# Honda Pilot ?



## Frank Rizzo (Aug 2, 2003)

I think I'm gonna buy a Honda Pilot EX-L Navi for daily commuting duties. I'm too old to be driving a pickup every day, and there is no place to carry any stuff or more than one client in a Ranger. I almost pulled the trigger on an 06 F-150 super crew, sticker was $40k but with rebates and dealer haggle, it knocks $10K off price... (what does that tell you?), but I could not get past the 14MPG (and the fact that my 2006 Ranger conked out on the freeway in traffic at rush hour las month due a faulty inertia switch...).
I keep eyeballing an X3, but I cant picture one without ZPP, ZSP, 19"s and heated seats + BiX....that's closer to $50k. I'd have a hard time loading bags O' cement in it - mentally.

The dealers around here are kind of bending over to move Pilots - Sticker is $34.7k, Invoice is about $31.5k and I've gotten quotes in the low $30k range already.
C&D 10 Best list 5 years in a row, large enough to haul home improvement supplies, 18+ MPG, great ride, low key, trouble free.

I was looking at the RDX by Acura, but the turbo 4 does not do much for me and it feels too small + $4k more. Plus I can put the savings towards an E46 M3 now 

OK - Flame away.


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## Test_Engineer (Sep 11, 2004)

My brother owns a Honda Pilot and loves it..... Only option not available that he wish it had was heated seats(he lives in Chicago). But basically a pretty good vehicle all around.


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## BmW745On19's (Aug 12, 2005)

I'd get the Ridgeline, those are Pilot's with a bed.


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## BlackChrome (Nov 16, 2003)

Test_Engineer said:


> My brother owns a Honda Pilot and loves it..... Only option not available that he wish it had was heated seats(he lives in Chicago). But basically a pretty good vehicle all around.


Starting with MY04, heated seats are standard with leather interior (EXL). 

I work at a Honda dealership and honestly, we don't see that many problems with the Pilot. The early Pilots have EGR problems but that's basically it. The tranny is much better than the '99-'04 Odyssey and '98-'02 Accord V6 (which we replace on a regular basis  ).

Have you looked at the 2006 MDX (last gen)? I am sure Acura dealers want to get rid of them as fast as they can.


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## vexed (Dec 22, 2001)

Robsa bought a Pilot, you may want to ask him but I believe he likes it. I tried to talk my wife into one instead of the XC90


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## Frank Rizzo (Aug 2, 2003)

BmW745On19's said:


> I'd get the Ridgeline, those are Pilot's with a bed.


No Offense to TeamM3, but they are a little homely. I did consider it. Dont need AWD in So Calif.

BC: I thought about the MDX when i was looking at the RDX, but the delta between an 06 MDX/Navi and the Pilot with Navi is still close to $10k. I'd rather put it towards the M3 Fund. I dont think there is enough difference. Thanks for the inside info.

..


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## pilotman (Feb 2, 2006)

I don't like the Honda Pilot because it is essentially a mini-van.

Nearly identical to the Odyssey. This can be good if you want a very car-like ride with lots of room and a soccer mom feel.

I opted for a 2007 toyota 4runner for 29k.

The Pilot/Odyssey used to have major transmission problems but another poster says those have been fixed now.

If you don't need all that room, get an X3. I leased an X3 for my wife with 15k miles per year, zero down other than MSDs which we get back, pretty loaded with premium, navi, htd everything for $385 per month including tax!

Of course that is ED.

Seriously, those deals are still going on now, I'll bet you could lease one for $350-400 no problem even with 15k miles per year.

Do you want something that handles like an aircraft carrier or a BMW?


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## Robsa (Jan 20, 2005)

vexed said:


> Robsa bought a Pilot, you may want to ask him but I believe he likes it.


I do like it alot. Not so crazy about the looks on the outside but the inside is very nice. Comfortable seats even on long trips. Mine is a FWD EX-L so it has the cylinder shutdown feature. Since my commute is on the highway where I can use cruise control the little "ECO" light showing that I'm running on 3 cylinders is on probably 75% of the time. I routinely get about 21 mpg in mixed driving. Plenty of room, power, and good mileage. My wife likes to fold down the 2nd row and sit in the 3rd row with her feet up on those long trips. It's a great vehicle with nice rebates now that I already have one.


