You guys have been asking about the new Honda Pilot for a while and we're happy to have just spent the day with a couple of them! This is PART 1 and we look forward to bringing you guys PART 2 with full driving impressions on Tuesday! Stay tuned!
Nice review but doesn't help much without the driving impressions. We all want to know how it stacks up to the rest of the competitors, like so many folks favorites, the Telluride and Palisade. We've seen the car for awhile now and it's been released to the markets and on dealers lots. Why is there an embargo for the driving portion? I guess I just don't understand why you'd have to hold back.
Honda killed it in this segment: 1) Naturally aspirated V6 and not turbocharged 2) Large cargo room even with 3rd row seats up 3) Roomy interior/seats 4) Bulky enough to handle rough weather/terrain 5) Decent fuel economy 6) Again, no turbocharging nonsense and over the top gimmicky interior
Hey guys! I watched many many videos over and over again and always came back to the Honda Pilot. I guess I've always been a Honda girl. I had a 1992 Honda Accord and loved it. As my family grew from 2 to 4, we went for the 2007 Honda CRV and have kept it because of its reliability and good condition after all these years (over 200,000 miles). There is wear on tear on the leather but hey, kids and almost 16 years will do that to any vehicle. We needed a vehicle that would haul our kids and their cousins and friends. So we went for the 2023 Honda Pilot Touring with added AWD and haven't regretted it one bit. We have had it since March and drove it almost 6,000 miles. I love everything but here are the things I absolutely love. The enormous interior size of the vehicle is so roomy. Adults and kids alike feel very comfortable sitting in any row; the 9" infotainment system works great. I have an android phone and it is so amazingly convenient. Our previous car did not have one so having one now is such a luxury. No need for a huge one when this one provides me with the information I need. My favorite parts of the front seats are the comfortable seats, wireless charging, everything on the steering wheel, multiple cup holders and wireless commands like text, call, weather and directions. Remember, I am coming from a 2007 Honda CRV so these features are HUGE for me. My kids are in love with the backseat and so am I. They have temperature controls and vents back there, which we did not have in CRV. Plenty of cup holders and compartments for all their toys, gizmos, etc. Love that they can each charge their iphone and tablet without having to use ours up front. The seats are wicked comfortable and huge with lots of leg room. We appreciate the ability to take the middle seat out of the 2nd row but have needed that precious space for a butt for sure. Pano moonroof gives the interior a nice airiness and lots of light. Cargo is smaller than my old CRV but it is more than enough for my family and our travels. I love the hands free and the walk away feature for the trunk. The drive itself is smooth and refined, just like you said. And I love that the steering wheel is light, considering how much driving I do. It handles beautifully. I'm glad to know that I can depend on this car to care of my family for many many years.
For those that are planing on buying this first refresh. Make sure you’re doing a thorough inspection. Had two member having issue already, one has brake booster failed and the other the rear view mirror fell off
Thats why they have 3yrs complimentary maintenance. They know they got issues, but put it on the market anyway. Not a fan of the black plastic because it always gets discolored. Also, no rear LEDs on the ELITE??? Not impressed I will keep my 22 ELITE
That happens at times I traded a 3rd Gen Accord for a new redesign 4th Gen Accord. They 1st batch came into Dealership on a Thursday. I went to look Saturday. I picked it up on Wednesday. The power window on drivers went down didn't come back up. That was Saturday. I had garage so stayed parked Sunday. First at Dealership Monday mourning. They had just received that technical bulletin to roll drivers window up-down 10x. Window Regulators were bad that window. I
@@fredmoss4540 that’s crazy! I’m going to wait for a bit. Even Toyota has some issues. I can’t imaging other car manufacturers that don’t have good track record for quality
@Kanti123 I wouldn't let that worry me you can have issues that can come up two decades later if you still own vehicle. My 2000 Acura 3.2 TL I still own just shy of 105,000 miles. 23yrs old I purchased it new Dec 1999. It came off truck Dec 23, 99. I picked up Dec 28th.99. The transmission issue Honda had with multiple years of that car and others. It was 2007 when I had the issue.They had recall did check. The transmission went out awhile after that. They had extended the warranty on transmission. I squeaked in they Acura gave me remanufactured transmission. I had new Acura MDX for a week to drive. But still now the Airbag Recall just had that done this past October. Also seatbelt latch buckle caused SRS Light. I had checked at non Acura Dealer. But when Airbag the did seatbelt latch switch also. Covered by warranty at 23yrs old. The 2007 Ridgeline in the family has 219,000 miles. Airbag Recall on that also. It also just November went in for safety Recall check for rust under fuel tank brackets. Only certain areas were they use type of road salt in winter. At 15yrs old Covered under warranty.
