Professionals: Distinctive storage and cargo house; distinctive second-row performance; refined trip; versatile and succesful TrailSport; superior AWD
Cons: Subpar acceleration with lackadaisical transmission and engine response; so-so driver help tech
Admittedly, the 2024 Honda Pilot is at its most interesting when gussied up because the model pictured right here: a TrailSport in Subtle Sky Blue Pearl that had strangers stopping us to go with our glorious automotive selection. Thanks, however it’s not ours. Making any 2024 Pilot yours can be a sensible thought, although. It’s certainly one of our high three-row crossover SUV selections, together with the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, because of its considerable house, intelligent storage and common well-rounded nature. It simply checks off so many containers, whereas wanting a complete lot higher than its nameless blob of a predecessor.
Maybe the most important differentiator is the Pilot’s distinctive second-row seat design. The middle seat might be eliminated and positioned within the underfloor storage space behind the third row, leaving captain’s chairs and pass-through behind. There’s no want to decide on between seven- or eight-passenger seating (though the TrailSport’s full-size all-terrain spare shrinks the storage space sufficient to make the characteristic unattainable). This is only one of many intelligent options contained in the Pilot, and whereas different rivals could also be extra luxurious, extra highly effective or extra participating to drive, we predict the Pilot’s well-rounded excellence will make it an general better option for extra folks.
Inside & Know-how | Passenger & Cargo House | Efficiency & Gasoline Economic system
What it is prefer to drive | Pricing & Trim Ranges | Crash Rankings & Security Options
What’s new for 2024?
After being fully redesigned final 12 months, the Pilot is unchanged for 2024.
What are the Pilot inside and in-car expertise like?
After sitting in a Hyundai Palisade, the Pilot could come throughout as a bit plain. There’s no showy trim or fanciful lighting. However, there’s an magnificence to its minimal adornment and crisp horizontal traces. It’s paying homage to Land Rover interiors – clear, practical, timeless. It’s additionally a lot better than what was there within the final Pilot (and what survives within the Passport).
The Pilot inside is in the end all about intelligent packaging and considerate design. When it comes to storage, the entrance heart console options a big, grippy flat house for telephones or no matter, the doorways have bins in addition to bottle holders, there’s a bit shelf within the sprint, and the entrance seatbacks have sleeves constructed into them to carry your cellphone. There’s additionally intelligent storage within the cargo space, together with a double-sided flooring with carpet on one aspect and washable plastic on the opposite, however we’ll deal with the remainder of the cargo space within the subsequent part.
When it comes to expertise, the Pilot provides two touchscreens. The bottom unit measures 7 inches and is slightly rudimentary by way of its performance and look. We like its bodily buttons/knobs, although, and it runs each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. These get upgraded to wi-fi connectivity beginning with the EX-L trim, which can also be the primary trim to get a 9-inch touchscreen with enhanced graphics and performance. It actually isn’t as spectacular as what you’d discover in a Palisade, Kia Telluride and Jeep Grand Cherokee L, however it’s practical and usually vice free. Dad and mom must also admire its CabinTalk in-car P.A. system that allows you to broadcast your voice by means of the rear audio system. Complementing it’s a convex rear seat spy mirror to control their reactions.
How huge is the Pilot?
Outdoors, the Pilot just about defines the section common. It’s virtually 5 inches longer than the Toyota Highlander and 5 inches shorter than the Chevy Traverse, matching up virtually identically with the Nissan Pathfinder.
There’s nothing common concerning the rear seating rows, nevertheless. Pictured above, the Pilot’s novel second-row is a bench seat, however as within the Honda Odyssey and the Pilot’s Acura MDX cousin, the center seat folds to create a console-like armrest. It can be eliminated fully from the automobile or, uniquely, stowed in a cubby constructed into the Pilot’s rear cargo flooring. In contrast to the Pilot’s rivals, there’s no want to decide on between eight-passenger bench seat or seven-passenger captain’s chairs on the supplier. Keep in mind that this characteristic isn’t supplied on the TrailSport. Due to its full-sized spare tire, there’s no house for the requisite cubby. It successfully has captain’s chairs consequently.
