When Honda first came out with the Pilot I spent a week with the rather large midsize crossover, and loved it.  Stylistically it left me wanting,

The Pilot now looks rugged and masculine, pulling styling cues from the tough Ridgeline pickup. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

looking much like a larger variation on the CR-V of the era, albeit not quite as daring, but it featured a well-made interior and fabulous flexibility for occupants and cargo.  What’s more it drove brilliantly, with great maneuverability at low speeds, easy drivability at any speed, and even decent handling.  But that was then and this is now. 

Enter the 2010 Honda Pilot, a model that was fully updated a year and a half ago for 2009, and hardly changes this year.  Nevertheless it’s worth revisiting, even if you don’t care about the three new exterior colours added to the palette, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, and Polished Metal Metallic, or the three they discontinued, Billet Silver Metallic, Formal Black and Sterling Grey Metallic.  As for me, I particularly like the Taffeta White of my tester, featuring a nice Black Leather interior; Blue has been discontinued, incidentally. 

Strangely,

I love its boxy, classic design. It makes for more room inside, too. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

Honda has received some flack for the new Pilot’s exterior design, but what doesn’t work for some certainly works for me.  Truly, the new Pilot’s styling is my favourite element of the 2009 upgrades.  It’s a bold look that harks back to the original plethora of box-like sport utility vehicles, 4x4s that were on the scene when the SUV acronym was created, such as the Jeep Cherokee, Dodge Raider/Mitsubishi Montero, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Isuzu Trooper, which was actually rebranded as the somewhat ill-received Honda Passport, if you remember. 

Inside it’s a step up from these older utes in every way, with much more appealing design, otherworldly ergonomics, in comparison, and more high-grade features than anyone from yesteryear could have imagined in a luxury sedan, let alone an SUV

The Pilot's interior is straightforward and to the point, but nevertheless a nice, comfortable place to spend time in. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

offered by a mainstream entry-level brand.  What’s a better comparison is how the Pilot stacks up against its current competition, and in this respect it does very well.  Its interior styling is attractive in a modern, somewhat minimalist fashion, and ideal if black is your thing.  Yes, there’s black plastic everywhere, although it isn’t the nice soft-touch variety that I’ve been known to laud, yet rather the harder shinier stuff that I often criticize.  Obviously if less than premium plastics are a problem for you, you won’t be buying a Pilot, or a Toyota Highlander for that matter, and therefore you might want to look at one of Honda’s competitors that offers a more premium-like interior without any price hike, but this is likely not an issue with many buyers, as there are a lot of Pilots and Highlanders out there, and the Pilot offers many other attributes. 

Yes, the Pilot

The centre stack is a bit of upscale detailing that I particularly like. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

does some things extremely well, so well in fact that my week with the vehicle had me completely forgetting anything that bothered me at first.  That same interior is wonderfully easy to live with, not to mention the centre stack, with its clear green plastic surface, is oh-so-cool looking and ultra easy to navigate.  Now that we’re on the subject, the navigation system is excellent, one of Honda’s strong suits, as is the audio system.  Easy to use with good sound quality, while the rear DVD entertainment system was nice to have, I suppose, but my kids only really enjoy such things during long trips, as do I.  The third row seat, however, is popular with the kids anytime.  It’s decent enough for smaller adults too, something that can’t be said about most sixth and seventh seats in the midsize segment (the Pilot actually offers seventh and eighth third-row seats, further setting it apart).  When folded, cargo space is more than adequate, but with the third row upright space is compromised significantly compared to others in this segment, such as the aforementioned Highlander, Ford’s Flex, Hyundai’s Veracruz and GM’s Traverse, Acadia and Enclave.  To be specific, the Pilot manages a mid- to full-size sedan-like 510 litres (18.0 cu ft) behind the rear seats, 1,351 litres (47.7 cu ft) behind the second row and 2,463 litres (87.0 cu ft) behind the first, whereas the Traverse, for example, measures 691 litres (24.4 cu ft) behind the third row, 1,948 litres (68.8 cu ft) behind the second and 3,296 litres (116.4 cu ft) behind the first row.  Wow!  That equals 30-percent more cargo volume than the Pilot. 

Of course, with a negative there’s almost always a positive, the Pilot’s being that it’s a lot

Great audio system and green plastic surfacing really gives the interface the feeling of a top-tier component. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

lighter than the 2,298-kilo (5,066-lb) Chevy at 1,959 kilograms (4,319 lbs) in front-drive LX trim, and 358 mm (14.1 inches) shorter overall at 4,850 mm (190.9 inches) for the Pilot and 5,208 mm (205.0 inches) for the Traverse, so therefore the Honda is easier to maneuver in tight locales like back lanes, parking lots and curbside while parallel parking.  It’s only fractionally longer than Chevy’s Equinox, let alone the domestic brand’s full-size Traverse, the Honda appearing large due to its blocky stance and visual height.  Along with ease-of-use in confined areas, the Pilot handles well on the open road, managing corners better than many in the class and riding comfortably over rougher back roads as well as when cruising the highway.  It’s quiet inside, partly due to an isolated suspension setup and also thanks to a well-insulated cabin. 

