Overview & Reviews

Since its launch for the 2003 model year, the Honda Pilot has helped shape the market for crossover SUVs with three rows of seating. Offering V6 power, respectable fuel economy, a comfortable ride, plenty of interior space and seven-to-eight-passenger seating, the Pilot is exactly the kind of vehicle that appeals to growing families who are leery of traditional minivans. Other crossover SUVs might be sportier to drive or more stylish on the inside, but Honda's three-row crossover appeals to your practical side and packs in a lot of functionality.

Choosing a Pilot is straightforward, as Honda packages equipment in a few basic trim levels rather than offering countless options. Regardless of the year, all Honda Pilots give you three useful rows of seating and lots of storage slots, though early models are smaller and aren't quite as accommodating for teenagers in the third row. Cargo capacity has also increased over the years.

User Reviews:

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  Thrilled thus far - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By formerfordfan - February 1 - 10:00 am

  Loved our Accord, so we looked at Pilot when the time for new vehicle arrived. Bought for MSRP with no hassles. Have averaged 18 City and 21-24 on highway (65 - 80 mph). Unbelievable gas mileage for 4400 lb. SUV with 240 HP. Plenty of room, quality workmanship, and nice driving feel. This is a good alternative to a minivan (which we had) with no apparent loss of MPG and the benefit of 4WD at similar cost. Considered the Explorer and Sequoia, but the Ford experience with our Windstar left us leery and we didnt need the cost or low MPG of the big Toyota.

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  Suprising Combination - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By mkell - February 1 - 10:00 am

  For me the Pilot is a great vehicle. It drives like a honda sedan, fits more kids than a minivan, and provides 4x4 where its needed. It has great safety features. Also, something that I have not seen enough of is commentary from owners of the gps navigation system. The gps navigation system seems like it might be just a novelty, but it has been incredibly accurate and helpful all around town. Getting to someones home, finding that restaurant, etc. Getting you home after scooting around all day. It really takes the pain out of driving through a large urban/suburan area. I do not think I will ever have another car without one.

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  Hard to Beat - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By Shawn Evans - February 1 - 10:00 am

  Plain and simple. There is nothing in even close to this price range that offers what the pilot does. Handles wonderfully, firm ride, great acceleration, great interior. I did a great deal of shopping before I bought and was very suprised how far above the others this vehicle was.

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  Great value - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Amanda Irsch - January 29 - 9:31 pm

  Having owned Audis and Mercedes vehicles prior, this car is one impressive package. From the premium wheels to the LED headlights, the exterior is sharp and modern. The electronics really are second to none, offering literally everything you would expect from a loaded luxury vehicle. The kids love their captains chairs and the included wireless headsets are key for long road trips, allowing us to listen to music on the front whistle the kids enjoy a movie in the back. The countless media options allow us to play digital movies right from our iphones / iPads vs having to bring along blue ray discs. Cargo storage is not great but more than sufficient when the third row is folded down. Anyone w kids car seats will need the captains chairs because otherwise there is no way for a passenger to access the third row unless they enter via the trunk which is awkward. Great car for the price, tough to beat.

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  Car is awesome - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By JD - January 29 - 5:53 am

  It is rock solid on the road and easy to drive: tons of power, good handling, quiet, and comfortable. The infotainment system is good enough I think, dont let some over-the-top negative reviews deter you. I do think they should add Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and sure a volume knob would be good. But you use the steering wheel controls most of the time anyway.

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  Entertainment user interface and transmission - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Paul Pelleiter - January 28 - 9:41 pm

  Ive owned 10 Honda/Acura cars. I am very loyal to the brand because dependability is important to me and so far my experience with Honda has been fantastic. Ive pretty much done only scheduled maintenance in over a million miles of driving collectively on all my Honda cars. Honda and Acuras have always been very smooth and have a feeling of harmony." That is, everything works together well to provide an excellent driving experience. However, I am seriously considering another brand for my next car for two main reasons. First, the interface for the entertainment system is junk. It is unusable by the driver while driving. Try manipulating a touch screen, the is not always responsive, while staying in your lane or being on a rough road. its impossible. Also, the voice command is garbage. It almost never works. It does not understand what is said. Ive even had it ask me to choose the number of a song. I choose the number - it plays that number - but it is a different song than the one displayed. I can only guess that the system has incorrectly indexed the iPod songs. The multi-controller wheel in the previous generation Pilot is a dramatically better interface. Having a cool looking all touch interface means nothing if it is unusable. The second issue is the 9 speed transmission. One day it can be excellent the next day it is horrible. The shifts can be all wrong making it impossible to drive smoothly, especially around town in stop and go traffic. The transmission surges when applying the brakes. It is very disconcerting to have the car speed up when you step on the brakes. This happens because the transmission often downshift and accelerates the car, or up-shifts and reduces transmission braking when you step on the brakes. Its hard to believe Honda actually drove this transmission and used these radio controls before increasing the car. If they did, they must have known of these issues yet released the car anyway. My faith in Honda engineering is severely shaken. The new Hyundais are starting to look appealing.

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  best car i have driven - 2004 Honda Pilot
  By bill ebel - January 28 - 10:00 am

  the honda pilot ex is the best car i have driven. it has all the the things you want in a suv. horsepower, smooth ride quite interior and reliability. great great vehicle.

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  Love the Pilot - 2004 Honda Pilot
  By dizzie27 - January 28 - 10:00 am

  I used to have an Explorer, I enjoyed driving it while everything worked liked it was supposed to. However, I absolutely LOVE driving my Pilot. Love it, love it, love it.

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  On my second and would go for a third - 2008 Honda Pilot
  By Lovemy Pilot - January 28 - 7:09 am

  I just traded my 04 Pilot in for a new one. They gave me 20k for my 04 with 52K on it. They are aggressively pricing these whick is why I bought a new one now. More importantly you cannot find a better built, more reliable, reasonably priced vehicle on the market today. It is the best of all worlds. Part mini-van, suv, 4 wheel drive vehicle with good gas mileage. If you are looking for a family car, look no further. This is one of the best cars on the market and their price hasnt changed much since I bought mine previous one on 04.

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  A Good Mid Size SUV - 2005 Honda Pilot
  By DRoe - January 27 - 8:56 pm

  First Honda and switched from Amer. cars due to all the repair problems we experienced with them. We have really enjoyed the car. Very reliable. Good ride (suspension) considering it is a SUV. A few weird electrical quirks, but nothing to repair yet! I have had much worse. Uncomfortable to reach radio controls from seat, not ergonomically friendly. Most interior features very basic considering price range. Gas mileage decent and has great acceleration. Some occasional shifting confusion from trans can make for rough shifting. I had checked and told no prob, just the way it is. At this point, I would consider another and definetly like Honda.