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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  Love This SUV and Fun to Drive - 2008 Honda Pilot
  By Great SUV - December 15 - 4:54 pm

  Just picked it up and it is the best SUV in its class. I drove many SUVs and nothing to compare to this little number.

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  Four months of Pilot ownership - 2008 Honda Pilot
  By Fred Webb - December 15 - 11:17 am

  I bought my 2008 Pilot EX-L with navigation after considering all other SUVs. The most important considerations in selecting it were safety, room for 8 if needed, comfort, and flexibility to go in snow and travel on moderately rough unpaved forest roads. I also wanted a vehicle with drivers compartment space for stowage of essential gear. The navigation system and XM radio have made driving more efficient and travel more enjoyable. Thus far, my Pilot has met all of my expectations. Fuel consumption has been quite reasonable considering vehicle weight. Ride has been very comfortable on 10+ hour trips.

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  More room then our 1997 Expedition - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By Canada - December 15 - 10:00 am

  We traded in our 1997 Ford Expedition because we needed 4x drive in Canada. I didnt expect to have more room in the interior but we do and it handles in the mountains much better. I hate to say it but I doubt Ill ever buy American again. With 3 kids and a Golden Retreiver we had plenty of room and no complaints on a long trip.

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  near perfect vehicle - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By char baby - December 15 - 10:00 am

  The big three only wish they could build the quality, reliability and fun to drive of this vehicle!

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  We love every minute in it! - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By Chicago Mike - December 15 - 10:00 am

  This is an excellent SUV! It is so unbelievably smooth. On a recent 400- mile ride it was so comfortable, I wasnt tired of driving at all. When cruising on the highway at 80 mph the cabin was so quiet (at 80 mph the engine revs at barely 2000 rpm). Power: 0-60 mph in 8 seconds!!! These 240 horses can beat many sports cars in stoplight race challenges. Fuel economy is great and the 4WD system is technical miracle. There is a lot of passenger safety features built in (e.g., automatic detection of the size and position of the front passenger, etc.). Headroom is excellent even for Shaq-size drivers and passengers). Legroom in the second row is limo-like.

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  Two things - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Lmiller - December 15 - 3:40 am

  The idle stop should defalt to off. With two car seats in the second row, the 3rd row is not accessable.

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  Test drove. Did not buy. - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Ed Zawarski - December 11 - 7:12 am