Was in the market for a highlander but when i heared they ditched the v6 for the 4cyl turbo i was like nahh so now im in the market for the pilot trail sport now honda won me over.
I understand why automakers make their rear turn signal and reverse lights incandescent. It is also more acceptable, imo, to make the brake lights incandescent too. Making them LED is very strenuous to the eyes of those motorists at the back. The eyestrain brought about by LED headlights to other drivers is more than enough to cause hazardous driving experience. Power on the other hand is much less compared to the Highlander considering that it is bigger. The new Mazda CX90 will be the most powerful in this class.
Glad to hear someone agree with my opinion of headlights these days. At night I'm willing to swear half of the drivers have their high beams on but I'm pretty sure it's just the types of lights.
For Elite I would expect: -12 inch MMD -4 way lumbar -power tilt steering wheel -soft touch near knee rest and soft touch areas on rear doors -Cooled rear seats -Third row rear Sunshades -additional Wireless phone charger -Powered running boards
I don't expect all of these features, but most of them at least. For the same price, the Palisade is still the better car with more features. Honda has a real packaging issue with their vehicles this generation.
@ishaansaral502 Maybe to you but more people are still buying Pilots and for context the Palisade doesn't have a power steering column, doesn't have soft touch knee area the floating console is plastic as is this one, it has one wireless charger nor wireless carplay on highest models & does not offer power running boards so bye. These are not Tahoes or Expeditions✌🏽
@@lryoung17 Yes and that's why I said MOST, which the Palisade does have. Sure Honda fanboys will buy the Pilot. Doesn't mean it's best in class or as good as competitors like the Palisade.
Longtime Honda guy with an S2000 and another sold S2000 and original NSX (plus Legend and 2 Fits). That said, also just bought a 2023 Telluride SX Prestige for the wife. Time will tell how well it holds up but man oh man, do the features and overall interior seem to blow this away. The Telluride when you're in it feels almost like it is competing in a segment right above the midsize family haulers. Bigger screens, classier looking dash and buttons, heated and cooled seats even in the back, more soft touch, 'suede' headliner, and on and on. This looks like a nice place to be, but it definitely just looks 'Honda' with dark hard touch plastics, including in common touch points. Nobody would say it has asperations of luxury. The only two things I am jealous about...the wireless Carplay and it sounds like auto-dimming side mirrors like my SQ5. With that said, wireless Carplay seems to be glitchy, at least in the Audi. The Carplay may be fixed with the over-the-air updates the Telluride can now get in 2023. I was a bit nervous to watch this video but I feel a bit better now. I'm certainly not left with a feeling of buyers remorse...unless the driving impressions say the Pilot rides like a Rolls Royce.
I would say Telluride if there isn't a markup. The resale value drop doesn't hit the Telluride like it does with the other Kia models. I personally don't like the revised Telliride exterior but their interior is a lot nicer. It's a touch choice but if I was in the market for a 50K SUV then I would land on the MDX though. The driving experience matters to me a lot so that's what I'm going for.
@@volcalstone yeah I got it for MSRP. I’d say I liked the exterior prefacelift more but it’s growing on me. You also take what you can get. Ordered in Jan 2022 and gout it Dec 23. If you want msrp, you wait. As far as driving dynamics, I wanted a comfortable boat. Haha. I’ve got the SQ5 and the S2000. The wife doesn’t care as long as it’s comfortable and it’s our family and road-trip car.
Good review. Honda did a great job with this update. My wife has a 2018 and I would not consider buying that version. But I could see putting this one on the list when I am ready for a new car. I like that it still had a V6 where Toyota dropped that on the Highlander. I do think they missed a few things that will hopefully come in a future year or the mid cycle refresh. First, the 9” infotainment screen is a complete miss and is out of date from the start. Way too small. Also, from what I can tell there is no interior multi-color LED lighting like the competition, another miss for me, though not as big as the screen size. Also, I am disappointed that they don’t have a Black Edition trim. I saw a previous generation Pilot BE at the dealer and, despite my thoughts on the style of that generation, it looked great. I suspect this new body would look amazing in a Black Edition. I don’t even see in their build tool any accessories to black out the badging and Honda logos. Maybe it’s a fad, but the black out look is big right now and I really like it.
