Overview & Reviews

For 2014, the Honda Pilot sees no changes.

• Comfortable ride
• Useful interior storage areas.
• Roomy third-row seat

• Lackluster braking distances
• Feels slow and cumbersome to drive
• Missing a few convenience and upscale safety features
• Some cheap interior plastics.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 23.00

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  Meh - if you want no surprises and can settle.... - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By Alvin - January 4 - 7:54 pm

  Brief summary - If you want a predictable vehicle with good resale value, good safety and plenty of room, the 2009-2015 Honda Pilot is the right vehicle for you. If you want some comfort, good looks, updated design (Pilot hasnt changed much since 2009) and modern technology advances (touch screen navigation), look elsewhere. Coming from previous Honda vehicles (Accord, CRV), we almost purchased the Odyssey before settling on the Pilot. Starting with the trim levels, Honda has these pre-designated so it doesnt confuse consumers. The only way to get both navigation and factory entertainment (DVD) system was the Pilot, which had a MSRP of $42k. Note that for the "top of the line" vehicle in 2014, this thing was well behind the times. Not only has there been no major updates to this Pilot since 2009 (when the first ever Samsung Galaxy smartphone was released), it was well behind the competition. The 14 Toyota Highlander came with LEDs, adaptive cruise control, panoramic moonroof, blu-ray DVD player, heated steering wheel and the 12-speaker JBL system. The Honda Pilot came with regular lights, regular cruise control, regular moonroof, regular DVD player, regular steering wheel, and regular "premium" sound system. FOR ALMOST THE SAME PRICE ($42k Pilot Touring 4WD vs $43k Highlander Platinum AWD) The Honda is very utilitarian meaning it serves its purpose. You want a dependable vehicle that has history of few mechanical issues, good resale value, a lot of interior passenger & cargo room, it is a good vehicle. But on top of a lack of value, it actually is uncomfortable (comparably). Hard leather seats that are far from plush, very hard-plastic interior (same materials as the base Pilot LX...) covers the interior of the vehicle, and a less-than-plush ride. Took a 19 hour road trip over Thanksgiving and it was less-than-desired comfortable, though I have been in worse vehicles. The navigation is an outdated & un-intuitive input system that requires the user to use a knob and turn to the right character, one alphabet at a time...think of a rotary phone but with the whole keyboard as possible options. Also note at 15k and 30k miles, Honda recommends the rear differential fluid to be flushed (~$80-$100 per instance) which wasnt an expected maintenance item. Its in the manual. Also for those who swear by Honda reliablity, google "Honda Pilot VCM" to read through the horror stories many Pilot owners have had with their ENGINE. With the new re-designed 2016 Pilots now out, you can really get a good deal on a low-mileage late model Pilot because the new one fixes a lot of the issues a lot of the old ones have. We got a decent deal (over $4k off MSRP) when we purchased the 14 Pilot 4WD, at the time of this posting new 15 Pilot 4WD Tourings could be had around the $35k mark with all incentives which is a great deal. PLUS - Good gas mileage (23-24mpg highway is realistic) - Aside from the VCM issue, no major concerns around reliability a lot of over 100k mile Pilots still on the road - Great resale value, Honda has done a good job here - Stellar interior room middle row seats has much leg/hip room as a minivan...without being a minivan - Boxy shape means flexibility to haul a lot of cargo like oversized gifts, bicycles and such - Sound system, for being no-brand, sounds pretty decent NEGATIVE - Comfort, comfort, comfort...almost 2 years into ownership, the seats havent gotten any better. - Cheap-ish interior material the fact the leather stains so easily to the very hard plastic that covers the interior of the vehicle from the dash to the door panels, even in the "top of the line" trim is disappointing - Less than plush ride, especially compared to the 14 Pathfinder, 14 Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon, 14 Highlander, 14 Enclave/Traverse/Acadia and even the 14 Durango - Old design, this thing hasnt been refreshed since 2009 when almost all its competitors have come with something new Would I do it again? Absolutely not. Do I regret it? Not really, I am confident this vehicle will run for a long time to come and hold its value respectably. But when you itch to trade the car in almost every month because making car payments on a car that you "settle for", it isnt a good feeling.

