Since 1981 I have owned Toyotas (truck and sedan), Nissans (mini vans), and Hondas (sedans). This is my first SUV which I leased on July 1, 2006. So, after 18 months I think that I have enough experience with it to comment, and because I am convinced that I will stay with Honda's SUV line for my remaining days. A current or new competitor is going to have to come up with some substantial bells and whistles to do outdo this one. Summarily, it is the best vehicle that I have driven and I will probably buy and then sell at a profit when the 36 month lease ends. They have great resale value and I can use every penny I can make.

Due to some environmental concerns there is some bias against SUVs primarily because they are believed to be gas guzzlers. Ironically, it gets about the same mpg as my Nissan Quest did that I sold myself. My V-6 doing about 20.5mpg locally, and about 24.5mpg highway. I consider that acceptable in view of my needs, plus I look dapper and tough when tooling on down the stretch. In this vehicle you can not only look good but feel good too.

I can consider myself environmentally friendly. I recycle, dispose of hazardous waste properly, etc. If you live in snow country, however, as I do in Northern Michigan then the priority especially with age becomes safety. Our winter blizzards can be a major cause of concern if you get caught in a quick heavy storm and want to make it home. I have no apprehensions when I have to deal with roads that the plows can't keep clear. In fact, a driver has to be cautious that there is not a belief of invulnerability. A tractor trailer or plow can still crumple you and four wheel drive when needed is not effective on glare ice.

The standards and the options on this vehicle can be understood by reading any marketing material or advertisement. It comes with just about everything you will need. I would strongly suggest three things be added into your purchase if not already on this model if you find one used (after market retrofit).

---(1)Fender flares on the wheel wheels are functional plus they enhance your sporty looks as you drive by the locals sitting on their park benches.
---(2)A roof rack can be handy at times when you don't want to get the interior scuffed or dirty or have a large bulky item that you probably should have paid to have delivered anyway.
---(3)A towing package because if you have an SUV you can't have the rough and rugged good looks without being able to tow something on a moment's notice. Actually, a towing package can pay for itself when you need to hook up because when you need to take a trailer full of something somewhere or want to transport your purchase home, it can be expensive and time consuming to rent. I learned this years ago and since then have been "tow ready" with the truck, mini-van, and now the SUV.

My SUV has a GPS and I now realize that I will be unable to live without one in the future. No more stopping on the roadside looking at the map until I realize that the highways of Yugoslavia are not going to help me. The GPS operation could be simplified but I don't believe that's Honda's realm and these systems will become more user friendly each year.

The camera that comes on screen when backing up can be useful but rely on it only to tell you if a child or large object is in your path. Distance can be deceiving and shades of light can make it very difficult to see details. Plus, road dirt and winter residue makes it impractical and almost useless unless you always remember to clean it before taking off again. Tough to try to convince your neighbor that you didn't see the cat because your camera lens was dirty. It could also use a hood of some type to shade it on very bright sunny days when it almost totally cancels out your view.

The XM radio (first 90 days was free) is great. Just like the GPS you think you won't pay for a radio but then you find out about all the advertising free choices and you get hooked. When my renewal time came I resisted but in the sixth month I got the card that gave the 50% reduction and I succumbed. [Just when you thought you got out, they....]

There's a lot more to the EX package but you should find an owner's manual or a 2006 car magazine and read more detail about each feature. It's not hype or false Motown type of suckering. It's got the goods, it has style, it's reliabe, and it's a great ride.

"Whoa!" you are saying. This guy must be a dealer. No, I am not although I used to trade baseball cards at the age of 10. So, I will relay some deficiencies that I communicated to Honda and hope they implement. The passenger seat does not have the electric slide as the driver's does to move the seat forward and back. The stronger person has to find the metal bar underneath and manually force it into the desired postion. This can be an irritant to the passenger or the driver if he is the one that has to make the adjustment.

The other small convenience that is lacking is a button that would electrically allow you to fold in one or both side mirrors when going through a narrow opening. Ok, so now you're thinking that this guy's pistons are not hitting on in all cylinders. Well, as strange as it may sound, if you have a typical two car garage with two doors built after 1970 it is very easy to catch one side or the other as you back out and snap the mirror off ($255 to replace).

The collision shops tried to scam me on the price, which did not include Honda parts, but I smelled it out and opted to go to the dealer for only $6 more. Now, the next problem was how to come up with a convincing story for the body shop guy so I would not look like such a dweeb...escaping from a motorcyle gang through an Amish bridge tunnel; or having to go between two 18-wheelers coming in the opposite direction and taking up the two lanes during a police chase.

Well, maybe I've seen too many movies so I figured I had to fess up and tell the truth. To my surprise he said that they got a high number of snapped off mirrors due to garages, poles, and people being squeezed in parking spaces. By the way, it only has to happen once for $255 and after that if there is any doubt then you get out and fold the mirrors in.

If Honda tweaks this model a bit more and makes the roof rack and fender flares standard then I think they have a long term winner, especially if they can improve the milage including maybe a hybrid version eventually.












Amount Paid (US$): 491/mo
Condition: New
Model Year: 2006
Model and Options: Automatic EX loaded