Pilot is nothing but overkill for anyone who doesn’t need them, and is merely looking at commuting and hauling family members in comfort. Ride quality on both vehicles is more or less similar, with both being comfortable. Thus, the Honda Odyssey certainly proves to be the more family-oriented vehicle of the two, even though the Pilot is more versatile and might be more appealing to anyone who has a bit of a gearhead inside their heart.
Sources: nhtsa.gov, automobiles.honda.com