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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  I LOVE MY 2004 PILOT - 2005 Honda Pilot
  By gacatlover - February 13 - 3:33 am

  I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED A HONDA BUT BEFORE I BOUGHT THE PILOT I WANTED TO TEST SOME OTHERS SO I DID AND WENT RIGHT BACK TO THE PILOT. I LOVE MY PILOT. I WOULDNT OWN ANYTHING BUT A HONDA!!! IF THE HONDA HAD A JAMMING STEREO SYSTEM IN IT I PROBABLY WOULD SLEEP IN IT. NEEDS BETTER SPEAKERS. NOT AS CLEAR AS IT SHOULD BE. THAT IS MY ONLY COMPLAINT.

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  excellent - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By mitch113 - February 13 - 2:00 am

  We traded in our 1993 honda accord ex with 127000 miles on it we only had small problems with the car and sorry we had to move on. We tested the the honda pilot and loved it the only thing we wish we had was passenger side electric seats.......

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  Its a keeper - 2005 Honda Pilot
  By Weather Lady - February 10 - 11:36 pm

  We bought our Pilot about a year or so ago, and still love it. Its reliable, quiet, and comfortable. Only fault so far is with the seat control panel on the left side of drivers seat; we are on the 2nd replacement; seems that the movement of getting in/out knocks it off the seat. Just a minor thing, but an convenience.

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  The best SUV available for the money - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By Kenny Dodson - February 8 - 10:10 pm

  It was between the Pilot, the Lexus RX 330, and the Ford Explorer. I chose the Pilot because it offered everything I needed and it still stay within my budget. Its been two months and I know now that I made the correct choice.

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  Overall just a barely average vehicle - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Jay - February 7 - 10:41 pm

  The Pilot looks great on paper and in pictures, but dont be fooled. The specs are good and it looks good in photos as most vehicles do however the reality is much different. While fuel economy and engine performance are good, those seem to be the only things that dont disappoint. But to get straight to the point, here are problems that Ive noticed: 1. The infotainment is a really terrible system. It is underpowered, unrefined, unintuitive and cumbersome. It is really slow and unresponsive, probably because of outdated/cheap components used to power the system. Every tap lags, every single one. The interface is also very unintuitive, common features such as playlists, albums, genres are buried multiple menu layers deep. When you plug in your device, it defaults to playing your entire library of songs alphabetically. I get random error messages that cause the audio or navigation to close on a fairly regular basis of about once a week. An error message will just pop up and close the current app. 2. The navigation, probably in part to being underpowered, has been terrible so far. Ive only used it a few times so far but each time is has incorrectly calibrated my location and it would take a few minutes of driving for it to properly recalibrate my location. Ive driven and used many vehicles with navigation and this is honestly the first time its ever happened, on each occasion. 3. The radio is complete junk. It sounds like listening to a 30 year old clock radio because the reception is so bad. Sound is constantly fading, crackling or has static. There has been speculation that this is something that has only impacted a few Pilots however I am convinced this is a design defect. The antennas on the Pilot are similar to the antennas on the iPhone 4 and consist of bands on the rear windows. Whats worse is that despite this being an issue since the release of the 2016 Pilot, there has been no official response or acknowledgment from Honda yet. 4. Because the radio is so bad on the Pilot, most people such as myself will often listen to the music on my device. There is nothing wrong with the sound system itself, just the reception. However, since the infotainment system is so incredibly bad, even trying to listen to the music on my device is a major pain. 5. The footwell heat simply doesnt work well. It seems like a minor issue until you have consecutive single digit degree weather and realize only a very small portion of the area above your ankles are warm. The footwell area never completely warms, no matter how high you set the temperature or how high the fan is. Your lower legs will always be cold, or at least mine have. 6. For the trims below Touring with the 6 speed, the shifter is so poorly and terribly designed, it looks like it came out of a 1990 Corolla. Above all, my impression of the 2016 Pilot is that it was severely rushed and a lot of cost cutting was involved. There really is no excuse for the radio to have such horrible reception in this day and age. The infotainment system is clearly the result of cost cutting as its so terrible. The main benefit of the Pilot is the engine performance. I highly recommend anyone considering the Pilot to take it on an extended test drive and really pay close attention to the radio and tinker with the infotainment. Drive it back to back with any other vehicle and Im certain most will recognize a clear difference in radio quality. However, if literally none of these things matter, than the Pilot may be a good choice, otherwise I would at least hold off until the 2017 models arrive before even considering one.

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  What will I do when it dies? - 2007 Honda Pilot
  By TEEK - February 7 - 12:53 pm

  I have never even been in a vehicle with better storage area that services the driver, as many cup holders for the rear, and overall family friendly design. If I were wealthy I would have bought two, so when this one wears out I would have another. There is no other vehicle you could GIVE me that I would like more. This truck fits family and professional life. It is quality inside and out. Go for it if you are considering the Pilot.

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  No more Fords for us! - 2005 Honda Pilot
  By snowbill - February 7 - 6:10 am

  After 12 yrs of leasing Ford vehicles- Taurus, Windstar, Expedition... we went looking for another vehicle (other than at our beloved ford dealership) WOW! Great fit and finish-->we have become so used to saying-its a nice vehicle, but its a ford...rather, now we cannot believe how much more refined the Pilot EX/RES is! Great value for the money(my other car is a MBenz 500 SEL so we have the means)I would urge you to check out the Pilot - my wife loves it!

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  About as perfect an SUV as you can get - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By Timus - February 5 - 1:09 pm

  Ive had my Pilot 2006 AWD for about 4 months now. It replaced a Nissan Titan so Im not as squeamish about the mileage as others are. To me the mileage is pretty good and I drive 80 miles a day round trip and fill up about once a week on average. I was buying a half tank a day in the Titan!!! I have a family of 6 so we need the room and the third row is a necessity. Everyone who rides in it is surprised by how roomy it is inside. Its all Dr. Who Tardisy in there. Way bigger inside than it looks on the outside.

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  Great Buy! We love our Pilot! - 2005 Honda Pilot
  By Ryan - February 4 - 7:46 am

  We bought this vehicle to take a 21 hour road trip while my husband was deployed. My daughter (3 years old), our dog and I piled up in the Pilot with enough stuff to be away from home for 8 months. The space inside of the vehicle is great. You can pile a lot of stuff in it and there are many places to store things (like breakables or liquids). We didnt get the Pilot with the DVD player but had one installed at Best Buy and love it. I didnt want to pay for leather seats to get a DVD player. Gas mileage was a little disappointing but it does get the mileage it claims it will. I can get better mileage if I use cruise control. Vehicle has good power. Sits higher then other SUVs.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By dmoore - February 2 - 10:00 am

  The Honda Pilot is really a gem. We just took our family to North Carolina from Ohio and it was truly a comfortable ride. We traded in our Chrysler MiniVan for this and have no regrets. With two out of three kids in a child restraint seat, the second row still has plenty of room for an adult. The only thing I can say negetive about it is that the third row is quite compact and unless you are a small adult (like 52 and under, you would not be too comfortable. Otherwise, its a great choice for a family and anytone who likes to travel.