The large Honda has one of many roomer cabins within the section. Its 40 inches of legroom within the second row tops nearly each certainly one of its rivals. Third-row legroom generally is a max of 32.5 inches, making it pleasant for greater teenagers and adults, even within the 6-foot-plus class. This places it forward of the Toyota Highlander and Nissan Pathfinder (each supply 28 inches) and simply behind the Chevy Traverse (33.5 inches).
On paper, the Pilot has 18.6 cubic ft of house behind the again seat, however take away the double-sided flooring piece (proven beneath with its washable plastic floor dealing with up) and also you’re left with both 22.4 cubic ft or, within the TrailSport, 21.8. Theoretically, solely the Chevy Traverse/Buick Enclave have extra room again there. In observe, we have discovered that is probably not the case, however it’s nonetheless spectacular. We discovered that the Toyota Grand Highlander and Kia Telluride can maintain only a bit extra stuff, however the Pilot is certainly higher than every thing else within the section. We additionally like that the TrailSport comes commonplace with raised roof rails and a trailer hitch, which opens up cargo prospects even additional.
What are the Pilot gasoline financial system and efficiency specs?
There is just one engine supplied: a 3.5-liter V6 good for 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. A ten-speed computerized is commonplace.
The Pilot might be had in commonplace front-wheel drive, or with an all-wheel-drive setup dubbed i-VTM4 (commonplace on TrailSport and Elite, optionally available all different trims). It’s arguably probably the most superior AWD programs within the section because it offers so-called “torque vectoring”: As a lot as 70% of the engine’s energy might be despatched to the rear axle, with 100% of that transferred to at least one wheel. This isn’t solely useful for poor-weather traction, however advantages dry-pavement dealing with as nicely. It’s augmented on TrailSport fashions with a particular Path Torque Logic system and corresponding “Path” choice within the Pilot’s drive mode choice system.
Gasoline financial system stands at 19 miles per gallon metropolis, 27 mpg freeway and 22 mpg mixed with front-wheel drive, and 19/25/21 with all-wheel drive. The TrailSport is decrease nonetheless at 18/23/20.
The Pilot might be outfitted for towing in each 2WD and AWD configurations. 2WD towing capability is an inexpensive 3,500 kilos; choosing AWD raises that cap to five,000. That’s on par with the section, however shy of the Kia Telluride (5,500), Ford Explorer (5,600) and Jeep Grand Cherokee L (6,200).
What is the Pilot prefer to drive?
Three-row crossovers aren’t usually identified for being enjoyable to drive, however the Pilot holds its personal for a gussied-up minivan, particularly when you go for the torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system. Steering precision is healthier than most, the trip consists and comfy and, usually, we take pleasure in driving it greater than every thing within the section aside from the sporty Mazda CX-90 and maybe a fully-loaded Jeep Grand Cherokee L.
Sadly, the Pilot’s powertrain may use some work. Its output appears aggressive sufficient, however the ensuing acceleration is on the gradual aspect for the section, and making issues worse are transmission and throttle programming that aren’t adaptable sufficient to completely different conditions. As an illustration, we needed to have interaction the Sport driving mode when driving up a sequence of freeway grades as a result of the transmission was in any other case hesitant to drop down and keep in a decrease gear. Many drivers gained’t even know they’ve a Sport mode, not to mention suppose to interact it when eager to go sooner than 55 up a hill.