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## Frank Rizzo (Aug 2, 2003)

I was hoping you would chime in. Thanks.

.


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## Robsa (Jan 20, 2005)

Frank Rizzo said:


> I was hoping you would chime in. Thanks.


:thumbup:

My Brother in law has a Pilot and just bought a Ridgeline. He can't believe how bad the mileage is with the Ridgeline. I'm talking about the 15-16 range.


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## vexed (Dec 22, 2001)

Robsa said:


> :thumbup:
> 
> My Brother in law has a Pilot and just bought a Ridgeline. He can't believe how bad the mileage is with the Ridgeline. I'm talking about the 15-16 range.


One of my clients has a Ridgeline and he told me as soon as his renovation is over he is dumping it as it is too big and hard to park. The turning circles on trucks in general sux, although I miss my beater Mazda B3000. I would consider driving a Pilot, homely but functional.


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## #5880 (Feb 11, 2006)

BlackChrome said:


> The tranny is much better than the '99-'04 Odyssey and '98-'02 Accord V6 (which we replace on a regular basis  ).
> 
> .


The wife made me buy her the Odyssey when it first came out, we replaced the tranny 4 times over 100,000 miles!

She like the e90 better!


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## BlackChrome (Nov 16, 2003)

Frank Rizzo said:


> BC: I thought about the MDX when i was looking at the RDX, but the delta between an 06 MDX/Navi and the Pilot with Navi is still close to $10k. I'd rather put it towards the M3 Fund. I dont think there is enough difference. Thanks for the inside info.


Oops, I forgot you are looking at 2WD Pilots. In that case, forget the MDX (which comes with 4WD only).

One thing I really like about the Pilots with navi: standard rear view camera. Very useful in a vehicle like this.



pilotman said:


> The Pilot/Odyssey used to have major transmission problems but another poster says those have been fixed now.


The Pilot didn't really have the tranny problems like the Odyssey/Accord V6 do. On average, we order 3 to 5 transmissions for Ody/Accord per week. I have only personally seen 2 Pilots needed a new tranny in the last 16 months.



Robsa said:


> ...Since my commute is on the highway where I can use cruise control the little "ECO" light showing that I'm running on 3 cylinders is on probably 75% of the time. I routinely get about 21 mpg in mixed driving....


Just a FYI, when the 'ECO' light is on, it doesn't always mean it's on 3-cylinder mode. It simply means that the engine is operating at the most efficient condition (with either 3 or 6 cylinders).

That's what I learned from Honda training session. I also found this:

Link



> The activation and deactivation of the three cylinders is imperceptible, and the only hint that the system is working is the "ECO" light on the dashboard. However, *this light doesn't necessarily mean that the system is active, but rather than the engine is running at its most efficient.*





lao270 said:


> The wife made me buy her the Odyssey when it first came out, we replaced the tranny 4 times over 100,000 miles!


The current gen Odyssey (05+) has a much better tranny than the 99-04. I have yet to see one that had a tranny problem.


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## 99flhr (Apr 12, 2005)

Frank Rizzo;
OK - Flame away.[/QUOTE said:


> No flames here, two co-workers have Pilots and by all accounts they`re great.
> How about a FWD V-6 Escape? Might be simpler/cheaper to trade your Ranger back to Ford for one of those.


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## jbcritch (Sep 27, 2006)

Frank Rizzo said:


> I think I'm gonna buy a Honda Pilot EX-L Navi for daily commuting duties. I'm too old to be driving a pickup every day, and there is no place to carry any stuff or more than one client in a Ranger. I almost pulled the trigger on an 06 F-150 super crew, sticker was $40k but with rebates and dealer haggle, it knocks $10K off price... (what does that tell you?), but I could not get past the 14MPG (and the fact that my 2006 Ranger conked out on the freeway in traffic at rush hour las month due a faulty inertia switch...).
> I keep eyeballing an X3, but I cant picture one without ZPP, ZSP, 19"s and heated seats + BiX....that's closer to $50k. I'd have a hard time loading bags O' cement in it - mentally.
> 
> The dealers around here are kind of bending over to move Pilots - Sticker is $34.7k, Invoice is about $31.5k and I've gotten quotes in the low $30k range already.
> ...


