Various Honda Pilot models
- Honda Pilot, 2016–the present (3rd Generation) In general, the third-generation Pilot is more streamlined than the first version, which had a more square shape.
- Honda Pilot, 2009–2015 (2nd Generation)
- Honda Pilot, 2003–2008 (1st Generation)
In This Article...
Honda Pilot 2012: Body on frame?
The 2012 Honda Pilot, a larger midsize crossover SUV that seats seven passengers, is packed with family-friendly amenities and offers peace of mind thanks to the Japanese automaker’s ongoing dedication to industry-leading active and passive safety technology. In frontal-offset, side impact, and rear crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Pilot received the highest “Good rating;” however, it received a “Marginal rating for rollover roof strength testing.
Unlike truck-based SUVs, which are built with a body-on-frame, the Honda Pilot is built with a car-like unibody, yet it is nonetheless incredibly sturdy thanks to Honda’s ACE (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) technology. ACE works to more uniformly and safely disperse impact forces by connecting the front end body and chassis components.
The Vehicle Stability Assist system from Honda combines traction control with devices intended to stop unintentional oversteer and understeer, aiding in maintaining the car’s position on the driver’s planned course. The Pilot can stop from 60 mph in just 130 feet thanks to its standard four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with automatic brake force distribution.
Front and side-impact airbags for the driver and passenger are standard equipment on every Pilot. The occupant sensing mechanism in passenger airbags prevents deployment if there is no passenger or a small child present. The Pilot’s three rows of spacious side-curtain airbags are another thoughtful addition by Honda. Large competitive vehicles sometimes just have curtain airbags that cover the first and second rows.
The Pilot has LATCH child safety seat anchors for up to four full-size child safety seats in all three second-row positions and the passenger-side third-row seat, which will please parents with young children.
The Pilot is a good option for bigger families who require a roomy vehicle with seating for seven people and an exceptional complement of standard safety and convenience features.
Will the Honda Pilot have a new body design?
Yes, this Honda SUV will get a new look in 2023. According to Automotive News, especially when viewed from the A-pillar forward, the new Pilot and Ridgeline are comparable in size and design. The TrailSport variant, which will be available starting in 2022, gave this SUV a more daring appearance. The Honda theme in this new SUV will eventually include a bigger portion of the TrailSport model.
Which model year Honda Pilot is having transmission issues?
We don’t expect you to go out into the wilderness and try to buy an automobile that is over 20 years old. However, you might find one if you’re looking for a cheap used Honda Pilot. We’re here to advise you not to purchase it under any circumstances. This is by far the worst model year Pilot has ever produced. Users of the NHTSA and Car Complaints have encountered a lot of issues since 2003.
Users have specifically reported issues with the drivetrain, electrical, engine, and airbags. There are a lot more difficulties mentioned, but these are the biggest and most expensive. For instance, the NHTSA received reports of 105 gearbox issues, 123 electrical issues, and 112 drivetrain issues. It’s far simpler to avoid this paradigm given how frequently serious, expensive to fix problems like this occur. If you see a 2003 Pilot laying around, do not purchase it.
Furthermore, same issues reappeared for the 2005 model year a few years later. This one is still best to avoid even though they don’t happen as frequently as the 2003 model did. Even if this is a different model year, we wouldn’t anticipate anyone to be purchasing at the moment.
The Toyota Highlander is larger than the Honda Pilot.
Midsize SUVs with three rows of seating are now the go-to choice for families with four or more children. Customers who purchase in this class may anticipate plenty of room for passengers and cargo, a wide range of convenience amenities, and (for the most part) simple car-seat installation.
Two of the most popular options for a crossover SUV with a third row are the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. The 2022 Honda Pilot and 2022 Toyota Highlander are comparable in size and interior space, other from that. Both come with a typical V6 engine. Toyota also has a hybrid Highlander available for those looking for improved gas mileage.
This 2022 Honda Pilot vs. Toyota Highlander comparison will aid in your decision-making if you’re torn between the two vehicles.
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
The Honda Pilot is constructed on a truck frame.
How do we distinguish between an SUV and a crossover? A crossover is lighter and constructed on a car platform, to put it as simply as possible. An SUV, on the other hand, is much heavier and is constructed on a truck platform. The Honda Pilot is still seated on a car’s platform even if it appears to be bigger, bulkier, and more powerful than most. It is still a crossover by definition, regardless of how Honda categorizes it or its features.
