Yahoo Autos 2024 Honda Pilot Review: Well-rounded with a few stand-out features
Pros: Exceptional storage and cargo space; unique second-row functionality; refined ride; versatile and capable TrailSport; advanced AWD
Cons: Subpar acceleration with lackadaisical transmission and engine response; so-so driver assistance tech
Admittedly, the 2024 Honda Pilot is at its most appealing when gussied up as the version pictured here: a TrailSport in Diffused Sky Blue Pearl that had strangers stopping us to compliment our excellent automotive choice. Thanks, but it’s not ours. Making any 2024 Pilot yours would be a smart idea, though. It’s one of our top three-row crossover SUV choices, along with the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, thanks to its abundant space, clever storage and general well-rounded nature. It just checks off so many boxes, while looking a whole lot better than its anonymous blob of a predecessor.
Perhaps the biggest differentiator is the Pilot’s unique second-row seat design. The center seat can be removed and placed in the underfloor storage area behind the third row, leaving captain’s chairs and pass-through behind. There’s no need to choose between seven- or eight-passenger seating (although the TrailSport’s full-size all-terrain spare shrinks the storage area enough to make the feature impossible). This is just one of many clever features inside the Pilot, and while other competitors may be more luxurious, more powerful or more engaging to drive, we think the Pilot’s well-rounded excellence will make it an overall better choice for more people.
Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance & Fuel Economy
What it's like to drive | Pricing & Trim Levels | Crash Ratings & Safety Features
What's new for 2024?
After being completely redesigned last year, the Pilot is unchanged for 2024.
What are the Pilot interior and in-car technology like?
After sitting in a Hyundai Palisade, the Pilot may come across as a bit plain. There’s no showy trim or fanciful lighting. On the other hand, there is an elegance to its minimal adornment and crisp horizontal lines. It’s reminiscent of Land Rover interiors – clean, functional, timeless. It’s also much better than what was there in the last Pilot (and what survives in the Passport).
The Pilot interior is ultimately all about clever packaging and thoughtful design. In terms of storage, the front center console features a large, grippy flat space for phones or whatever, the doors have bins as well as bottle holders, there’s a little shelf in the dash, and the front seatbacks have sleeves built into them to hold your phone. There’s also clever storage in the cargo area, including a double-sided floor with carpet on one side and washable plastic on the other, but we’ll address the rest of the cargo area in the next section.
In terms of technology, the Pilot offers two touchscreens. The base unit measures 7 inches and is rather rudimentary in terms of its functionality and appearance. We like its physical buttons/knobs, though, and it runs both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Those get upgraded to wireless connectivity starting with the EX-L trim, which is also the first trim to get a 9-inch touchscreen with enhanced graphics and functionality. It certainly isn’t as impressive as what you’d find in a Palisade, Kia Telluride and Jeep Grand Cherokee L, but it’s functional and generally vice free. Parents should also appreciate its CabinTalk in-car P.A. system that lets you broadcast your voice through the rear speakers. Complementing it is a convex rear seat spy mirror to keep an eye on their reactions.
How big is the Pilot?
Outside, the Pilot pretty much defines the segment average. It’s almost 5 inches longer than the Toyota Highlander and 5 inches shorter than the Chevy Traverse, matching up almost identically with the Nissan Pathfinder.
There’s nothing average about the rear seating rows, however. Pictured above, the Pilot’s novel second-row is a bench seat, but as in the Honda Odyssey and the Pilot’s Acura MDX cousin, the middle seat folds to create a console-like armrest. It can also be removed completely from the car or, uniquely, stowed in a cubby built into the Pilot’s rear cargo floor. Unlike the Pilot’s competitors, there’s no need to choose between eight-passenger bench seat or seven-passenger captain’s chairs at the dealer. Bear in mind that this feature isn’t offered on the TrailSport. Because of its full-sized spare tire, there’s no space for the requisite cubby. It effectively has captain’s chairs as a result.
The big Honda has one of the roomer cabins in the segment. Its 40 inches of legroom in the second row tops virtually every one of its competitors. Third-row legroom can be a max of 32.5 inches, making it friendly for bigger teens and adults, even in the 6-foot-plus category. This puts it ahead of the Toyota Highlander and Nissan Pathfinder (both offer 28 inches) and just behind the Chevy Traverse (33.5 inches).
On paper, the Pilot has 18.6 cubic feet of space behind the back seat, but remove the double-sided floor piece (shown below with its washable plastic surface facing up) and you’re left with either 22.4 cubic feet or, in the TrailSport, 21.8. Theoretically, only the Chevy Traverse/Buick Enclave have more room back there. In our testing, we've found that's not really the case, but it's still impressive. We found that the Toyota Grand Highlander and Kia Telluride can hold just a bit more stuff, but the Pilot is indeed better than everything else in the segment. We also like that the TrailSport comes standard with raised roof rails and a trailer hitch, which opens up cargo possibilities even further.
What are the Pilot fuel economy and performance specs?
There is only one engine offered: a 3.5-liter V6 good for 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic is standard.
The Pilot can be had in standard front-wheel drive, or with an all-wheel-drive setup dubbed i-VTM4 (standard on TrailSport and Elite, optional all other trims). It’s arguably the most advanced AWD systems in the segment as it provides so-called “torque vectoring”: As much as 70% of the engine’s power can be sent to the rear axle, with 100% of that transferred to one wheel. This is not only beneficial for poor-weather traction, but benefits dry-pavement handling as well. It’s augmented on TrailSport models with a special Trail Torque Logic system and corresponding “Trail” option in the Pilot’s drive mode selection system.
