Honda calls its Pilot a crossover because it handles like a car, but has the rugged, utility styling of an SUV. Regardless of how you want to categorize it, the 2010 Honda Pilot is a practical, capable, spacious, and very powerful model that is perfectly suited to a family with a big agenda but not necessarily a big budget.
One of the advantages of SUVs is their high seating position. This gives drivers a better view of the road ahead, especially if they are lined up behind many other SUVs. It also gives the driver a sense of security. The Pilot adds to its confidence-inspiring image with a taut, but not harsh suspension setup and a precise steering feel. The Michelin LTX M / S tires on the test vehicle, which Honda loaned us, are appropriately firm, but offer excellent grip on snow and above-average traction on mud and wet pavement as well. Owners may find them a bit pricey when their tread wears out, but if you like your Pilot, warm up the VISA card and buy exact duplicates.
The Pilot is quite roomy, at least in the first two rows of seats. We appreciated the large, center-mounted speedometer, but its silver-on-white markings forced us to rely on our Garmin nuvi navigation unit as a speedometer. Our Touring edition tester had too many controls on the center console for our liking. The buttons are positioned perpendicular to the driver and are not easy to read.
When paired with the navigation unit, Honda’s backup camera is one of the best we’ve ever experienced. Others lack the necessary field of vision to clearly see approaching cyclists, pedestrians, or cars. Models without the system project the rear video on the interior rear view mirror. We didn’t get a chance to test this, but owner reports give the video in the rear view mirror high marks. Important note: the rear view camera is an additional safety tool. An old-fashioned look over your shoulder and a walk behind your vehicle before boarding are still necessary to back up safely.
There are eight seats in the Pilot. Unless the three in the third row are preschoolers, they will call it the penalty area. (Honda says the third row has the knee room of the average American. It didn’t take into account the fact that the average American’s knees are connected to thunder thighs and a roomy rear.) Parents will undoubtedly hear, “Jacob can always ride in the middle row!” And respond, “That’s because Jake is five feet, eight inches tall and weighs 140 pounds even though he’s in sixth grade, and not you. I’m sorry. “
The second row offers plenty of room for two full-size adults. The central position in the second row offers plenty of head and leg room, but the rock-hard seat cushion limits its usefulness for adults. Think of the Pilot as a four-seat vehicle with emergency room for four full-size people you might not like anyway, or four little favorites. The pilot is also easily commissioned for trips to the home improvement store. The third and second rows fold almost completely and accept items four feet wide. Both rows are folded in a split arrangement.
The Pilot’s 250-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 is equipped with what Honda calls “variable cylinder management.” In an effort to save a few ounces of gasoline, the engine automatically shuts down up to three cylinders in low-load situations, such as when driving on a flat road or downhill. Auto writers freely throw the word “smoothly”, but we didn’t realize the pilot had this feature until we checked the specs. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give the Pilot a huge boost in mileage – a 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway rating barely beats full-size pickups that have engines nearly twice as large and around 100 horsepower. . Countering its modest mpg numbers, a 21.0-gallon tank makes the Pilot a strong cross-country cruiser.
The Pilot is available with all-wheel drive (AWD). Despite what ad and press release editors hint, AWD won’t (can’t) help you maintain cornering grip on slippery roads. AWD can only help you accelerate. Unless the directions to your home include “get off the paved road and watch out for places where the creek sometimes turns the road to mud,” there is no problem with front-wheel drive.
The Pilot is available in four model options: the base LX, the mid-level EX, the EX-L with additional features and the loaded Touring. The pilot starts at just over $ 28,000 for the base LX model. The most expensive model, the all-wheel-drive Touring, is over $ 42,000. Like its brother Odyssey, the Pilot is assembled in Alabama.
In the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests, the 2010 Pilot earned the highest rating, five stars, in all categories except rollovers, where it earned four stars. The 2009 Pilot earned the coveted Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), while the 2010 model has yet to be tested.
