Compare the2026 Honda PilotVS 2026 Toyota 4Runner

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 4Runner’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Honda Pilot TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s Multi-View Camera System is equipped with washers for its front and rear cameras, ensuring crystal-clear visibility in any weather condition. Conversely, the Toyota 4Runner only offers a rear camera washer, which may not provide the same level of all-weather performance.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Pilot uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The 4Runner uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Pilot and the 4Runner 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, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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.

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 safer than the 4Runner:

The Honda Pilot achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The 4Runner is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

The Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 7 more horsepower (285 vs. 278) than the 4Runner’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Pilot is faster than the Toyota 4Runner turbo 4 cyl.:

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot FWD gets better fuel mileage than the 4Runner Limited RWD (19 city/27 hwy vs. 20 city/24 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

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 4Runner doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 4Runner.

For better stopping power the Pilot’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 4Runner:

The Pilot stops shorter than the 4Runner:

For better traction, the Pilot has larger standard tires than the 4Runner (255/50R20 vs. 245/70R17).

The Pilot 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 4Runner SR5’s standard 70 series tires. The Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the 4Runner TRD Sport/Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Pilot has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the 4Runner SR5.

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 4Runner doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For superior ride and handling, the Honda Pilot has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Toyota 4Runner has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Pilot’s wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the 4Runner (113.8 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

The Pilot TrailSport handles at .85 G’s, while the 4Runner Trailhunter pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Pilot Elite executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the 4Runner Trailhunter (27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Pilot TrailSport’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the 4Runner’s (37.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Pilot’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the 4Runner’s (37.8 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Unibody construction lowers the Pilot’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The 4Runner doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

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 4Runner uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

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 4Runner 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 4Runner doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Pilot TrailSport is quieter than the 4Runner Trailhunter (66 vs. 70 dB).

The Pilot offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the 4Runner can only carry up to 7.

The Pilot has 22.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 4Runner (158.4 vs. 136).

The Pilot has .8 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front hip room, 3.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear headroom, 6 inches more rear legroom, 1.3 inches more rear hip room, 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room, 4 inches more third row headroom and .7 inches more third row legroom than the 4Runner.

The Pilot’s cargo area provides more volume than the 4Runner.

The Pilot’s cargo area is larger than the 4Runner’s in almost every dimension:

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 23% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 24th.

The Pilot has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The 4Runner doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 4Runner’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pilot to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 4Runner doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 4Runner offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Pilot has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the 4Runner Limited/Platinum/Trailhunter/TRD Pro.

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

The Honda Pilot outsold the Toyota 4Runner by 43% during 2024.