The Honda Pilot has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Santa Fe doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Pilot deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Pilot’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Santa Fe’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.
The Honda Pilot’s Multi-View Camera System offers available integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Hyundai Santa Fe lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.
Both the Pilot and the Santa Fe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:
|
Pilot |
Santa Fe |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
382 |
460 |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
178/233 lbs. |
290/423 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
Chest Compression |
.5 inches |
.6 inches |
Neck Compression |
98 lbs. |
140 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
396/388 lbs. |
726/652 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe:
|
Pilot |
Santa Fe |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Chest Movement |
.6 inches |
.6 inches |
Abdominal Force |
59 lbs. |
85 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
10 inches |
16 inches |
Spine Acceleration |
34 G’s |
38 G’s |
Hip Force |
444 lbs. |
507 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Honda Pilot is safer than the Santa Fe:
|
Pilot |
Santa Fe |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
31 |
89 |
Neck Tension |
112 lbs. |
223 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
.67 in |
.87 in |
Torso Max Deflection |
.59 in |
1.34 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
5 MPH |
7 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Pelvis Force |
335 lbs. |
1227 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Neck Tension |
89 lbs. |
112 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Torso Max Deflection |
.75 in |
1.14 in |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Pelvis Force |
513 lbs. |
580 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pilot is 1.9% to 4.2% less likely to roll over than the Santa Fe.