Honda Pilot

After accepting that we needed to buy a "family" car we looked at quite a number of MiniVans, SUVs and even a station wagon. As soon as we saw the Honda Pilot, all the rest fell to the side. The sleek lines of the 2004 Honda Pilot, plentiful headroom and power leave you with the sense that you are driving a sporty vehicle rather than a family car. Every other pilot owner I have encountered has had the same strong sense of satisfaction with their vehicle that I have. I will probably replace the second family vehicle with another pilot someday.

Honda Pilots are a great alternative to a minivan. 4WD availability, just as much room as a van, same engine as an oddessy, same available features as one.

I choose mine because of the color, interior, and 4WD. the color had to be red (Redrock Pearl). the interior has 3rd row seating, and it was the EX-L package (needed the tan leather). the 4WD is necessary in the wintertime. I wish I could have found all of these in a car along with the reat entertainment system. The RES it was not a deal breaker. the NAVI is also not necessary for the added cost.

I trust my Pilot to take me anywhere. these are highly dependable vehicles. I get 23-24mpg while doing 75-80 on the highway.

Downsides:
3rd row seating for 12year olds and younger- not a lot of room.
Like all Hondas, these have limited color and interior choices.
the driving position is different from a car and other vehicles I have owned. it is also dangerously close to being too small for tall people.
the cruise control button is in a very strange place.

even with the downsides, I would buy another Pilot in a heartbeat.

I got a 2005 Pilot new with every feature and NAV. I picked it because I wanted a car that would safely carry my wife and me, our two newborn children, strollers, luggage. The car has all the safety features to include roll-over prevention and impact protection, ABS, etc. It is solid and I feel smart and not ostentitious when driving it. I drive about 8k miles a year, mostly around the pot-holed streets of Washington DC and northern virginia. My only issues - the NAV can get confused on two of the local intersections (directing unnecessary turns) and the the engine started to burn oil at about 1 year old; this oil/smoking issue was corrected fully by the dealer under warranty. That said, I would recommend a warranty as I have heard that the AC system on Hondas (lately) have unusually high total failures ($4k fix per dealer!). So we had the AC issue on our 2003 CRV in 2008 (only 29k miles on it!!!). Sold the CRV.

This car is a great balance between cargo space and passenger seating. Good solution if you don't want a van, or a gas hogging SUV. Rides like a car. Very smooth. Only complaint I have is Honda scrimped on quality in certain places. You notice the plastic used in things like radio knobs, vents etc. I expected more out of Honda. And if you think you're getting a roof rack, forget it. They're roof rails, and you have to buy the cross bars and have them installed.

We really like it all in all and would recommend one.

This is almost new, but without the cost. Ali"s behavior was impeccable.
1) He returned all phone calls promptly and intelligently.
2) He explained all costs.
3) He had it delivered to my son's front door.
4) The car came with BOTH sets of keys, and the manual.
5) There were glitches on both sides of the transaction: he remained cool and helpful thruout, until there was a resolution that was amenable to me.
6) Professional attitude.
7) Unbeatable value.
8) Took PayPal!!

One of the best buys possible as a used vehicle. Large enough while still having the Honda quality behind it.

This is my first time to purchase a Honda and only my third time to go away from "American Made" Chevy or Ford. I came to this decision because I have had so many minor issues with my cars recently (I have a 2004 Avalanche and have already had to have it serviced twice). My goal was to get something that would be reliable and have the space available for my family and a couple friends. The Honda Pilot seemed to be a nice car and had very high ratings in Consumer Reports. I ended up driving the Pilot for the first time after purchasing through EBAY and flying out to get it. I have been completely elated with my purchase since then -- the finish and attention to detail is awesome. For example, there are at least four auxiliary power outlets in the vehicle for running things like phone chargers, GPS systems, dvd players, etc. My parents drive a Suburban and it only has three (and the location for them is poor). The leather seats in my pilot are wonderful and I can't wait to utilize the heated seat option when it gets cold here! I have not had the Pilot long enough to really get an idea on its long-term reliability, but I have been pleased with many things about the car and am hoping the Honda reputation holds true for me. I get excited every time the engine smoothly cranks up and it is amazing how smoothly the transmission can shift from overdrive to drive while driving on the highway (you have to be paying attention to even feel the shift). I have high expectations of this vehicle, and would recommend one to my friends anytime. I guess I have nothing negative to say at this time...

