Compare the2023 Honda PilotVS 2023 Acura MDX

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Pilot’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Pilot and the MDX 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.

There are almost 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Acura.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 3 places higher in reliability than Acura.

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot gets better mileage than the MDX:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The MDX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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 MDX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

For better maneuverability, the Pilot’s turning circle is 2.7 feet tighter than the MDX’s (37.8 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

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 MDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Pilot offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the MDX can only carry 7.

The Pilot has 19.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MDX (158.4 vs. 139.1).

The Pilot has 2 inches more front headroom, 2.1 inches more rear headroom, 2.3 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.1 inches more third row headroom, 3.4 inches more third row legroom, 4 inches more third row hip room and 4.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the MDX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pilot’s middle and third row seats recline. The MDX’s third row seats don’t recline.

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

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

The Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite’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 MDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Acura MDX by over two to one during 2022.