2019 Honda Pilot Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　

What's new

For 2019, the Honda Pilot gets a minor styling updateSmoother-shifting nine-speed transmissionThe Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety features is now standard for all trimsNew tech features, including a revised infotainment touchscreenPart of the third Pilot generation introduced for 2016

　　There were already a lot of things we liked about last year's Honda Pilot. Even among its all-star midsize SUV rivals, the Pilot got high marks for its spacious interior, powerful and efficient V6 engine, and clever storage solutions. Our only significant gripes concerned the unrefined nature of the gear shifts coming from the available nine-speed transmission and the unintuitive touchscreen infotainment system. Well, now we don't even have those to complain about.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2019 Honda Pilot LX 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$168/mo  for Pilot LX

　　Pilot LX

　　LX 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A) - $31,450 MSRPLX 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A) - $33,350 MSRPEX 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A) - $34,330 MSRPEX 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A) - $36,230 MSRPEX-L 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A) - $37,760 MSRPEX-L 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A) (Most Popular) - $39,660 MSRPEX-L 4dr SUV w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 6A) - $39,760 MSRPEX-L 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 6A) - $41,660 MSRPTouring 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $42,520 MSRPTouring 4dr SUV w/Rear Captain's Chairs (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $42,820 MSRPTouring 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $44,420 MSRPTouring 4dr SUV AWD w/Rear Captain's Chairs (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $44,720 MSRPElite 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $48,020 MSRP

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　Avg. Midsize SUV

　　For 2019, Honda has retuned the nine-speed, eliminating much of the low-speed stutters and jerkiness that it used to exhibit. It's still not as smooth as the six-speed transmission found on the less expensive trim levels, but it's considerably better than last year. The infotainment system's user interface has also been updated. It's more intuitive to use this year and has a physical volume knob that replaces the previous touch-sensitive volume slider. Rounding out the 2019 Honda Pilot's changes are new tech features, added standard safety features and styling enhancements.

　　Considering that the Pilot was one of the highest rated in the class before these improvements, we're certain that we'll like it even more now. We're sure you will, too. In a segment that includes the very desirable Mazda CX-9, Toyota Highlander and Volkswagen Atlas, it could very well be the best when it comes to a family-friendly choice. The Pilot definitely deserves a spot on your short list.

　　Notably, we picked the 2019 Honda Pilot as one of zzdcar' Best Midsize SUVs, Best Midsize SUVs, and Best Midsize SUVs for this year.

　　

What's it like to live with?

With a spacious cabin, exceptional comfort and a tremendously roomy cabin, the Honda Pilot is the quintessential three-row crossover. As soon as we got behind the wheel of this newest model, our editors universally agreed: The Pilot was the best of the bunch. We immediately reached out to Honda and secured a fully loaded Elite model for our long-term test fleet. Over the course of a year and 25,000 miles, we drove our Black Forest green tester to Las Vegas, Sacramento and Oregon. Usually, it performed the commuting duties typical of a family-friendly SUV. To read about our experiences, read our Best Midsize SUVs. Note that while we tested a 2016 Pilot, most of our observations still apply to the 2019 model. The only exceptions deal with the infotainment and transmission improvements Honda made for this year.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

8.2 / 10

　　The 2019 Honda Pilot is a great pick for a three-row crossover SUV. It has a potent yet efficient V6 engine, a comfortable ride, numerous standard advanced safety features, and smart storage solutions. It gets our nod as one of the most family-friendly vehicles out there.

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Honda Pilot Elite (3.5L V6 | 9-speed automatic | AWD).

　　

Scorecard

Overall	8.2 / 10
Driving	7.5
Comfort	9.0
Interior	8.0
Utility	8.5
Technology	8.0

　　

Driving

7.5

　　With ample power, a transmission offering full manual control and respectable handling, the Pilot is an athlete in the three-row SUV segment. It's a champ on mountain roads, and it can manage slippery surfaces should you opt for all-wheel drive.

　　

Acceleration

8.5

　　The Pilot isn't underpowered, but you'll really have to step on the gas to make it move quickly. In zzdcar performance testing, it did 0-60 mph in 7 seconds, which is quicker than both the Subaru Ascent and the Volkswagen Atlas. At full throttle, it shifts quickly and efficiently. You can also use the steering wheel paddles for manual control.

　　

Braking

7.0

　　The brakes have a relatively consistent feel and are easy to use in everyday driving. The Pilot's panic-stopping distance from 60 mph (129 feet in our testing) is average for a big three-row crossover SUV.

　　

Steering

7.5

　　The steering is relatively precise, but the wheel doesn't provide much road feel. Overall, the Pilot is easy to maneuver along winding mountain roads or cruising the highway.

