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Honda Pilot 2003 through 2005

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  • sjwsmwsjwsmw Member Posts: 131
    Any clue what the Sandstone beige will be like? With Mojave Mist, Mesa Beige, and the gold family, wonder where it will fit in.
    As far as Sagebrush goes, I wonder if it is similar to a light metallic green that the previous generation Accord sedan came in. ???

    Also, early rumors were the dark green was the Clover Green, or is it now Evergreen?
  • johnnyb84johnnyb84 Member Posts: 8
    My experience with car colors is that you pretty much forget about them the moment you decide which one you want.

    Let's talk about something serious, like does it come with a moonroof?! ;)
  • skipartyskiparty Member Posts: 15
    Jerry (jmurman) -- Do you know for sure what the difference will be between LX and base EX? Someone said that temp control was one thing. The VTEC site said EX would be cloth. Would the LX be cloth also? What other interior is there besides leather and cloth?
    Thanks, Mike
  • moonkatmoonkat Member Posts: 265
    Just a clue:

    http://www.ifloor.com/cats/Laminate/Natural_Images-2518/item-SHAW-SLI20-131.html

    Hold it at arms length and squint.....real hard.
  • jmurman42jmurman42 Member Posts: 675
    The difference between the EX and LX on the Odyssey...I am using this as an example. Climate control, alloy wheels, alarm system with keyless remote, roof rack (sans cross bars), am,fm,cd. I would imagine the EX to be equipped similarly. LX shouls have am, fm,cass, steel wheels.

    Jerry
  • sjwsmwsjwsmw Member Posts: 131
    Anyone hear if the back liftgate window will be operational or not?
  • towelmantowelman Member Posts: 28
    In looking at the pictures from Honda's Digital Newsroom, there are no pictures that show a moonroof. If you get a closeup of the dash where typically Honda puts the moonroof switches, there isn't one. Hard to believe there wouldn't be one though . . .
  • SpyponderSpyponder Member Posts: 128
    The new CR-V LX comes with a CD player standard. I would be very surprised if the Pilot LX did not have the single-CD player. The EX will probably get the in dash 6-CD changer.
  • pilotownerpilotowner Member Posts: 51
    Hi...who else has a confirmed dealer order for a Pilot? What are the delivery dates that they are telling you and what if any options were you able to order?
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    No takers?
  • pilotownerpilotowner Member Posts: 51
    I found this posting on the collegehillshonda.com site today...

    Out of State Purchases

    Due to the high demand and limited availability of certain vehicles, purchases outside the State of Ohio will carry a "loss of service fee" on top of the regular selling price. These fees only apply to the vehicles listed below.

    2003 Pilot $3000
    2002 Odyssey $2000
    2002 Cr-v $2000
    2002 S2000 $2000
    2003 Civic Hybrid $1500
    2002 Civic Si $1500

    I have NEVER seen a dealer (much less a Honda dealer) impose such fees. Has anyone else? They are basically saying that in addition to selling the vehicle, they tack on these fees. Exactly how long would it take to spend $3,000 on Pilot service? 7 years???

    Unbelievable.
  • theracoontheracoon Member Posts: 666
    And then there's the dealer in Oklahoma that's selling 2002 CR-Vs at a few hundred dollars over invoice to anyone, and includes free shuttle service from the airport if you fly in to pick up your vehicle.

    College Hills Honda sounds like they're being "good" little capitalists and trying to take advantage of the "law" of supply and demand.
  • davisdogdavisdog Member Posts: 99
    I enquired at a SF Bay Area Dealer and said nothing less than$5K over MSRP...he said that's what all the local dealers where doing...told him I'd take the MDX for less than...