The Black Edition is available in Canada on dealer lots but not in the US. Don't know if it could be ordered but you might inquire at a US dealership. Also, not having multi-colored ambient lighting is not going to be a dealbreaker for most folks.
Kudos for being the first professional review on the 23 Pilot. Being the latest 3 row midsize SUV, I think Honda could've done better. 1. No digital review mirror 2. should have 2 wireless chargers as this is a family hauler 3. larger infotainment screen 4. more ground clearance for TrailSport (at least 9 in) 5. time for the timing chain instead of belt
Yeah plus with how well-packaged the popular Telluride and Palisade are, the Pilot could have tried to match some of their exclusive features considering it costs the same.
I love the new look. I’m just wondering why there’s an embargo when 1. The vehicle is already out and 2. there’s a video of a lady from Arkansas (posted a month ago) who already has an elite 🤔.
Why doesn't Honda make a hybrid pilot? That's the only way to compete more fairly with the highlander hybrid. People want the space and larger passenger capacity of a three row suv, but saving money on gas is also crucial.
my theory for why honda didn’t implement the 12 inch display in the pilot, is because this was already in the making before the new accord was introduced so Honda I guess didn’t have enough time to make the 12 inch screen in time. If this wasnt already unveiled before the accord. However even though 9 inches is sufficient enough for the consumers, in a day in age where we have 10 inch to full 30+ inches of screen in vehicles 9 inches is pretty small for this class. I think Honda should do a half model year like VW with the atlas. Just to add those few extra inches.
Just looked at one today. It's bigger but it looks smaller. The hood is much lower.I looked at an ex-l and they don't come with a sunroof anymore like the 2021 I'm driving now. It's still a great SUV. The Toyota Highlander and the Ford Explorer dropped the V6 for a 4cly Turbo only. No thanks.
the biggest problem with this segment is availability , you have to pre order everything , wait 3-6 months and might not even get the exact configuration you want. And possibly pay 5k-10 ABOVE msrp. And 7+% interest rate right now , GRRRRRRR
@@ramennoodlz are insurance rates higher on the X5 or the Pilot? Hondas are typically quite expensive. I only ask because I have full coverage on 2 new BMW’s for 140/month.
@@rival121 Actually forget what I said about insurance I didn’t look into it too in depth, but the rates depend among different models, with BMW being a luxury model and parts being more expensive they’re a tad bit more expensive, but with Hondas being more popular on the road and therefore being in more accidents it kinda makes the insurance even. But maintenance upkeep like oil changes and stuff (if you don’t have free maintenance plans with either car) will probably end up getting the BMW to being more expensive in the long run
As a proud owner of a 2023 Elite Pilot who’s called #Mystique I looooooooove my Pilot. Spacious for me since I’m a bigger dude, but just all the features I got with the Elite it was worth it!
I think an addition to your reviews is you pulling out the vehicle maroney sticker and going over the standards and options and total price of the vehicle you’re driving. Aside from that another good one as usual.
No really. I think it looks more like the Pathfinder on the side and Ascent on the back. To me if I'm spending Elite money then I might as well just get an MDX instead. The Pilot does have more space though but if you don't need it then I rather get the MDX. The sweet spot for the Pilot is the Touring or Trailsport. Pick your flavor.
You're not imaging. Honda is the Parent Company of Acura. Acura is Honda Premium Luxury line. The new Pilot is the MDX in Utility form. Besides the Pilot is the blueprint of the MDX. It all started with the Pilot.