　　

Handling

8.0

　　No three-row SUV is light on its feet, but the Pilot feels lighter than most. It swaps lanes confidently, and its stability control remains at bay during moderately fast driving on back roads. Overall, handling is above average for the segment.

　　

Drivability

7.5

　　The Pilot's previous issues regarding its transmission have been alleviated. It's a little less punchy off the line — possibly due to acceleration recalibration — but it's a good trade-off for the improved shifting smoothness. The engine still has great top-end punch, and the stop-start system, which can be turned off, is relatively non-intrusive.

　　

Off-road

7.0

　　The Pilot's AWD system offers active center and rear differentials capable of distributing torque where it's most needed. You also get multiple modes for sand, snow and mud. For slippery surfaces, it's fine. But the body's approach and departure angles aren't as generous as its closest competitors, and the Pilot doesn't have specific off-road aids such as hill descent control.

　　

Comfort

9.0

　　The Honda Pilot does comfort better than most in the segment. Consider its excellent ride quality, ultra comfy seats and easy-to-operate tri-zone climate control. Tire and wind noise is also minimal.

　　

Seat comfort

8.5

　　The front seats are wide, with compliant but supportive cushioning. They provide hours of comfort. The front seats' adjustable inboard armrests are a bonus, as is power lumbar support. The second-row seats also provide a nice amount of comfort and can slide and recline.

　　

Ride comfort

9.0

　　Body motions are well-controlled but not at the sacrifice of ride comfort. You'll feel big road bumps, but smaller bumps and ripples are dispatched without issue. Overall, the Pilot's ride quality is among the best in the segment.

　　

Noise & vibration

8.5

　　Tire and wind noise is low for this segment. We didn't observe any unusual sounds, and the V6 engine emits a pleasant snarl at high rpm. Passengers are isolated from the outside elements to an impressive degree.

　　

Climate control

9.0

　　The tri-zone climate control is easy to set and adjust. The system maintains temperatures well, and the front-seat heating and cooling functions stay set even if you turn the Pilot off. Second-row occupants have their own set of climate control buttons plus available seat heaters. Honda did a nice job here.

　　

Interior

8.0

　　The Pilot exhibits Honda's typical efficiency of space and practical features. The driving position is a bit upright, so you never feel ensconced in the cabin, but that's usually what SUV buyers are looking for. Visibility is also quite good.

　　

Ease of use

7.5

　　The new touchscreen infotainment system is a huge improvement over the Pilot's previous system (found in 2016-2018 Pilots). It's easy to use and has crisp-looking graphics. The push-button shifter still takes some getting used to, but we have warmed up to the logic behind it.

　　

Getting in/getting out

7.5

　　The large doors and a comfortable seat height make it easy to enter and exit the Pilot. Third-row access is enhanced with a single-button release for the tilt-and-slide second-row seat, but the pass-through space is smallish.

　　

Driving position

8.0

　　There's plenty of adjustment for the driver's seat, but the seat is pretty upright at its lowest setting. Taller drivers may also wish for a tad more telescoping range of the steering wheel. Otherwise, most people should be able to find a comfortable driving position.

　　

Roominess

8.5

　　The first and second rows are very roomy and have enough head-, legroom and elbow room for all but the biggest occupants. Third-row seating is tighter and has a low-mounted seat. It's more spacious than some competitors, but it's not as cavernous as the Volkswagen Atlas' third row.

　　

Visibility

7.5

　　Front- and rear-quarter visibility is average, but the upright seating gives you a better view than you'll get in an Odyssey. The multiview backup camera is handy but not as good as a 360-degree system, like some competitors offer. Front and rear parking sensors help reveal obstacles you might otherwise miss.

　　

Quality

8.5

　　The quality of materials and assembly is high for a non-luxury vehicle but not substantially better than the quality of competitors. Soft-touch plastics on the dash, combined with high-gloss trim and matte-finish secondary controls, look and feel good. The new infotainment system helps elevate the interior's premium look, too.

　　

Utility

8.5

　　The Pilot is a utilitarian vehicle even though it can't tow as much as large truck-based SUVs. Its roomy, well-thought-out interior proves extremely useful when you stuff it full of passengers and their gear.

　　

Small-item storage

9.5

　　Honda has mastered the art of interior storage. The Pilot has plenty of door pockets and cupholders, and there is clever, configurable small-item storage within the center console.

　　

Cargo space

7.5

　　Despite its seemingly generous cargo area, the Pilot trails the midsize segment leaders with 16 cubic feet behind the third row and a max volume of about 84 cubes with the second and third rows folded perfectly flat. That includes the storage under the rear load floor. Still, the space is very usable.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

8.0

　　There's a nice amount of space for car seat installations in the second row and easy access to the LATCH anchors. The rear tethers are on the bottom of the second-row seats, which are easy to miss if you don't know where to look. The one-button slide access to the third row helps facilitate seat installation back there.

