Post by Ashley&Scott on Jun 13, 2024 8:17:24 GMT -5
We're in the market for a 3rd row SUV. After checking out multiple manufacturers we picked the 2025 Honda Pilot & are planning to buy it tomorrow. We've never owned a Honda so before I thought I'd ask - If you have a Pilot (or any other Honda model) do you love it or hate it?
Post by lavenderblue on Jun 13, 2024 8:21:51 GMT -5
I loved my Honda Pilot. I had a 2011 and that thing was a tank. It drove so smooth and when I ended up totaling it, the entire front end was smashed and I walked away without a scratch.
Right now I'm using my '06 Honda Accord as a commuter car until DS gets his license. The car is nearly 20 years old and you'd never know it. Still in great shape. It has less than 90k miles and will probably outlive me at this point LOL
Honda's a great cars, and if you take good car of it, it should last you 200k miles easily.
I was a Honda person before I became a Toyota person. I’ve owned a ‘91 Civic, 02’ Civic and an ‘05 Pilot. All were incredible cars with no issues at all. Like PP I was in an accident in my Pilot (rear ended at high rate of speed) and the other car was totaled and my car literally had no damage. We only moved onto a 4Runner in 2015 bc of the Pilot redesign and our needs. Our daughter just got her license and we bought my moms old car (‘12 Accord with 140,000 + miles) and besides routine ticky TAC things it’s in great shape.
Hated the new redesign so much I dumped it after 5 years.
I had a 2016, brand new, after they redesigned it. That car had soooooo many problems I lost track, including needing a new transmission after about 3 years. And the dealership were complete assholes about it, even though it was a known problem with the redesign.
Off the top of my head, it also needed:
New ignition system Replace Rear lift gate hydraulics Replace Entertainment system Something with the brakes (not standard wear and tear replacement)
I have always heard it’s a ripoff to buy the extended warranty. No exaggeration, it saved me tens of thousands on repairs. About 2 years into owning it, random stuff just kept failing/breaking.
Maybe they fixed the issues in later model years since then, but I will never ever ever buy a Pilot again.
Post by penguingrrl on Jun 13, 2024 8:42:28 GMT -5
I had an ‘04 Pilot and a ‘16 pilot. Loved the ‘04 but it died on me at 10 years old. I had bought it in 2012 and don’t know how the previous owners treated it, so maybe that was the issue. The ‘16 was only okay, so I only kept it 4 years.
However, I finally last year realized that I just can’t drive that big a vehicle. I feel guilty environmentally and also just find those cars too big to feel safe driving them (I briefly had a minivan and that was far worse for that). Thankfully my kids are older and 2/3 can sit in the front seat, so I no longer need a huge vehicle. I downsized to a mini cooper and will never go back to an SUV.
Post by onomatopoeia on Jun 13, 2024 8:55:43 GMT -5
I have a 2018 and I really like it. I've only had to do routine maintenance on it. The third row is useful and when it's down the back cargo area is huge, which is great for my dog, bikes, long trips, etc. I don't find it that it feels big to drive (although I used to drive a crew-cab pickup so I might just be used to it). I have two teenage boys so I don't know what it's like with carseats but they've never complained about space.
The only thing I wish is that it had more cupholders, and that it didn't look so minivan-ish lol. I plan on driving it until it dies.
H and I recently did some shopping (ended up holding off on buying) and I think we would choose the Subaru Ascent if we were buying a 3rd row SUV today. They have superior safety ratings on the updated IIHS tests including moderate overlap front (https://www.iihs.org/ratings/class-summary/midsize-suvs) compared to the 2024 Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and VW Atlas, which are the other models we were considering, plus some nice features. H is more into this than I am, but the IIHS updated tests focus on the survivability of crashes of the various types for backseat passengers.
We currently have a 2018 VW Atlas, so it's not the ownership bias talking, lol. We like it, but I'm not sure we'll buy another one when the time comes.
I had Hondas for years (2007 Accord, 2013 Accord, 2017 HR-V), but my last 2 cars have been Subarus. I liked the Hondas when I had them. Last year I was in the market for either a 3-row SUV or a minivan and I was leaning strongly towards the Honda Odyssey. On paper it was by far the best fit for what I was looking for. I hated it when I test drove it. The thing I remember most was the brakes were super grabby. I bought a Subaru Ascent and I couldn't be happier. It drives like a dream. The tech is well done and intuitive. The ONE thing I miss about my Hondas is I found the interval control for the windshield wipers more intuitive. The Subaru rotates in the opposite direction. I've been driving Subarus since 2018 and I still fight with the damn wiper control. It's really a minor complaint in the big picture, though.
