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Honda Pilot vs. Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid: 3-Row Family SUVs

2026-04-09 Autos & Vehicles
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Edmunds Cars
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Description

Which is the best 3-row SUV for your family? We test the 2026 Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid to see which hauler reigns supreme. Run a VIN check or license plate search to uncover maintenance history, open recalls, and title statuses before you buy at http://bumper.com/edmunds Appraisal Tool – https://www.edmunds.com/appraisal/ Car Listings – https://www.edmunds.com/new-cars-for-sale/ Ratings and Reviews – https://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/ 00:00 Intro 00:25 Nissan Pathfinder Interior, Tech, & Storage 05:09 Nissan Pathfinder Driving Impressions 06:59 Honda Pilot Interior, Tech, & Storage 11:18 Honda Pilot Driving Impressions 12:56 Toyota Grand Highlander Interior, Tech, & Storage 16:58 Toyota Grand Highlander Driving Impressions 18:30 Value 19:54 Edmunds' Take Searching for the best 3-row SUV for your family? We put three of the most popular family haulers to the test: the Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid. The Nissan Pathfinder offers impressive value and standout towing capabilities. With its best-in-class 6,000-pound max tow rating, it out-muscles most of its midsize rivals. You also get a comfortable ride, intuitive physical HVAC controls, and a new 12.3-inch touchscreen for 2026. While its V6 engine delivers impressive capability, the overall fuel economy falls short of the competition's. The 2026 Honda Pilot brings serious practicality to the table. We love its phenomenal small-item storage, easy-to-use tech, and a smart, removable second-row middle seat. On the road, the Pilot's AWD system makes it surprisingly fun to handle in corners, though it suffers from numb steering and a busy 10-speed automatic transmission in stop-and-go driving. But the Toyota Grand Highlander takes the crown here. Equipped with the potent Hybrid Max powertrain, it delivers the quickest acceleration of the bunch while maintaining the best mpg. It boasts class-leading cargo space and a third row that provides adult-friendly legroom. Combining stellar fuel efficiency, fantastic roominess and refined driving dynamics, the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid proves it is the ultimate family SUV. Honda Pilot Edmunds Review – https://www.edmunds.com/honda/pilot/ Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Edmunds Review – https://www.edmunds.com/toyota/grand-highlander-hybrid/ Nissan Pathfinder Edmunds Review – https://www.edmunds.com/nissan/pathfinder/ More Edmunds Comparison Videos – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsSQoIGhBLpQwAPiW1fCPh4LEWxlbp9Cx If this kind of video is helpful to you and you want to support us making more work like this in the future, hitting the like, subscribe, and notification bell buttons goes a long way. Disclaimer: This video's description was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy by the Edmunds editorial team. The video itself was created by Edmunds without the use of generative AI. https://www.instagram.com/edmundscars/ https://www.facebook.com/edmunds https://www.tiktok.com/@edmunds https://twitter.com/edmunds https://www.reddit.com/user/edmundscars/ #HondaPilot #ToyotaGrandHighlanderHybrid #NissanPathfinder #Edmunds

Top Comments (10)

@ramrodTheDestroyer646 2026-04-09

We just picked up a 26 Pathfinder a couple weeks ago. It's honestly one of the smoothest driving vehicles I've driven. There's a couple nitpicks, but super happy with it.

103 10 replies
@Jamal-ub1ko 2026-04-09

The Pathfinder has the best IIHS safety scores of these 3 by some margin. That should count for something

72 2 replies
@nismokid2533 2026-04-10

Nice review. Test drove the Honda and the Nissan with the family (2 kids). The Pathfinder was the unanimous winner. I loved the V6. Pathfinder will be our next family vehicle.

34 1 replies
@jafaarjafaar 2026-04-11

Kind of confused with the rating. You say the Pilot is the best handling out of the bunch, but then also give it the lowest driving experience score?

18 2 replies
@brandon_buildsDIY 2026-04-10

The fact that you can thousands off the pathfinder makes it better. VQ35 engine(been around since 2001) and a new ZF 9 speed transmission(no more CVT). The Nissan looks cool especially in rock creek edition.

15 1 replies
@jkozelj714 2026-04-09

1:21 whoever came up with the design on that fabric went to high school in the late 90s/early 2000s 😂 love it.

13 1 replies
@brandon_buildsDIY 2026-04-11

The fact that the pathfinder tows more and got only a 7.0 is ridiculous😂

13 1 replies
@mark8684 2026-04-11

Some important items you missed: The Pathfinder is the only midsize SUV with more than 48” between the rear wheel wells so you can carry those sheets plywood, drywall, etc from HD flat on the floor! The Pilot does NOT have a height adjustable front passenger seat; not even a manual adjustment! At $55k that is unacceptable. Also, Honda deleted the SiriusXM satellite radio from the 26 Pilot! Overall, I think the Pathfinder is the best value here as it checks all my boxes, and can be had with substantial discounts, something that cannot be said of the Pilot and G Highlander.

12 1 replies
@vzkmqz 2026-04-21

The brown interior is the best thing about the Pathfinder. I guess there's no accounting for taste.

7
@edmundscars 2026-04-09

What happens when we pit two heavy hitters against each other and add an up-and-comer into the mix? You get the Honda Pilot versus the Toyota Grand Highlander versus the Nissan Pathfinder. You might be surprised at how things shake out here. Which do you think gets the crown? Let us know in the comments!

1 2 replies

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