The Japanese were slow to react to the rapid growth in SUV sales, but now that they have they are offering a number of excellent products. Honda was especially slow to develop trucks, and especially large trucks, but for the 2003 model year it is introducing a fairly large SUV, and for many people it will be the best choice.

The Pilot shares a basic platform with the Honda Odyssey minivan and the Acura MDX SUV. (Click on the hyperlinks to read my reviews of these related vehicles.) The Pilot’s exterior and interior dimensions are virtually identical to the latter. Comparably equipped, the MDX is $4,200 more. For this extra dough it offers a sunroof, heated seats, wheels that are an inch larger, a warranty that is a year longer, and a more prestigious brand. Worth it? Probably not. For more details, read on.

Update: I have re-evaluated the Pilot following a test drive of the 2004 model. That review can be found here.

Honda Pilot Reliability

Want better reliability information? Want to more clearly know what difference it will make if you buy a Honda Pilot rather than something else? My website, truedelta.com, will be providing this information in the form of "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats.

From these stats you might learn that your first choice, compared to your second choice, is likely to make 2.3 extra trips to the shop in its first five years. You might decide its advantages compensate for this, or you might not. Either way, you'll be able to make a much better informed decision than you can today.

I aim to provide the highest quality information to as many people as possible. Unfortunately, these goals conflict. If I simply give the information away, few will help provide it. So I'm doing the next best thing: those who have been active participants for at least six months will receive free access to this site's reliability information; otherwise this access will cost $24.95. The average time commitment for someone reporting on two cars will be (at most) 15 minutes a year, so you'll essentially receive $100 an hour for doing your share to help everyone make better decisions.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

Styling and Accommodations

Many in the automotive media have criticized the Pilot’s exterior for being overly plain and even downright boring. What they fail to realize is that the primary goal of the auto companies is not to give the media something exciting and new to write about. Rather, their goal is to give people a vehicle they will still care to look at years down the road, and will feel comfortable being seen in.

From this standpoint, I feel the Pilot does well. Its styling might not be exciting, but it will also be many years before it seems tired and dated. It conveys Honda’s corporate philosophy of creating simple, pleasurable, efficient vehicles.

For instance, the Pilot’s styling makes it appear much smaller than it really is. The smallish 16” wheels and un-SUV tight fitting wheel openings contribute to this illusion. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Many people who want the room of a large SUV without the appearance of one.

Compared to the MDX, the Pilot's styling has considerably less character, but seems better proportioned. Due to their use of a transverse, front-wheel-drive type engine layout that places the engine ahead of the front axle both suffer from much more front overhang than a traditional SUV. The MDX's pinched front end styling make this more obvious, but still few consumers seem to notice. Ultimately, an argument could be made in favor of either.

As long as you don't get the base Pilot. The standard steel wheels look cheap, and destroy the already marginal looks of the whole vehicle. Once upon a time Hondas were some of the few vehicles to look right with steel wheels, but that time is passed.

Inside it’s no contest. The Pilot blows the more expensive MDX away. In place of the MDX’s plentiful fake wood, the Pilot has fashionable fake metallic trim. With the gray leather of the vehicle I test drove, the resulting aesthetic is very similar to that I found so appealing in the six-speed Acura CL Type-S. Upscale, chic, and sporty.

Oddly, the Pilot is supposed to be the less sporty of the two. Supposedly its steering and suspension are softer. Also, while the MDX’s shifter is on the console, the Pilot’s is on the steering column. I actually had no problem with the column shifter…

…except that with the wheel turned I could not see the gear indicator. This was actually quite a nuisance, since this happened often when shifting into R or D. I had to stretch and peer around the steering wheel, or turn the wheel so I could see the indicator, shift, then turn the wheel back so I could navigate out of the parking spot. Honda is usually the master of ergonomics. How this glitch slipped through their system baffles me.

Beyond the wood vs. metallic trim, other aspects of the Pilot’s styling were also more appealing. Down to the details of the instrument graphics, air vents, and flow of the center stack into the console it has the more upscale, refined, sporty look. Call me confused. Both have steering wheels and door armrests nicely upholstered in dimpled leather. Padded armrests are always worth a few points in my book.

Like the MDX, the Pilot is a roomy vehicle. The 77” width is a major contributor—this is Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition territory. In fact, because it does not offer a sunroof and has a more upright roofline it offers more head room and more cargo room than the MDX.

That said, all seats are not equally roomy, or equally comfortable. The Pilot might be nearly as wide as a Chevrolet Suburban, but it’s much shorter in length.

