2026 Toyota Highlander vs. Honda Pilot

This table sets the 2026 Highlander and the 2026 Pilot side by side on drivetrain, power, mileage, seats, towing, price and safety.

Browse our new Toyota inventory, or request a Highlander test drive and see how it fits your family.

The 2026 Highlander comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder or a hybrid, and every 2026 Pilot has a V6. Here is how the powertrains compare.

The Pilot's V6 is rated for more horsepower than either Highlander powertrain, while the gas Highlander's turbo four makes 310 lb-ft of torque to the V6's 262 lb-ft.

This table lists the EPA-estimated mileage for each 2026 Highlander and 2026 Pilot powertrain and drivetrain.

Every Highlander beats every all-wheel-drive Pilot on city, highway and combined estimates, and the hybrid's lead is widest in city driving. There is no front-wheel-drive Highlander, so the front-wheel-drive Pilot's figures have no Highlander match.

Fayette County averages about 43 inches of snow a year in the valleys and up to about 75 inches at higher elevations, and winters bring freeze-thaw cycles and heavy road salt. That much snow is a good reason to want all-wheel drive, and it's standard on every 2026 Highlander, so you never have to choose a grade to get it.

Some Highlander grades get their own all-wheel-drive system. The XSE, Limited and Platinum have Dynamic Torque Vectoring All-Wheel Drive, which can send up to 50 percent of the power to the rear and then shift more of it to the wheel that needs it. The three hybrid grades have Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive.

The gas grades have Multi-Terrain Select and a Snow mode, while the hybrid grades have Drive Mode Select with Sport, Eco, Normal, EV and Trail modes. Every Highlander also has a windshield wiper de-icer. For more on choosing a Toyota for winter driving, see our guide to Toyotas for Southwestern Pennsylvania winters.

The 2026 Pilot offers all-wheel drive on every trim. It's standard on the TrailSport, Touring, Elite and Black Edition, and an option on the Sport and EX-L. Every Pilot has a Snow mode, and all-wheel-drive Pilots add Trail and Sand modes.

The 2026 Highlander sets up its seats differently from the 2026 Pilot, starting with the second row. Below are the seat counts, second-row layouts and EPA passenger volume for both SUVs.

By the EPA's figures, every Pilot trim has more passenger volume than any Highlander grade. On the three Highlander grades that offer the bench, choosing captain's chairs or an eighth seat costs nothing extra.

For legroom and cargo space, here are Toyota's figures for the 2026 Highlander and Honda's for the 2026 Pilot.

Toyota and Honda each publish their own measurements and don't state a common method.

In the third row, Toyota lists 28.0 inches of legroom for the Highlander and Honda lists 32.5 inches for the Pilot. If adults or teenagers will ride in the third row often, sit back there in both SUVs before you decide.

How much a 2026 Highlander or a 2026 Pilot is rated to tow depends on its powertrain and drivetrain, so this table lists each maker's maximum towing rating by version.

The gas Highlander and an all-wheel-drive Pilot are rated the same. An all-wheel-drive Pilot is rated to tow more than the Highlander Hybrid. Honda notes that towing requires accessory towing equipment. The Pilot TrailSport comes with a trailer-hitch receiver and a rear recovery point. If you plan to tow a boat or a camper to the Laurel Highlands on weekends, check the rating for the exact version you're considering.

The 2026 Highlander's grades and the 2026 Pilot's trims don't line up feature for feature. Here is where their equipment differs.

From the Limited and Hybrid Limited up, the Highlander's touchscreen is the same size as the Pilot's. On the Highlander, the Platinum and Hybrid Platinum have a 10-inch color Head-Up Display. On the Pilot, the Elite and Black Edition have a Head-Up Display. For a closer look at every Highlander grade, see our 2026 Highlander overview.

The Highlander and the Pilot both come standard with a collision-braking system, lane-keeping help, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot warning on every grade and trim.

Every Highlander has Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, which includes:

• Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection
• Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
• Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist
• Lane Tracing Assist
• Road Sign Assist
• Automatic High Beams

Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is standard on every Highlander too. You can read more about how Toyota Safety Sense works.

Every Pilot has Honda Sensing, which includes:

• Collision Mitigation Braking System
• Road Departure Mitigation
• Forward Collision Warning
• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Keeping Assist System
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Traffic Jam Assist
• Blind Spot Information
• Cross Traffic Monitor
• Driver Attention Monitor
• Auto High-Beam

NHTSA rates both the 2026 Toyota Highlander and the 2026 Honda Pilot 5 stars overall. Ratings change as new tests are published, so check NHTSA.gov for the latest.

This table compares the 2026 Highlander's new-vehicle warranty coverage with the 2026 Pilot's.

Basic, powertrain and corrosion coverage are the same on both. The Highlander Hybrid's hybrid system and battery get their own coverage.

The 2026 Pilot starts lower than the 2026 Highlander at launch, and how much lower depends on the drivetrain you compare. This table shows starting MSRP at launch, excluding destination, for each drivetrain and powertrain.

The Pilot's entry price is for the front-wheel-drive Sport, and every Highlander has all-wheel drive. The Pilot Sport with all-wheel drive starts $1,775 below the Highlander XLE at launch, excluding destination.

Within the Highlander lineup, the Hybrid XLE starts $1,750 above the gas XLE at launch, excluding destination.

The Pilot Sport and the Highlander XLE also come with different equipment. The Pilot Sport has the larger touchscreen and more speakers. The Highlander XLE comes with wireless charging, a hands-free power liftgate, heated side mirrors and second-row captain's chairs. Before you shop, see the new Toyota specials running now.

We sell new Toyotas, so the 2026 Highlander is the one of these two you can drive with us. We won't have a new Pilot on our lot, and we'd encourage you to drive one at a Honda store so you can compare the two back to back. You might find a used Pilot in our pre-owned inventory, but it's never a sure thing.

When you test-drive a Highlander, bring the people who ride with you most and have them try every row. Our finance department works with lenders to arrange financing for all credit. Before your visit, you can estimate a payment with your own numbers and request a trade-in appraisal. If you're buying a new Highlander, ask us about the Kelly Confidence Program.

Many buyers say they handled most of the deal by phone, text or email and only came in to pick up the car. Some say they drove in from Morgantown, West Virginia. Check our hours and directions before you head over, and browse our Toyota buying guides if you're still comparing.