2022 Honda Pilot

　　

2022 Honda Pilot Review

byCameron RogersManager, News

　　Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at zzdcar include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

　　The 2022 Honda Pilot is one of our favorite three-row SUVs thanks to its spacious, thoughtfully designed interior and smooth ride. Added bonuses include better-than-average fuel economy as well as a smooth, powerful V6 engine. The Pilot pretty much had the class covered until the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade came along and shook things up. It's rumored that Honda's looking to redesign the aging Pilot for 2023 — it's been around in its current guise since 2016 — to put it back on top of this family-friendly class.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2022 Honda Pilot Sport 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 9A) 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 $3.06 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$165/mo  for Pilot Sport

　　Pilot Sport

　　Sport 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $38,080 MSRPSport 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $40,080 MSRPEX-L 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $40,310 MSRPEX-L 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $42,310 MSRPSE 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $40,910 MSRPSE 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) (Most Popular) - $42,910 MSRPTrailSport 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $44,810 MSRPTouring 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $44,870 MSRPTouring 4dr SUV w/Rear Captain's Chairs (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $45,170 MSRPTouring 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $46,870 MSRPTouring 4dr SUV AWD w/Rear Captain's Chairs (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $47,170 MSRPElite 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $50,370 MSRPBlack Edition 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 9A) - $51,870 MSRP

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　Avg. Midsize SUV

　　For now, though, Honda is tightening the belt by discontinuing the LX and EX, which were previously the Pilot's two most affordable trims. That means the 2022 Pilot lineup starts out with the EX-L. This won't matter much if you were shopping for a nicely equipped SUV to begin with, but budget shoppers will no doubt be put off by the Pilot's higher starting price this year.

　　Within the three-row midsize SUV class, we think the Palisade and Telluride are still top of the pack. There's also the roomy Volkswagen Atlas and refined Mazda CX-9 to consider. But overall, the Pilot does a lot of things very well and has few major pitfalls. Read our zzdcar Expert Rating below for more.

　　

What's it like to live with?

If you're interested in knowing what it's like to live with a Honda Pilot, check out our long-term test of the Pilot. We tested a Pilot Elite for a year, driving it over 20,000 miles, commuting with it to work, taking it on road trips, and collecting data all along the way. Note that while we tested a 2016 model, most of our reporting still applies to the 2022 Pilot.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.2

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the Pilot drive? The Pilot is a surprisingly able performer. We tested a Pilot Elite and recorded a 0-60 mph sprint of 7.0 seconds, which is a bit quicker than most rival midsize three-row SUVs. Slowing down is easy too. 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 this class of vehicle.

　　Twisty mountain roads don't pose a problem for the Pilot — this SUV feels more nimble than most. The steering is precise but offers little feel for the road. The Pilot's available AWD system is fine for slippery road surfaces, but this SUV lacks the ground clearance and specific off-road aids such as hill descent control to make it truly capable off-road.

　　

Comfort

9.0/10

　　How comfortable is the Pilot? The Pilot rides comfortably both around town and on the highway. Body motions are well controlled, but not at the expense of overall ride comfort. Small bumps are dispatched without issue. The front seats have supportive backs and bottoms, providing hours of comfort, and the second-row seats are similarly cushy and can recline and slide.

　　There's very little tire or wind noise inside the cabin, and the V6 sounds pretty good if you wind it out. The tri-zone climate control works well to keep everyone comfortable.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below