Compare the2026 Buick EnclaveVS 2026 Honda Pilot

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

© 1999 - 2026Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (Advanta-STAR). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. KTTLP-13TLQ 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2026/06/08

The Enclave has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Pilot doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Buick Enclave achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Honda Pilot has not been tested.

Both the Enclave and Pilot have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Enclave has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Pilot’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Enclave and the Pilot have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, available all wheel drive, front parking sensors and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	Enclave	Pilot
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	165	382
Neck Injury Risk	20.1%	28.9%
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	350 lbs.
Neck Compression	2 lbs.	101 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	32/13 lbs.	178/233 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	234	440
Neck Stress	159 lbs.	232 lbs.
Neck Compression	48 lbs.	98 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	160/266 lbs.	396/388 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Enclave is safer than the Pilot:

	Enclave	Pilot
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg Forces L/R	517/427 pounds	540/674 pounds
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Chest Rating
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Honda Pilot:

	Enclave	Pilot
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	518 lbs.	540 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Buick Enclave achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2026 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, pedestrian crash prevention testing, and vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention testing. The Pilot is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2026.

Warranty

The Enclave’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Pilot’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Enclave’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Pilot’s camshafts. If the Pilot’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Enclave has a standard 730-amp battery. The Pilot’s 650-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 58 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 12th.

Engine

The Enclave’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 43 more horsepower (328 vs. 285) and 64 lbs.-ft. more torque (326 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Buick Enclave is faster than the Honda Pilot:

	Enclave	Pilot
Zero to 60 MPH	6.8 sec	7.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.9 sec	20.6 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.1 sec	7.9 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.1 sec	4.4 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.3 sec	5.9 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95 MPH	89 MPH
Top Speed	130 MPH	112 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Enclave AWD gets better fuel mileage than the Pilot TrailSport 4WD (20 city/24 hwy vs. 18 city/23 hwy).

The Enclave FWD’s standard fuel tank has almost a gallon more fuel capacity than the Pilot (19.4 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pilot (21.7 vs. 18.5 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

The Enclave’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pilot are solid, not vented.

The Enclave stops much shorter than the Pilot:

	Enclave	Pilot
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	189 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	109 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Enclave’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (275/45R22 vs. 265/60R18).

The Enclave’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pilot EX-L’s standard 60 series tires. The Enclave’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Enclave has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Pilot EX-L. The Enclave’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

The Buick Enclave’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Honda Pilot only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Suspension and Handling

The Enclave offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Pilot’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Enclave’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the Pilot (120.9 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Enclave Avenir AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the Pilot Elite pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Enclave has 2.1 inches more front headroom, 3.3 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room, .4 inches more rear shoulder room and 3.9 inches more third row hip room than the Pilot.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Enclave	Pilot
Behind Third Seat	22.9 cubic feet	21.8 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Enclave easier. The Enclave’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the Pilot’s liftover is 33.2 inches.

The Enclave’s cargo area is larger than the Pilot’s in almost every dimension:

	Enclave	Pilot
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	22.3”/52.8”/86”	19.4”/51.3”/84.2”
Max Width	52.2”	57.6”
Min Width	48.6”	44.7”
Height	35”	33.9”

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Enclave’s optional second row seats and pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Enclave’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pilot’s (5000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Enclave uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pilot uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Enclave’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Pilot does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Enclave’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. Push Button Start and Smart Entry standard on the Pilot doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear doors.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Enclave Avenir has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Pilot doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Enclave’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

The Buick Enclave has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Pilot TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

The Enclave has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Pilot TrailSport/Elite/Black Edition.

The Enclave Avenir has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pilot.

Compared to traditional radio, the Buick Enclave’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Enclave has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition offers wireless charging.

The Enclave’s optional Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Pilot doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

See Available Inventory