2024 Toyota Sequoia vs 2025 Honda Pilot

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia shared its platform with the Tundra pickup, and this was evident in its design cues, such as hexagonal grilles, wheel arches, and strong fender creases. The exterior colour significantly influenced its appearance, with the Capstone model featuring more chrome brightwork. Our tester, in Celestial Silver, appeared somewhat dated, reminiscent of a "cop car." Inside, the Sequoia closely resembled the Tundra and other Toyota vehicles, with a blocky, geometric dashboard layout. The Capstone trim boasted semi-aniline leather upholstery, while other trims offered SofTex leatherette or standard leather. The Sequoia provided power-adjustable front seats across all trims and a power-tilt and -slide moonroof, enhancing its interior appeal.

The 2025 Honda Pilot, available in various trims, including the Black Edition, featured black wheels and blacked-out exterior trim. Inside, it offered black leather seats with red perforation accents, red contrast stitching, and ambient lighting. The Pilot's rugged design, introduced in 2023, was more suited for suburban environments. The interior showcased thoughtful design and quality materials, though the digital driver display and infotainment system appeared dated. Despite this, the Pilot's cabin offered practical storage solutions, maintaining Honda's reputation for functional interiors.

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia was exclusively available in a hybrid format, utilizing Toyota's iForce MAX hybrid powertrain. This system combined a twin-turbo V6 engine with an electric motor, producing 427 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of torque. This marked a significant increase over its predecessor, with improved fuel economy rated at 11.7 L/100 km combined with 4WD. The Sequoia featured a standard 4WD system with a 10-speed automatic transmission, offering smooth operation. The TRD Off-Road model provided adventure-readiness with unique tires, off-road suspension, and driver-assist features like Crawl Control and hill-descent control. The Sequoia's towing capacity reached 4,137 kilograms, with available towing-related upgrades.

The 2025 Honda Pilot was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, generating 285 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It offered various driving modes, including Normal, Econ, Snow, Tow, Sport, Trail, and Sand. The Pilot's AWD system featured torque vectoring, allowing up to 70 percent of engine output to a single rear wheel. While the V6 provided good acceleration, the transmission occasionally felt slow to downshift. Fuel economy was less impressive, with city-heavy driving averaging 15.9 L/100 km. The Pilot's handling was predictable, aided by its 20-inch wheels and tires, though an adaptive-damping suspension system would have improved ride quality.

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia offered automatic power-deploying running boards, enhancing accessibility. Inside, it provided a maximum of 2,460 litres of cargo space with both second- and third-row seats folded. The second-row seats were easy to move for third-row access, but the third-row seats did not create a flat load floor due to the hybrid powertrain's battery pack. Headroom and legroom measurements varied, with the Sequoia trailing some rivals in space. Second-row captain's chairs were available on higher trims, though they lacked bolstering.

The 2025 Honda Pilot excelled in form and function, with three rows of comfortable seats and thoughtful storage solutions. The Black Edition's front row featured a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, but the front passenger seat had limited adjustments. The second-row seats were roomy, with a removable centre section for captain's chairs. The third row was habitable for adults, though not particularly comfortable. The Pilot offered a hands-free power tailgate, revealing 635 litres of cargo space behind the third row. Folding the rear seats expanded cargo capacity to a maximum of 3,219 litres.

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia's Capstone trim was equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, accessible through an 8-inch or 14-inch touchscreen, depending on the trim. The infotainment system prioritized functionality over flashiness. A full-colour 12.3-inch driver information display was standard across all trims. The Platinum and Capstone trims included a Panoramic View monitor, while the Capstone also featured a 10-inch colour head-up display. The JBL Premium Audio system was available on higher trims.

The 2025 Honda Pilot's technology appeared dated, with smaller display screens. The Black Edition featured a 10.2-inch digital gauge panel and a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and wireless smartphone charging. However, the wireless CarPlay function occasionally caused issues. The Pilot's voice recognition system was inconsistent, and the Bose audio system was adequate but not exceptional. The CabinTalk feature allowed communication with rear passengers, and a small head-up display was included.

The 2024 Toyota Sequoia came standard with the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) 2.5 suite, including features like a pre-collision system, lane-departure alert, adaptive cruise control, and road-sign recognition. Front and rear parking sensors with automatic braking were also standard. The Sequoia had not been rated by safety organizations, but the similar Toyota Tundra received a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS.

The 2025 Honda Pilot featured the Honda Sensing suite, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Black Edition added parking sensors and a multi-view camera system. However, the adaptive cruise control occasionally struggled in traffic, and the lane-centring assist system affected steering feel. The Pilot earned high marks in crash tests, receiving a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA.