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:

• 

  Take a longer test drive!! - 2012 Honda Pilot
  By larabie1967 - December 8 - 11:46 pm

  Have a 2012 Pilot for 6 Months bought brand new . The seats are extremely hard and an inch shorter than my jeep , the lumbar does not retract far enough , cant shut the middle vents off , accidently knocked it out of gear changing the radio dial, sunroof blow directly on your head , very loud over bumps and on highway, cant open one or all the windows without a very loud noise that sounds like it will blow your eardrums out ! Radio / heat controls Not at all easy to control , inside of front tires wearing badly after 12000 miles, 4 adults cant fit comfortably , vibration in the front end . the wiper, and light controls are hidden behind the str wheel , Cant wait to get rid of it !!!!!

• 

  round 3 12,000miles - 2012 Honda Pilot
  By twowhldoug1 - November 15 - 3:47 pm

  We have taken the pilot to N J and then to disney world.We now have over 12k miles.The pilot has good maners on the interstate.and is comfy on long trips.The mileage seems to average 25.6 or better.I drafted an 18 whlr for a 100 miles and got 27.8 but thats another story.Only things we have found are the audio sys when using a flash drive is unpredictable(songs will repeat come up diff order etc.)And when hot in traffic if you turn right hard then step on gas will 5out of 6 times hesitate before going,will also do same if you leave a light and have to let off gas then get back in it.Over all we are very happy with pilot as compared to Nissan.Wife has hard time backing in driveway at night.

• 

  Transmission/ECO Managment Shuttering Vibration - 2012 Honda Pilot
  By rcookster - November 12 - 9:20 pm

  Have had my 2012 Pilot 2 months. When driving at constant speed the ECO Variable Management system seems to keep transmission from downshifting appropriately and you can feel a vibration/rough driving until you accelerate or cancel the cruise control. First service had it checked. Tech said it seemed to be a problem but did not throw a code. He called Honda Tech line. Told that they have complaints about this, but it was just characteristic of the 2012 Pilot. Today I went to the Dealer and drove another 2012 Pilot. Yep, it did it too.Thought I would work out a trade of my new 2012 for a 2013, but..you guessed it, the 2013 did it too! Beware -Honda definitely has an engineering issue here!!

• 

  LOVE my Pilot - 2004 Honda Pilot
  By mathspiffy - September 29 - 11:20 am

  We bought our Pilot in Feb. 2012. It had approximately 87,000 miles on it. I upgraded from a Honda Civic to get more space for kids, cargo, and to have a great roadtrip vehicle for the family. Our Pilot has been everything we needed and more. All weve done is regular maintenance, and we have had no problems. It drives like a dream on the highway and has TONS of space for carseats, kid stuff, and other cargo. We are adding a hitch for a cargo rack and the running boards next, and itll be perfect. We are very pleased with our Pilot and will be keeping it as long as it runs!

• 

  Mine was a very Reliable Car - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By warrenam47 - September 23 - 8:50 pm

  I live in the mountains of NC. The roads are very dangerous here, esp. in the winter. I test drove my Pilot in a snow storm, and bought it for its size and great gas mileage. i Never got stuck in the snow. and i drove this past winter for an hour from boone to beech mountain Everyday. nothing, and i mean nothing ever went wrong in the car. the only things i spent money on were literally break pads and a few oil changes. it was at 125k when i recently hit a deer going 70mph and its now totaled and im now heartbroken. there seems to be something seriously wrong with every SUV i consider to replace my pilot with. i loved luxury cars but now im feeling more sensible... and a grille guard is ness

• 

  7-year owner - still pleased - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By jetfuture - September 2 - 10:31 pm

  Purchased brand new in December 2005. Currently have about 53,000 miles. Replaced all brake pads and rotors at 40,000. Replaced tires at about 49,000. The unexpected maintenance has been the front suspension links at about 3 years (they are now starting to rattle again...looks like they last for 3-4 years). Cheap fix though. The condenser went bad at 6.5 years. We use the A/C quite a bit in the summer, and in the winter (defrost). Not much of a "windows down" family. Have followed the Maintenance Minder program. Replaced transmission fluid at 30,000 (did not wait for Maintenance Minder recommendation). Has plenty of zip when you really step on the gas. Get about 16/22 mpg.

• 

  Transmission problems on a new Pilot - 2011 Honda Pilot
  By ajit5 - August 27 - 6:29 pm

  I am extremely disapppointed at the quality of Honda. I had purchased a 2011 honda pilot EXL as a family vehicle in October of 2011. With 9200 miles on it I already have a transmission problem. Luckily I bought extended care on the vehicle, but this is the second time in less than 1 year. First time they had to replace a valve and now they are saying they have to replace the transmission. To top it they say it will take 10 days to replace the transmission but will pay me only for 6 days of rental. This is my only car. Any ideas as to who I can go to for help.

• 

  Sturdy and Capable - 2012 Honda Pilot
  By jaybou - August 24 - 10:33 pm

  We look for utilities in SUVs, and Pilot stood out the most among other 3-row seat SUVs we looked at. It offers a solid ride, with the not-so-new-tech yet proven quality engine, the VCM for fuel efficiency, and a very spacious interior which seats 8 passengers comfortably. The last point was very important to us. When test-drove a Toyota Highlander, we found that the 2nd-row middle seat was not quite a full seat (removable). We find the ride to be very smooth (Listen with a grain of salt to those critics who say Pilot has a sluggish acceleration. The Pilot is probably not meant for them anyway who frequently test drive and might even own sports cars. Its perfectly fine for family use.)

• 

  Good Deal - 2008 Honda Pilot
  By rr1959 - August 24 - 7:13 pm

  The reason I bought this car for reliability and it has not failed. I used it to haul my tent trailer up down the mountain ranges in British Columbia Canada and it did the job well. Hauling the trailer I got about 20 miles to a imperial gallon at about 70 miles/hr. Handling is reasonable braking is fair, fabricate interior stains easy. Not a lot of negatives other than the cost to purchase it new back in 2008.

• 

  Just Ok - 2011 Honda Pilot
  By carguy163 - August 21 - 1:20 pm

  Overall, I was disappointed in the Pilot. I purchased a 2011 EX-L. What disappointed me the most was the poor gas mileage for a relatively weak engine for the size of the vehicle. I was barely getting 17MPG overall. I bought the SUV for the size, it is big and can carry a lot of cargo. The ride is good, but very stiff. I had no major problems, but there was a constant allignment issue that I had to have fixed several times. I would not recommend because I feel there are much better other similiar vehicles available for the same money.