Honda Pilot

Honda Pilot 3 key specifications

Four generations of the Honda Pilot

The Pilot has been Honda's largest SUV for North America since 2002. Honda never sold it officially in Europe, so its natural rivals are American and Japanese three-row SUVs. It shares its basic hardware with the Acura MDX, Honda's premium sister model.

The first Pilot was shown in December 2001 and went on sale in June 2002. The second, more angular model followed in May 2008. The third generation, covered in detail here, dropped the boxy look for a rounder body with LED headlights on upper trims. The fourth generation went on sale on 12 December 2022 and added the off-road TrailSport version.

V6 engine, gearboxes and all-wheel drive

Every third-generation Pilot uses a 3.5-litre V6 with direct injection. It produces 209 kW (280 hp) and 355 Nm, 30 hp more than the engine it replaced. Touring and Elite models have an idle-stop system that switches the engine off at standstill.

The LX, EX and EX-L used a 6-speed automatic at launch. The Touring and Elite had a ZF 9-speed automatic, which became standard on every trim for 2021. Early testers found the 9-speed slow to kick down, and Honda revised its software for 2019.

All-wheel drive uses Honda's i-VTM4 system, which sends torque to the rear axle and can split it between the rear wheels. All trims except the LX also have Intelligent Traction Management, with Normal, Snow, Mud and Sand modes. The Pilot is an on-road SUV with light off-road ability, not a body-on-frame 4x4.

The old 1cars text quoted 0–100 km/h in 9.1 seconds and a top speed of 192 km/h. Honda did not publish performance figures in its US data, so treat those numbers as indicative.

Cabin, eight seats and cargo space

The Pilot seats eight as standard: two in front, three in the second row and three in the third. The Elite swaps the middle bench for two heated captain's chairs, which reduces it to seven seats. Some testers found the third row and the second-row legroom slightly tighter than in the previous Pilot.

Cargo space is generous for the class. Behind the third row there are 467 litres, which rise to 1,325 litres with the third row folded and 2,373 litres with both rows down. An under-floor box adds extra storage. With a length of 4,940 mm, the car is large for a European garage, so check yours with the 1cars garage fit tool.

Upper trims had an 8-inch touchscreen, a Garmin-based navigation system, several USB ports and an optional rear entertainment screen. Active noise cancellation and acoustic glass made the cabin quiet at motorway speeds.

Fuel consumption and running costs

US EPA figures range from 21 to 23 mpg combined, depending on gearbox and drive. That equals about 10.2–11.2 l/100 km. The front-wheel-drive 9-speed version is the most frugal, with 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

The fuel tank holds about 74 litres (19.5 US gallons). By our calculation, the 74-litre tank gives a range of roughly 660–725 km at the combined figures. To turn those numbers into a yearly budget, use the 1cars fuel cost calculator. Servicing follows Honda's in-car Maintenance Minder, which bases intervals on actual use.

Trims, prices and the 2019 facelift

At launch in May 2015, a well-equipped EX cost about 33,200 US dollars (about €30,000 at the time). An Elite cost about 47,300 US dollars (about €43,000). The range later added a Black Edition for 2020, a Special Edition for 2021, and Sport and TrailSport trims for 2022.

The 2019 facelift brought new bumpers, grille, wheels and tail lights, with LED headlights on every version. Inside, Honda added a new gauge cluster, a volume knob and an updated touchscreen with a 4G LTE hotspot. Honda Sensing became standard on all trims, including adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.

Crash tests and safety equipment

The 2016 Pilot earned Good ratings from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the moderate overlap, small overlap, side and roof-strength tests. Its headlights were rated Poor on most trims and Acceptable on the Elite. The US NHTSA calculated a rollover risk of 17.5 % for the front-drive and 16.4 % for the all-wheel-drive model. Euro NCAP never tested it.

Honda Sensing includes collision mitigation braking, lane departure warning with lane keeping, road departure mitigation and adaptive cruise control. Before 2019, it was standard only on Touring and Elite and an option on most other trims.

Rivals of the 2016–2022 Pilot

The Pilot was one of the roomiest cars in its class, but the Highlander offered a hybrid and the Explorer more power. The Kia Sorento Prime is the smaller, more affordable choice. You can set any two models against each other with the 1cars comparison tool.