2021 Toyota Venza vs 2021 Honda Pilot

The 2021 Toyota Venza was a sleek and stylish SUV, shorter and closer to the ground than the Toyota RAV4, yet sharing the same wheelbase. Critics noted its resemblance to a Lexus, particularly the LF-1 Limitless concept, with its elegant grille and elongated profile. Available in three trims—LE, XLE, and Limited—the Venza offered a range of paint colors and a long list of standard features, including LED headlights, dual chrome-tipped exhaust, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The interior boasted a wireless charging pad, dual-zone climate control, and an 8-inch infotainment screen, with higher trims adding more luxurious touches like a 12.3-inch screen and a Star Gaze panoramic roof.

The 2021 Honda Pilot aimed to balance ruggedness with family-friendly design, featuring a 2019 refresh and a 2020 Black Edition for a blacked-out look. Despite these efforts, its exterior design remained divisive. The Pilot came in seven trims, from the base LX to the upscale Black Edition, with prices ranging from $32,250 to $49,920. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available for an extra $2,000 on most trims. The new Special Edition added black 20-inch wheels and wireless charging. The Black Edition, fully loaded with exclusive black leather and red accents, had a sticker price of $51,435, including destination charges.

The 2021 Toyota Venza featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, delivering a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT) provided smooth acceleration, though it was noisy during rapid acceleration. The Venza's handling was confident and typical of Toyota, with all-wheel drive ensuring stability. Its standout feature was fuel economy, achieving an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined, far surpassing competitors like the Murano, Passport, and Blazer. Toyota backed the hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2021 Honda Pilot was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Pilot's torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system could direct up to 70 percent of engine output to a single rear wheel, enhancing traction and handling. Fuel-saving features included variable-cylinder management and automatic engine stop/start, with an EPA rating of 22 mpg combined for AWD models. The Pilot's MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension provided a comfortable ride and athletic handling, aided by the Black Edition's 20-inch wheels and responsive steering. However, its off-road capability was limited by 7.3 inches of ground clearance and all-season tires.

The 2021 Toyota Venza offered a practical and stylish interior, with premium appointments in the center stack and a deep center console featuring resizable cup holders, a traditional stick shifter, and a wireless charging pad. The five-seater provided ample comfort for both front and rear passengers, with more headroom than the RAV4. Cargo space was 55.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, about 60 percent of the RAV4's capacity, but sufficient for daily use. Quick-flip releases on the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks made arranging cargo easy.

The 2021 Honda Pilot excelled in interior space, seating up to eight people with a second-row bench seat. The test vehicle's leather-wrapped, heated, and ventilated front seats were comfortable, though the front passenger seat had only four-way adjustment. Second-row captain’s chairs, standard on Elite and Black Edition models, were nearly as comfortable as the front seats and slid forward for easier third-row access. The third-row seat was less comfortable for adults on long trips. Storage was abundant, with carved door panels, a large center console, and a power tailgate revealing 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. Folding the third row expanded cargo space to 46.8 cubic feet, with a maximum of 83.9 cubic feet.

The 2021 Toyota Venza featured an 8-inch infotainment system on LE and XLE trims, while the Limited trim had a 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Entune system, though improved, was not the easiest to use, requiring multiple menu trips for simple functions. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a six-speaker audio system. The XLE and Limited trims offered a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system. Toyota connected services included a one-year trial of Safety Connect and Remote Connect, and a 10-year trial of Service Connect. Dynamic navigation on models with the larger screen used cloud-based technology for real-time route guidance.

The 2021 Honda Pilot's infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and HondaLink connected services. The Special Edition added wireless phone charging, while the Touring trim featured navigation, a WiFi hotspot, and a 10-speaker premium audio system. The system was adequate but lacked a tuning knob and had limited voice-recognition capabilities. The Touring trim also included a rear-seat entertainment system with a 115-volt power outlet, HDMI port, and Cabin Talk feature, allowing the driver to communicate with rear-seat passengers through the stereo speakers or headphones.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Advanced features included a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard, with an upgrade to automatic braking available on XLE and Limited trims. The Venza had two full sets of LATCH connections on the rear outboard seats.

The 2021 Honda Pilot featured Honda Sensing, which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. Starting with the EX trim, it also had blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic warning. The older version of Honda Sensing was functional but less refined, with a noticeable steering wheel wobble for lane-departure warnings. The Pilot received favorable crash-test ratings, with a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and "good" ratings from the IIHS, except for an "acceptable" score for front passenger small overlap frontal-impact protection.