Ford Explorer vs Honda Pilot: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (October 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $38,485 against $42,277 for the Honda Pilot (same model years — 2024–2026 — national medians from live listings). The Honda Pilot takes fuel economy (21 MPG combined vs 20 MPG); the Ford Explorer leads on NCAP safety (4.9★ vs 4.7★ average). Overall medians mix very different trims — at the cheapest common trims it's the XLT at $30,834 vs the SPORT at $35,687; see the trim-by-trim tables for a fair match. Every figure below is live market data, not book values.
Head to head
Trim-by-trim prices (last 4 model years)
A fair comparison matches equivalent trims, not overall medians. Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, the Ford Explorer XLT ($30,834) faces the Honda Pilot SPORT ($35,687); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (32.7% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L (25.5% of Honda Pilot listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($46,393) faces the BLACK EDITION ($48,385). Share = portion of the model's trim-labeled used listings (a supply-side popularity signal: what the market actually stocks and sells most). “Cheapest”/“Priciest” mark the ends of the quotable trim range — trim ladders don't map one-to-one across brands, so this is not a factory base-model claim.
| Ford Explorer | Honda Pilot | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trim | Typical price | Share | Trim | Typical price | Share |
| XLTMost popularCheapest | $30,834 | 32.7% | LX | $32,883 | 2.6% |
| LIMITED | $32,386 | 5.7% | SPORTCheapest | $35,687 | 6.7% |
| TIMBERLINE | $34,900 | 2.6% | EX-LMost popular | $36,673 | 25.5% |
| ST-LINE | $38,411 | 18.5% | TRG | $37,328 | 9.1% |
| ACTIVE | $38,993 | 17.0% | TOURING | $40,199 | 9.5% |
| PLATINUM | $45,092 | 6.3% | TRAILSPORT | $41,802 | 17.9% |
| STPriciest | $46,393 | 12.9% | ELITE | $42,063 | 20.2% |
| TREMOR | $55,435 | 2.8% | BLACK EDITIONPriciest | $48,385 | 6.2% |
Rows are aligned by price position (both sides sorted cheapest-first), not by equivalent equipment — trim names never map one-to-one across brands. Full per-trim detail (price ranges, mileage) is on each model's price page: Ford Explorer prices · Honda Pilot prices.
Used price by model year
| Year | Ford Explorer typical | Honda Pilot typical | Difference | Ford Explorer MPG | Honda Pilot MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $45,121 | $52,102 | Honda Pilot +$6,981 | 19–24 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2025 | $38,485 | $42,277 | Honda Pilot +$3,792 | 20–24 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2024 | $34,398 | $38,999 | Honda Pilot +$4,601 | 20–24 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2023 | $31,176 | $36,995 | Honda Pilot +$5,819 | 20–27 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2022 | $27,661 | $28,250 | Honda Pilot +$589 | 19–27 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2021 | $23,486 | $24,995 | Honda Pilot +$1,509 | 19–27 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2020 | $21,508 | $22,831 | Honda Pilot +$1,323 | 19–28 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2019 | $16,995 | $20,447 | Honda Pilot +$3,452 | 18–22 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2018 | $15,615 | $18,174 | Honda Pilot +$2,559 | 18–22 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2017 | $13,677 | $16,995 | Honda Pilot +$3,318 | 18–22 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2016 | $11,995 | $14,990 | Honda Pilot +$2,995 | 18–22 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2015 | $9,999 | $11,399 | Honda Pilot +$1,400 | 18–23 MPG | 20 MPG |
| 2014 | $8,999 | $10,800 | Honda Pilot +$1,801 | 18–23 MPG | 20 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,099 | $9,995 | Honda Pilot +$1,896 | 18–23 MPG | 20 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,985 | $8,993 | Honda Pilot +$1,008 | 19–23 MPG | 20 MPG |
| 2011 | $7,034 | $7,995 | Honda Pilot +$961 | 19–20 MPG | 18–19 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,684 | $7,444 | Honda Pilot +$760 | 15–17 MPG | 18–19 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,995 | $6,995 | Honda Pilot +$1,000 | 15–17 MPG | 18–19 MPG |
| 2008 | $5,476 | $5,485 | Honda Pilot +$9 | 15–16 MPG | 17–18 MPG |
| 2007 | $5,003 | $5,355 | Honda Pilot +$352 | 15–16 MPG | 17–18 MPG |
| 2006 | $4,999 | $4,995 | Ford Explorer +$4 | 15–16 MPG | 17–18 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,535 | $4,988 | Honda Pilot +$453 | 14–16 MPG | 17 MPG |
| 2004 | $4,995 | $4,195 | Ford Explorer +$800 | 15–16 MPG | 17 MPG |
| 2003 | $4,995 | $4,595 | Ford Explorer +$400 | 15–16 MPG | 17 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (October 2026); MPG = EPA combined range across rated versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to buy used — Ford Explorer or Honda Pilot?
Comparing the same model years (2024–2026), the Ford Explorer is cheaper: it typically lists for $38,485 versus $42,277 for the Honda Pilot (national medians, October 2026).
Which gets better fuel economy — Ford Explorer or Honda Pilot?
The Honda Pilot: its typical rated version returns 21 MPG combined versus 20 MPG for the Ford Explorer (median across EPA-rated versions of the compared years).
Which is safer — Ford Explorer or Honda Pilot?
By NCAP overall crash-test rating the Ford Explorer averages 4.9 of 5 stars across rated years versus 4.7 for the Honda Pilot. Always check the specific model year's rating in the table above.
Which is more reliable — Ford Explorer or Honda Pilot?
NHTSA lists an average of 10.7 recalls per model year for the Ford Explorer and 8.2 for the Honda Pilot — an edge for the Honda Pilot. Recall and complaint counts scale with sales volume, so treat them as context and check any specific car's VIN history.
Which trims should I actually compare?
Like for like: at the cheapest common trims, a Ford Explorer XLT typically lists for $30,834 vs $35,687 for a Honda Pilot SPORT; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($30,834, 32.7% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L ($36,673, 25.5% of Honda Pilot listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($46,393) faces the BLACK EDITION ($48,385). Overall medians hide this trim mix — use the trim tables above for a fair match. Trim names never map one-to-one across brands, so "cheapest" means the least expensive trim with a real market share, not the factory base.
https://vehisales.com/research/compare/ford/explorer/vs/honda/pilot.
Dig deeper
Ford Explorer — live listings & specs Honda Pilot — live listings & specs Ford Explorer prices by year Honda Pilot prices by year Ford Explorer MPG by year Honda Pilot MPG by year
See also: All model comparisons · Best used cars by budget · Used car prices by model.