The main reason the Pilot has fallen off even more lately is simple: the vehicle's been in production for six years now (the current generation). The fact that the blocky styling wasn't that popular even back then says a great deal. You can imagine how well it's aged by now then. The fact that it doesn't bring anything new to the table, has the same dull appearance and is still more truck than car-like (like its rivals) means the Pilot is in desperate need of an update. Still, there are some good sides to the Pilot as you're about to read.
First of all, let's discuss trims. The Honda Pilot is a large eight-passenger crossover SUV that's available in 5 trims as of 2015: LX, EX, SE, EX-L and Touring. The SE was introduced this year and it filled the gap between the EX and the EX-L rather nicely.
The base LX has 17-inch steel wheels, a trailer hitch, cruise control, rear privacy glass, keyless entry, a tri-zone climate control (automatic), height-adjustable driver's seat, a rearview camera and of course a steering wheel that can tilt and telescope. The 60/40 split applies to both the second and third row of seats.
The second row can also slide and recline in addition to that. On the technology front we have Bluetooth and audio connectivity, a large 8-inh display and a medium-quality seven-speaker sound system. You also get a CD player, an auxiliary jack and an USB/iPod interface.
Move to the EX and you get 18-inch alloys, body-colored door handles and mirror caps (the LX had black plastic ones), automatic headlights, additional instrumentation and a driver's seat that is eight-way adjustable. The 4WD EX Pilot gets heated mirrors too.
The SE brings different 18-inch wheels, a nice addition in the form of a sunroof and rear-seat entertainment, something most large families with young kids will find very useful.
The EX-L might be the best value for your money out of all the trims. It has different wheels, the same entertainment system for the rear (optional), a standard sunroof and satellite radio, a power liftgate, front passenger's seat which is four-way adjustable, heated front seats, a steering wheel wrapped in leather, leather upholstery and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The navigation system is optional only on this model and it's actually voice controlled (you can use standard controls as well). You also get 15GB of digital music storage, customizable settings and a few other gadgets. The EX-L can be spec'd with either the nav system or the infotainment system, but not both.
Finally we get to the top of the line Touring model. With it you'll also get roof rails, parking sensors for both the front and the rear, sunshades for the second row of seats, an improved tire-pressure monitoring system and an upgraded 10-speaker audio system. Here it's the other way around. You can have both the nav and entertainment system together, but not separately.
The biggest issue people have with the Pilot, apart from the dull exterior is the even duller interior. It's not up to pair with the car's asking price and its actual performance as a vehicle. It can't even compete with Honda's own Accord. Credit where credits are due however, it's still a functional interior. All the buttons are laid out logically and nothing seems to be done just for the sake of doing it. The ergonomics are great and are definitely up to Honda standard. The instrumentation is clear and easy to read even if you're older.
Here comes the Pilot's best trait: the space it offers. This thing may be bulky and brick shaped but the space that comes with it is well worth it. Unlike most other three-row crossovers you can actually get fully grown adults in the third row. What's more they won't complain since there's decent amount of headroom and legroom. Of course this does have its limited. Take anyone Shaq or LeBron sized and you'll have an issue but it's otherwise okay. If you want a genuine eight seater SUV the Pilot is one of the few vehicles to be able to offer that (along with the Traverse and the Highlander).
The Pilot still carries the same 3.5 liter V6 under the hood developing 250 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a five-speed auto transmission and all of the power is sent to the front wheels in standard guise. You can opt for an all-wheel drive system to transform it into a true SUV which can even do some off-roading.
That's not the Pilot's true calling however. It prefers to stay on the street as that's where it's most comfortable at. The 0 to 60 miles per hour spring takes 8.9 seconds but weirdly the 2WD Pilot managed the same sprint in 8.3 seconds. We suspect it's due to the lighter weight. Both figures are however below average for the segment.
The towing capacity is 2,000 pounds for the 2WD pilot and 4,500 at maximum for the all-wheel drive Pilots, provided they're properly equipped of course. The Pilot returns 21 mpg on the combined run for the front-wheel drive version and 20 mpg for the all-wheel drive one. Both figures are around average.
If you're really tempted by one go ahead and buy it since we can't persuade you, but make sure you drive its rivals, especially the Highlander. Prices start at $29,900 for the base model.
Still, we waiting for 2017 Honda Pilot.
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