I have a 2019 Pilot and love it. Have had zero issues with it! I've only done routine maintenance on it. In fact I'm keeping it for my kids to drive in a few years. I plan to get a EV next year as my commuter car but will drive the Pilot too in bad snow etc.
First one was an ‘09 that we traded in for a 2017. Then last year we traded in the 2027 for a 2023. Both trade-ins happened at around 100k, and right at the point where they were starting to need more maintenance (timing belt and stuff you’d expect to replace at 100k miles). We could have used them for much longer, but wanted some of the newer features. Otherwise we had a few small issues covered under warranty (and maybe a recall or two?) and just normal wear items like oil changes, tires, batteries, and brake pads. SUPER reliable. For comparison, my sisters 6-year old Jeep Grand Cherokee just had a catastrophic engine failure at 67k miles.
The only thing I don’t like about the 2023 Pilot is the GPS. The 2016 had a Garmin GPS that worked great. The new one has a different interface and it’s crap, and has given us completely wrong directions before. So now we just use Google Maps via CarPlay.
The third row is okay. Smaller adults can fit for a short drive but it’s not super-comfortable. Kids are no problem back there. There’s not a ton of cargo space with the whole third row up, but we usually do the 60/40 with one kid on the “40” side and it works fine.
We have the red and it’s SO pretty. C calls it the “Cherry Bomb.”
Post by ellipses84 on Jun 13, 2024 11:48:21 GMT -5
I have a ‘16 Pilot and I have family members who are on their 2nd and 3rd Pilots. I love them and I’ve always had good experiences with Hondas and Toyotas. Unfortunately the ‘16 was the first year of a new body style and I would avoid buying any car that has lots of new changes. I liked the old body body style better and mine had quite a few issues the first couple years that were covered under warranty but I bought a new car for reliability so it was still annoying to deal with. It had the smoothest drive, best cargo space and best 3rd row out of any comparable SUVs I test drove at the time. It didn’t drive as smoothly after a couple years, but is still great (8 years old, 65k miles). It looks so much like the minivan (ugh) without the convenience of sliding doors, but it sits higher up like a truck, which I prefer over a minivan.
Acuras are the next level up in the Honda family, so those might be worth considering too.
We have an ‘06 Pilot that we bought new. My husband and I drove it for the first 13 years, and then it became our daughter’s car when she turned 16 and she’s had it for 5 years now. That thing is a *tank*. I don’t think we’ve put more than $1500 into it other than for routine maintenance (tires, oil, etc.). Still going strong. We also have a 2018 CR-V that has been fantastic so far.
2021 Pilot purchased new. So far so good. I am not familiar with the changes that came with the redesign other than the body but Honda makes great cars. It not a whole new model, which would concern me.
I bought a 1999 Accord right out of college. I gave it to a family member in 2012 and it is still running. My brother drove an Odessy for many years and it was also great.
Post by badgerwrangler on Jun 13, 2024 14:17:36 GMT -5
I have a 2016 Pilot that I bought brand new. I have heard of lots of people having issues (transmission especially) but I have had no problems at all. Have only done routine maintenance and it still looks good and drives well. That said, I think my next vehicle will be a Toyota as I am interested in switching to a hybrid and Honda seems to be lagging behind in that area.
I love ours. It has 166,000 miles on it and still going strong (knock on wood!!). It’s a 2014. We don’t use the third row backseat very often but it’s nice to have when we do need it.
The ONE thing I miss about my Hondas is I found the interval control for the windshield wipers more intuitive. The Subaru rotates in the opposite direction. I've been driving Subarus since 2018 and I still fight with the damn wiper control. It's really a minor complaint in the big picture, though.
OMG, yes! I have a Forester that I've owned since 2017 and the wiper interval thing drives me nuts! Thank you for validating me, LOL.
The ONE thing I miss about my Hondas is I found the interval control for the windshield wipers more intuitive. The Subaru rotates in the opposite direction. I've been driving Subarus since 2018 and I still fight with the damn wiper control. It's really a minor complaint in the big picture, though.
