An exceptionally warm early-spring afternoon called for a visit to Nelson Lake- located behind Val Caron, just North of Sudbury, Ontario. The purpose was to meet some friends at a snowmobile trail deep in the woods, and the weapon of choice to get there was Honda's Pilot SE.
Hitting the trails
My passenger and I set off, warned by a third friend about the terrible condition of Frenchman Lake Road- the gravel passage from Highway 69 North to our destination. Apparently, it was in rough shape. Heavy flooding from the quick spring thaw was compounded by snow banks which trapped melt-water directly over the roads surface. Some sections would be covered in wet glare ice or deep muddy ruts, too.
The odds seemed stacked reasonably in our favor. Though the tester wore on-road tires, the ground clearance and real-time 4WD system added confidence. Tow-hooks could help with rescue efforts if stability control and careful driving failed to keep the Pilot on the road.
Ruts, washboards and an aging interior
Once the paved highway gave way to badly rutted washboard gravel, the soft-ish suspension became appreciated. It's far from a plush ride on such surfaces, but it lacked the panel-rattling bumpiness you'd find in sportier machines.
Though notably solid, the interior is getting old. This 2008 model bears an uncanny resemblance inside to a late-nineties Accord- with plain colors, standard controls and an almost total lack of excitement. No chrome, no color, all very plain.
Thing is, it's clever, really flexible and packed full of more storage spaces than the average closet. The tester came with heated leather seating, a sunroof, DVD-entertainment console and automatic climate control as well.
Water, mud and washouts
We progressed down the decreasingly-friendly road, the gravel now giving way to thick, slippery mud ruts. The automatic 4x4 system provided instant added traction to reduce slippage, and the stability assist softly numbed the throttle where appropriate to keep the Pilot in line. This can be switched off completely- should a good dose of wheelspin be in order.
Hitting the trails
My passenger and I set off, warned by a third friend about the terrible condition of Frenchman Lake Road- the gravel passage from Highway 69 North to our destination. Apparently, it was in rough shape. Heavy flooding from the quick spring thaw was compounded by snow banks which trapped melt-water directly over the roads surface. Some sections would be covered in wet glare ice or deep muddy ruts, too.
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| Though the tester wore on-road tires, the ground clearance and real-time 4WD system added confidence. |
The odds seemed stacked reasonably in our favor. Though the tester wore on-road tires, the ground clearance and real-time 4WD system added confidence. Tow-hooks could help with rescue efforts if stability control and careful driving failed to keep the Pilot on the road.
Ruts, washboards and an aging interior
Once the paved highway gave way to badly rutted washboard gravel, the soft-ish suspension became appreciated. It's far from a plush ride on such surfaces, but it lacked the panel-rattling bumpiness you'd find in sportier machines.
Though notably solid, the interior is getting old. This 2008 model bears an uncanny resemblance inside to a late-nineties Accord- with plain colors, standard controls and an almost total lack of excitement. No chrome, no color, all very plain.
Thing is, it's clever, really flexible and packed full of more storage spaces than the average closet. The tester came with heated leather seating, a sunroof, DVD-entertainment console and automatic climate control as well.
Water, mud and washouts
We progressed down the decreasingly-friendly road, the gravel now giving way to thick, slippery mud ruts. The automatic 4x4 system provided instant added traction to reduce slippage, and the stability assist softly numbed the throttle where appropriate to keep the Pilot in line. This can be switched off completely- should a good dose of wheelspin be in order.
 |
| The automatic 4x4 system provided instant added traction to reduce slippage. |