The Acura MDX Type-S Advance Happy Good Good Car also STARTS at $73,000. Sorry but I have better things to do with my money than spend it on a car that only serves to self-pleasure your ego. 🤣
27 year GM owner (9 )...got burned with GM warranty policies so - first timer on imports - I can't believe it lol. GREAT review, thank you. Question for anyone: The smoothness of ride on this Pilot - vs a Buick Enclave - any comparisons or opinions? Thank you
We just got our first 2023 pilot in at my dealership today in Minnesota, unfortunately it was a Touring in Platinum White Pearl, so nothing too special but i do very like them and excited to drive it
It’s way behind Hyundai and Kia. The telluride and palisade have dual 12” screens. Including a true 100% digital gauge cluster. If you look at the Pilot’s gauge cluster, you’ll notice there’s still a little bit of analog icons on either side
@eBikify Who cares those take up a portion of the Hyundai/Kia cluster and are stagnant anyway, so it's nice to get those out of the way plus I'm sure the plastic pieces on either side of the infotainment are for when it gets refreshed by then the new 12in. screen will be available the Accord always debuts newer tech just as the Camry does for Toyota. The functionality of the screen is more important than size and it seems fast and clear and offers the same features the Hyundai/Kia does.
@@lryoung17 It definitely doesn’t offer the same features as Hyundai/Kia’s gauge cluster does. For example, Hyundai/Kia have the very useful and high tech “blind spot cameras” that display in the cluster screen when using either turn signal. Honda makes you pay more, for less.
Honda is the best SUV. We have 1 pilot 2022 in my family and have driven many times. So reliable and comfortable.one thing i couldn't understand,why Honda doesn't give the hydraulic hood while my chevy imapala 2006 has that. But its fine its not a big deal i guess. Soon will get 2023 pilot elite IA🥰
I actually think the Pathfinder looks the best in this class. Inside and out. One thing I really like about this Pilot is the center seat/removable compartment in the second row. What I really don't like is from the exterior side view behind the 2nd row door...that large window and the rear combo ruins the look overall. It doesn't blend with the rest of the vehicle. It reminds me of the 90's Honda Passport. Just my opinion.
Man that " CoCo Brown " interior is sweet . ( 2016 owner ) . To bad you won't be able to get one of those for less than 60K . As long as they're ppl spending 9 to 16K over sticker , greedy Dealers will continue to gouge . I'll wait until Nov/Dec 23 to order/buy mine .
I got quoted $62K out the door. That's MSRP of $53,385 + $3500 add ons , taxes. However, They initially tried me for $62,020 but I "talked them down" to $60k.
I really like the changes that came with this redesign. Especially the design. I get some chevy traverse, dodge durango and 4runner vibes from it and makes it really look good, and stand out .especially looking at the previous gen. It has a more confident and muscular vibe vs the soft and more “feminine” look of the previous gen as well. however there are some things i wish Honda could have improved on. One of those being the rear lighting. Its not bad per say its just that for 53 grand they could be full LED and it doesn’t really match the premium character that this pilot is trying to convey. I also think that they could’ve used a little more soft materials in certain areas of the cars and make the screen larger. Other than that, this is a great product. I definitely think they did better with this redesign than nissan with the pathfinder but thats subjective others may see differently.
That's pretty much how I felt about it. I drove one today and was pretty disappointed honestly. The screen size for a 2023 was disappointing. It should have come with the one that will be in the new Accord. The second row leg room was the biggest let down though. I had the driver's seat set where I'd be comfortable driving and the second row pushed all of the way back, and my knees touched the front seats. I just drove a 2023 Palisade last week and it was honestly a lot nicer, more room and less money.
@@dailycruise8550 the thing with the Palisade is that the powetrain is not as durable as honda's. Nonetheless, i think the palisade's interior is a whole different level compared to honda.
@@legendaryslayer1234 Ah. Yeah, I wasn't sure on that. Never driven a car with cylinder disable so I would have to drive one before I decided to disable it. But I would have no problem doing an aftermarket mod if required. Thanks for the info!
13:47 Why isn’t anyone opening the panoramic sunroof completely? They took away the blue ray / entertainment system for the back passengers… they should sell this feature more, show us why it’s so amazing. We have a 2019 Elite withe the dual sunroofs and so far I don’t see how this made it better.
I have the sport how come it’s not as deep the rear trunk storage is it got something to do with a spare tire sales guy didn’t have a clue I believe the EXL did to goes down about 6 inches farther in the middle
Thanks for reviewing the 2023 Honda Pilot Elite trim. You seem to be about 3 cu ft low on the space behind the 3rd row (vs other reviewers.) Who is correct?
I love the brown leather interior, but it's limited on the paint color. Still no electric tilt/telescoping steering wheel. You can get it in the premium trim levels on some of the competitors. Something about the single knob on the screen is not quite right.