　　

Towing

8.0

　　At 5,000 pounds, the AWD Pilot's maximum towing capacity matches that of most V6-powered, three-row SUVs. Front-wheel-drive Pilots are limited to 3,500 pounds.

　　

Technology

8.0

　　The Pilot's infotainment touchscreen is a big step forward from the previous system. Plus, there are a bunch of clever apps that use the onboard Wi-Fi connection, which will surely make road trips with friends or family more enjoyable. We know Honda is capable of a decent adaptive cruise system, but it has yet to find its way into the Pilot.

　　

Audio & navigation

8.0

　　The navigation responds quickly to inputs and is very easy to use thanks to pinch-to-zoom features, easy map rotation, and different types of viewing modes. The premium audio system, which is featured on Touring trims and up, sounds great. It allows for some pretty flexible sound adjustments and fills the cabin space very well.

　　

Smartphone integration

9.0

　　There are two USB ports in the front center bin — one is for data and one is charge-only — alongside two 12-volt power outlets. Second-row passengers get an additional two charge-only USB ports in the second row, a 115-volt household-style outlet and HDMI hookup for the entertainment system. We highly recommend stepping up to at least the EX, which gets you Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Honda's CabinControl app allows users to connect to the in-cabin Wi-Fi and control things such as the rear cabin temperature, add songs to a social playlist, and even send directions to the driver's navigation system.

　　

Driver aids

7.0

　　Adaptive cruise control only works above 20 mph, which is a bummer for drivers stuck in stop-and-go traffic. Overall, the Pilot's adaptive cruise control system isn't nearly as smooth as similar features in other cars. Otherwise, all the other systems such as lane keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring work well. Its lane keeping feature, however, can be very intrusive in long, constant-radius corners.

　　

Voice control

7.5

　　Voice controls provide easy-to-follow prompts and work very well. The nav system found the zzdcar headquarters on the first try, and it was very easy to engage. The voice functions are basic, not offering anything special such as the ability to change the climate control, but are highly functional. You can access Siri or Google through the cabin voice control button when your smartphone is plugged in.

　　

Which Pilot does zzdcar recommend?

　　With more standard features than before, the EX is the definite value play. You get a lot of useful features, including keyless access and ignition, heated front seats, one-touch slide-and-fold second-row seats, and pretty much the same infotainment system and safety features that all the more expensive trims have. It doesn't have a power liftgate, however. For that, you'll need to upgrade to at least the EX-L.

　　

2019 Honda Pilot models

　　The eight-passenger 2019 Honda Pilot is a midsize SUV that is offered in five primary trim levels: LX, EX, EX-L, Touring and Elite. All models are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 (280 horsepower, 262 pound-feet of torque). A six-speed automatic transmission is standard for most trims, while a nine-speed transmission comes with Touring and Elite models. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available for all models (standard on Elite).

　　Standard features for the LX include 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, active noise cancellation, air conditioning, 60/40-split folding third-row seats, a multi-angle rearview camera, a 5-inch touchscreen and seven-speaker audio system with USB/auxiliary inputs. Standard advanced safety features include adaptive cruise control, frontal collision warning with automatic braking, road departure mitigation, lane keeping assist and automatic high-beam assist.

　　The EX adds LED foglights, heated mirrors, remote ignition, keyless entry, a terrain management system, tri-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver's seat, one-touch slide-and-fold second-row seats, an 8-inch touchscreen, HondaLink and CabinControl smartphone integration, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.

　　Stepping up to the EX-L trim gets you a sunroof, a power liftgate, a universal garage door opener, rear-seat window sunshades, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather upholstery, driver-seat memory functions, a power-adjustable front passenger seat and second-row USB charging ports. There's also an EX-L subtrim that adds a navigation system and a rear entertainment system with a 10.2-inch screen with HDMI input, Blu-ray player and streaming apps. You also gain a 110-volt power outlet and intercom system through the rear headsets.

　　The Touring trim gets all of the above plus 20-inch wheels, roof rails, front and rear parking sensors, hands-free operation for the liftgate, heated rear seats, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a 10-speaker premium audio system and multi-zone audio. Heated second-row captain's chairs are available (reducing seating capacity to seven).

　　The Elite trim comes standard with the captain's chairs, as well as automatic wipers, power-folding mirrors, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and a wireless charging pad.

　　

2019 Pilot Highlights

Trim: LXEXEX-LTouringEliteLX

　　

Base MSRP	$31,450
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	22 MPG
Cost to Drive	$168/month
Seating	8 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.5 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles