Compare the2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9VS 2025 Honda Pilot

Both the Ioniq 9 and Pilot have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Ioniq 9 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Pilot’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Ioniq 9 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Pilot doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Ioniq 9 and Pilot have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Ioniq 9 has Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Pilot’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Ioniq 9 and the Pilot have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 weighs 822 to 1702 pounds more than the Honda Pilot. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Ioniq 9 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Pilot’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Ioniq 9 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Honda covers the Pilot. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Pilot ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Ioniq 9’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Pilot’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Ioniq 9 for 2 years and 24,000 miles longer than Honda pays for maintenance for the Pilot (3/36,000 vs. 1/12000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Honda With 8 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Honda.

The Ioniq 9 SE/SEL’s standard electric motors produces 18 more horsepower (303 vs. 285) and 184 lbs.-ft. more torque (446 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6. The Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s standard electric motors produces 137 more horsepower (422 vs. 285) and 254 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 262) than the Pilot’s 3.5 DOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 9 gets better mileage than the Pilot:

The Ioniq 9 can travel with zero emissions for 311 to 335 miles (dependent on model). The Pilot can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Ioniq 9’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Pilot doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Ioniq 9 higher (10 out of 10) than the Honda Pilot (6). This means the Ioniq 9 produces up to 12.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Pilot every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Ioniq 9’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Pilot:

The Ioniq 9’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pilot are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pilot (285/45R21 vs. 265/60R18).

The Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ioniq 9 S/SE has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Pilot EX-L. The Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Pilot Sport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

The Ioniq 9 has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Pilot doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Ioniq 9’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Pilot doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 9’s wheelbase is 9.4 inches longer than on the Pilot (123.2 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Ioniq 9 has 5.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Pilot (163.5 vs. 158.4).

The Ioniq 9 has 1 inch more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 2 inches more rear legroom, .3 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more third row headroom than the Pilot.

The Ioniq 9’s cargo area provides more volume than the Pilot.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Pilot doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Ioniq 9’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Pilot’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Ioniq 9 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pilot uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Ioniq 9’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Pilot’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Ioniq 9’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

The Ioniq 9 SEL/Limited/Calligraphy has standard front air conditioned seats and the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Pilot doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pilot.

Compared to traditional radio, the Hyundai Ioniq 9’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Pilot EX-L/TrailSport/Touring/Elite/Black Edition offers wireless charging.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy’s Parking Assist can parallel park by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Pilot doesn’t offer an automated parking system.