The Honda Pilot is considered a minivan by some, yet it still belongs solidly in the SUV category. Honda’s Pilot strikes a wonderful balance between rough and elegant aesthetics, boasting a smoother and more streamlined shape than some of the more boxy and off-road oriented SUVs on the market.
The Odyssey minivan has a clean look, but the 2021 Honda Pilot sits higher and has more ground clearance for any off-road adventures. Additionally, it lacks the traditional characteristic of the Honda Odyssey minivan: sliding back doors.
The 2021 Honda Odyssey or 2021 Honda Pilot are both excellent choices if you’re looking for a three-row car that’s suitable for families. Each of these highly regarded and exquisite Honda vehicles offers up to eight seats, the security of standard Honda Sensing safety features, and a host of other cutting-edge Honda amenities.
In This Article...
Is a Honda Pilot an SUV or a minivan?
Share This:
Most people under 30 generally detest minivans. It’s simple to see why: they carry the stereotype that you’re a responsible parent who must put diaper runs, grocery runs, and after-school activities before the exciting antics of young adult life. It denotes that as you take on the duty of a parent and caretaker, your youth and all of its wild excitement are now metaphorically in the backseat. What if the minivan segment wasn’t have to be so abhorrent, though? What if there existed a vehicle like the 2022 Honda Pilot to change the negative connotations associated with minivans?
In many ways, the Pilot has been one of the few important SUVs on the market that flirts with crossover territory in order to appeal to the minivan sector. Although it is still an SUV, it has many of the features and practicalities of a typical minivan, including third-row seating. The Honda Pilot aims to preserve much of what makes minivans useful while also remaining young enough to not turn away buyers who are afraid of aging, whereas many automobile buyers find themselves completely avoiding the minivan category.
What category does a Honda Pilot fall under?
Because it has always offered room for up to eight passengers, Honda’s largest crossover SUV, the Pilot, is a family-oriented vehicle with three rows of seats and a foot in both the mid-size and full-size classes. Honda’s mid-size SUV prior to the Pilot’s arrival for the 2003 model year was the Passport, a knockoff of the Isuzu Rodeo that filled a void in the lineup while Honda developed its own SUV. The all-wheel-drive Pilot can tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly outfitted, which increases its attractiveness to families. SUVs like the Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, Nissan Pathfinder, and Chevrolet Traverse are competitors.
Is the Honda Pilot an SUV?
The 2022 Pilot is equipped with a wealth of advanced technologies and confidence-inspiring capabilities. This road-ready SUV is built to help you tackle any adventure, from its standard 9-speed automatic gearbox to a Special Edition trim that’s loaded with technology.
At the Automotive Enviro Testing (AET) site in Baudette, Minnesota, which experiences some of the most extreme weather in the country, we stretched the Pilot to its absolute limits. The Pilot is capable practically anyplace you take it, even in subzero weather and challenging terrain.
An Intelligent Traction Management system* helps vehicles handle better in mud, sand, and snow.
When you’re dealing with difficult terrain, the outdoors can be unpredictable. The Pilot offers an all-wheel-drive system because of this.
Get directions, send or receive messages, and more with your compatible iPhone* and the Display Audio touch-screen.
Get directions, send or receive messages, and more with your compatible AndroidTM* phone and the Display Audio touch-screen.
With the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation SystemTM*, you can always find your way even when there is no cell phone coverage since it uses offline maps. It includes directions as well as lane assistance to assist you in getting ready for curves that are coming up.
With an AT&T data subscription, you can transform your Pilot into a Wi-Fi* hotspot and take advantage of wireless streaming features including audio and entertainment system upgrades.
Using the CabinControl app on their cellphones, travelers may control the climate, modify the music, and more.
From your smartphone, HondaLink Subscription Services provides access to the fuel and range status as well as door lock and unlock functionality.
* Details can be found here.
With the help of sensors in the back bumper, the blind spot information system (BSI) may identify oncoming vehicles in a nearby lane and warn you of their presence.
You’ll have more assistance when reversing thanks to sensors in the rear bumper that will let you know when other vehicles are nearby.
With the multi-angle rearview camera’s* three separate views—normal, top-down, and wide—you can see what’s behind you more clearly.
Honda’s proprietary body structure, known as Advanced Compatibility EngineeringTM (ACETM), improves frontal crash compatibility and occupant protection.
Odyssey or Pilot, which is larger?
The 2021 Pilot and Odyssey both exhibit versatility and contemporary design. Power sliding doors on the Odyssey minivan make it easier to load and unload your young passengers. Both models simplify your life by providing:
- automatic power moonroof
- Outside mirrors with LED turn signal indicators and power and auto-dimming.
- automatic motorized liftgate
- sensors for parking
- fog lamps and headlights made with LED
The 2021 Odyssey’s overall length is 205.2 inches, and its wheelbase is 118.1 inches. With a wheelbase of 111 inches and a length of 196.5 inches, the 2021 Pilot is a little bit shorter. Additionally, it provides 7.3 inches of ground clearance for your upcoming family outing.
A minivan or an SUV has greater space.
