The Honda Pilot is a midsize SUV with average cargo space, offering 18.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 48.5 cubic feet with folded seats, and up to 87 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. It comes standard with a manual liftgate, power liftgate, and a hands-free operation. The 2025 Honda Pilot is a capable family hauler with extra off-road capability, making it the mid-pack choice in the mid-size SUV class.
Internal dimensions of the Honda Pilot make a bigger difference to consumers than external dimensions. The system operation is affected by extreme interior heat, and drivers must be responsible for safely operating the vehicle and avoiding collisions. Proper interior and exterior car sizes allow drivers to steer comfortably and safely. The Honda Pilot is rated to last around 200,000 miles, but proper maintenance is needed to achieve these numbers consistently.
The standard 2024 Honda Pilot length is 199.9 inches, placing it solidly in the midsize SUV range. The interior dimensions include headroom (front/middle/rear), legroom (front/middle/rear), hiproom (front/middle/rear), front leg room, and rear headroom. The 2022 Honda Pilot length measures 196.5 inches, providing a spacious interior but still maintaining easy-to-clean exterior.
In summary, the Honda Pilot offers average cargo space, with a manual liftgate, power liftgate, and a range of interior and exterior dimensions. Proper maintenance and regular use can help ensure the vehicle’s longevity and safety.
📹 The 2023 Honda Pilot – Interior
Now don’t let the rugged exterior and go anywhere attitude of the 4th gen pilot fool you inside it’s the most roomy comfortable quiet …
📹 2024 Honda Pilot | Long Term Testing and Honesty
We are introducing our long-term 2024 Honda Pilot Elite 3-Row SUV. We discuss the pros and cons, including the realities of the …
That “driving depressions” story hit me a little too close to home. I traded in a 2005 Mitsubishi EVO for a new 2007 Honda Pilot when I found out we were expecting our first kid. Here we are in 2023… not only do I still not have a fast car, but I STILL have the 2007 Honda Pilot which I will be giving to that same first child now that she has her driver’s permit, and we replaced it with a 2023 Honda Pilot Elite. lmao
I drove around town from dealership to dealership and I sat in a Telluride, Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Volvo, Infiniti QX60, Lexus Tx, and never even thought of a Honda. Ever. I happened upon this article and something clicked. The next day, I drove to the Honda place and two days later, I took home a Pilot Elite. I absolutely love it. Your review was spot on.
Mark, I really appreciate the approach you take, and your “unhinged” style. Especially in light of the fact our world has been unhinged for quite a while now. You’re a real dude, and that makes your opinion and perspective so much more valuable and interesting to people that watch these articles. Not to mention you’re entertaining as hell, and Jack has developed and found his “voice” as well. I don’t normally comment, but this article just made me laugh my ass off flying home in cattle class on Friday afternoon, after an absolute grind of a week. I greatly appreciate what you guys do! – Chris P.S. – The dog NEVER wants to shit in a timely manner when you shortcut the garment selection and installation process and choose to go outside in 30 degree weather with crocs with no socks…I have invented cuss words “encouraging” my pooch to pinch a deuce before I lose a foot digit MANY times.
This platform has been awesome for so many years and through generations of model changes. I drove a 2006 Ridgeline, which is basically a Pilot with a truck bed, and loved that thing. It was running flawlessly when I traded it in with 225,000 on the odometer. Wish I still had it! Mark, your rant on the hopelessness of life is pure gold!
My wife drives a 2006 X5, aside from typical BMW window problems, it’s still so incredibly complicated to work on, compared to my 2015 WRX. there are so many sensors and nothing seems to be where it it’s supposed to be. I can’t image fixing a newer model. But the I6 it has feels like it’ll never break.
My wife just got a ’24 CRV, and same as this Pilot, I can’t believe how much I appreciate Honda’s current interiors. We had a matching set of ’17 CRV and Civic hatch before this, and although they were also very usable, the one friction point was how they put many of the HVAC controls in the touchscreen. I’m no-shit happy that Honda did not double down and shove more functions into a screen for this generation. Add in the little compartments everywhere and less gloss on the dash (I despise reflective surfaces on sunny days), and these are my favorite interiors in a long time.
I drove BMWs for years thinking this is what I need. Got so tired of the cost of ownership and reliability issues. Traded my 2016 X5 for a 2023 CRV ST and couldn’t be happier. Some wonder why I “downgraded” but it isn’t that at all—it was a priority shift in my life and realizing what is important. A solid, dependable, practical vehicle just makes a lot more sense to me now.
I like that he talks about long term seat comfort. I’m so sick of most of the car review sites that talk able the stitching on the dashboard for an hour, or say the seats are “supportive”(whatever the hell that means). That doesn’t help a viewer at all. We need to know things like long- drive seat comfort because 90% of today’s vehicles have seats like park benches or frontier airlines economy seats. If I’m going to buy a ~$50k vehicle, I want a first class comfort type seat, not a cement hard seat.
This has been the most real “aimed at my family” review I’ve come across. Im looking for a 3 row that my wife can drive. Mainly that I wont worry about an issue she hasn’t told me about over 6 months. I have a beefy f150, a 2000 svt lighting, and a terminator cobra i do all my own maintenance on. My wifes 2016 jeep compass needs to go with our 2nd son arriving. Im HEAVILY looking forward to picking up a Piolot.