After much research and many test drives we bought a Honda Pilot LX.

'We' are your average family, 2 adults, to kids (3 and 6 yrs old) and 2 dogs (which counts as the extra 0.5 child!)

We've had the Pilot for about a month now, so I'll describe our buying experience and initial reactions.

The lease was running out on our 2 door Explorer. So we started looking. My wife wanted a big car, something that could hold all our family (and the dogs) and our gear. We do a lot of camping, skiing and we have 4 bikes to carry. We also camp in the desert and even take our kids to mountain cabins in the winter, thus we needed 4 wheel drive. She wanted a four wheel drive minivan, or a (Shudder!) Suburban. Myself, I tend to be cheap (i.e. I don't want a house on wheels) and the environmentalist in me just can't stomach a 10 mpg car.

So we looked. If you haven't been out there all the GM stuff is cheap, and way overpriced. Our relatives had caravans, but they had horror stories about broken trannies. I considered another Ford Explorer, but the dealer of our last Explorer treated us like *&^%!.

So, finally the local Honda dealer had a Pilot we could test drive. We took it on a long drive. The kids loved it. They each get their own cupholders and the passenger can climb into the back to 'help' them as needed. (This we did test while moving! A minivan would be better, but this task is much easier compared than in our Ford Explorer)

What really impressed me was the interior quality. The plastic doesn't 'give' and it doesn't squeak. It's roomy and light. The Chevy Blazer seemed claustrophobic. And the folding rear seats fold flat into the floor, unlike the either the Explorer or Blazer. Visibility is not as good as in our little Escort. The main front pillars are huge and I can't glance back to see if there are any cars in my blind spot. The pillars here are big too. You have to rely on your side mirrors, which is taking me little time to adjust too.

Another factor that sold me is that the 4wd of this car is all we really need. We don't go off road, just on dirt roads, and on snowy roads, so we didn't need low range,bush bustin 4wd.

In comparison, with all the rebates, incentives etc., both the Ford Explorer and the Trail Blazer would cost just as much, or even more!

So because of the quality, the EPA estimates and the Consumer Reports recommendation we decided to buy one. After much haggling via the phone with 3 separate dealers, we finally got MSRP but it had a 2 month wait. We decided on the LX version, but we got them to throw in a roof rack and keyless entry. This is the basic model, no DVD, no CD changer, no leather no climate control, no power seats. But it has just about everything else, cruise control, AC, CD player, Automatic, power rear view mirrors and power windows. (Does anyone remember when we had to crank windows open?)

We finally got the car. The first few times I got in, I hit my head on either the door or the door frame. The door is angled a bit more than I'm used too, but I figured it out and I haven't hit my head lately. The car drives in a nice neutral manner. It goes where you point it at the speed you want. It's almost forgettable, which is important when driving with kids. And it's quiet, a little road noise, but not harsh. All the controls are easy to use and understand, although I had to play with the CD player's tone/base/balance/fade knob to figure it out. And, the gas cap isn't tied to the car. It has a mounting spot to

It's a nice suv i love the ride, WELL DESC. AND PICTURES OF SUV ARE SO MANY FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES .THAT HELP ME TO BUY THIS SUV. AND ON PHONE DAVID ALSO HELP ME LOT.

I especially like the roominess of this vehicle. Bought it on E-Bay Motors and saved $$$$$$$$$$(estimated 8 to 10 k$)from local dealers. It has a 3rd seat good towing capacity and good mpg for a SUV. I do love my 91 Volvo but I think a Pilot is the next best thing that I've driven in my 34 years of driving many vehicles. It is a pleasure to drive.