The Acura MDX and Honda Odyssey minivan both share a unibody chassis (like a vehicle) with the Honda Pilot. Yes, a Pilot shares the same mechanical foundation as the less expensive and frequently less appealing minivan. Due to the negative connotations associated with minivan purchases, “The Pilot has a different shape but retains the same soccer mom appearance. Due to this, even though Honda’s website’s home page for the Pilot section claims “It’s actually a crossover, a midsize SUV.
A luxury vehicle is the Honda Pilot.
Do I need to purchase a Honda Pilot? Although this Honda is a decent car, we do not automatically suggest it. One of the priciest SUVs in its class is this Honda. You’d be wise to take into account other top competitors in the class, such as the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade.
Is unibody preferable to body-on-frame?
Although unibody designs are gradually displacing body-on-frame vehicles, there are a number of advantages to its two-part architecture. Their off-road capability is the most obvious advantage. Body-on-frame designs, which consist of two components, are more resilient than unibody designs to the twisting pressures of off-road or uneven terrain. Furthermore, they are frequently mounted higher than unibody vehicles, which makes it simpler to navigate some terrain and stay clear of snow, mud, and muck. Body-on-frame constructions are excellent for towing high payloads or trailer capacities due to their robust underpinnings. Body-on-frame constructions are also frequently less expensive to maintain. On a car with a separate body and chassis, you can replace just the damaged part without having to replace or repair the entire frame.
Despite all their advantages, body-on-frame models have a few disadvantages that you should take into account before buying. Body-on-frame vehicles frequently weigh a lot, which lowers their ratings for fuel efficiency. They are more difficult to drive on South Bay roads and more likely to roll over due to their taller stature, stiff torsion flexing, and high centers of gravity. The safety ratings of body-on-frame designs are another important flaw. The answer to the question of whether a body-on-frame construction is safer than a unibody design is no. In crashes, body-on-frame vehicles’ lack of crumple zones can result in serious injuries and even fatalities.
Is there a backup camera on the 2012 Honda Pilot EX?
Power tailgate is added or replaced by Pilot EX-L. QVGA-resolution Intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) (includes backup camera, album artwork display and user-loadable wallpaper function) audio interface for USB.
What is the Honda Pilot’s main issue?
The transmission breakdown issue is likely the most significant of all the issues Honda Pilots encounter. Fortunately, this issue mostly affects the 2003 model. Other Pilot models have seen a few rare transmission failure incidences, though.
Key Points
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Is the Honda Pilot getting a redesign for 2022?
For the first time, a prototype of Honda’s next Pilot has been spotted.
It is anticipated that the redesigned SUV, which represents the Pilot line’s fourth generation, will arrive in dealerships in late 2022 as a 2023 model.
Our spy photos suggest that the new Pilot will have a more robust appearance than the present Pilot, whose soft contours make it look more like a minivan than an SUV. We may anticipate that the revised 2021 Ridgeline pickup truck will have some influence.
The new proportions, which are comparable to those of the revamped 2022 Acura MDX, a car whose platform will be shared with the updated Pilot, aid in the design’s more rugged appearance. Since the platform is more rigid than the one it replaces, the new Pilot should have improved dynamics as a result.
The new MDX’s wheelbase is 2.8 inches longer than the previous model’s, thus the new Pilot’s wheelbase is probably going to increase as well. This ought to result in additional interior room and simpler access to the third row. Eight-person seating ought to be kept.
Once more, a 3.5-liter V-6 engine with 290 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque and a 10-speed automated transmission should provide the power. The new MDX includes the same configuration. Although driving should often be directed to the front wheels, all-wheel drive should be an option. At some point, a plug-in hybrid option is anticipated.
Although the Pilot is not quite as well-known as its smaller sibling, the CR-V, it is still a significant model in the Honda range. Honda nonetheless managed to sell 123,813 Pilots in the United States in 2020 despite the Covid-19 limitations.
There will also be a new CR-V. It’s scheduled to make its debut as a 2023 model in 2022. Also scheduled for release in 2022 as a 2023 model is a revamped HR-V.
How frequently should a Honda Pilot have its gearbox fluid changed?
With regards to Transmission Fluid Change The majority of brand-new cars come with automatic transmissions. There is therefore not much maintenance must be done. However, the majority of owner’s manuals advise changing the gearbox fluid every 90,000 to 120,000 miles.