With BMWs, you buy them about 3-5 years old with under 50,000 miles and own them until the depreciation curve flattens out. If you sell it too quick, you’ll get a huge hit in depreciation. I bought a 3 year old 335i in 2017 for 28k. The trade it value is now about 13k. A significant drop but imagine if I had paid the 56k sticker price.
Love the reviews! You guys are some of the most honest and best reviewers on YouTube! I recently got a CX 90, and while it does not have as much space as the pilot it has the same reliability, the same attention to detail the same physical controls, and it has plenty of space while having more design and a lot more soul and passion.
As a 2002 honda odyssey owner, the new hondas arent the same. I just junked my 2002 for a 2023 odyssey elite. The services at the dealer are crazy expensive now. The honda dealer near my house charged me $180 per oil change/oil filter/labor. And the damn oil needs to be changed every 3 to 4 months. I put less than 1k miles on it a month. Ive recently learned to change my own oil and do minor maintenance to save money. I think in 2023 there are much better and affordable options than honda. I truly think they’ve fallen off their game.
Honda just beats everything, and that means everything they make. I bought my new vehicle for delivery of seventh book, with the three row, bright red, so I never fold down the seats, on my Acura MDX. It is terrific and I have owned ten different types of vehicles… My wife just got the 2024 Honda CR-V, red too on our mountain home in Hoover, Alabama. Her Honda was made in our Lincoln, Alabama plant and we drove everything and nothing comes close to the quality and customer satisfaction. Just go out to a parking lot anywhere and do your own survey, as we did, (but did all the car reviews too) and every Honda CR-V owner, those even ten years old, etc., said best vehicle they every owned. They would fight you if you tried to talk it down, very defensive. If you buy a German luxury vehicle, get ready for many trips to the dealer and long period of waiting for your parts and then a need for a bank loan for your repair. I know, as that is from our many friends who bought them. Go figure! Sometimes those sexy BMW’s, etc., just eat away at their owners, until finally they just say, why am I so stupid, I should have bought a Honda. Mercedes also built in Alabama and around the world, is now ranked 29th worst car for reliability from a new Consumer Reports survey of owners. Don’t get me wrong, they do look sexy, but DAMN, they can eat up your budget!
what i like about this article is he keep it 100% about these luxury cars. the depreciation is ridiculous! My bmw was 56k brand new and 1 year later it depreciate to 42k its like every year it depreciate about 5k or more depending how demanding your bmw model is on pre own category. and mean why honda and toyota kinda vhold its value a little bit better without breaking your bank. great job here bro for pointing it out.
I drive a Honda Accord 2.0T after spending the previous 12 years in a very nice Cadillac CTS. I could have afforded a new luxury vehicle, but I put my vanity aside and chose practicality. I’m happy I made the switch. Yeah, I miss thew Cadillac’s V6, and the turbo lag can be annoying, but but all in all the Accord has been a very good and enjoyable everyday vehicle. It’s also been cheaper to maintain and trouble free. And that all adds up to a happy Honda owner.
Great points about this car. I have an 07′ Ridgeline with 200k miles on it. The only thing I have done to it is follow the regular maintenance schedule. Besides the seat being worn out, you couldn’t tell that it has 200 on it. It’s still a great car (sorry, truck). I don’t know why but the tactile feedback of the buttons and switches on Hondas are what I like the most. Whenever I get in my girlfriends new Crostrek, it just feels like a piece of shit, like the turn signal is going to break. Honda makes great, albeit boring, cars. For a while I was considering trading it for something else but now I just want to drive it to the ground and then get another one. Like my New Balance shoes, it’s something I can rely on.
Expensive to repair and most people will not take advantage of this driving dynamics. Most people don’t drive well enough to even experience the dynamics of the vehicle. They don’t take corners at speed. They don’t push through traffic. They don’t really ever go over 80 miles an hour. So why spend the money? That money actually looks better in your pocket if you don’t drive in the way that takes advantage of all that vehicles attributes. It’s a symbol nothing more nothing less. Expensive to maintain, expensive to repair. High on three minis and I’m repairing them constantly because I take full advantage of their driving dynamics. They are expensive to repair. Their operating cost are a little high. I don’t care because I take advantage of the driving dynamics.
I’ve owned a cdn touring (US elite) since June. I’ve done multiple road trips with the wife and 2 kids (in car seats). I really appreciate how well designed and practical it is. The click HVAC controls are simple to use and easy to find. All the steering wheel controls are there. I highly recommend this suv.
Thanks for taking the time and effort for a perspective beyond the initial reaction and pluses and minuses of model year features. Long-term ownership articles are lacking on youtube. The test drive makes it easy to fall in love with the new this and improved that but we all want to know if we will be happy with the vehicles for years to come. Very much appreciated addition to your honest presentations.
I just purchased a 2025 Pilot Trailsport yesterday, and am picking it up this morning. I’ve been up all night because after purchasing it, I’ve seen some bad consumer reviews. One person said within two days of leasing it (again, I purchased mine) he was attempting to back into a car space and it wouldn’t go into reverse. So he turned off the Pilot Trailsport, restarted it, and it then was able to reverse park. Then on the way home, while driving on a busy highway, he began to lose speed. He ended up being told the transmission had to be replaced. Note, the car only had 3 miles on it when he drove it off the lot. And less than 50 miles on it when he drove directly to the dealership from his scary situation on the highway. Have you heard anything about these issues with this particular Pilot, or any of them? Thakns for any input you can give me.