The Pilot's front seats are plenty roomy, but they could be more comfortable. They are overly flat, and lack enough contour for proper support. You sit on them, not in them. If memory serves, the seats in the MDX are similar. Although I only drove the Pilot for 45 minutes, I sensed that on long trips these seats could become uncomfortable. Honda can do better; I love the front seats in the Acura TL and CL.

You sit high, and there is plenty of glass, so visibility is excellent all around. The rear headrests do not block the driver’s view (though for safety tall adults might want them raised).

Relative to the norm, the second row may be the best of the bunch. There’s tons of room in all directions, and the cushion is high enough for proper thigh support. Generously sized vents are placed on the trailing edge of the center console. With the DVD entertainment center, which was on the vehicle I drove, all rear passengers get a good view.

The third seat is children-only except for short trips. It’s very low to the floor, providing negative thigh support. It’s also less well padded than the second row.

Cargo room has great potential. With all three rows up, there’s minimal space behind the third row. So the Pilot cannot compete with a Suburban for carrying eight people and their stuff. It’s either/or here. With the third row folded (all seats fold flat, there is no need to remove them) cargo space becomes plentiful. With both rows folded, it becomes cavernous.

Plenty of storage compartments are scattered throughout the interior, especially in the center console. This is one thing Honda tends to do well.

On the Road

I’m a car person, but really could use a package like the Pilot’s (#3 is due in November). If anyone ever offered a vehicle with three rows of seats that was exciting to drive, they’d have my money. Sadly, the Pilot is not such a vehicle.

First, the powertrain. With 240 horsepower, the Pilot might seem plenty powerful. But these horses have to move 4400 lbs. To put this in perspective, it’s about as quick as a 3000 lbs. sedan with a 160 horsepower engine. In other words, acceleration is simply adequate, neither more nor less. Rarely weak, but also rarely exciting. EPA estimates are 17/22, about average for a mid-sized SUV.

The Pilot has Honda’s all-wheel-drive system standard. This system powers the front wheels under normal conditions, only directing power automatically to the rear wheels when the front wheels slip. Very useful for slick roads. Not meant for off-road. A system that permanently drives all four wheels, especially with a bit of bias towards the rear, would lend the chassis a sportier feel. (The MDX has the same system, with the same results.) The rear differential can be locked, but automatically unlocks in third gear. This feature is for temporary help getting traction on difficult surfaces.

Handling is a mixed bag. A great deal of potential, but not entirely realized. On the plus side, the Pilot corners with surprisingly little lean and handles more nimbly than its size and mass would suggest. The wide track might help here. The problem is, the steering feel is very vague, even though the amount of effort is about right. I cannot recall if the MDX steering was similarly vague, though I certainly was not wowed by it. Bottom line: Sharper steering would go a long way towards fully exploiting the capabilities of this chassis, and making me want this vehicle.

While Honda is at it, the tires could use some help. They give up far short of the limits of the chassis. Another way to support the higher price of the Acura?

The ride is about average for this sort of vehicle. It’s fairly even and composed, with only a bit of shudder on broken surfaces. It doesn’t have the velvety feel that surprised me in the GMC Envoy and Toyota Sequoia, so it doesn’t impart a luxury feel to the vehicle. But it’s plenty comfortable. Wind noise is low, while road noise is moderate—another tire issue?

Pricing

Honda will be selling these at or above sticker. If you want one, be happy with sticker. The sticker is actually very reasonable. As I’ve already mentioned, a Pilot EX with leather is $4,200 less than a base MDX. The MDX includes a few more things, but even generously allowing for these at least $2,000 remains on the table. Compared to the Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT and Ford Explorer, the Pilot is also a few thousand less (though rebates and discounts will narrow this margin). The closest domestic vehicle, the Buick Rendezvous, stickers for about $1,000 more, but rebates and discounts should make it a less expensive vehicle, perhaps by as much as $2,000. Even then the Pilot is probably worth the extra money. The closest Japanese competition, apart from the MDX, is the Toyota Highlander. The Toyota is a much smaller vehicle, lacks a third row, and stickers a grand higher. Though with discounts the price might be as much as a grand less, the Pilot is again probably worth the extra money. I hope to drive a Highlander in the future to rule out any unexpected factors.

The Pilot I drove had the DVD entertainment system. This system adds $1,500 to the price. For anyone who'll do many miles with kids, probably well worth it. With leather but without the entertainment system, the price is just under $30,980. This is the price I used for the above comparisons.

Last Words

Stylish and roomy, the Pilot offers a lot for its price. Better seats and sharper steering would increase its appeal for me, but many people will be very happy with the Pilot just the way it is.

To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, or to perform thorough, up-to-date new car price comparisons, visit www.truedelta.com. A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.
Amount Paid (US$): 31480
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: EX with DVD