2nd place: Toyota Highlander V6
The Highlander has been on the market since late 2000 or you can just say "2001". The Highlander has been the sad SUV for Toyota. It doesn't look good nor the price is right. The almost larger RAV4 has a larger engine and more. The Highlander just doesn't cut the edge. However the Hybrid was a nice choice for Toyota to make. The Highlander is easy to step in and out. The interior is beautiful but it looks dated. The gauges and the controls feel so good and are placed where they should be. The glove box and door pockets are adequate. The seats are good but lack lateral support and feels higher than the vehicles. The rear seats are also good but it just doesn't provide the feel that you get in the Pilot's seats. The third row seat is intended for optional use and only for children because the cushion is low, the leg room is so tight you have to sit with you legs up. However there is an abundance of cargo room with the third row seats folded down. Even if the third row is folded up there is still a good amount of cargo room. On the road the Highlander feels so smooth and so quiet. The V6 feels fast and the throttle control is good but I found it to lag a lot. The Highlander is easy to turn corners and easy to drive. The Highlander is also quick on corners but the steering is a little on the bad side. The price is hefty and is a lot more expensive than the RAV4. The Highlander is an excellent choice for a SUV but the RAV4 cuts it in corners so the first place goes to........
1st place: Honda Pilot EX
The Pilot has recently been freshened and that front end is so hideous. There is a host of new standard features on the base LX including front, front side and side curtain airbags and ABS, EBD and Stability Assist. The 3.5 V6 making 244 hp is faster than the Highlander's 215 hp but falls short of Toyota's smaller RAV4 (269 hp). $29 545 US MSRP gets you this Pilot EX and this isn't cheap but count in the standard features and this is a good SUV. The Pilot has more "grunt" look this year for the freshning and the rear lights look modified. Honda has finally limited the amount of black plastic but on its SUVs. The interior isn't better than the Highlander but it offers a little more style with silver accents. The front and rear seats are comfortable. The Pilot offers the most cargo room in its class*. The versatility is very good, the rear and third row seats all fold easily. However the column mounted shifter is troublesome. The Pilot is loaded with kid-friendly features. There's a cup holder for every seat and pockets on the seatbacks in the first two rows. The EX includes a second-row fold-down activity tray with more cup holders and storage for pocket-sized electronic games or fast food, including a little spot that cradles sauce containers. For safety the Pilot received a 5-star NHTSA safety rating. The Pilot is easy to drive and so easy to park. It feels like a midsize sedan. Pilot's five speed transmission is better to use and feels better than the Highlander's automatic. Four-wheel-drive models feature Honda's full-time VTM-4 (Variable Torque Management 4WD) with an electronically locking rear differential. Most of the power is delivered to the front wheels, but Honda's system is a bit more proactive than most all-wheel-drive systems in the way it sends some of the power to the rear wheels any time the driver accelerates. A push-button differential lock improves traction in extremely slippery or stuck conditions by making sure both rear tires get power. So equipped, Honda rates the Pilot for what it calls medium off-road duty, including 30-degree dirt grades. The Pilot does not offer true off-road capability, but it's perfectly capable on gravel, rough dirt roads and two-tracks. Ride and handling are excellent in the Pilot. The Pilot is comfortable and fast. The Pilot has all you want and need. This summarizes why the Pilot wins this comparison.