Great article as always, and the thesis is 100% correct imo. It’s hard not to feel like a sucker for paying a king’s ransom to buy and run and insure a big luxury vehicle when big mainstream vehicles (Pilots, Higlanders, Tellurides, Accords, etc.) are getting so good. I test drove a Passport shortly after having an X5 loaner, and I left thinking I’d take the Passport with zero hesitation. The dionysian defense of the luxury premium for smaller, sportier cars focused on fun and personality (“you gotta live, man”) just doesn’t apply to these haulers.
I have a five-year-old crossover with the nice NA V6 – which has been replaced by a turbo four – and the Pilot is now at the top of my list. The controls are logical (even the push-button transmission selector), the size and ride are perfect, and it doesn’t attract unwanted attention or drown in needless complication like the premium-brand offerings. My only complaint after the test drive is signature Honda: engine and road noise could be better suppressed.
I had a 2023 Honda Pilot touring. The engine light came on in the first few months warning me not to drive it, pieces started falling off, the battery went dead and the gas mileage was terrible. Worst purchase I have ever made and I took the loss and traded it in within the first 12 months for a Toyota Highlander Platinum and couldn’t be happier.
Thank you for this series, it’s time has come and I’m sure you’ll do it well. Thank you for Driving Depressions. I wasn’t expecting my life in my 40’s from a car show…. Right down to the twin girls and the dog. It’s where you start to realize your life was controlled by a uterus long before you fell in love with your wife. When you’re 72 and married almost 50 years it’s still my story and yours will be just as funny. My car story has also been controlled by a uterus; an unbroken chain of wagons; A huge Town & Country, two Crown Vic’s and I’m on my second Suburban. Ten years on a 2014 having replaced only a radiator. Along the way I got a 2013 Boxster S. My life has few compromises. Now, I’m thinking about what could well be my last car. I’m waiting to hear you tell the story.
On the flip side, I bought a new 2022 Honda Ridgeline in 2022. After 38k miles, it’s been the single largest piece of crap automobile I’ve ever owned. All under warranty I’ve had to replace a strut, a strut mount, drive shaft, CV axle, passenger rear door because it was rusting from factory, water leaks from the rear molding up the carpet, check engine light every other month, transmission light which made the vehicle inoperable, etc, etc, etc. Im sure I’m forgetting something. Never again Honda, never.
Totally agree with you on this. These luxury SUVs (esp the Germans) are lead paper weights after 3-4 years on the used market. Furthermore, as a family SUV, families use them to haul stuff….. good luck with your ‘luxury’ interior with day to day hauling chores. That and the heavy maintenance costs…. = BIG NO. If you want a performance car, get a performance car. PS: LOL, I loved the monologue ! If you think that Honda is numb, I raise you the Lexus SUVs.
We have a 2017 Pilot EX and your first impressions are spot on. There’s so much room and practicality. It has been a workhorse even trailering a large box trailer with 2 snowmobiles in it. One thing that drives me crazy though is how quickly the front rotors warp and I get steering wheel shake when braking especially from freeway speeds. Even after replacing the pads and rotors, the steering wheel shake comes back fairly quickly. I wish there was a Honda big brake kit for the front brakes. Good luck and enjoy!
My wife and I, love our 2023 Pilot Sport. Thanks Savage geese for having realistic reviews on cars. We bought it based on your original review and saw it at the Chicago Autoshow. The SPACE, reliability and seat comfort sold it for us. Coming from a Rav4 to a Pilot was huge space difference. We have put over 5000 miles on to date with another upcoming 1600 mile trip without a single fault. I will say from a maintenance perspective the oil filter is not great but thats my only complaint. Buy their special tool and this beast will last a long time. Keep up the great work!
We have a 2020 Pilot Touring and it is nearly flawless. Other than the wiring harness for the infotainment being replaced twice (under warranty both times), we have zero complaints. It hauls people, groceries, hockey gear, dogs, IKEA crap etc as good as anything we have ever owned. If the Honda has improved it for 2024, then it should be only better.
This is the content I’m here for. Thanks for putting this out there with this perspective. Recently acquired a 2024 Pilot Elite myself, so this is of particular interest. We’re about to enter into early retirement life, and will be spending a LOT of time roaming around the American West. Lots of desolate terrain. And we live where it gets real cold and snows a lot in the winter. So although I could certainly have afforded to buy some of the expensive competitors, I basically wanted something that I could reasonably count on to be reliable, and to start every time, and to not strand me somewhere that’s 600 miles from the nearest BMW dealership, and so on. Reasonable and affordable maintenance for the long haul. Can carry a fuck-ton of stuff with me, and not have to worry too much about trashing a super-fancy interior. Last weekend we went out to the local Nat’l Forest to find a Xmas tree, and we were able to easily slide a 9′ Grand Fir in the back. Stuff like that. Practical and capable and so on. Would a Cayenne Turbo be fun? You bet. Do I wanna be the dickhead that parks one at a trailhead? No.
I went new Pilot Elite over other options recently too when shopping for a spacious reliable 3 row. I could have went with a luxury brand but for all the reasons you said, I stayed away. The other non luxury brands I looked at had reliability issues, were much smaller inside or had huge markups. This was the perfect combo for me. Can’t wait to put a ton of worry free miles on it!
