The Fearsome 2024 Honda Pilot

In this review, we're taking a close look at the 2024 Honda Pilot, a standout contender among its rivals. It's making waves as one of the top picks in its price range for the 2024 model year. With its impressive features and performance, the Pilot is setting a high bar for others to follow.

How Are The Tech And Features?

First, let's talk about technology. As we go through this list, keep in mind that just because something is less ideal for video doesn't mean it's inherently terrible. The tech bundle isn't inferior to the competitors, but it's not that amazing either. You cannot buy the top-of-the-line Elite model with the heads-up display in Touring trim. Unlike the CRV, you get a 10.25-inch digital cluster here. It doesn't change much, but at least it's there. Also, you have the option of a standard 7-inch or an enhanced 9-inch screen for your middle screen. It's a little strangely smaller than the cluster, but it's also the smallest among the competitors. 

You get a 360-degree camera, but only on Elites and Trail Sport trim. Again, you get wireless Apple CarPlay on models with the updated 9-inch screen, and some competitors bring wireless Apple CarPlay as standard. You have Cabin Talk, so it's easier to hear yourself without having to turn and take your eyes off the road in the third row. And of course, you have Honda Sensing, which is good but not quite Hyundai. So again, the systems and technology are objectively pretty good. When you start comparing them to other competitors - Toyotas, Hyundais - it's not quite falling short. But still definitely good enough to be useful and usable and feel modern.

Third, the Pilot lacks only a few small luxuries. It probably won't be a deal breaker for you, but it's worth noting that you get something from the competition that you don't get from the Honda. Things like a cooled second row, heated third row, but again, that's just the Palisade. A very foldable third row, but then again, it's only a Palisade, so it's really more of an anomaly than anything else. And then there are a few other things that are exclusive to the Elite trim, like the cooled front seats you get as standard on the VW Atlas and a head-up display that seems to be exclusive to the Elite trim. 

So talking about the third line, which is objectively good, but is on the smaller end of the segment. The Mazda CX90 and Subaru Ascent are the only ones with a smaller third row. Unlike some competitors, you have three seat belts. The size is decent, but you get more in a Grand Highlander or Atlas. But honestly, two 6-footers could fit in here relatively comfortably. I have two cups on one side, a vent, a USB-C charger, and it's the same on the other side. So still pretty decent, but again compared to the competition it's not exactly at the top of the segment.

And then for the second row, now technically in terms of space and dimensions, You're the second line here, you can slide it, it can bend, they're heated, they're not cooled, which we talked about before. You can get a bench seat or captain's chairs and you can even remove the seat depending on the trim and configuration you get. There's climate control, air vents, plenty of rear seat pockets, even a separate phone pocket, and you even get roller blinds and a panoramic sunroof. So it's not Spartan at all here.

How Powerful Is The Machinery?

There is now only one engine option available for this Pilot, and the V6 is actually the only one offered by the Koreans. This is a Honda V6 engine, 3.5-liter naturally aspirated. It can generate 262 pound-feet of torque and 285 horsepower with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It's good; it takes around 7 seconds to go from 0 to 60. Not at all a poor engine. It only manages to get approximately 21 MPG combined.

It is the only one that still offers both a naturally aspirated V6. The two available engine options for the VW Atlas and Subaru Ascent are a turbocharged 2-liter or a turbocharged 4-cylinder. However, the one significant issue is the fuel economy; the Grand Highlanders and CX90's combined 21 MPG is at the bottom of the class, and hybrid and even plug-in hybrid vehicles are becoming more and more common. 

And the next point is about forwarding. Front-wheel drive is standard here, which isn't uncommon, but it's also scaled back. Some competitors now offer you all-wheel drive as standard. Now there's Mazda, there's Subaru, and I believe the Grand Highlander, so everything new, plus of course the Subaru Ascent, which has been around for a while.

And you might be thinking, "Oh, it's a three-row SUV, it's not that good to drive." But this and the CX90 are easily the best driver's vehicles in the segment. The V6 is great here, it's fun to roll and play, the steering, while it doesn't have a lot of feel or feedback, is actually quite accurate and quite precise. You have a decent front end, the cushion is nice and snug, not super soft or super bouncy, but not too puffy or too bouncy either. And the four-wheel drive system with its torque vectoring and magic feels playful, it feels fun to drive. I don't know how many people care about the sporty, fun-loving personality of their family tricycle, but if you do, that's what you want.

And secondly, you get a pretty fun tool. Now that's pretty cool. You can see we have the captain's chairs standing up, but if you raise the floor here, you have a middle seat, so you can turn it into a bench. But you can also put it back to make it easier to get to the third row if you only need seating for six. That's pretty cool. You also have plenty of storage space and thoughtful touches like the dash up front. So it's just for families and you can use this product every day no matter what you do.

And speaking of towing, the front-wheel-drive Pilots max out at about 3,500 pounds, but if you opt for all-wheel drive, the towing capacity is 5,000 pounds. and it is brilliantly competitive with the rest of the segment. So pretty good.

How Much Capacity Do You Get?

If you zoom out and talk about the body more generally, now it's quite practical for several reasons. First, you have a tailgate with power and a kick move. But with the third row up, there's about 18.6 cubic feet of room. Drop that third row and you're looking at nearly 49 cubic meters of space. And with the second row down and everything down, you'll see 87 cubic feet of space. And they are pretty much number one in their class. The Atlas and Grand Highlander, as we said in all the videos, add more and more space. But here, as we talked about, you have a huge storage area under the floor, where you can even fit the middle second-row seat. So it's not like you're missing out on extra space or practicality.

Is It Stylish, Really?

And in terms of styling, the Pilot just looks pretty cool. You have a very classic SUV shape, you have standard LED headlights, you have chrome grille accents that remind me a little of a Grand Highlander, but they look good. You have LED fog lights and from the profile you can see that you increase the headroom and boot space in the shape of the vehicle. 

The Trail Sport gets an extra inch of ground clearance, but out back are the crab taillights we're used to. These are LED lights, except for the turn signal, and you have dual exhausts. In a world where everyone's design seems polarizing or crazy, the Pilot is simply classically beautiful. It's simple, comfortable and looks great.

What’s The Price Tag On This Thing?

And then let's talk about the price. $37,900 is on the cheaper end of the segment, especially for newer hybrid offerings. But the only cheaper options in this segment are the Subaru ENT, the Hyundai Palisade to a small extent and the Kia Telluride, which again are pretty close, ie. the oldest options in the segment. So this pilot is so new that it represents really good value. So the price, that's the pro.

In terms of build design, and sturdiness, It feels just a half-step above the rest of the segment. And you get nice features like two-person memory seats, heated of course, cooled with Elite curtains, you get a heated steering wheel, lots of storage, that dashboard we talked about, and with the physical climate controls, it makes sense. and it is easy to use and the materials are generally high quality and well put together.

Final Thoughts

The Honda Pilot stands out as one of the best options among its competitors. Having spent considerable time with this vehicle, I must express my genuine enjoyment and appreciation. Based on our extensive testing, which includes evaluations of models like the CX90, Telluride, Palisade, and Grand Highlander, the Pilot consistently ranks within the top three for three-row SUVs. If you're in the market for a vehicle of this caliber, the Pilot deserves serious consideration.