When our old minivan needed to go we were shocked at the price of a new one. We also like having three seats across the middle row for kids and wanted all-wheel drive. Most new Vans do not have AWD so they can have seating that disappears into the floor. My Boss owned a Honda Pilot so we went to take a look.

First off, all Honda Pilots through 2005 are AWD, it became an option the next year. Honda's VTM-4, Variable Torque Management, AWD system is excellent powering the front wheels by default and transferring power to the passive front or rear wheels as necessary. This results in fantastic fuel economy for a large SUV. Additionally, you can drop the transmission into its lowest gear and activate the VTM-4 lock if you are in a particularly precarious traction situation. The Pilot seats 8 and fairly comfortably; the back seat is a bit smaller in leg room but let's face it who is loading up 8 adults and driving hundreds of miles, get a passenger van for that. We purchased the EX-L with the navigation system, and an after-market DVD player installed. I am not a fan of the permanent DVD install as I have three children of differing ages, boys and girls, who all will want to watch something different. It's cheaper to get three hand-helds and let them watch individually. The Navigation system is priceless and I used it two days after I bought the thing to drive somewhere I had never been. I stuck in my destination hotel's phone number and that was it. During the trip I averaged 25 MPG on the highway. Keep in mind I am very light on the gas pedal. The DVD, which stores all the maps and locations, is 4 years old and needs upgrading though. Unfortunately Honda seems to think this DVD is worth over $200.

On the road the car is powered by a very nice 3.5 liter engine that is perfectly adequate and gets the job done. Quiet interior and good visibility from all seats also makes "getting there" less tiresome. The stock sound system has both CD and Tape player in the EX-L which is nice since some of the kid's stuff still comes on tape. There is no auxiliary input on the stock stereo and it does not play MP3s. As far as I am concerned this should be stock on every vehicle by now. It is also very easy to reach all of the climate and stereo controls without having to look down from the road. The cons of the driving experience are really just pickiness echoed by others. The steering is that of a car and sometimes doesn't feel as "in-touch" with the road as other SUVs; this actually provides a smoother ride and once you have adjusted is no big deal. Another thing to get used to is the transmission being geared very high. There is definitely some hesitation in the first 2 gear and you certainly aren't going to pull any massive loads with this rig. This translates into better fuel economy which I will take over towing capacity for this vehicle.
Amount Paid (US$): 19000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: EX-L with Navigation system, AWD