Really love your reviews, you guys are easily one of my favorite review channels. PS. Do you guys still have the Sonata N Line, and how is is it holding up?
Thanks, Keith! We do still have it and we made an ownership update a couple months ago. Everything's still going well since then except that the transmission is now under recall so we will have to have the software reflashed soon.
@LR Young The Odyssey doesn't have Torque Vectorng AWD System this Elite Pilot has. IVTM4 AWD Torque Vectorng is mechanically similar to Acura Super Handling AWD System. However in 2019 Pilot,Ridgeline Passport they are Tuned differently from MDX and RDX. Odyssey doesn't offer AWD.
@fredmoss4540 AWD is added to a powertrain but it is not a powertrain because without the engine and transmission, an AWD system would be incomplete it is merely a piece of that puzzle. 🤦🏽♂️
All that was missing was a 12” info screen for the car to look beautiful inside and more competitive with its competitors. Honda, because it wanted to be too cheap, lost a beautiful opportunity to put something better internally... it lost a buyer because I even made a reservation to buy a black edition exclusive to Canada but when I went to see a touring test drive today I was disappointed with the some parts of the finish and mainly with the size of the screen which “YES” is small by today's standards and I asked for my thousand dollars of deposits back I canceled the purchase… The car runs very smooth and has the powerful engine but with total the financing with government rates and the bank interest, which is 7.69%, the car would cost 103 thousand dollars and that is too much for an average SUV…
They engineered the armrest into the back of the center seat. And I don't think the Pilot is as wide as the Odyssey. That's probably why they couldn't go that route.
I think that’s a very nice looking new pilot and probably a much better car than the palisade or telluride. If I was in the market for such a vehicle, I think I buy this one.
I can personally let you know that it isn't better than either one of those cars. I actually just test drove the Pilot Elite today and was very disappointed with it. I drove a 2023 Palisade last week The interior was a lot nicer, better features and a lot more second row leg room. That was the biggest let down for the size of the car.
I'd argue that the Telluride and Pallisade offer more features for the $ than the Pilot, assuming top trim on each. Like, this Pilot doesn't even have full LED taillights...like what? Telluride has two 12.3 in screens and they aren't locked to the top trim. Blind spot view is missing on this elite. No 3D surround camera...not a necessity, but why pay more for fewer features?
Love the PILOT and you guys did great. But could you guys correct the cargo space? It's 22cf behind the 3rd row and then 114cf if 2nd and 3rd rows are down?
Thanks! Those higher numbers are when Honda uses a measurement method that counts the spaces between seats. That's not the industry standard of how rivals measure cargo volumes, so these lower numbers are the correct ones using the standard technique.
That screen size is horrendous for such a big vehicle especially if your planning to keep this suv for 5+ years (its already outdated)... Also put the bench seat in the trail sport... Waiting to see what the the Toyota Grand Highlander is going to offer...
I'd give it a score of 8 out of 10, what's my dislikes? The front grill for starters, the Acura grill is so beautifully designed as the Pilot (and the other new 23 Honda models) it just seems like Honda phoned it in (very lazy & cheap looking). Also would like an Hybrid option & wished the rear wiper was tucked under the spoiler up top. The interior, I think Honda nailed it, over all it's sweet, nice & big!
Guys I’m a Hyundai Tucson owner but this New for 2023 Designed Pilot as well as the Newly designed C-RV, which I recently test drove & liked very much, except for the fact there’s NO PANORAMIC SUNROOF OPTION AT ALL EVEN ON THE TOP-Trim TOURING Hybrid is a disappointment. There’s just a regular sunroof on that Touring Hybrid AWD!…My Tucson is an Ultimate trim and has the Panoramic sun-roof which I’ve gotten quite used to. It seems Honda has given this new Pilot the option of the Panoramic roof and not the C-RV! But booth vehicles have that “Boxy-Look” about them which I like a lot. This Pilot has ALL THE BELLS & WHISTLES being the top-spec Elite trim including a heads-up display, and other niceties which I really like, & have me thinking of purchasing this vehicle or maybe the C-RV when it’s time for me to trade-in my Tucson. I’m not a fan of Hyundai’s Newly designed Tucson at all, but like the brand very much, but I might go with this Pilot or the C-RV when it’s time to trade-in! Great review as ALWAYS guys!
