Honda Pilot vs Jeep Renegade

The 2021 Honda Pilot aimed to balance styling with reliability, safety, comfort, and performance. Honda refreshed the Pilot in 2019 to give it a more rugged look and introduced a Black Edition in 2020 for a blacked-out aesthetic. Despite these efforts, the exterior design remained polarizing. The 2021 lineup included seven trims: LX, EX, EX-L, Special Edition, Touring, Elite, and Black Edition, with prices ranging from $32,250 to $49,920. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available for an additional $2,000, except on the Elite and Black Edition, where AWD was standard. The new Special Edition trim added black 20-inch alloy wheels, blacked-out exterior trim, wireless smartphone charging, and a hands-free power tailgate.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade, introduced in 2015 and refreshed in 2019, drew design inspiration from the iconic Wrangler. It featured a boxy profile, circular headlights, and an upright seven-slat grille. The 2021 model continued with these design changes and made some previously optional features standard. Inside, the Renegade had a modern, functional cabin with an upright center stack reminiscent of the Wrangler. It offered various trims, including Sport, Jeepster, Latitude, Upland, 80th Anniversary, Islander, Limited, and Trailhawk. Each trim had unique features, from the adventure-minded Upland with beefed-up skid plates to the luxury-focused Limited with leather upholstery and heated front seats.

The 2021 Honda Pilot featured a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. This engine provided smooth and refined power delivery, making the SUV quick to accelerate. A nine-speed automatic transmission powered the front wheels, with an available torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system that could send up to 70% of engine output to a single rear wheel. The Pilot also included Hill Start Assist and Intelligent Traction Management with Normal, Snow, Mud, and Sand modes. Fuel-saving features like variable-cylinder management and automatic engine stop/start helped the AWD model achieve an EPA rating of 22 mpg combined, with a test average of 21.5 mpg. The Pilot's MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension offered a comfortable ride and athletic handling, aided by the torque-vectoring AWD system and 20-inch wheels on the Black Edition. However, its off-road capability was limited by 7.3 inches of ground clearance and all-season tires.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade came with a base 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 180 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. An upgraded turbocharged 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine offered 177 horsepower but a more impressive 210 pound-feet of torque. Both engines used a nine-speed automatic transmission, with power sent to either front-wheel drive or available four-wheel drive. The turbocharged engine was more refined and provided better acceleration, though the transmission sometimes struggled with smooth shifts. The Renegade's ride quality was solid, with composed handling through corners and a suspension that handled rough roads well, except for the off-road-focused Trailhawk trim. The Renegade's short wheelbase and excellent visibility made it highly maneuverable in tight spaces. The Trailhawk trim, with 8.7 inches of ground clearance and an off-road suspension, was particularly capable off-road, earning Jeep's "Trail Rated" designation.

The 2021 Honda Pilot offered ample space for families, seating up to eight with a second-row bench seat. The test vehicle's leather-wrapped, heated, and ventilated front seats were comfortable and supportive, with 10-way power adjustment for the driver. Second-row captain’s chairs, standard on Elite and Black Edition trims, were nearly as comfortable as the front seats and could slide forward for easier third-row access. The third-row seats were less comfortable for adults due to a low and flat bottom cushion. Storage was abundant, with compartments in the door panels, center console, and front seatback pockets. The Pilot provided 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 46.8 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum of 83.9 cubic feet.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade offered 50.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 18.5 cubic feet with the seats in use, above average for the subcompact SUV segment. Its tall, boxy design provided ample headroom in both rows, with great legroom in the front and adequate space for adults in the rear. The Renegade featured numerous storage solutions, including small cubbies and trays, and the front passenger seat could fold forward for additional space or as a table for gear.

Most 2021 Honda Pilots included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, text-messaging support, satellite radio, and a basic version of HondaLink connected services. The Special Edition added wireless phone charging, while the Touring trim included navigation, a WiFi hotspot, a 10-speaker premium audio system, and more. The system was adequate but had a small screen and limited voice-recognition capabilities. The Touring trim also added a rear-seat entertainment system with a 115-volt power outlet, HDMI port, and Cabin Talk feature, allowing the driver to speak to rear-seat passengers through the stereo speakers or headphones.

The 2021 Jeep Renegade came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, with an optional 8.4-inch screen on mid-tier trims and standard on higher trims. Both screens used the intuitive Uconnect infotainment system, featuring a logical menu layout, easy-to-read graphics, and a helpful dock with icons for major functions. Both screens also included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a Kenwood premium audio system available.

The 2021 Honda Pilot came standard with Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) that included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist. Starting with the EX trim, the Pilot also had blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic warning. The Pilot's older version of Honda Sensing was functional but not very smooth. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the Pilot a five-star overall rating, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it top "good" ratings, except for an "acceptable" score for front passenger small overlap frontal-impact protection.

For 2021, the Jeep Renegade made previously optional safety features standard, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-path detection, except for the Trailhawk trim. Adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, and front and rear parking sensors were optional. Despite these additions, the NHTSA awarded the Renegade only four out of five stars in crash tests. Parallel parking assist was also available as an option.