It's known that Honda has some pretty great products. Throughout the decades, Honda has continued to impress on the road with smaller cars, especially with its Civic. However, when it comes to the Pilot, Honda hasn't quite perfected the mould just yet.
The exterior look is polarizing to say the least. A mix of suburban military and modern something, it just misses the mark entirely. Unfortunately, the exterior styling greatly affects any feelings one might have towards the car thereafter, which is a bit of a shame. Inside, those feelings of less-could-have-been more continue with an overload of buttons in the middle console. While one would inevitably become acclimatized to using them, in the beginning they are a bit overwhelming.
Photo: Sébastien D'Amour/Auto123.com
Honda does redeem itself with some fantastic storage throughout the cockpit and the car. It’s truly the highlight of the vehicle; throughout the test, statements like “I'd buy it for the storage alone” were made often. However, when it came to human storage, there were a few problems. While the door openings were quite wide and the second-row seating was the best of the bunch, the third row is short and low to the ground, resulting in an uncomfortable ride for adults. Cargo space is decent at 2,464 litres—larger than the Explorer and Pathfinder, but smaller than the CX-9.
Where the Honda redeems itself is in the drive. Based on our testing criteria, we came to the conclusion that this 7-seater was bred for fuel economy and efficiency, with the slowest 0-100 km time and the best fuel economy of the bunch. But just because it's slow and saves at the pumps doesn't mean it's a bore to drive. On the contrary, the Honda Pilot has a strong 3.5L V6 engine coupled with a 5-speed automatic.
The handling in the Honda was precise and it boasted the smallest turning radius of the group. In all, it was very Honda to drive, which is a good thing. With good overall visibility thanks to the square shape, large windows and a good driver position, the Honda is definitely comfortable to pilot (pun intended).
