Ford Explorer vs Honda Pilot: Which Used Buy Wins?
As used buys (July 2026), the Ford Explorer typically lists for $40,927 against $43,296 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 $32,146 vs the SPORT at $36,750; 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 ($32,146) faces the Honda Pilot SPORT ($36,750); the most common trims on the market are the XLT (33.8% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L (27.7% of Honda Pilot listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($47,722) faces the BLACK EDITION ($49,400). 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 | $32,146 | 33.8% | LX | $31,774 | 2.1% |
| LIMITED | $33,840 | 5.5% | SPORTCheapest | $36,750 | 7.6% |
| TIMBERLINE | $36,271 | 2.5% | EX-LMost popular | $37,000 | 27.7% |
| ACTIVE | $39,995 | 17.4% | TRG | $39,679 | 12.3% |
| ST-LINE | $39,999 | 17.6% | TOURING | $41,081 | 7.5% |
| PLATINUM | $45,910 | 7.0% | ELITE | $42,473 | 23.0% |
| STPriciest | $47,722 | 12.8% | TRAILSPORT | $42,934 | 14.6% |
| TREMOR | $55,325 | 2.0% | BLACK EDITIONPriciest | $49,400 | 5.0% |
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 | $45,790 | $52,372 | Honda Pilot +$6,582 | 19–24 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2025 | $40,927 | $43,296 | Honda Pilot +$2,369 | 20–24 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2024 | $35,786 | $40,494 | Honda Pilot +$4,708 | 20–24 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2023 | $32,791 | $38,358 | Honda Pilot +$5,567 | 20–27 MPG | 20–22 MPG |
| 2022 | $29,354 | $29,580 | Honda Pilot +$226 | 19–27 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2021 | $24,698 | $25,998 | Honda Pilot +$1,300 | 19–27 MPG | 22–23 MPG |
| 2020 | $22,795 | $23,673 | Honda Pilot +$878 | 19–28 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2019 | $18,058 | $21,645 | Honda Pilot +$3,587 | 18–22 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2018 | $16,653 | $19,240 | Honda Pilot +$2,587 | 18–22 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2017 | $14,488 | $17,995 | Honda Pilot +$3,507 | 18–22 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2016 | $12,509 | $15,793 | Honda Pilot +$3,284 | 18–22 MPG | 21–23 MPG |
| 2015 | $10,752 | $12,390 | Honda Pilot +$1,638 | 18–23 MPG | 20 MPG |
| 2014 | $9,746 | $11,794 | Honda Pilot +$2,048 | 18–23 MPG | 20 MPG |
| 2013 | $8,499 | $9,995 | Honda Pilot +$1,496 | 18–23 MPG | 20 MPG |
| 2012 | $7,850 | $8,999 | Honda Pilot +$1,149 | 19–23 MPG | 20 MPG |
| 2011 | $7,900 | $7,794 | Ford Explorer +$106 | 19–20 MPG | 18–19 MPG |
| 2010 | $6,000 | $7,880 | Honda Pilot +$1,880 | 15–17 MPG | 18–19 MPG |
| 2009 | $5,466 | $6,997 | Honda Pilot +$1,531 | 15–17 MPG | 18–19 MPG |
| 2008 | $6,120 | $6,650 | Honda Pilot +$530 | 15–16 MPG | 17–18 MPG |
| 2007 | $5,007 | $5,498 | Honda Pilot +$491 | 15–16 MPG | 17–18 MPG |
| 2006 | $5,000 | $5,498 | Honda Pilot +$498 | 15–16 MPG | 17–18 MPG |
| 2005 | $4,443 | $4,995 | Honda Pilot +$552 | 14–16 MPG | 17 MPG |
Typical price = national median asking price of live listings for that model year (July 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 $40,927 versus $43,296 for the Honda Pilot (national medians, July 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 10.2 recalls per model year for the Ford Explorer and 7.9 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 $32,146 vs $36,750 for a Honda Pilot SPORT; the most common trims on the market are the XLT ($32,146, 33.8% of Ford Explorer listings) and the EX-L ($37,000, 27.7% of Honda Pilot listings); at the top of the market, the ST ($47,722) faces the BLACK EDITION ($49,400). 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.