OMG, yes! I have a Forester that I've owned since 2017 and the wiper interval thing drives me nuts! Thank you for validating me, LOL.
Ditto! If my area got more frequent precipitation, I'm sure I would have adjusted by now. I just don't use my wipers regularly enough to develop a new habit.
Thanks everyone, glad to hear so many good experiences.
VillainV, we're getting a red one too! You're right it's a pretty color :)
We originally wanted the pearly grey color, but it sold, so we got the red one. I’m glad it worked out that’s way because I think the pearly grey is going to look dated in a few years.
Everyone likes them online here. Friends in real life all hate theirs. 🤷🏼♀️
I’m not a Honda person though.
Recently I guess there are several years with ignition problems, but Honda only recognizes some, not all years to cover repairs. One friend is stuck in that loop.
I will say, I have a 2014 Pathfinder and no more Nissans for me. It was my second Nissan, but man, plastic and temp swings mean wear and tear way faster these days. My xterra was so much better made.
I want captains chairs next, so I’m looking at the Atlas or Grand Highlander. We really love our local Toyota dealer, although the Toyota app is crap.
I bought a new 2023 almost exactly one year ago and I absolutely love that thing. A lot of it was the bells and whistles that most new cars have, but I find it very easy and enjoyable to drive. Would recommend.
I have a 2016 Odyssey and I’m SO glad I bought the extended warranty. On two occasions now it has saved me thousands of dollars. I basically had my engine rebuilt last month because there was some ongoing issue with the spark plugs. It’s not easy to get an appointment with the dealership, which led to me spending far more OOP than I should have trying to get to the bottom of what was going on. I seriously thought I’m buying a Honda, I’ll have years of worry free ownership. Sadly, that has not been my experience.
Absolutely freaking hated the auto-idle start/stop thing and traded it in for a CRV.
I turn it off automatically. Doesn’t the CRV have the same? We just got a civic and it has the botton.
I believe I had a 17 Pilot and traded it for an 18 CRV, and it didn't have the auto-idle. I don't know if newer models do. If I could have permanently turned it off, I would have kept the Pilot. I didn't like having to turn it off every time I got in the vehicle.
We have a 2016 pilot with 125k miles in it. We looked to replace it last year with a newer one and it was missing some of the features we like best (like the right turn camera). A fewer years in, It does this thing where it would suddenly stall at lights out of the blue but they fixed it. (There was a recall I believe).
I sold my ‘08 Pilot and I’ve missed it ever since. That thing was amazing! We are a Honda family. We’ve had them all. I drive a ‘15 Odyssey, we just got DD1 an ‘18 CRV, and DH just got a ‘17 Pilot.
First one was an ‘09 that we traded in for a 2017. Then last year we traded in the 2027 for a 2023. Both trade-ins happened at around 100k, and right at the point where they were starting to need more maintenance (timing belt and stuff you’d expect to replace at 100k miles). We could have used them for much longer, but wanted some of the newer features. Otherwise we had a few small issues covered under warranty (and maybe a recall or two?) and just normal wear items like oil changes, tires, batteries, and brake pads. SUPER reliable. For comparison, my sisters 6-year old Jeep Grand Cherokee just had a catastrophic engine failure at 67k miles.
The only thing I don’t like about the 2023 Pilot is the GPS. The 2016 had a Garmin GPS that worked great. The new one has a different interface and it’s crap, and has given us completely wrong directions before. So now we just use Google Maps via CarPlay.
The third row is okay. Smaller adults can fit for a short drive but it’s not super-comfortable. Kids are no problem back there. There’s not a ton of cargo space with the whole third row up, but we usually do the 60/40 with one kid on the “40” side and it works fine.
We have the red and it’s SO pretty. C calls it the “Cherry Bomb.”
I had a 2021 Honda CRV in red. It was also named Cherry Bomb!
Post by melmel4854 on Jun 14, 2024 18:42:39 GMT -5
I am on my secoond Honda, but I am not a good person to talk to! I bought my first in 2021... a 2021 CRV. Then I met my neighbor and he had a Passport. He traded in his 2021 Passport for a 2023 Passport and I said "ohhhh pretty!" and also bought the 2023 Passport.
So far I love them, but I only had 25,000 on the CRV and I am approaching 25,000 on the Passport. So I love them, but I can't speak long term! I do wish my Passport had wireless apple play and a bigger sunroof.