I had a 2007 Honda Pilot that physically hurt to part with, but after having it for twelve years, it was time. When it was time to let go of it, I detested the new Honda Pilots. It was that bubbly model. I felt too closed in, and it drove and looked much more like the Odyssey. I ended up with something else for three years (that I also hated), and then another something else I currently have that I am ready to let go of. I absolutely love the new Honda Pilot models. The 2024 looks like a refreshed version of the 2007 model I had.
Wow, this is timely. This mirrors my experience. Had a 2019 X3 M40i. Loved driving it. The B58 inline six (I know, I know) was one of the smoothest, best power delivering engines I’ve experienced. And then the warranty ended. And maintenance costs piled up. Quickly. So, as much as I hated parting with it, long term ownership just didn’t make a lot of sense.
Some annoyances with this car after 6 months. 10-spd is always hunting, and sometimes jerky, and never quite gets the right gear on downshifts (in normal or sport modes.) Manual shifting with the paddles is slow. Auto-brake-hold and auto-engine-off settings do not persist after turning the car off. Weird little misses like the keyfob will auto-down the windows but not auto-up. Can’t turn the ignition off while leaving the audio playing. The base stereo is totally underwhelming. Unless you’re towing, i don’t see the point of the V6 at 18-20mpg depending on trim. I’ve driven quicker and more fun 4-bangers. Trailsport has some nice off-road perks but the one downside is the front approach angle is quite poor
Car reviews when an automotive review, whether YouTube or magazine, when they only have it for a week usually doesn’t give a reviewer a way to express the big picture of ownership of a vehicle. Appreciate the long term test results. I don’t need “personality” anymore… I like my mpg’s on my Highlander Hybrid AWD, even with winter tires (Nokian Hakka 9 unstudded) and a Yakima Skybox 16 cargo box… the 30 mpg is useful for those 6+ hours drive to the mountain. Maybe when I hit 50… I’ll go get a sports car for the mid-life crisis car,.
Still waiting for a larger infotainment screen, and for Honda to eliminate the cheesy gloss-black plastic. I would love to have them replace the pushbuttons with a stalk-style shifter (nice for resting one’s right hand upon, as I do in my old Camry). I’d also like to see a Trail Sport/Elite combo (including the option to have trail or street tires), and the same seating-configuration options between all model versions. In addition, when the center seating is removed, the remaining rear seats should have attachable inner armrests. As of now, I would not consider them “captain’s seats.”
I’m thinking about getting a new car to replace my GX 460. So, I looked at your comparison review and the one Edmunds did. While you like the Pilot, Edmunds had nothing good to say about it rating it as way worse than comparable vehicles. Have to say, I thought your review was more compelling. The experience with a vehicle is more than adding up specs or counting cupholders. One of the things I most hate is when reviewers say a design looks “dated” or the materials are not “premium”. My GX has mediocre specs and a dated look. The material finishes are premium. My other car is my Model Y. It’s the opposite–not “premium” but the opposite of dated. But I never miss the big screen when I’m in the GX and I never miss the nice finishes when I’m in the MY. The inside of the cars hold up to dogs, kids dirt and spilled milkshakes–the quality I really care about in an interior. Both vehicles are extremely well thought out version of what they are designed to be. And, both have been completely reliable. But, when I think about what I do–long trips with dirt roads in the desert and the Utah mountains, the Pilot would probably work the best of this group. I see lots of Pilots and Ridgelines off the beaten path. People seem to think they work pretty well. Ultimately, I think I’ll end up driving the GX until the wheels fall off. It’s much better in off pavement situations than any of the alternatives, so for me, I’ll probably stick to my “dated” design and be happy. (BTW, my GX is a 2021 that I paid just over $50k for new.
I just traded in a leased 2021 Pilot Exl and got the newer 2025 pilot Exl. I honestly wanted the Acura MDX Base model, because it really has everything and more than the Pilot Exl trim, now that is just my preference. But, I couldn’t really get the dealership to lower the price as much as I wanted to on that MDX so I had to settle for Pilot Exl. For anyone that has any doubts I am telling you,the 2024 Acura MDX is so much of a better ride..It even comes with a nice panoramic sunroof while the pilot doesn’t. That was a shocker for me, the 2021 pilot Exl does has sunroof but the 2025 pilot Exl doesn’t, weird. They increased the MSRP from $39000 to $45000 but removed the sunroof? Don’t get me wrong,I like the pilot, cup holders are much bigger yes,as seen in this article, but there’s just something there that just doesn’t click well with me. I couldn’t tell what it was at first but this guy just show it to me unintentionally. What he describes as a car just being practical is what ai dislike from this Honda, it is so generic that it almost feels like they had a basic model drawn up and instead of finishing up the final design they just sent it for production as is. It is just this weird feeling I have, I got a brand new vehicle but I am not happy about it. There are just better options, Traverse, Highlander, Explorer, and if getting a good deal on a 2024 MDX even better. They used this mat plastic finish in some areas that I know 1000% are going to look like shjt in a few months, it is just to easy to scratch and impossible to keep clean.
i feel u…because I bought x5 and realized i don’t need luxury fast vehicle as a family suv. if i didn’t have kids with car seats, yes i will keep my x5 but with 2 car seats and big dog to haul…practicality over luxury. now i am upside down about 3k, but I’m just gonna swallow it and swap to either grand highlander or something
It’s funny because in this society, you have people that would never drive a Honda over a Bmw because they are thinkin about what other people think when they see what kind of car your in, people care too much about status and “oh look he’s in a bmw he has money” I’ve owned nothing but Hondas they have been good to me. It was what I was introduced to as my first car, wich was a 97 prelude, my mom and stepdad Only drive expensive foreigns, they have had BMW’s, Benz, and Maserati. All had issues always in the shop. Meanwhile my Honda had no issues lol I don’t care about those cars I know how much value they lose and just to keep it on road driving it normal you still have to spend a lot on maintaining it.
