The Honda CR-V vs the Honda Pilot: Which 2020 Honda SUV Should You Buy?
If you’re a Honda lover shopping for a new SUV, chances are you’ve mulled over the idea of buying a Pilot or a CR-V. These two Honda SUVs are strikingly similar in nature. But, they do have a few differences that really make them stand apart.
They each (obviously) boast the same Honda safety and reliability. As well as the exact same factory warranty, being that they are both manufactured by Honda. As far as SUVs go, both the Honda Pilot and the Honda CR-V are great choices. MotorTrend still loves the Pilot over the Toyota Highlander, and the CR-V is number one in its class, according to U.S. News and World Report.
OK, so they are both SUVs, they are both Hondas. How do they differ? Here are some details and differences that may sway buyers in one direction or the other.
Performance
Both the Honda Pilot and the Honda CR-V serve their purpose well. The 2020 CR-V dropped one of its engine options for 2020 and now offers a turbo inline four-cylinder on all of its trim levels. US News says it’s smooth and accelerates easily enough for pretty much anything you would ever need.
The Honda CR-V’s turbo engine generates up to 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque. It’s and engine that performs well in addition to getting great gas mileage. The Honda CR-V gets about 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. Equipped with AWD, the 2020 CR-V still gets a generous 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. But if you opt for the hybrid version –– which the Pilot does not offer –– your mpg is 40 in the city and 35 on the highway.
The 2020 Honda Pilot on the other hand offers a 280 horsepower V6 that gets a ton of power. If power of performance is something you’re looking for in an SUV, you’re probably going to like the 2020 Honda Pilot better than the 2020 Honda CR-V. It is worth noting, however, that the power upgrades is paired with a pretty big downgrade as far as gas mileage goes.
The Honda Pilot gets 19 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway. If you opt for AWD the mileage will drop down a a bit per gallon, though not exactly a significant amount. An AWD-equipped Pilot gets 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.
Style and Comfort
On the outside, these two Honda SUVs actually look pretty similar. The 2020 Pilot is obviously larger, but they definitely scream Honda in design. They are both functional and simplistic in style, but overall pretty good looking SUVs.
On the inside, however, we start to see some differences. Though the infotainment and trim options are widely similar (except for the Honda Pilot’s Black Edition), the cargo and seating shows contrast. The Honda Pilot has 16.5 cubic feet behind the rear seats, which is enough space for quite a bit of gear. Max capacity for the Pilot cargo is out at 83.9 cubic feet. The Pilot also offers third row seating, so if this is something your family needs the Pilot will definitely be the better choice.
The CR-V has 39.2 cubic feet of space behind its rear seats and an ample 75.8 cubic feet behind the front seats. The CR-V’s cargo is so great that –– unless you absolutely need the third row –– The CR-V offers plenty of cargo to keep you from choosing the Pilot.
Price
The CR-V is definitely the cheaper option. Starting at $26,170 – $37,070, the 2020 Honda CR-V offers nearly everything the Pilot does. In fact, the Pilot which starts from $32,645 – $50,715 is probably not worth the extra money. Unless of course you need the third row and extra engine power –– or the Black Edition trim.
