You Want Me to do What?
When I was asked to take a few teenage girls for an overnight camping trip as a youth group activity, my initial thought was: "Ahhh!" I love kids, but teenagers can be a handful, especially girls (I used to be one; a handful, that is) -- and they didn't all know each other. Then I thought that the combination of city girls roughin' it in the bush on an island might be a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, it was only for one night and I had heard they were all pretty great. So I accepted.
My next mission was to find appropriate transportation. I needed something with third-row seats, something that could accommodate backpacks/gear, something that was safe and something that would perform the task. The 2012 Honda Pilot came to mind. And with its refreshed looks, we'd be roughin' it in the bush in style. Oh yeah.
What's New?
For 2012 there are a few upgrades to Honda's popular-selling SUV. From the front, it sports a new fascia complete with a three-bar, chrome-style grille. You'll also find reconfigured multireflector halogen headlights and a new front air dam. Alloy wheels, 18" and with a six-spoke design, garner the exterior.
Inside, there's a more intuitive button setup on the centre stack. Thank goodness. I used to feel like I was swimming in a sea of buttons in previous Pilot models. It was almost like the car drove me! Now, there are still a few to pick from, but everything is nicely organized. They're grouped by function (i.e., climate, audio, navigation, etc.). It's a lot more user-friendly and didn't overwhelm me as it has in the past. Kudos to Honda for making a good SUV even better.
Pack Up and Pack In
Behind row three is 589 litres of trunk space. And yes, every single litre was put to good use. Backpacks, duffle bags, water bottles, anything a gal can load up went in the back and in various storage nooks throughout the cabin. Also, the third row has a 60/40 split so there can be passengers on one side and gear on the other.
And for the items that you really want hidden, or when you just need that extra little bit of room, the cargo area has a hidden storage well that gives an additional 79 litres of space. It can either be used alone or combined with the above floor capacity.
Other dimensions include 1,351 litres behind the second row and 2,464 litres of storage space behind the front seats.
Room for Eight
Included on all the Pilot models is a third row of seats which, in total, accommodates for eight people. Granted, behind the second row, legroom is on the sparse side for adults or taller individuals, kids seem to love it.
And when there was a carload of happy campers -- quite literally -- I couldn't ask for more.
Sing Louder
Now equipped on the Touring model is a 650-Watt AM/FM/CD Premium audio system with MP3/Windows Media Audio playback capability and 10 speakers, including subwoofer and 5.1 Surround Sound Theatre Mode. That's a mouthful to say, however, it sure sounds good when the musical stylings of One Direction's "You Don't Know You're Beautiful" is blaring with the girls singing even louder. I should have brought earplugs. Then again, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Not sure why I just admitted that, but the song is really cute. Don't judge me, please.
Back it Up
With an SUV jam packed to the ceiling with personal items, it's hard to get a clear view -- let alone any view -- of what's going on behind when backing up. However, thanks to the multiview rear camera, which comes with such settings as wide, normal and top-down view, it makes reversing into the campground stall a lot easier.
Power Talk
The combination of a 5-speed automatic transmission in the 2012 Honda Pilot with Grade Logic Control and a 3.5L V6 engine helped all of us arrive at our overnight destination promptly and smoothly. There's a total of 250 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque generated from its engine and it seemed sufficiently adequate for the type of daily driving that the Pilot can be used for. Additionally, the Variable Torque Management 4-wheel drive system (VTM-4) makes on- and off-the-beaten-path driving a lot easier.
The fully independent suspension in the 2012 Honda Pilot created confidence behind the wheel. Its stability is noteworthy, with or without a gaggle of gals inside. I also particularly like the ease at which the power-assisted, rack-and-pinion steering moved the vehicle.
With all the systems combined, Honda's estimated fuel economy results are 12.3L/100km in the city and 8.2L/100km on the highway.
Safe and Sound
Honda's Pilot comes standard with their Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which helps reduce the amount of crash energy through the passenger compartment. Among a host of other safety features keeping your loved ones safe are a 4-wheel Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control, a variety of airbags throughout, and more.
When it comes to the sound part of "safe and sound," improvements have been made to the vehicle's overall noise, harshness and vibration to keep the cabin hushed in moments of driving tranquility.
Quiet Time
The trip was a success. Not only because the girls had a great time but because we could fit all their gear in a good looking vehicle and ride comfortably. And I still have my hearing, although the echo of a teenage boy band song still haunts me today.
Price
The 2012 Honda Pilot Touring has an MSRP of $48,520.
This 2012 Honda Pilot Touring was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.
