2017 Chevy Traverse vs 2017 Honda Pilot – Cincinnati, OH

Safety

While you may not be terribly concerned about fuel economy, you are probably concerned with getting into the car that’s the safest for you and your crew. When it comes down to it, if safety is your major concern, then you should traipse past the Traverse and pick a Pilot.

Although both the 2017 Chevy Traverse and the 2017 Honda Pilot can boast five out five stars from the National Highway Safety Administration and both have been named “Good” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, only the 2017 Honda Pilot has been named the a Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS.

The 2017 Chevy Traverse and the 2017 Honda Pilot both come standard with rear view cameras; however, Honda has equipped even its base model with a multi-angle camera so that drivers can see their surroundings in three different views - top-down, wide, and normal. Both SUVs are also available with a slew of advanced safety features, but you may have to upgrade your trim level or purchase additional packages to get all of the safety technology you want.

Once again, the 2017 Chevy Traverse and the 2017 Honda Pilot came neck-in-neck in the safety competition, but with its multi-angle camera and special designation from the IIHS, the 2017 Honda Pilot pulls away from pack when it comes to safety.

Performance

The 2017 Chevy Traverse is powered by a six-speed automatic transmission coupled with a  3.6-liter V6 engine that churns out 281 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of c. It’s a quick ride with no problems accelerating and passing, and it’s been praised for its agile handling. As U.S. News and World Report states, “the ride is smooth, and even though it’s a fairly large vehicle, it manages to feel almost car like in terms of handling.” The Traverse comes standard with front-wheel drive, although all-wheel drive is an option.

The 2017 Honda Pilot also has V6 engine, although the Pilot's is a 3.5-liter. The Pilot throws out 280 horsepower and has 262 pound-feet of torque. The Pilot also comes standard with a six-speed automatic transmission, although it is possible to upgrade to a nine-speed automatic transmission if you opt for the top two trim levels. The Pilot is also nimble and maneuvers tight corners with ease. As with the Traverse, front-wheel drive comes standard, but all-wheel drive is available.

While both the 2017 Chevy Traverse and the 2017 Honda Pilot seem similar in terms of performance, when it comes to fuel economy, there is a marked difference. If you’re looking for great fuel economy, you’re going to want to move right past the Traverse, as it only gets an EPA estimated 15 miles per gallon in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. Those numbers put the 2017 Chevy Traverse squarely in the “worst-in-class” category for fuel efficiency. Alternatively, the 2017 Honda Pilot gets a decent EPA estimate of 19 mpg in the city and 27 in the city.

It’s easy to see that while the 2017 Chevy Traverse and the 2017 Honda Pilot share many of the same performance qualities, when it comes down to the dollars at the gas pump, you’re better off buying the Honda.

Design

Both the 2017 Chevy Traverse and the 2017 Honda Pilot have third-row seating and can accommodate either seven or eight passengers, depending on the seat configuration. The Honda Pilot is generally recognized as having best-in-class third row seating, and is one of the only models which can comfortably seat adults in the third row.

The Traverse and the Pilot both come in five trim levels. The 2017 Honda offers the choice of the LX, EX, EX-L, Touring, and Premier trims, while the Traverse offers the LS Base, LS, 1LT, 2LT, and Premier trims.

If you’re leaning towards the 2017 Honda Pilot and opt for the LX base model, the Pilot will sit on 18-inch alloy wheels and come standard with air conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, a five-inch display screen, a push-button start, the multi-angle rearview camera, a seven-speaker sound system, an auxiliary jack, a USB port, and Bluetooth phone and audio capability.

The 2017 Chevy Traverse in LS Base sits on 17-inch steel wheels and offers a 6.5-inch touch screen display, remote keyless entry, automatic headlights, a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, roof rails, air conditioning, two USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, a rearview camera, a CD player, a six-speaker sound system, a Wi-Fi hotspot, supported by OnStar subscription services, which include navigation, automatic crash response, and hands-free calling.

Despite the base-model 2017 Chevy Traverse featuring more amenities than the 2017 Honda Pilot, it also manages to come in at a more affordable price. The 2017 Chevy Traverse base model has a starting MSRP of $28,700, while the 2017 Honda Pilot starts at $30,595.

While that’s a pretty significant savings, you’ll really see the dollars add up when you compare the two top of the line trims: the 2017 Honda Pilot Elite has a starting MSRP of $47,070 and the 2017 Chevy Traverse Premier starts at $42,045. As U.S. News and World Report states, “The Pilot is less of a value in higher trims because its price rises above competitors' without adding enough different features to justify the higher prices.” For this reason, the 2017 Chevy Traverse wins when it comes to interior amenities.

But what about cargo space? Well, the Traverse is the award winner there, too. The 2017 Chevy Traverse offers some of the best-in-class cargo capacity thanks to its 24.4 cubic feet of trunk space. Collapse the third row seats and extend the cargo hold to 70.3 cubic feet, and put down the second row seats and you’re looking at 116.3 cubic feet of space behind the first row. That’s a lot of room to fill with luggage, grocery bags, furniture… you name it, the Traverse can fit it.

Of course, the 2017 Honda Pilot is no space-skimper either. The trunk of the Pilot measures 16.5 cubic feet and collapsing the third row will extend the space to 46.8 cubic feet. With the second row seats down, the space grows to 83.9 cubic feet. Certainly very respectable, but the numbers don’t lie: when it comes to cargo space, the 2017 Chevy Traverse has room to spare.