Honda’s Re-Engineered Pilot: How Much Praise Can One SUV Stand?

Car and Driver raved: "This latest gen—longer, wider, riding on 2.9 inches of newfound wheelbase—may well land it in the SUV Hall o'Fame … none of our crossover SUVs surpassed the Pilot's off-road prowess…the Pilot just bulled over the larger impediments."

And as if being Car and Driver’s Number One SUV in that comparison test of six crossovers weren’t convincing enough, who but Honda could come up with a cross-over that Motor Trend would love for its creature comforts at the same time as Edmunds.com would say “the Pilot sets itself apart from the competition because it values real utility.”

Car and Driver puts Pilot’s superiority squarely on Honda quality: “It feels unbendable because of its higher strength steel, its sturdier gusseting and its platform’s more robust rear structure.”

The inside story on the Pilot’s new spacious interior Motor Trend complimented  “…the superbly redesigned center console that provides twice the capacity of any competitor's, multiple bins, supersize cupholders, 12V powerpoints—even an iPod-friendly USB port and 115V outlet in the Touring [model].”  

And everybody agrees the new Pilot is fun to drive And easy to park! 

Now, on a serious note: The 2009 Pilot not only nabs a "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, earning the Best Possible Rating in IIHS frontal offset, side impact and rear crash-protection tests, the Pilot has also received 5-Star frontal- and 5-Star side-impact crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). 

Given that it’s an SUV, we especially like the Pilot’s standard a rollover sensor and four lower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH) positions—more than any other SUV currently in its segment. 

So, as you compare and consider the Honda Pilot consider this: Since its 2002 introduction, Honda’s Pilot has bagged 6 of Car & Diver’s 5 Best Truck trophies. 

Hondas Pilots with Priorities For Life:
http://www.priorityhondachesapeake.com/new_honda_pilot_inventory.php

Car and Driver article download:
http://automobiles.honda.com/images/2009/pilot/downloads/pilot_caranddriver.pdf

Accord Awards and Accolades:
http://automobiles.honda.com/pilot/reviews.aspx