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  Battery died - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By Tito espinal - September 28 - 6:51 pm

  I have a 2014 Honda Pilot EXL The car its been killing the battery for the past 5th on rounded days. I but the truck from paragon Honda in queens [contact info removed]

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  Great vehicle but discovering some flaws - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By Shree - August 5 - 7:49 pm

  The size and Honda reliability are what drew me to the Pilot. Ive owned it a little over a year and Im still pleased but have a few issues. The drivers side sun visor is drooping and after some research it appears this is common with numerous Honda models. The MPGs are about 19 not what Honda rated. Theres a clip on the back of the middle seat that pops off. Not thinking its good for whatever reason it was put there if it pops out when someone is in the seat. Otherwise, the size, storage, features and drivability of the SUV are great. I enjoy driving it!

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  2014 pilot - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By Sam - July 31 - 11:01 am

  I love this vehicle!!! If you want a pilot dont get a base model go with the add- ons .We had many vehicles and I will say Ive been impressed with the pilot the most . If you take a little bit of time to set up radio, phone, gps WOW!! Towing isnt a problem for me and I tow (outdoor toys rzr, grizzly ,and 2 smaller atvs on my trailer ) . Not a problem and I have gone up Nittany mountain with ease . Kids enjoy the videos and can even play video games with the 120v outlet and easy access video /audio inputs. The lighted steps make it easy to get in and out at night. The dealership is definitely very good as well and we will probably be back for another later on down the line. And if you like being outdoor get them to throw in a tent that attachs to the back it does it all! !

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  Sales Rep car - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By Mark - July 10 - 10:01 pm

  Transmission seems weak, shifts goofy. Wandered around when new, Honda said the ball joints needed to seat. Blows around in the wind. Like the rear camera. Front seats are small. MPG is okay. Never over 24. Seats stained from spilled water?

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  Avoid Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By dph1 - May 12 - 8:31 pm

  I am a long time Honda owner (all Accords). I purchased a 2014 Honda Pilot new in April 2014. After two days of owning it, I realized I made a huge mistake. The VCM system causes vibrations and jerks when it transitions from 6, 4 and 3 cylinders. You will not notice on a test drive because the engine has to warm up first for it to engage. Honda posted a software update TSB that helps but did not resolve the problem. If you want to buy a Honda V6 with VCM, insist on a long test drive at speeds greater than 60 on flat roads. I just sold my Pilot for a Sienna - best move ever even if it is a minivan. Toyota knows V6s should run on all 6 cylinders.

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  This car is a piece of junk - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By joe_bob - April 4 - 10:15 am

  I have spent many thousands of miles in this car and hated most of them. I had a perfectly good back until I came in contact with this car. Now I am on humira and many other medications even though I am only 18 years old. The sun-visors in this broke with 30,000 miles. It worse in snow than the CRV. The parking sensors do not work my mom has backed into many things with this car because of this fact. The stereo is terrible and has almost no bass. The seat heaters where broken when the car came from the factory. The GPS cant find our house. The stero and GPS is very hard to use even for an A+ certified tech. The backseat is tiny and wont fit an adult. The trunk is horribly undersized.

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  Dont bother - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By blakecatch22 - December 22 - 10:54 am

  We owned a 2005, 2007, and now 2014 Honda Pilot. The main problems are the fuel economy and power numbers are tepid, the 5-speed gearbox is jerky, and acceleration took nearly 10 seconds. Plus the transmission cost a small fortune to repair. Please, take my word and buy aToyota Highlander (which we now own) or the Honda Odyssey.

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  Not a 4WD - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By dabizmike - September 3 - 1:32 am

  Bought this after salesman said this was 4WD (says so on vehicle) had no way of testing since it was bought in July. took to Outer Banks in NC and got stuck twice. Attempted lock in as manual says and still did not help. Transmission fluid overheated and had to sit and wait for it to cool down. Friend driving a Rav4 was able to drive in sand better than we could and his is not 4WD. Was able to dig out once and then had to be towed once. Even letting air out to less than 20lbs did not help with getting through sand Might be better in snow butnot looking forward to testing out.

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  First Pilot, Early Review - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By hiphophawley - August 21 - 7:35 am

  We got our pilot about 1 month ago. We love the interior room, and it tows boats great. The rear cargo area has plenty of space with the rear row of seats folded away. Gas mileage has been consistently around 18, with mixed city and highway driving. Best mileage was about 24 hwy, worst mileage was 17 towing, not on highway. I will update the review as I have the suv longer.