My story starts with a 911 GT3, then I follow a friends advice and register an LLC in Montanna so I can save thousands a year on property tax. But my story takes a dark turn when the authoriites seize my German wonder machine for un-paid taxes, my posse leaves me cause now I’m driving a Pontiac Aztec and living in a strip center parking lot. I SHOULD HAVE bought the Pilot. 😂
I greatly approve. I’ve actually unsubbed from few of the review websites, as all they talk about these days is $100k+ cars and suvs. Otherwise known as some of the worst investments you can ever make in your life. And it’s burned into the car manufacturer’s as well. Once we really go hybrid/electric, how anyone making under $70k a year is going to afford a new car, is beyond me.
Mark, you lied to me! You said that there’s going to be a live stream next week… two weeks ago! I cashed in half of my bullion to order beef and bread sticks for the party and now it all spoiled! Moreover, the gold hit all time high a couple days after! My lawyer will be reaching out to you! I’ll find Toddd and we will make you pay!
This story is quite literally the reason I’m looking at this car…3 years ago (at the age of 25) I bought a Mazda 3 GT…my now wife (fiancé at the time) told me I’d regret it because there’s no space for kids…I thought kids?! Nah, not now… Well guess what! My knees are in the dashboard with the Mazda’s tiny rear passenger space!
I switched from BMW to Honda because I had it with the BMW dealer and his questionable repair performance. The first thing I noticed was the low performing brakes and mediocre handling. Life is too short to be driving a sensible boring car. Honda needs to work on the brake performance and handling dynamics.
So car makers are heeding the usability concerns and going back to good old times, meanwhile Linux never had the good old times and also doesn’t intend to goi back to imagined ones, my old Windows becomes harder and harder to maintain against the relentless tech conquest but Linux cannot even provide a synched mouse curve experience between OS types but in fact newer mouse drivers even dump features they once had. (That Microsoft was allowed to be a Platinum member of the Linux foundation is really saying it all.)
We have had 2 Passports and while we enjoyed them, being grandparents, we needed more space with 2 car seats. We just got a 2024 Pilot Elite and so far, really enjoy it. While the interior is “utilitarian”, we don’t need flashy. The ride is MUCH more comfortable than the Passports ever were and the list of amenities is excellent. Thanks for this review as it was honest and real. Well done!
I am in a similar position. I have a 2013 LExus RX 350 and a 2024 BMW X5. The X5 is awesome but the Lexus is still good after 10 years and has almost been free for the last 4 years with almost no depreciation and no repairs. I love my BMWs but I would only recommend to those who can afford them as a cash purchase. If you need to finance, go with the Toyota/Honda/Mazda etc.
When i get back 10 or 20 years ago, when basic car manufacturers were making basic cars, jumping into a BMW made such a huge difference. But lately, with the basic manufacturers making more upscale products with luxury features, the gap between a top of the line Kia and a BMW is closer than ever. A Mazda 3 in 2004 was far behind and entry level Mercedes. In 2024, a Mercedes A-class looks cheap compared to a Mazda 3 while being more expensive still, both to buy and maintain. This is an opinion, don’t throw tomatoes.
I bought my ’02 Sequoia 7 years ago now, and my family thought I was nuts. What I love is that it doesn’t hide anything behind BS or distracts you with bling/screens/buttons. This Pilot seems to have the same philosophy: no BS. I will keep it in mind when the Sequoia finally crumbles away in a decade or so.
I feel like my Honda Fit fits the description of what a car needs and is too most people. But man I worry about it breaking. Made in Mexico and its cheap car so cheap parts? I like it a lot but also find it eh. I probably could layout more negatives than postives. I am just not certain Hondas are the best after this ownership experience. Wanted a Civic but couldnt find a hatch that didnt cost as much as a new one. I think I should have stuck with Toyota. But I made my bed. Guess we will see.
As a parent of twins, and an owner of a Honda Odyssey with 140k miles, I can relate to the unhinged portion of this article. I went from my first Odyssey to a Mercedes GL550 back to another Odyssey. Honda gets it. It cranks out transportation appliances with just enough personality and sportiness to make them enjoyable to drive for a decade plus without compromising reliability, safety, or value. On top of that, any owner with youtube can keep their Honda running like a top for a couple hundred thousand miles or more with basic tools and a few free hours. I never take the long way home in the Odyssey but I’ve also never had a second thought about if it would have enough space or be reliable enough to drive across North America tomorrow. Honda makes perfect family vehicles.
We own a 2023 X7 xDrive40i with the B58 engine…and I considered replacing it with the Honda Pilot in the spirit of being more practical. My wife drives the X7 and hauls our two girls around for school and all their activities. In summary, I just couldn’t do it. With all due respect to the Pilot, in my opinion there is no comparison. I test drove the Pilot and it was great, but it’s not the X7.