    he also said that he heard today that delivery was pushed back until July/August now...Although I didnt believe anything else he said so why believe this
  • zorglubzorglub Member Posts: 79
    If the dealer I contacted tells me that, I'll tell him/her to stick their Pilot somewhere... While I don't blame dealers for being greedy, I certainly blame buyers for being stupid. Who in their right mind would pay 15% above MSRP just to be the first one on the block? This is beyond me... Anyway, I'm sure I'll find somebody willing to sell at MSRP. I only need the car by next November (Tahoe usually opens around Thanksgiving).
  • subzero206subzero206 Member Posts: 111
    i feel what ur sayin. u gotta be stupid to overpay just to be the 1st to have it. just wait til it hits MSRP or lower. but i doubt the lower than MSRP, look at the Odysseys and MDX's in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th yrs and still selling at MSRP
  • lfikelfike Member Posts: 38
    Seems I read that the LX version (Pilot) would have a
    CD/Cass/AM-FM Sterio with 6 speakers.....I'm sure I didn't dream that.
    I worked for Honda for 7 years and we never sold over MSRP....no add on stickers etc.....it was a small family dealership with no hassle buying....we did what Saturn does years before they ever thought about it.....anyway....I have to agree with the above post....the Pilot won't sell for under msrp for quite some time....remember this is not a Passport (Isuzu).....neat thing about this is that it's always going to be worth a ton....Selling Hondas is a piece of cake....the car simply sells itself!
  • bengelkingbengelking Member Posts: 59
    You're nuts paying a dime over MSRP. We've got four dealers here (Milwaukee) selling at MSRP with options at installed dealer cost.

    What about that moonroof?????????
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    No moonroof.

    You want certain things, you buy the MDX. Frankly, I don't understand why they are offering the NAV and RES.
  • pileitpileit Member Posts: 8
    Will Honda offer the Pilot in a 2-wheel drive version either this year or next?

    The Toyota Highlander has 2-wheel drive option. I would prefer a Pilot (if they change the name) and I don't need 4-wheel drive with the extra weight.
  • greenschuzgreenschuz Member Posts: 15
    Varmint - Have you confirmed that there will not be a moonroof, or is this what you are thinking will be the result?
  • pilotownerpilotowner Member Posts: 51
    I have not seen any references in Honda promotional videos or magazine articles to a 2 wheel drive version. The model numbers that the dealers use to order Pilots do not contain any differentiation for 2 wheel drive. I think it is safe to assume that there will be no 2 wheel drive version for 2003. Who knows beyond that...but I cannot recall a case where a manufacturer introduced a 4 wheel drive version then later introduced a step-down 2 wheel drive.
  • sjwsmwsjwsmw Member Posts: 131
    According to College Hills Honda's website:

    Sandstone w/Saddle (August Release)
    Sagebrush w/Fern (August Release)
    Redrock Pearl w/Gray
    Evergreen Pearl w/Saddle
    Havasu Blue Pearl w/Gray
    Taffeta White w/Fern
    Starlight Silver w/Gray
    Nighthawk Black Pearl w/Gray
  • jmurman42jmurman42 Member Posts: 675
    we dont know exactly how this car will be configured.

    Jerry
  • johnnyb84johnnyb84 Member Posts: 8
    I'd would question the reliability of the College Hills site. Why does a dealer in Wooster, Ohio, know something every other dealer in North America doesn't?
  • nofeernofeer Member Posts: 381
    So what vehicles share these colors, so we can look at them. for example redrock pearl is shared with the MDX. Sandstone, and SAgebrush. My wife looked at the ODY beige liked it, darker color on the CRV (not sure what that is) hated it. My dealer here in KY doen't have any info other than what honda gave out at the autoshow. Is there a "honda" official website that would have this so i can share with my dealer. Also, when i said "june" he didn't know, unless that's what he is told to say. It's amazing how little info my dealer has, yet if May-june is "launch" date then production should start soon or a week or two. anyone know any honda worker?
  • towelmantowelman Member Posts: 28
    Honda released the color abbreviations to the dealers in January on their ordering programs. The official colors and availability were disclosed 3/18. College Hills seems to have someone who is right on top of the latest info and passes it on immediately.
  • towelmantowelman Member Posts: 28
    I work at a Honda dealership; we've ordered our Pilots for May - don't know target dates for production, but we're expecting to deliver the first ones that month.
  • jmurman42jmurman42 Member Posts: 675
    Please understand this, any info that is released by dealers that is not backed up from Honda is pure speculation. As a dealer, we are used to this with Honda. We (dealers) dont have to have all of the info before we order cars, and we dont get the info either. Honda releases their info, prices etc about two weeks before the cars actually come out. Honda does this strictly for the marketing and competitive nature of the business.

