How Does 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Compare to 2026 Honda Pilot?
2026 Toyota Grand Highlander vs. 2026 Honda Pilot
How do the Toyota Grand Highlander and Honda Pilot compare?
For over 20 years now, Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot have been rivals in family friendly crossovers. Both have reputations in Gastonia for longevity, durability, and resale value that make them the most popular choices around for those looking for SUVlike capability with more carlike dynamics. For 2026, Honda has made updates to the Pilot aiming to take the Grand Highlander’s position as the better family crossover SUV. Does the 2026 Grand Highlander have what it takes to continue its lead over Pilot in the quest for best crossover for Charlotte families? Read on and find out.
| 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander | 2026 Honda Pilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard MPG, city/hwy/comb. | 21/28/24 | 19/27/22 |
| Max MPG, city/hwy/comb. | 36/34/36 | ^ |
| Max Available Horsepower | 362 | 285 |
| Available Hybrid | Yes | No |
| Standard Ground Clearance | 8″ | 7.3″ |
| Headroom, 1st row | 41.5″ | 40.5″ |
| Legroom, 1st row | 41.7″ | 41″ |
| Legroom, 3rd row | 33.5″ | 32.5″ |
| Hip Room, 3rd row | 45.7″ | 44.6″ |
| Cargo Volume, Seats Up, cu. ft | 20.6 | 18.6 |
| Maximum Cargo Volume, cu. ft | 97.5 | 87 |
| Ventilated 2nd row seats | Available | Not Available |
| Power passenger seat | 8-way, available | 4-way, available |
| SiriusXM® Satellite Radio & HD Radio | Standard | Not Available |
| Base MSRP | $41,660 | $42,195 |
| Complimentary Maintenance | 2 years/25,000 miles | 1 year/12,000 miles |
How efficient is the Toyota Grand Highlander?
The 2026 Honda Pilot continues to offer just one powertrain choice, a 3.5L V6 engine. Grand Highlander gives you a choice of 3 different powertrain options, offering more selection in finding something suitable for your needs. It achieves superior fuel mileage to the Pilot with its standard engine, a 2.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that gets up to an estimated 24 mpg combined vs. the Pilot’s 22. Grand Highlander also produces more torque which is useful in getting a haul of people or cargo moving swiftly, with 310 lb-ft compared to the Honda’s 262 lb-ft.
Does the Toyota Grand Highlander or the Honda Pilot offer a hybrid?
For even more efficiency, Grand Highlander offers choice of hybrids, significantly boosting fuel economy over Pilot. This is beneficial for those who frequently commute or drive long distances, or in places like school carpool lines. This boosts Grand Highlander economy to an estimated 37 mpg city, which is excellent for a large crossover utility.
Does Toyota Grand Highlander have more power than Honda Pilot?
If you’re looking for the best of both worlds, Grand Highlander offers the Hybrid MAX powertrain option. Toyota Grand Highlander with this option puts out a stout 362 hp, nearly 24% higher than Pilot’s 285 hp. Even with superior power, the Hybrid MAX still allows for superior fuel economy with up to an estimated 26 mpg combined.
Verdict: The Toyota Grand Highlander offers superior performance abilities, with better standard and available fuel economy, more available horsepower, and still the benefit of great fuel efficiency from its two hybrid powertrain options.
How much room does Toyota Grand Highlander have?
While Honda Pilot is a roomy 3-row crossover, Grand Highlander exceeds it overall. From the front row with more legroom and headroom than the Pilot, or in the 3rd row with more leg and hip room, Toyota also manages to gives you more cargo space at the same time with 2 more cubic feet behind the 3rd row. And if you’re not carrying passengers, fold all seats down in both, and Grand Highlander has 10 more cubic feet of cargo volume.
Verdict: The Toyota Grand Highlander offers more room for people, cargo, or both.
Is the Toyota Grand Highlander a good value?
From infotainment features like satellite radio to luxury features like ventilated seats in the 2nd row that aren’t offered on Pilot, or an 8-way power front passenger versus Pilot’s 4-way adjustment, Grand Highlander holds an advantage with creature comforts you won’t find on Pilot.
Value starts with their base prices as well, where Grand Highlander starts hundreds of dollars less than Pilot. This continues during ownership, such as with maintenance costs. Toyota provides 2 years or 25,000 miles of complimentary maintenance with ToyotaCare. And Grand Highlander’s safety is also enhanced by standard Toyota Safety Sense.
Verdict: The Toyota Grand Highlander offers more popular options standard plus more available luxury and convenience features.
Which 3-row crossover offers more value?
While the 2026 Honda Pilot is a good choice in 3-row crossovers, the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander is the better large 3-row crossover. In the Grand Highlander line, the Toyota offers more power available, more efficiency, more space, and more value. Combine that with Toyota’s reputation for reliability and longevity, and you’ll enjoy a Grand Highlander for many years to come. Those first miles will also see more value in your Grand Highlander’s ownership expenses, with complimentary ToyotaCare included on every new Toyota, giving you no-charge scheduled maintenance in the first 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first. This is longer than Honda’s included 1 year/12,000 miles.
For reasons like this, Kelley Blue Book has named Toyota the best overall brand in resale value for 8 of the last 9 years, with Grand Highlander leading in resale among midsized SUVs. And Toyota of Gastonia goes the extra mile on the Auto Mile for even more peace of mind! Call, text or visit us today to see the capable Grand Highlander for yourself. Or see our other new Toyota comparisons to see how the full lineup stacks up. We look forward to helping you!