Very smart buy. My only knock against it is the 3rd row, which I don’t need. I’d buy a next-gen Passport once that finally comes out. I’m still surprised Honda opted to heavily revise the venerable J-series V6, rather than just moving on to a turbo four. To help it feel less soulless, some Type R badging could be added, cost-effective happiness improvement. Perhaps a $100 genuine HPD start/stop button is available?
I bought my 2024 Honda EX-L in October 2023. Had to drive 2 and half hours to get it. Where i live the Honda dealers did not have them. Anyway, i did a lot of research and while the KIa and Hyundai were technically better, they were not as comfortable for my back problems. Long story i am very happy with my Honda. It will be my last car since i am a old man. Hope it last.
These cars have VCM and DI only. So carbon build up plus the pistons, compression efficiency will drop. Really thinking if this is the one to get or that 4Runner will ever reliable bulletproof 1GR-FE. I tried Telluride and the TCCN review steered me away due to the flex disc, flex pipe, GDI only, valve adjustment all for something wrapped in a leather to fool people.
I’m in my mid 30s. Have never owned a new vehicle. Currently drive a Honda odyssey. Single. No kids. Doing research for my first major car purchase. I have no desire for flash and dash. I am a fan of practicality and longevity. Hence my odyssey. Things I care about now that I did not in my 20s is: #1, ride height. People don’t think about this enough. How many times have you been driving in the dark on a rainy night just to have every single persons headlights at eye level blinding you in your mirrors. Or having to bend down to get in or out. Ride height is underrated. #2, space. Interior cargo space is invaluable for someone like me who loves camping and moves frequently. I like keeping my golf clubs and tool bag in my vehicle. The utility of a vehicle is extremely important. #3, reliability. My van has over 260k miles on it and no mechanical issues. I’m sold on Honda. Lastly #4, peace of mind. Knowing that you made the best decision on what car to buy after doing research. I’d rather own a 5yr old Honda with 60k miles on it for $25k+ than a brand new kia.
More a story..True…….About modern marriage than about cars…….Skip the troublesome Wife and just buy the car……….Lots I like about the new Honda’s……….Like the flat rear storage floor…….Nice, but not common……….Like finnally being rid of the always in the way gear shift lever…….Folks Who need these should just buy a sports car……..On the hate list for ALL modern cars is the bone jarring low pro tires…………..I always change My Subie’s to 65 series…..Much nicer ride……….Manufacturers Today seem to believe that We ALL need a sports car capable of 1G cornering……..How about designing for .05G cornering which Todays Traffic calls for…………Paul
Wishlist for Pilot (I have 17 Touring AWD): -HUD – head up display for navigation while in socal traffic, my progressive prescription hates looking over and down to little screens. – Folding mirrors – parking and carwashes, and tight spaces everywhere -ventilated seats (I hate the quad seats so didn’t want Elite, why I got a 3 row SUV, why lose a seat?) -wireless android auto/car play, hate plugging in only one phone in the right place to get nav to work (and Spotify), fighting over who is corded and choosing music vs navigation) -better lasting brakes, minor gripe because a performance set is $100-150 per pair rotors and pads. Wife has the used ’20 X5, and I don’t prefer it’s ride, too bouncy unsettled, though do like it’s acceleration (but had to spend for extended warranty). My two cents.
2024 Pilot VS 2014 Mazda 5 (no not the cx5…the 5). FIGHT!!! Okso… ive got a pair of unrealistic cars. S2k daily…and a 510 tracktoy. My girlfriend…has kids. Enter SNAKE-VAN-HALEN. Her 2014 mazda 5 minivan. 2.4l 5spd manually-shiftable auto. 238k…and kicking hard. No major issues. Simply maintained on schedule. 1 paid off. 2 actually quasi fun to drive. (Smaller and lighter than a pilot) (google.. old creek rd 93430 CA … im on the hwy1 end) 3 FULLY reclinable 2nd row captains chairs. 4 dual sliders. (Kids cant door ding anybody) 5 flippable 2nd row center console… hides in seat if needed. (beats removing and leaving anchors??? Wtf?) 6 seats fold flat all the way to front seat…no pickup needed. 7 24mpg… with my driving… she gets better. Loveya honda…. but she drove an oddessy… and prefers her 5…. the pilot doesnt stand a chance. Me in a minivan? Lol… any day. A crossover fwd unibody “suv” …is just a minivan with identity crisis.
And that’s the problem with the CX-90… it wants to be a BMW, but the target market wants more utilitarian boxes, so even the old CX-9 didn’t sell too well despite all the auto reviewers loving it and the CX-90 won’t break any sales records either. You can buy a smaller Highlander or Pilot and it does the “Utility” part a lot better and that’s what people want.
Commenting at 3:30min mark, I’m looking forward to picking up a 2025/6 Pilot after Mid-Cycle Refresh. I did something similar to Mark when I bought a 2017 XC-90 (in Dec 2016), back then there wasn’t much offering a decent to good-ish ride, power, decent fuel efficiency. In 2020 I traded that thing in for a Subaru Ascent LTD and as much as I miss the better ride quality, pfff, these luxury 7 seaters are just not worth it. If you need to haul people, mini-van — then get a used or new but non-luxury 7 seater to haul people + trailer when you need it; enough said! Prior to the XC-90 I had a 2010 Subaru WRX with like 4k in suspension upgrades (base power with upgrade intercooler/intake and simple tune was plenty).and then the kiddos came.
