Starting at
Starting at
| 27 | Combined MPG | 27 |
| 5,000 lbs | Towing Capacity | 1,500 lbs |
The 2018 Ford Explorer vs 2018 Honda Pilot are premiere options in the 2018 SUV market. From safety to the interior to capability, these models have you covered. We know that deciding between vehicles can be difficult and time-consuming, we’ll take a look at these two new SUVs – the 2018 Ford Explorer vs the 2018 Honda Pilot – to determine which vehicle comes out on top.
The 2018 Ford Explorer is the pinnacle in SUV engineering. With a myriad of safety features and the technological capability to keep you connected at all times, this is going to be the vehicle to beat. Not to mention the power and performance that can be equated to a light-duty pickup rather than a full-sized SUV. Whether it’s a trip to the lake while hauling a boat, or a camping trip to the mountains, this vehicle has the power and performance, as well as the fuel efficiency to beat out the rest in the vehicle market.
The 2018 Honda Pilot is no slouch when it comes to exterior and interior options. With a commanding exterior and an interior to keep you safe and comfortable, this is an SUV you’ll enjoy driving around town. However, with limited safety, power, and performance capabilities than the 2018 Ford Explorer, we think that the 2018 Honda Pilot may lag behind in this competition.
Power and performance are important in any vehicle. When it comes to SUVs, buyers want excellent fuel economy, and the power to get those large vehicles and any cargo they may be hauling through tough terrain. Let’s check out the 2018 Ford Explorer and the 2018 Honda Pilot to see what performance options each vehicle offers.
The 2018 Ford Explorer is equipped with a 3.5L EcoBoost Engine and includes best-in-class 365 V6 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. With the power and capability of a light-duty pickup, this SUV has the trailering capacity of 5000 lbs and is perfect for those who want to haul a small boat or trailer to the beach. The SUV is also equipped with 4WD, and a trailering management system to make sure you and your cargo are safe.
The 2018 Ford Explorer Sport is equipped with all of these capabilities and more, including a terrain management system, electronic power steering assist, hill descent control, hill start assist, and a unique sport-tuned independent front and rear suspension. If adventure is your lifestyle, then this is a great new SUV for you.
The 2018 Honda Pilot comes equipped with a standard 2.5L V6 engine or an all AWD 6-speed transmission with a 3.5L V6 engine. The 2018 Honda Pilot can tow up to 1500 lbs and has 18-inch alloy wheels. At a lower trailering capacity than the 2018 Ford Explorer, we think that in the 2018 Ford Explorer vs the 2018 Honda Pilot – the 2018 Ford Explorer is the hands down winner.
In this day and age, connectivity is important. From navigation to music, to passengers surfing the internet, 21st-century car buyers want connectivity to be a prominent component in their vehicle.
In 2018, the engineers at Ford know that staying connected to your device is an important feature that car buyers want available in new cars. Ford upped their game this year with the 2018 Ford Explorer and included a high-tech Amazon Alexa feature to keep you connected at all times. This feature gives you access to your home devices, access to Amazon Prime shopping, and access to over 30,000 other apps. This is the latest and greatest in connectivity and gives this car an edge in the vehicle market.
The Ford Explorer doesn’t stop there however and includes an 8-inch SYNC 3 display, which you can use for navigation, to connect your smartphone so you can answer calls hands-free, and allows you to access WAZE, the premier crowdsourced navigation and traffic app. If that’s not enough, the 2018 Explorer also includes a FordPass app, which connects your device to your vehicle so you always know the vehicle’s location, the vehicle status such as the fuel and oil gauge, and allows you to remotely stop, start, or lock and unlock your vehicle. This is a truly a next-generation model that possesses the pinnacle in technological features.
While not having the abundant number of tech features as the 2018 Ford Explorer, the 2018 Honda Pilot still has an impressive number of connectivity capabilities. One prominent feature is the 7-inch touchscreen display which includes a Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System, which features 3D renderings of buildings, terrain, and road signs. The display also includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto Integration, Bluetooth Streaming Audio, and available SiriusXM Radio. For all of your music needs, this vehicle has you covered.
The 2018 Honda Pilot also has a similar vehicle app as the 2018 Ford Explorer, the HondaLink app which enables you to remotely access the fuel level of the vehicle, start or stop the engine, and unlock or lock your doors all from your smartphone. While having some of the connectivity of the 2018 Ford Explorer, the 2018 Honda Pilot still doesn’t quite meet up to their standards, and we think the 2018 Ford Explorer is still the frontrunner in this competition.
Everyone wants to feel safe and in control when driving their car, and the 2018 Ford Explorer and the 2018 Honda Pilot both have the latest in safety features to make you truly confident wherever you may need to go.
The 2018 Ford Explorer has the safety features that’ll make your jaw drop. From front and back end safety, as well as safety trailering options, this SUV is equipped with the latest and best technology to keep you and your family safe. The 2018 Ford Explorer includes features like enhanced parking assists, such as parallel parking, perpendicular parking, and parking sensors to make parking in any space a breeze. The 2018 Ford Explorer utilizes sensors and a camera to automatically park the vehicle for you using radar technology, all you need to do is accelerate and brake.
The 2018 Ford Explorer also includes a Ford Safe & Smart Package that includes a blind spot alert system, forward collision alert with automatic braking, lane keeping assist with an alert system to tell you when another vehicle is near, and rain sensing wipers. These safety features work together to make your driving experience smoother, safer, and more confident. You can trust that when you’re in the 2018 Ford Explorer you’re getting the premier in safety technologies.
The 2018 Honda Pilot is also equipped with the latest and greatest in safety technology. The SUV includes a number of safety options such as adaptive cruise control – where you can set the following distance so you don’t have to keep changing back and forth out of cruise control, lane keeping assist system – which detects if you’re veering out of your lane and gently corrects your position for you, road departure mitigation system, and collision mitigation braking system, which brakes the vehicle for you if a collision is imminent. You can trust that when you’re in this model, that you’ll have a second pair of eyes on the road to keep you and your family safe.
However, the 2018 Honda Pilot lacks some of the parking assist capabilities as the 2018 Ford Explorer, which makes it evident that the Ford Explorer wins this round.
*Images, fuel economy, and other stats, may reflect higher trim levels, options, or features that may result in a higher cost from the starting MSRP.
MSRP excludes tax, license, registration, additional options, and possible destination charges. Dealers set own prices.
