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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  Buyer beware - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Gregg - March 9 - 1:06 am

  Beware of the elite and touring 9 speed models. The transmission is terrible. It actually speeds up going down hills. We thought this was a flaw just in our car yet many others have experienced the same problems. It is dangerous and my wife is afraid to drive it anymore. Our $44000 pilot has sat in the shop for a total of 28 days thus far. Honda corporate wont admit that there is a problem although our local dealer admits it is. So much for Honda quality. We are selling ASAP.

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  Honda Pilot Touring - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Krishna - March 8 - 9:23 pm

  Looks great and got all the tech needed. Im loving it

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  Its OK - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By JR111 - March 4 - 10:00 am

  Nice but overrated,I Paid $28,700. for this truck, I think it is overpriced

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  I love this vehicle!!! - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By Jodie Crump - February 28 - 4:53 pm

  I just picked up my Pilot on 8/3/06. I was driving a Chevy Tracker 01 before this and WOW what a change. It is so nice to drive a car that does not feel like it is going to fall apart when using the air conditioning and keeping with traffic on the highways. While driving the Pilot, I feel very safe as well as comfortable. I love it!!

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  Loving our 2016 Pilot Touring AWD! - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By JAG305 - February 28 - 11:53 am

  My wife and I read a lot of reviews prior to purchasing our 2016 Honda Pilot at the end of December, 2016. There were so many reviews/complaints about the 9-speed transmission that comes standard in the Touring and Elite models, that we were completely scared off of those trim levels, at least initially. We test drove a Pilot EX model, which has the old 6-speed transmission that wed had in our older Pilot. We didnt even want to test drive the Touring model because of the 9-speed transmission. But then we did. And we loved it. And after three months and trips through the mountains, on flat terrain, in city traffic, sitting on highways in traffic, and etc... there is absolutely not a single complaint that we have about the 9-speed transmission. In fact, i can say with all honesty that it is the smoothest transmission Ive ever experienced. Up-shifting and downshifting is smooth and nearly imperceptible, no matter what the terrain. The tranny is very smooth and responsive as well. My brother in law, who knows cars well, drove our car (and knew nothing about the transmission complaints in the reviews), and the first comment he made was that the transmission was incredibly smooth and quiet. That was totally unprompted (I didnt ask him, "so what did you think of the transmission" or anything to that effect). The Pilot has loads of room for our family of five and the dog, on long trips, and has plenty of power for the mountains. The Touring model has a number of bells & whistles that we like that just dont come on the EX (including that very quiet, smooth transmission). One thing that we appreciate the most is the extra sound proofing material in the Touring that doesnt come on the EX model. Its makes our Pilot noticeable quieter than the cheaper model. Test drive both in succession and Im sure youll agree. The Honda Sensing takes some getting used to, but its really handy, especially on long trips. The braking on the adaptive cruise control can jolt if a car cuts in front of you, but i dont understand why people would complain about that. Of course the brakes will apply if someone cuts in front of you! In any event, three months and counting and we love our pilot and havent had a single issue with it, except for some Bluetooth connectivity weirdness. When my wifes and my phones are in the car at the same time, we sometimes having trouble connecting to the phone of our choice. Who knows whether thats more user error than technical glitch. As for the absence of a radio volume knob - that s no big deal. We love having what is ineffect an iPod in the dash rather than some old analog knobs. Great SUV. We highly recommend.

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  Love our Pilot - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By alane - February 28 - 10:00 am

  Weve only had our Pilot for a little over a month but weve done quite a bit of traveling in that time. Great solid car - handles curves like a dream. I really feel in control. Very tight. We lost space in going from a van but with a cargo box on top, were good to go. Kids LOVE the DVD player (I have to balance it with their reading!)The versatility with the 3rd seat is perfect for us.

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  Love it - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By kathyc - February 28 - 10:00 am

  The Pilot is awesome -- it rides as smooth as a car and the third rear seat is phenomenal. I went from an Expedition to a Pilot and have never looked back. The third row seat is so user friendly. The car is extremely comfortable inside too. Gas mileage could be a little better. Enjoy.

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  We have two (2) Pilots - 2007 Honda Pilot
  By Charles - February 27 - 4:23 pm

  I know, I know, to have two of the same vehicle sounds different however we cross the continental divide often in the winter. We liked front wheel drive (had a minivan) but having an extra two drive wheels has been often reassuring. One of us is not very hip on the outside design but is comforted by their quality mechanicals. Most people who ride in them comment that they will seriously consider buying one also. Plainly, that is what sells these Pilots! Looking to motor in them for at least 10 years or 200,000 miles whichever comes first.

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  Gets the job done. - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Monsieur Lamberto - February 27 - 1:29 pm

  As the owner of both a high-end European sports car, and a Comfortable full sized SUV, I didnt even want to look at the Honda Pilot. I was looking at Range Rovers, BMWs, Mercedes, Toyotas, and a host of other vehicles that I thought would be more to my liking. I nearly barfed when I saw Hondas advertising for this vehicle, which was such a turnoff it took me an extra week to drag myself down to the Honda dealership. Im not a middle aged formerly cool guy whos trying to recapture my youth and now realizing I have to capitulate to living vicariously though my children in order to realize the dreams I used to have before the perils of marriage, parenthood and middle age robbed them from me Honda. Thats basically just offensive. After I got over the advertising, I did manage to test drive this car. And its actually a really good ride. Its got a fairly good technology package (though nobody is doing it like Tesla, and Honda needs to be more aggressive in pushing OTA updates and whatnot), incredibly comfortable seats, and everything just makes sense. Ive been in every other vehicle in its class, and its the best one by a mile, plus its really quiet. I did NOT like the 2wd version the pilot, because it has significant body flex and actually wasnt that hard to squeal the tires coming out of parking lots (minivan style). Things are thought out, just work, etc. The only weirdness is the audio inputs being such a focus on the entertainment package and inexplicable lack of volume knob (seriously, did you hire Apple engineers because that idea was just terrible). Fortunately, the steering wheel controls are an adequate alternative for the driver, though the car lacks a mute button (its buried under the touchscreen volume, which means to mute you have to do multiple actions while driving - basically just fail on Hondas UX for the feature). Seeing as that is my only major complaint about the car, I have to admit that were pretty satisfied. We also installed a tow hitch, and 5000 pounds is pretty good. Not too happy that we had to spend another 1300+ to get it installed however, because its not standard. If youre looking for a family hauler thatll keep its value, its a good ride. The only downside is the fuel economy, which is pretty awful for a car of its size, but standard for the class. Its GREAT on the highway (25+), but in day-to-day driving its pretty awful. For perspective our Chevy Tahoe gets 2-3+ mpg better.

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  Honda, no doubt! - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By Don - February 27 - 5:33 am

  Just bought this baby for one week. My wife and I have tested many kinds of SUVs such as Tribute, Freestyle, Torrent, Rav4. I was thinking to get a midsize US made SUV but when we saw this Pilot EX, it impressed us, the interior material quality is on the top of them. Very smooth, quiet drive. We have already drove 700 miles in the first week. This is the best midsize SUV for sure!