I wonder why we don’t see EX-Ls being reviewed. And it’s common knowledge – no one who can afford high used-car prices will buy a used high-end vehicle. Never buy luxo-cars EXPECTING to sell them for much more than a third of the original price. And please – bring up the COST of AWD… one damaged tire MIGHT require all four tires to be replaced.
I have no idea why people are so okay with black, silver or white. So boring! I love my Kinetic Blue Pearl Type S TL. It’s a beautiful color. I agree about the BMW. It’s the reason I’ve kept my RDX and TL so long. I love cars but I refuse to spend $600-1,000 or more on a car payment. That’s just sick to me.
Just when I was feeling excited for Christmas. My $55k Passport is the automotive equivalent of giving up. It has been the most boring, most depressing car I’ve ever owned, sat in, or driven; especially when it gets 15 mpg and does 0-60 in 7 seconds. It cost $1125/mo to buy on a 60 month term. Jeez, why didn’t I go lease an X7 40 for the same amount and have 50k of warranty? I guess I’ll go to Autozone and buy a transmission rebuild kit to install on Sunday, right guys? Those simplistic Japanese cars are just so easy to work on.
Almost all German (European) 100k products have a HIGH depreciation rate. I don’t understand why Mark is surprised with it, especially he was a Volvo Owner (one of the most depreciate brand). I always said people hate $$ will buy new Volvo or 100k European leasing special. It is why currently BMW are Ultimate Leasing Machine ™. I also don’t understand why a Youtuber need a 100k SUV. Since he got it used, I hope he got it with a at least ok cheap price.
One of the main deficiencies of reviews of SUVs is the lack of measurement of cargo- or passengers- or towing-WEIGHTS. For example, it should be easy for the reviewer to put, say, the necessary extra 150-180 lb dummies or even sandbags into the vehicle to see exactly what effect all that cargo mass would have on the get-up-and-go necessary to climb an entrance ramp onto a superhighway to merge safely with traffic. While testing TOWING performance is harder if the test SUV does not have a tow package, towing performance is also critical in a SUV. These vehicles are not meant to be sports cars, so perusal the reviewer zoom off at a high speed may be entertaining, but it does not impart that much useful knowledge in the cargo-hauling sense.
I have a 2018 pilot exl it drove fine until I hit 50000 miles. The new transmissions are fcked when I drive and hit around 1800-2000 rpm I get stuck with the meter bouncing between 1800-2000 rpm until I hit gas or slow down. There’s a transmission issue where appearantly the dealer wants you to bring it in for a flush and it costs an arm and a leg
Comparing the similar styling thats happened over the past several years, anyone who wouldn’t choose the Honda is simply crazy. I’m biased towards Honda of course, but for the money, Honda will give you 10-20 years no problem and they look great. BMWs are junk except for a couple of platforms like the B58.
Had a loaner brand new 2023 X5 for a month while our BMW EV was being repaired, it was terrible. Bad ride quality, loud, just uncomfortable. I also have a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit – it’s quieter, more comfortable and it cost a 10th of the X5. Sure, it drives like a truck, but if you want a great handling car, get a sports sedan.
I m on the same boat, dump German junk buy Japanese. I’ve owned countless German luxury cars, they were very simple machines in the late 80’s early 90’s. I currently have a 8 yr old BMW 5 series, I’ve changed every possible engine sensor 2-3 times, power steering hoses as well, all in ive spent more in repairs thank the cost of the car was. Interior plastic bits have had to be changed as well. My 2001 Toyota 4Runner with 90k miles, that i inherited with 60k miles? 1 set of tires and maybe 8 oil changes plus a steering rack (after 20 yrs) . My MazdaCX5, zero problems. My first experience on a Honda was when my VW was in the shop and a relative handed me a 1981 Honda Accord stick shift, i was ” smitten” i couldnt believe how smooth the manual transmission was . Honda is first and foremost an engineering company that makes great cars .
One thing I would like to highlight is that north american only models from honda, i.e. pilot, passport, mdx, all the large stuff. Those are all designed primarily by Americans in Ohio. Global models are all designed by Japan side. The large vehicles from Honda are far better on the highway and over rough north American roads. Pilots also share SH-AWD with the MDX because of the shared platform. Ridgeline also uses SH-AWD. The more you know 🙂
Well that made me laugh like crazy..A thought about what you want and what you need and its not exactley the same.Thank you fo a article on cars and life.This is like no other reveiw i have ever seen before.I did see a article of a guy makng a very large cement flower pot and after all the trials and tribulations and lots of laughing .he said at the end why did i try to make this God dame thing my wife saw on youtube
Well, imagine having to go off road daily in a $122,000 BMW SUV and nicking scratches and rocks and pot holes! Honda and Toyota designs vehicles that are comfortable on and off road even when scratches and dents formulate. And still have tremendous resale value. Squeeze in some aftermarket 275 or 285 tires on the Honda😮
You ask which one we would rather drive. I would rather drive the Honda any day of the week! The BMW doesn’t even make my top 10 list 😂😂😂 everyone knows that BMWs suck…that’s why BMW resale tanks! I dont know why people need a 7 seater. Who has 5 kids to drive around these days? If you do, a minivan is so much more convenient. But if you want a luxury SUV an Acura or Lexus is where I would look first.