The Pilot’s

Middle row allows for ample legroom. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

3.5-litre 24-valve V6 is hardly raucous either.  It moves off the line well considering my full-load example’s 2,090 kilos (4,607 lbs), aided by 250 horsepower available at 5,700 rpm and 253 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, plus a five-speed automatic transmission with no manual mode; not that many people who buy into this segment would bother to shift on their own.  There was a time, however, when a five-speed automatic gearbox would have been seen as state-of-the-art, but today it seems that five forward speeds is the minimum requirement, with most of Honda’s competitors already using six-speed gearboxes in their crossover SUVs.  To be fair to Honda, they were one of the first automakers to move out of the four-speed camp, citing better performance and most importantly reduced fuel consumption with the extra gear.  And truthfully,

Third row is good enough for three smaller adults or two reasonably large ones. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

the fuel economy isn’t bad for this size of SUV at an estimated 12.7 L/100km in the city and 8.7 on the highway in front-wheel drive guise, or as was the case with my all-wheel drive tester, 13.1 L/100km in the city and 9.1 on the highway, both aided by the lower cost of regular unleaded.  Its relatively thrifty mileages estimates are partially the result of Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system that allows the V6 to run in 6-, 4- or 3-cylinder mode, depending on need. 

If you want to do some light-duty off-roading, the Pilot’s all-wheel drive system features a driver selected Lock mode at speeds below 30 km/h, which, along with 204 millimeters (8.0 inches) of ground clearance, should be more than enough for most peoples’ needs. 

Rear seat entertainment is always a nice touch. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

If you want more, you might want to look at a Ridgeline that offers similar interior room forward of the rear section but a boxed frame integrated into the otherwise unibody design.  This allows the Ridgeline slightly better towing too, although an all-wheel drive Pilot is still excellent for its class at 2,045 kilos (4,508 lbs), towing almost its full weight.  In front-wheel drive trim it can manage a reasonable 1,590 kg (3,505 lbs). 

That base front-drive model can do more than tow.  It comes relatively well stocked until you look at the top-line Touring example I was driving.  Standard Pilot LX features include power windows, power locks with keyless remote entry, heated power-remote mirrors, CD/MP3 audio, cruise control, front and rear air conditioning,

Full audio connectivity, as well as Bluetooth, is as good as it gets. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

automatic headlamps, tilt and telescopic steering, variable intermittent wipers, an intermittent rear wiper, tinted glass, 60/40 split-folding second- and third-row seats, a rear cargo net, roof rails, integrated trailer hitch, a tire pressure monitoring system and 17-inch alloy wheels inside 245/65R17 all-season tires. 

The second-tier EX adds trim items like body-colour door handles and mirrors, plus fog lights to the exterior, as well as ambient console lighting to the interior.  Additional features include tri-zone automatic climate control, a 6CD audio upgrade with steering wheel-mounted audio controls, an eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, a conversation mirror, exterior temperature gauge and security system. 

Move up to the EX-L

Load up the Pilot, there's room to spare. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

and you’ll get leather seats and trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a four-way powered passenger seat, powered glass sunroof, XM satellite radio, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a reverse camera with rearview mirror display.  The EX-L RES adds the aforementioned rear-seat DVD entertainment system. 

My Touring tester included a few extra goodies such as the navigation system I mentioned earlier with reverse camera display, plus truly appreciated front and rear parking sensors, a handy powered liftgate (not to be confused with a hand-powered liftgate), Bluetooth hands-free, two-position driver's side memory, a premium 6CD audio system with USB connectivity, heated second-row outboard seats, trailer connection wiring, and a 115-volt power outlet. 

All Pilots come with a full assortment of airbags

Under floor storage is very good for a three-row SUV. (Photo: Canadian Auto Press)

standard, including side-thorax and curtain-type airbags, while ABS brakes plus traction and stability control is also standard equipment.  Additionally, this Alabama-built crossover SUV is backed by a three-year or 60,000 km comprehensive warranty with powertrain coverage that covers five years or 100,000 km. 

As mentioned, while the Pilot didn’t measure up to every hope and desire I have in an SUV, I enjoyed my week behind the wheel.  I took opportunity to move some furniture and other household items to storage, and everything fit well inside while what didn’t strapped onto the roof rails with ease.  In other words, there might be others in this class with more interior cargo space, but the Pilot certainly measured up to my needs by its excellent balance of interior space and overall maneuverability, as well as all of its other attributes, capped off with styling that, once again, really works well for me.  I left the Pilot wishing I could spend another week with behind the wheel, and this isn’t always the case with my test vehicles.

Interior

Exterior

Mechanical

Safety

Dimensions

Misc

(J003) Standard Metallic Paint

(J004) Standard Black Paint

(J005) Standard Gloss Paint