As for the TrailSport, it will get a novel suspension with a 1-inch elevate (for a complete floor clearance of 8.3 inches) and improved strategy and departure angles. The stabilizer bars, spring charges and damper valve tuning are unique to the TrailSport, as are a full-size spare and the 18-inch wheels (stamped with TrailSport) wrapped in Continental TerrainContact all-terrain tires. Skid plates shield the oil pan, transmission and fuel tank, and Honda says they will every help the complete weight of the Pilot crashing down on a rock. The result’s a car that’s remarkably succesful for what’s basically little greater than a minivan, although just like the Pathfinder Rock Creek or Explorer Timberline, it’s not a very sturdy off-roader. It’s the form of SUV that may convey you all the best way to the trailhead, however it gained’t allow you to blaze your individual. On highway, the TrailSport’s off-road tires do scale back steering precision, leading to extra steering corrections being wanted on the freeway (by you and the lane-centering steering help system). Highway-holding additionally degrades, however that’s much less more likely to be observed in a household hauler. Pleasantly, the trip high quality stays completely comfy (not like the Kia Telluride X-Professional that has the very same tires) as does highway noise. Because of this, there’s minimal draw back with going with the enjoyable off-road mannequin.
What different Honda Pilot evaluations can I learn?
Honda Pilot TrailSport Highway Check: Outside journey highway journey to Oregon
The TrailSport is the Pilot particularly meant for outside adventures with its rugged tires and suspension, commonplace hitch and extra practical roof racks. We put all of it to the take a look at on an outside journey highway journey from southern California to central Oregon.
2023 Honda Pilot First Drive: Broad strokes and broader shoulders
Our first drive of the Pilot, together with an off-road drive within the TrailSport and broader particulars about its design and engineering.
Honda Pilot TrailSport Baggage Check: How a lot matches behind the third row?
In our real-world testing, we learn the way a lot matches behind the raised third row of the Pilot TrailSport. Regardless of having just a bit much less house than different trim ranges, it manages to swallow extra luggage than most automobiles within the section.
What’s the 2024 Pilot worth and the place is it constructed?
Pricing begins at $38,465, together with the $1,375 vacation spot cost, for a base LX with front-wheel drive. That is aggressive pricing for the section.
For probably the most half, the trim ranges actually simply symbolize a stepped improve in tools and upgraded finishings. That features the Sport, which can be a bit sportier in look, however is admittedly simply geared up just like the Pilot’s outdated, mid-grade EX trim. After all, the TrailSport is sort of a bit completely different, and we predict it’s the decide of the litter for its practical and aesthetic upgrades that don’t include important downsides. You possibly can learn extra about its extras within the above driving part, and see the side-by-side visible distinction beneath.
All costs beneath embrace the $1,375 vacation spot cost and, except in any other case famous, are for a front-wheel-drive mannequin. In these circumstances, all-wheel drive is a $2,100 choice.
LX: $37,465Sport: $40,565EX-L: $43,775EX-L with Captain’s Chairs*: $44,075Touring: $48,275TrailSport (AWD solely): $50,275Elite (AWD solely): $53,885
* For some purpose, the EX-L alone provides a selection of seven- or eight-passenger seating since it may be geared up with out the hideaway second-row center seat and due to this fact with captain’s chairs. That it’s important to pay additional for it appears nonsensical.
Lastly, the Pilot is inbuilt Lincoln, Alabama.
What are the Pilot security rankings and driver help options?
Commonplace security tools contains ahead collision warning with computerized emergency braking, a highway departure mitigation system, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping help, adaptive cruise management with speed-adaptive following distance, site visitors signal recognition, a driver inattention monitor and computerized excessive beams. Collectively, these options comprise the essential “Honda Sensing” security suite. Low velocity braking management, cross-traffic monitoring and a parking sensor system are all out there on greater trims. Importantly, these are significantly improved over the identical programs discovered within the previous-generation Pilot (particularly adaptive cruise management), and though not the strongest within the section (look to Kia and Hyundai for that) they’re now a minimum of common.
The Pilot had not been crash examined by NHTSA on the time of this writing, however the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security named it a High Security Decide+ for its best-possible efficiency in all classes however one: the up to date “Reasonable overlap entrance” take a look at the place it acquired a third-best/second-worst ranking of “Marginal.” Few automobiles have been to subjected to that take a look at, although.