Ohhhhh… so they only kept the piano black in the areas that you TOUCH THE MOST! 🙄 What the AF is so hard about coming up with a different color/texture to use in these areas that isn’t a total fingerprint magnet and won’t show every little micro-scratch and look like total ASS inside of two years of use?!? 🙄 Other than that minor complaint (LOL), I dig the update and fully expect (hope) to see this dash & these seats in the Ridgeline soon as well.
The begging of this article was great. Basically do you want a $50 brand new rust bucket that will be worth $10k in 5 years anyway or buy a used X7 with billions of dollars invested for suspension, NVH, engine, transmission… That will be worth $20k in 5 years. And yes I know Honda is more reliable… too bad there won’t be any car left around that reliable shitbox engine. I loved the space point too… My wife wanted a car with more places for her stuff… They are all basically all full of garbage that she refuses to clean. I’m positive 99% of all Americans want their roomy cars for the same reason. To fill it with crap that they don’t need.
Got the German cars out of my system 20 years ago when I bought my last one: an Audi A6 wagon brand new in 2002,. Overrated, over engineered, overpriced total P.O.S. So many things broke and/or malfunctioned in the first year. Got rid of it at the advice of a Consumer Reports reviewer and was encouraged to go to Honda, otherwise Toyota. I did and I’ll never look back. On my 2nd Acura since 2003 and besides the Takata air bag recall, it’s been the usual wear and tear items that need to be fixed or replaced. No surprises, always starts and runs.
Hey…If the wealthy upper-class wants to lease a Space Shuttle and then turn it back in to NASA after three years…. They can. For the rest of us…we have something called a “Used Vehicle”. …Mark’s story – Probably the best thing I’ve listened to this year! Hilarious and uncannily accurate! He pretty much described my life!
Folks I test drove 5 Honda Pilots and I can tell you, they really are not that impressive. The biggest thing for me was the steering wheel is weird? I feel like I’m rotating the wheel completely just to turn slightly left or right. I ended up buying another SUV but don’t get the Honda Pilot. This suv sucks
Would love a Honda Pilot but they still cost $60k! I can get a 2021 X7 w 30,000 miles for $50k and it has a real tailgate and seats that move with the click of a button, it’s easier to park and drives a lot better and gets better MPG. As the owner of a Honda Ridgeline I very seriously considered the Pilot but the price is absurd for an economy class
$75k depreciation is twice what I paid for a used 2020 explorer. Needed a three row and it’s one of the few midsized SUVs that are RWD biased. Parts are plentiful and availability is guaranteed since the police interceptor uses the same parts. Is what I tell myself to cope with abysmal Ford build quality.
The question should have been “Would you rather buy a new Honda Pilot or 3 years old BMW X7 for $48K”. For me, it is without a doubt a 2020 BMW X7. It is a better vehicle in every way, from entertainment system to the engine. There are many options on how you can mitigate the maintenance. From getting extended service warranty where everything is included to doing work on your own car by ourself.
I bought a 2022 Honda Ridgeline, and one of the big reasons I did was “simplicity”. Not much tech, no bullshit electronic crap, simple physical controls. All built well, function well, and will last a long time. I HATE that cars are becoming article games. Too many screens, screens are too big, so much extra ‘bling’ bullshit that I don’t want or need.
Awesome article. Like many of us, I don’t need 600+ buttons to push, over hyped plastic gadgets and an oversized plastic grill and over sized car badges plastered on my car/SUV. I just need a simple and easy car that I can get in and out of that runs well and has decent power, is quiet and is not over priced. Americans have been car poor for a long time. We are not what we drive…we are what we have been sold…and a lot of Americans have been sold a lot of hype, BS and crap that does nothing for us…except keep us paying and paying and paying and…..
Did honda just let AI design these bland ass shapes. The new accord is aweful looking. Pilot looks like something is missing like 2008 GM and the flat panel tahoes. I worked for Honda in the 00s and there were some really cool vehicles being made but 08 the trend for bigger took Honda into being basic rental car spec and they really started getting pricey cracking 30k for the first time. Now you can touch 50K in an accord? WTF happened. I’m not that old by I remeber when they were under 20k fully loaded. They were better cars then because they are still running now on low tech lightweight fuel efficient economy cars.
Damn you two. My wife’s uterus is also about to take control of our lives, and I’m here trying to justify buying a Porsche Macan GTS over practicality. The worst part is the Macan GTS has already been wife approved. Would absolutely pay you two for some consulting advice and also am willing to listen to random advice from the internet.
This is why I like and respect Mark he remembers the average people would rather have reliability than bling. Jack comes off as a yuppie reviewer who love him some Bimmer and Porches and always makes fun of the reliable dull cars that we average people drive. My Toyota Camry 2003 got over 230,000. miles and it has never broken down other than dead batteries and so on but its still going strong. Actually I been wanting to buy a new car for the last couple of years now but the mark up over the sticker price is stupid so I;m just waiting for it to cool off, I can wait I have trusty old dull Camery.
Test drove a new Honda Pilot. Great functionality and people hauler, but there were three issues that I did not like. 1) The driving position is way too low. I’m 6′ 1″ and with the seat adjusted as high as it would go, I felt like I could barely see over the top of the steering wheel. It was like driving out of a hole. 2) The acceleration off the line could best be described as adequate. The new/revised Honda V6 just does not have the punch of the old Vtec V6. 3) The Pilot drives big. It was like driving around a school bus. I realize it is a big vehicle, but some big vehicles drive small, not the Pilot. These were deal breakers for me.