Schomp Honda

Safety

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 Durango's side airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.

 

The Pilot has standard whiplash protection, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the whiplash protection system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Durango doesn't offer a whiplash protection system.

 

The Honda Pilot has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Durango doesn't offer Daytime Running Lights.

 

The Pilot Touring has standard parking sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Durango doesn't offer a front parking aid.

 

Both the Pilot and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all wheel drive.

 

Warranty

 

The Pilot's 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Durango runs out after 100,000 miles.

 

Reliability

 

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Pilot has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Durango.

 

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Pilot second among midsize crossover/suvs in their 2010 Initial Quality Study. The Durango isn't in the top three in its category.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 28th, below the industry average.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' surveys of the owners of three-year-old cars provide the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 58 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 27th.

 

Fuel Economy and Range

 

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Durango RWD V6 (17 city/23 hwy vs. 16 city/23 hwy).

 

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Durango V8 requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost 5 to 40 cents more per gallon.

 

Environmental Friendliness

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Honda Pilot as an 'Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle' (ULEV). The Dodge Durango is only certified to 'Low Emissions Vehicle' (LEV) standards.

 

Suspension and Handling

 

The Pilot has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Pilot flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango's suspension doesn't offer a rear stabilizer bar.

 

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Durango.

 

Chassis

 

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 800 pounds less than the Dodge Durango.

 

The Pilot is 8.9 inches shorter than the Durango, making the Pilot easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

 

The Pilot uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Durango doesn't offer active noise cancellation.

 

Passenger Space

 

The Pilot has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Durango can only carry 7.

 

The Pilot has 12.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Durango (153.7 vs. 140.9).

 

The Pilot has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front hip room, 3 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear hip room, 3.9 inches more rear shoulder room, .4 inches more third row headroom, .6 inches more third row legroom, 5.6 inches more third row hip room and 8.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Durango.

 

Cargo Capacity

 

The Pilot's cargo area provides more volume than the Durango.

	Pilot	Durango
Behind Third Seat	18 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	87 cubic feet	84.5 cubic feet

 

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pilot easier. The Pilot's cargo hatch lift-over height is 31 inches, while the Durango's liftover is 32.2 inches.

 

The Pilot's rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Durango's rear cargo window doesn't open.

 

Servicing Ease

 

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the Pilot to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, radiator flush and transmission fluid replacement based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Dodge doesn't offer a maintenance reminder on the Durango.

 

Ergonomics

 

If the windows are left down on the Pilot the driver can raise them all using the key in the outside lock cylinder. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from outside the vehicle using the key in the outside lock cylinder or the keyless remote. The driver of the Durango can only raise the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

 

Recommendations

 

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

 

The Pilot was chosen as one of Car and Driver's 'Top Five Trucks' for 5 of the last 8 years. The Durango has never been a Car and Driver 'Top Five Truck' pick.

* [1]  Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.