Compare the2024 Honda PilotVS 2023 BMW X5

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Honda Pilot have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Pilot are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Pilot are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X5 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Pilot and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Pilot 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X5. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X5 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the Pilot gets better mileage than the X5:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’s fuel efficiency. The X5 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Both the Pilot and the X5 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Pilots have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the X5 M50i.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X5 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Pilot has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Pilot higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW X5 (3). This means the Pilot produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X5 every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Pilot, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X5.

The Pilot stops shorter than the X5:

The Pilot has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The X5 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Pilot TrailSport has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X5; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 1 inch wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X5.

For better maneuverability, the Pilot TrailSport’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the X5’s (37.7 feet vs. 41.3 feet). The Pilot’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the X5’s (37.8 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

The Honda Pilot may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 800 pounds less than the BMW X5.

The Pilot uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Pilot offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the X5 can only carry up to 7.

The Pilot has 1.2 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 3.4 inches more rear legroom and 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pilot’s middle and third row seats recline. The X5’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Pilot’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Pilot uses the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The X5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Pilot has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Pilot’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the X5’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Pilot TrailSport/Elite has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Pilot and the BMW X5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Pilot third among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The X5 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Honda Pilot outsold the BMW X5 by 21% during 2022.