With an average of five more inches of legroom in the third row, minivans often offer greater space than the standard three-row SUV. This is significant if you have a large family, older children, or frequently transport different generations in your vehicle (you don’t want granny crammed in the rear).
Is the Honda Pilot a midsize SUV?
The Honda Pilot is a solid midsize SUV, that much is true. With three rows of comfortable seats, a sizable load area, and a high-quality cabin, it succeeds on almost all counts.
Key Points
- In a recent survey of the cars most likely to travel 200,000 miles, the Honda brand came in second. Although the Honda Odyssey minivan, which has the same platform as the Pilot, was listed in the study’s list of 16 cars projected to reach that mileage milestone, the Pilot was not.
- The average annual repair cost for more recent Pilots is $542, which is less expensive than the Ford Explorer’s average annual repair cost of $732.
- The Pilot’s track record of dependability has one flaw: In 2013, a class action lawsuit involving an engine problem impacting more than 1.6 million automobiles was resolved. The 3.5-liter V6 engine used in 2009–2013 Pilots may malfunction or burn excessive amounts of oil, according to the lawsuit.
- Less than 100 complaints on vehicles from 2014 and later indicate that the Pilot has been a reliable vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The Honda Pilot is a dependable and reasonably priced SUV that, while not the most thrilling car on the road, should satisfy the ordinary driver for a decade or more of devoted service and can easily travel over 150,000 miles with proper maintenance.
A Honda Pilot will depreciate 27% after 5 years and have a 5 year resale value of $32,882.
Pilots have been a fantastic vehicle overall. But as parents shuttle soccer teams, scout units, and everyone else to and from practice, the beach, and other locations, their owners push them hard. Although they will always exist, pilots usually experience some major wear and tear. Grab one if you can find one that is clean and reasonably priced.
The anticipated depreciation over the following ten years is shown in the figure below. These outcomes apply to cars that travel 12,000 miles annually on average and are in good condition. Additionally, it counts on a $45,001 initial selling price. Enter the purchase price, anticipated length of ownership, and yearly mileage estimate. The Honda Pilot’s anticipated resale value can be determined using our depreciation calculator.
Share
Are Honda Pilot vehicles dependable?
Breakdown of the Honda Pilot’s reliability rating. The Honda Pilot has a 3.5 out of 5.0 reliability rating, which places it 13th out of 26 midsize SUVs. It has cheaper ownership costs than the national average due to the $542 average annual repair cost.
What is larger, the Pilot or the Passport?
The size is one of the greatest distinctions between the Honda Pilot and Passport. Greater in size than the passport is the Pilot. The Pilot has up to eight seats, while the Passport has five.
The two-row Honda Passport has 114.9 cubic feet of overall passenger volume and up to 100.8 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the first row. With 152.9 cubic feet of passenger volume and 109 cubic feet of luggage volume, the three-row Pilot is about 6 inches longer than the Passport. Visit our Honda dealership to test drive these SUVs, then register for Honda rebates and lease offers.
What issues do Honda drivers encounter?
A used car search involves more than just looking for dependability. When looking for a used car, it’s important to find one that has been well maintained by its former owners and can manage high mileage and heavy use.
In light of this, the 2010 Honda Pilot is a good alternative among more established models. It has many of the contemporary conveniences added to the 2009 model, but dependability improvements make it a superior long-term investment.
With regard to more current models, all but the 2016 release would likely be beneficial to you between 2015 and 2020.
Get a Curated List of the Best Used Cars Near You
The simplest way to purchase a car is using the CoPilot auto shopping app. You may create a customized list of the top car listings in your area by telling us what you’re looking for, and we’ll search the inventories of every dealership in your area.
Just seeking for more recent models? The search engine for virtually new vehicles is CoPilot Compare. only observe recent—five years or less—autos with little mileage. The greatest place to look for off-lease, early trade-in, and CPO vehicles is CoPilot Compare.
What’s best? We have more information on each vehicle than our rivals since CoPilot was developed using the same technologies that dealerships use to acquire and sell their inventories. Since CoPilot doesn’t partner with automakers, there aren’t any sponsored posts or other dubious tactics—just the most information about the best vehicles. To learn more about CoPilot’s operation, see our About Us page.
Which SUV is Honda’s largest?
The new 2021 Honda Pilot is not only the largest SUV in Honda’s remarkable lineup, but it is also the only one featuring a third row of seats. The CR-V, HR-V, and Passport are all fantastic vehicles in their own right, but if size is what you’re after, the Pilot is the best option.
Does Odyssey’s powerplant match that of the Pilot’s?
The 3.5L V6 engine in the 2022 Honda Odyssey and Pilot generates 280 horsepower. Similar fuel economy results are produced by this powerful engine in both versions. The Pilot features a greater maximum towing capacity and offers Intelligent Variable Torque ManagementTM all-wheel drive (AWD).
Honda Pilot
- 20/27 MPG (city/highway)
- Motor: 3.5L V6
- 2880 horsepower
- Drivetrain: FWD vs. AWD
- Automatic nine-speed transmission
- Maximum Towing Weight: 5,000 lbs.
- : 262 lb.-ft. of torque