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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  Best SUV of its Class - 2008 Honda Pilot
  By Allan from Maryland - August 23 - 9:49 am

  I have owned SUVs from Expeditions to Escapes and this was my third Honda purchase (never disappointed with Hondas). I love this SUV. The exterior is nice, nothing too special but as a family man I dont really care. What matters to me is a great vehicle for me and the family. We have two kids and the problem was taking along their friends. This vehicle is large enough for the family with friends and their stuff. I also drive this daily to work through narrow city streets. Its a pleasure to drive. Good acceleration, great handling and fun to drive.

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  2016 Honda Pilot EX - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Arthur Roan - August 16 - 1:33 pm

  I brought this car mid of last year and already put 21K miles on this car, recently the emission system failure light turn on and I already sent back to dealer for second time last week because light turn back again. Dealer told me Cata Converter cap needs to be changed, fuel injectors need to be replaced and also fuel line pips need to be replaced too. I am not sure what happened to this car and not sure dealer can fix the issue or not after replaced lots stuffs from car.!!! Tired of to keep bring my car back to the dealer and driving a small loaner car civic.

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  Dont look for qas mileage - 2008 Honda Pilot
  By shoulda checked more - August 15 - 11:08 pm

  Purchased our Pilot in May of this year, while we like the ride, although the road noise is pretty bad, we feel safe in it and it is comfortable. However do not expect to come close to the EPA estimates on the window sticker, the last tank of gas was primarily in town driving, we got 10 mpg, the best we have gotten on the road was 18 mpg. We have 6000 miles on it and we are looking for something else in and SUV that will come closer to the EPA est. Our 36 foot motor home gets 8 mpg, so go figure.

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  Oops! - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Jesse Orta - August 14 - 11:06 pm

  My wife was wanting a Honda Pilot for the last 15 months. We waited for the new model, shopped around, got the best price possible and great she got her wish. Well we have owned it for the last three months. I am not too trilled with it! Blue tooth is outdated, the screen looks awful fingerprints all over it. The motor lacks power if four adults are in the vehicle. Third row seat is a bit too troublesome to get into, luckily my little girl loves hoping into it instead. ENGINE IS TOO NOISY!!!! Its a brand new engine and it is not quite. It sounds like crickets under the hood while in idle. My older truck has a quitter v6 than this Honda. SHAME on HONDA. Well we are already making plans in trading it in later next year. Too bad I had my hopes too high. I will NOT recommend this car to anyone.

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  Love it! - 2006 Honda Pilot
  By Cheryl - August 14 - 3:13 am

  I love my Pilot! The fact that it automatically goes into 4wheel drive is wonderful. I dont have to even think! I do wish it had the automatic headlights as my minivan had, but Ive learned to turn them on. Thats the ONLY complaint I have. Id pick this one again!

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  Honda Pilot 2017 - 2017 Honda Pilot
  By Steven Marles - August 13 - 10:48 pm

  Kelley Blue Book value award. Elevated technology on board with collision control and warnings

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  Sunburn - 2008 Honda Pilot
  By Susan Massey - August 11 - 1:13 pm

  The windshield goes so far back that my hands are perpetually sunburned and peeling. This is the only problem with the car, but it is a BIG ONE. Any ideas?

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  Smooth, spacious, safe and satistifying - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Hunter - August 10 - 11:42 am

  This is not a perfect car, but it has pleased my family of 5 for the three months and 4,000 miles weve owned it. Heres my opinion: The Negatives: * 9-speed transmission (found on touring and elite versions) can lurch when the foot begins to press on the brake in certain situations (around 30mph?), giving a surprising feeling of acceleration instead of deceleration. It feels like the transmission is going through neutral in these situations, thus the lurch, but Im still testing (and less alarmed about it because it has always happened with my foot at the brake and passes quickly). The transmission also may feel jumpy to some in the first few gears as it quickly moves through them upon acceleration. I dont know if the 6-speed transmission has these issues. * Touchscreen is a bit slow, shows fingerprints, but even worse for us - scratched after using the cleaning pad provided. This was most likely due to fine dust/sand in the car from a river outing so its probably our fault, but with gorilla glass these days I expected more resilience, not sure what the honda screen is made of but beware- a protector of some sort is probably wise. * Tailgate (rear) window does no open like the previous generation, just the whole tailgate which fortunately is shorter than before. * Keyless ignition requires one to cycle through power off when wanting to turn off the engine but leave on auxiliary power. * The new tech and sensing still feels a bit young The Positive: * The ride is smooth, quiet and solid feeling. Yes it does feel bottom heavy but to me that is a good thing, better than a top heavy vehicle. The Pilot honkers down while braking hard, and tracks well on corners, sure its not a Delorean nor even an Accord in that regard. * Good space with excellent headroom. Earlier this year I would have purchased an Odyssey but the limited headroom ruled out the second and third row for me. I can sit in every seat of the Pilot. The elite level trim has the two captain chairs in the second row which eases access to the third row, but third row access is easier in general with the one button fold and the slightly lower/wider access. In addition the reversible floor behind the third row seats adds some usable extra cargo room and does handle coolers well. * The improved small frontal overlap safety, better visibility (particularly A pillar), and the optional sensing help further evolve the attention to safety detail that Honda has. The cross-traffic sensor on the elite works so well it can get annoying, like when it picks up the opposite lane when you are trying to back-out. Not a bad thing to know about its just one doesnt want to depend on the sensing tech solely. I think of them as guardians that can help a driver out, but the driver must still do the normal driving safety checks. A nice thing is the sensing systems are highly configurable whether its turning them off entirely, desensitizing them or turning the sound off (and keeping visual feedback). * Gas mileage feels a bit improved over the previous generation even with a noticeably more powerful engine. The engine has no problem passing and getting on the freeway where weve experienced 27mpg with mountain passes involved according to the trip computer, but I need to yet verify the accuracy of the trip computer at the gas tank. * The navigation works real nice, but then weve never had navigation before. Notes: * The sound system is configured with a "neural" setting by default. I found turning that off to improve the sound drastically. * Adaptive cruise control (ACC) works pretty well on the highway, not so well at slow speeds (trouble following appropriately) * Lane Assist needs well painted lines to work reliably, but when it does its almost scary. * Idle off gets less annoying with experience. For example, pressing the brake lightly will prevent the engine from shutting off or pumping the brake will re-start the engine when stopped (see the manual). Summary: There is a lot of new tech to this car, and I would not recommend buying it for the new tech as its still a bit rough around the edges. In addition, the 9-speed transmission could probably stand some tuning. I suspect the 2017 or 2018 Honda Pilot will improve upon these weaknesses. However for space, AWD, decent mpg, and safety the 2016 Honda Pilot is a solid choice that both my wife and I enjoy to drive.

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  My Family Loves Our Pilot - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By Mr Notre Dame - August 10 - 10:00 am

  Very roomy and smooth to drive. Tough and solid! Feels somewhat luxurious yet so reasonably priced.

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  BEST HONDA EVER BOUGHT/THE PILOT - 2003 Honda Pilot
  By OLIVER - August 10 - 10:00 am

  WE DID A LOT OF RESEARSCH ON THIS HONDA,BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT. IM 6 FOOT 3 AND I STLL HAVE 5 INCHES LEFT.