  I own a 2012 AWD Touring. Honda makes a great car. I usually trade my cars every 2-3 years because I put a lot of mileage on them and always love to play with the newest tech toys. This time around though I held off buying a new car because I was waiting for Honda to come out with the new Pilot. I saw the very first one in person while getting my oil changed when it was still on the truck at the dealership. It was hard to get a good view of it but from what I could see, I was excited. That excitement ended when I actually saw the car in the showroom. UGH! Its a minivan! They converted my beloved SUV to a minivan :( They ruined it! They ruined it!!! Nevertheless, I had to test drive one. I am on my second Pilot Touring and have really liked them. No, LOVED them. Albeit my 2012s entertainment system has been less than stellar. The sound is great but the BlueTooth connection for my phone constantly disconnects & reconnects calls at random making it impossible to handle business calls hands-free. This does this with my iPhone, my wifes iPhone, my friends Samsung Galaxy and another friends Nokia. Honda replaced the BT module but it didnt solve the problem. The second flaw in the entertainment system is that it loves to lock up my iPod. Not just my iPod, my wifes as well. It can play for hours or even days with no problems. Other times it can play for five minutes at a clip and I have to disconnect it and do a hard reset on the iPod. Thats a pain in the neck (and dangerous) while driving at highway speeds by yourself. Honda agreed that there is an issue but cant seem to find it. $42,000 cars that dont work correctly dont make me happy but its my only complaint with this car. Anyway, back to the 2016 Pilodyssey. Not a fan of the looks inside nor out. Its a minivan. I know I repeated that but really, you cant say it enough. Its an Odyssey II. You really realize that when you get in the front seat and flip down the cheap armrests. The rear captains chairs second that motion. The touch screen nav/control panel was dog slow. I kept turning the radio off trying to turn it on. Ever click or tap something on a computer/phone screen and it doesnt react right away so you click/tap it again, only to realize the first click/tap hadnt reacted yet so the second click/tap canceled the first? UGH!!!! I have no patience for slow tech. Especially because I’m a tech myself. Underpowered processors irk me to no end. Strike two, Honda. The fact that Honda/Acura backed down to every other manufacturers level of nav restriction is quite annoying. My 2006 MDX, 2010 Pilot, current 2012 Pilot, along with my wifes 2006 RL, 2010 Crosstour, and 2012 Odyssey all had Nav systems that allowed you to have full touch/dial/voice access to any and all features of the Nav systems. Now Honda put restrictions of the use of some of the features of the new Pilots nav. Its still better than most though and Hondas voice control is WAY better than Toyotas. My 2006 4Runners voice control was the worst Ive ever seen. Maybe its gotten better by now, IDK. I switched to Honda products and havent looked back at Toyota or Lexus since. Funny thing is this year we traded in my wifes Odyssey EX-L Nav and bought a Murano. I wont say much about that car other than its very nice but well soon be trading it in. Nissan’s Nav sucks. Enough for me to take a loss on the car. So, again, back to the 16 Pilot. It rode nice. It has way more power than my 2012. The lane mitigation feature would take some getting used to. I dont like someone holding onto my steering wheel at the same time as Im trying to drive but, hey, its a feature EVERY car with a driver who loves to text while they drive should have. Maybe that will keep them in their lane instead of swerving into mine. I dont text and drive and I have pretty good control of my vehicle so Im not sure that I wouldnt be turning that feature off. Id have to give it a month or so to see if I could get used to it. One thing Honda needs to do is stop putting in the rear entertainment system. Make it an option. I have used mine maybe 4 times in the 5 ½ years Ive had my two Pilots. My grandkids used it when we drove them to the zoo and the mountains when we took my car. Other than that, its $2,000 feature that I dont use. Besides, DVDs are becoming a thing of the past. I have 400 movies, 600 TV shows, and 15,000 songs. EVERYTHING is digital. I havent used a CD nor DVD in over 3 years. Incorporate video through USB or BT instead and charge the $150 or so that those connections and software would cost. So heres what this boils down to for me. And I hardly believe I am going to say this after pounding my fist on the desk in favor of Honda over American made cars...Im negotiating a price to trade my 2012 Pilot AWD Touring in on a....yes....really....2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland.

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  King of SUV - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By Raj - December 11 - 2:26 am

  Has been using this from May 2006. Had around 26K miles. Driven from East Coast to West Cost. Most comfortable to drive. Mileage is 16-20 which is OK for the size of this vehicle. Navigation & rear view camera are the best in its class. While driving in Nebraska at 75MPH. Suddenly We thought the engine was shut off. It was so quiet. If the roads are bad then there is s lot of road noise. The SUV behaves more like a car then an SUV. I used it in almost all weather conditions, The vehicle is rock solid. Use the vehicle for 3 months. Then it becomes a part of your life. I heard similar comments from other owners. The only flip side is No iPod Jack & DVD entertainment.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By va-husker - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Its an SUV. Better still, its an SUV designed, engineered, and built by Honda. Fuel economy is reasonable for a vehicle with a 4400 lb curb weight, but could be better. Engine has plenty of power. Ergonomics are classic Honda. Quality can be seen throughout the vehicle. This SUV is the class of its price range. Think Acura MDX, with fewer creature comforts and a much lower price tag.

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  Happy with Honda! - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By Honda_Loyalist - December 8 - 2:00 am

  I had a Honda and was looking for an SUV that would be reliable, have good fuel economy, and was roomy enough for pets and kids. I honestly did not consider Honda as my first choice until I discovered the Pilot. I knew this was the one when I took a test drive and have not looked back since.