2020 Honda Pilot vs 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 2020 Honda Pilot exhibited a dynamic styling consistent with the Honda lineup, featuring thin LED headlights and a multi-tiered grille. Its design cleverly masked its size, giving it a more streamlined appearance. Inside, the Pilot offered a modern cabin with a semi-digital instrument panel, combining analog gauges with a digital screen for essential information. The cabin was spacious and comfortable, though it used hard plastics in many areas, which detracted from its overall refinement compared to rivals like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade. The Pilot's trim levels ranged from the basic LX to the luxurious Black Edition, each adding more features and upscale touches.

In contrast, the 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser, in its final year of the current form, offered a Heritage Edition to celebrate its 65th anniversary. This edition featured distinctive styling elements like bronze BBS wheels and a Yakima roof basket. The standard Land Cruiser, however, presented a more subdued appearance with Magnetic Gray paint and plush Terra leather upholstery. Its exterior design was basic, with large headlights and chrome accents, while the interior mixed high-quality materials with dated design elements. Despite its luxurious touches, the Land Cruiser's interior felt like a throwback, complete with a hand-operated parking brake and a CD player.

The 2020 Honda Pilot was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with either a 6-speed or a 9-speed automatic transmission, depending on the trim. The 9-speed transmission offered smoother acceleration and potentially better fuel economy. The Pilot's driving experience was tuned for comfort, making it ideal for commutes and road trips, though it lacked athleticism. The Intelligent Traction Management System provided different drive modes for various conditions, enhancing its capability in snow, mud, and sand.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser featured a 5.7-liter V8 engine with 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This setup delivered power to all four wheels through a full-time four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case. The Land Cruiser excelled in off-road capability, thanks to features like a Torsen limited-slip differential, Multi-Terrain Select, and Crawl Control. On-road, it offered a refined driving experience, though its size and weight required more effort when maneuvering. The Land Cruiser's towing capacity was rated at 8,100 pounds, highlighting its robust performance capabilities.

The 2020 Honda Pilot provided a spacious cabin with seating for up to eight passengers, though higher trims with captain's chairs reduced capacity to seven. Its third row was adult-friendly, and the one-touch fold-down rear seats made access easy. The Pilot offered 83.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, competitive with other SUVs in its class. The interior was designed for family use, with ample storage and features like a conversation mirror to keep an eye on rear passengers.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser's interior, while luxurious, was not particularly spacious in terms of storage. It featured premium leather upholstery and a commanding driving position. The second-row seats were heated, and the SUV offered a four-zone climate control system with numerous air vents. The third row could accommodate adults if the second row was adjusted, but it lacked leg support for long trips. Cargo space was 16.1 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 82.8 cubic feet with the seats folded. The split clamshell tailgate provided convenient access and a place to sit when needed.

The 2020 Honda Pilot's base LX trim included a 5-inch color LCD screen and a 7-speaker stereo. Higher trims featured an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though the system's interface was criticized for its complexity. Additional features included HD Radio, SiriusXM, and a Cabin Control Remote Capability. The Touring, Elite, and Black Edition trims offered an upgraded audio system, navigation, and a rear-seat entertainment system.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser's technology was reminiscent of simpler times, with a 9-inch touchscreen that required tapping rather than swiping. It lacked Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the voice-recognition system was basic. The dashboard featured large buttons and knobs for easy control, and the rear-seat entertainment system was outdated, though it included HDMI connections. A 14-speaker JBL audio system was standard, providing good sound quality.

The 2020 Honda Pilot came standard with the HondaSensing suite, including forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. It earned a five-star overall crash test rating from the NHTSA and a Good rating from the IIHS, with a Superior score in crash prevention technology.

The 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser included Toyota Safety Sense (TSS-P) with features like forward-collision warning and adaptive cruise control. It also had blind-spot monitoring and Safety Connect services. However, it lacked more advanced driving assistance systems, and no crash-test ratings were available for this model.