Buy a 1 year old Certifiied Acura MDX for the same price. I did for the wife! :thumbup: Same vehicle without the "van" stereotype (and still has 3rd row seats).


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## jbcritch (Sep 27, 2006)

lao270 said:


> The wife made me buy her the Odyssey when it first came out, we replaced the tranny 4 times over 100,000 miles!
> 
> She like the e90 better!


NEVER buy the first model year car ....even a BMW :eeps:


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## Frank Rizzo (Aug 2, 2003)

I hate to swtich gears, but I'm leaning more twords the Acura RDX now.

I like the SH-AWD, paddle shifters, and the stereo is really the most amazing I've heard in a factory vehicle: http://www.elssurround.com/rdx.asp.

And the real time traffic display on the Nav screen is kind of cool , comes with a back up camera also.

Kind of up in the air about the 4cyl turbo....not my first choice but it seems to work well, very little turbo lag. They are not selling well at all so it's pretty easy to get one for invoice (but the Pilot was about $1k below invoice).

Plus it does not have the "soccer Mom" feel. :eeps: It's "only" $3k more than a Pilot EX-L with Nav.

:dunno:


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## AzNMpower32 (Oct 23, 2005)

Did you just not read the post before yours? Away from first model year

I thought the RDX was supposed to be an X3 competitor.....why not look at a new or CPO X3?


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## elbert (Mar 28, 2002)

I have a 2004 Pilot. It seems like you're looking at a new one, so some of my comments might not apply since there was a major revision since then.

- It's been very reliable. No tranny problems yet (knock on wood) and the fluid seemed to be in good condition when I changed it (good color, no burnt smell). 
edit: it does have a tranny cooler that comes with a tow package.

-It's very easy to service, if you're a diy-er. 

-It's huge inside with all the seats folded down, the only downside is the second row doesn't fold completely flat. 

-It drives quite well, handling is good enough to scare people when giving them rides :angel: 

-The AWD system works very well, I can sometimes feel a slight tug of steering wheel when it is activated, but it operates very smoothly. Good ground clearance for big snow drifts, something I'm sure you encounter in LA on a regular basis.

The downsides:
-The seats are horrible and would give me a backache if I didn't use a lumbar roll. Headrests were designed by the village idiot, it's shaped like a ring so there is literally no material right where you want to put your head. I think this has been fixed on newer pilots.

- I get 20 mpg on road trips (using cruise control), about 15 mixed driving. Not bad but not that much better than some v8 suvs. The newer pilots have cylinder deactivation so maybe that helps.

- The engine makes decent power but imo is gutless if you carry a lot of adult bodies or tow anything. The transmission is very slow to drop a gear (or two) which amplifies its lack of grunt. It does "learn" your driving patterns so that's good. No 5th gear lockout though.

- The steering wheel vibrates at 70-75 mph, a fairly common complaint. There's a thread on hondapilot.org where they tried using chassis braces found on the mdx (but not the pilot) that supposedly helps.

- Some people complain of "warped rotors" but real culprit are the crappy brake pads which overheat quickly and leaves deposits on the rotors. You also might want to consider new tires if your pilot comes with Goodyear Integrities.

- There are a bunch of rattles and buzzing body panels, which started about three days after I got it new.

My pilot is my daily beater and does the job. But the lease is up this summer and as of right now I don't think I'd get another one.

Check out hondapilot.org. Some of the technical knowledge is a bit lacking (like the warped rotors bit), but it's fairly active and you can get some decent diy info.


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## emPoWaH (Dec 26, 2002)

Don't buy the Pilot. Our Odyssey has the same transmission, and it's been acting up since ~25K mi. On an Odyclub.com poll, the failure rate is 33%.

Personally I'd get the new Saturn Outlook or GMC Acadia. It can actually fit eight adults, has more power, one more gear, a better warranty, a nicer interior, and better fuel economy.


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