When I was asked to take a few teenage girls for an overnight camping trip as a youth group activity, my initial thought was: "Ahhh!" I love kids, but teenagers can be a handful, especially girls (I used to be one; a handful, that is) -- and they didn't all know each other. Then I thought that the combination of city girls roughin' it in the bush on an island might be a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, it was only for one night and I had heard they were all pretty great. So I accepted.
My next mission was to find appropriate transportation. I needed something with third-row seats, something that could accommodate backpacks/gear, something that was safe and something that would perform the task. The 2012 Honda Pilot came to mind. And with its refreshed looks, we'd be roughin' it in the bush in style. Oh yeah.
What's New?
For 2012 there are a few upgrades to Honda's popular-selling SUV. From the front, it sports a new fascia complete with a three-bar, chrome-style grille. You'll also find reconfigured multireflector halogen headlights and a new front air dam. Alloy wheels, 18" and with a six-spoke design, garner the exterior.
Inside, there's a more intuitive button setup on the centre stack. Thank goodness. I used to feel like I was swimming in a sea of buttons in previous Pilot models. It was almost like the car drove me! Now, there are still a few to pick from, but everything is nicely organized. They're grouped by function (i.e., climate, audio, navigation, etc.). It's a lot more user-friendly and didn't overwhelm me as it has in the past. Kudos to Honda for making a good SUV even better.
Pack Up and Pack In
Behind row three is 589 litres of trunk space. And yes, every single litre was put to good use. Backpacks, duffle bags, water bottles, anything a gal can load up went in the back and in various storage nooks throughout the cabin. Also, the third row has a 60/40 split so there can be passengers on one side and gear on the other.
And for the items that you really want hidden, or when you just need that extra little bit of room, the cargo area has a hidden storage well that gives an additional 79 litres of space. It can either be used alone or combined with the above floor capacity.
Other dimensions include 1,351 litres behind the second row and 2,464 litres of storage space behind the front seats.
Room for Eight
Included on all the Pilot models is a third row of seats which, in total, accommodates for eight people. Granted, behind the second row, legroom is on the sparse side for adults or taller individuals, kids seem to love it.
And when there was a carload of happy campers -- quite literally -- I couldn't ask for more.
Sing Louder
Now equipped on the Touring model is a 650-Watt AM/FM/CD Premium audio system with MP3/Windows Media Audio playback capability and 10 speakers, including subwoofer and 5.1 Surround Sound Theatre Mode. That's a mouthful to say, however, it sure sounds good when the musical stylings of One Direction's "You Don't Know You're Beautiful" is blaring with the girls singing even louder. I should have brought earplugs. Then again, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Not sure why I just admitted that, but the song is really cute. Don't judge me, please.
Back it Up
With an SUV jam packed to the ceiling with personal items, it's hard to get a clear view -- let alone any view -- of what's going on behind when backing up. However, thanks to the multiview rear camera, which comes with such settings as wide, normal and top-down view, it makes reversing into the campground stall a lot easier.
Power Talk
The combination of a 5-speed automatic transmission in the 2012 Honda Pilot with Grade Logic Control and a 3.5L V6 engine helped all of us arrive at our overnight destination promptly and smoothly. There's a total of 250 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque generated from its engine and it seemed sufficiently adequate for the type of daily driving that the Pilot can be used for. Additionally, the Variable Torque Management 4-wheel drive system (VTM-4) makes on- and off-the-beaten-path driving a lot easier.
The fully independent suspension in the 2012 Honda Pilot created confidence behind the wheel. Its stability is noteworthy, with or without a gaggle of gals inside. I also particularly like the ease at which the power-assisted, rack-and-pinion steering moved the vehicle.
With all the systems combined, Honda's estimated fuel economy results are 12.3L/100km in the city and 8.2L/100km on the highway.
Safe and Sound
Honda's Pilot comes standard with their Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, which helps reduce the amount of crash energy through the passenger compartment. Among a host of other safety features keeping your loved ones safe are a 4-wheel Antilock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA®) with Traction Control, a variety of airbags throughout, and more.
When it comes to the sound part of "safe and sound," improvements have been made to the vehicle's overall noise, harshness and vibration to keep the cabin hushed in moments of driving tranquility.
Quiet Time
The trip was a success. Not only because the girls had a great time but because we could fit all their gear in a good looking vehicle and ride comfortably. And I still have my hearing, although the echo of a teenage boy band song still haunts me today.
Price
The 2012 Honda Pilot Touring has an MSRP of $48,520.
This 2012 Honda Pilot Touring was originally published on Auto-Venus.com.
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