Honda's eight-passenger SUV, the 2010 Pilot, is one year removed from an '09 redesign. There are few visual parallels between the old and new Pilot, but design cues such as the chiseled headlights and large H in the grill announce that this is indeed a Honda.
The large shield around the H in the grill first appeared on the Pilot concept car at the '09 New York Auto Show. The headlights have been considerably toned-down from the concept Pilot.
Power on the Pilot comes from a 3.5-liter V6 that puts out 250 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. To improve fuel economy, this engine features Variable Cylinder Management, which shuts down three of the six cylinders while cruising and during highway driving. Power is sent through a 5-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels or available 4-wheel drive.
Fuel economy for the Pilot ranges from 16 miles per gallon city, up to 23 miles per gallon highway.
Seating is spacious for any up to 8-passengers. Both rear benches are 60/40 split folding, giving way to 87 cubic feet of cargo space.
The raised placement of the shifter is becoming more popular among automakers and is ergonomically quite sound.
The center console features the NAV screen with on and off road tracking. Below that is the available 6-disc in dash CD changer and separate DVD player. DVDs are viewable via the available Rear Entertainment System with a fold down monitor. Helping to make viewing easy for the rear passengers is the manual sunshade that's a snap to operate.
Safety equipment includes 4-wheel antilock disc brakes, Vehicle Stability Control, and a full array of front and side impact airbags.
Initial base MSRP for the 2010 Honda Pilot is $27,895. A fully loaded Pilot can hit $50,000. The Pilot is backed by a 5-year, 60,000-mile power train warranty.
Recently updated styling, a wide array of options, and 8-passenger seating make the 2010 Honda Pilot a very attractive SUV for families of any size.