    Hope this helps you understand a little better.

    Jerry
  • towelmantowelman Member Posts: 28
    Jerry, what you said is absolutely true. I remember when the CR-V was improved in '99 - we went out and combed thru the new cars that just came in to see what the changes were going to be! The year before we actually had Civics on the lot before we were sure of the new prices. I guess Honda wants to be sure the competition has no opportunity to get an advantage. Sometimes, though it would be nice to get the inside scoop a little earlier - like before the press does . . .
  • sowrsowr Member Posts: 69
    I'm really excited that the Pilot has a CD player and navigation system. I wonder if it will have real off-road capability or be another fluff-mobile like the MDX (4WD minvan) and Highlander (Camry Wagon).

    I wonder if it's available in 1 wheel drive?
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    I think the only thing Honda makes with 'real off-road capability' are there ATV's and bikes. Considering something like 95% of SUVs don't ever go on a dirt road, I think the Pilot could be a very good choice for a lot of people.
  • subzero206subzero206 Member Posts: 111
    its based on the MDX so of course its not gonna be a true off-roader. light off-roading would be fine as ive done this with a CRV without problems. if u want real off-road capability ur lookin at the wrong vehicle.
  • diploiddiploid Member Posts: 2,286
    Get a Toyota 4Runner, and wait a couple of years for a recall when the engineers discover that 11 inches of ground clearance + sharp turns = disaster.
  • sowrsowr Member Posts: 69
    The 4-Runner is underwhelming (and under powered).

    You want great handling? Then get a Lotus.

    Quite honestly I see cars like the Honda Pilot, the MDX, and the Highlander as utterly usless vehicles, they don't handle even as well as a wagon, they don't have as much room as a mini-van and they can't negotiate boulders like a Trooper or a Jeep, what's the point? They are marketing excercises and as such become the ultimate compromise.

    Eunuch, I think is the word that I'm looking for.
  • varmintvarmint Member Posts: 6,326
    Sowr - They do a little of everything. You don't have to mash boulders to have fun off-road.

    I think you had it right with, "ultimate compromise".
  • johnnyb84johnnyb84 Member Posts: 8
    Another way to look at it is, they handle better than a Trooper or a Jeep,they have more room than a wagon, and they negotiate boulders better than a mini van.

    Sounds like a good vehicle to me!!
    (I've got a deposit on one of the first ones)
  • pilotownerpilotowner Member Posts: 51
    And add in Honda quality + very strong resale value. I'll take a Honda any day of the week vs. Ford, Jeep, Chevy, Dodge, etc. Anyone ever tried sitting in a Durango? I could not believe how uncomfortable that truck is....esp. the second and third rows. My kids all got carsick in the third row! So what if it might handle a little better going over boulders. How many times a year do you really need to do that???
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    the fact is I don't 'need' to do negotiate boulders...but it sure fun (however you do it). If you really want to go off-roading...you can usually rent jeeps somewhere nearby, or you could always mountain bike. For what SUVs are turning into today, I think the Pilot may be an excellent choice (although I'll wait on final judgment until I've seen and tested one). It all comes down to different strokes for different folks, but why not just get a minivan? They have just as much, if not more interior room (typically) and more than enough off-road-ability for 99.999% of folks.
  • rms41rms41 Member Posts: 80
    I don't know how many of you checked out the white Pilot that was at the Canadian auto show. You can see it here:

    http://en.carpoint.msn.ca/cias2002/gallery_cat.asp#

    There are a couple of differences compared to the red one everyone has seen. The wheels are slightly different and the very bottom panels appear to be painted black. I think this gives the vehicle a less boxy look. I wonder if the production ones will be the same? Any other Honda vehicles with this type of paint treatment?
  • nofeernofeer Member Posts: 381
    We've had that discussion--seen that, done that, got the t-shirt and it was RETURNED",OK.... move on. remember the discussion about "locking differential". I had a "britany spears" take on that. I wish i could remember the post# (if someone knows let me know). But people use their cars for various things, so get off this offroad, onroad, 4wd vs awd compulsion, THe market will determine the winners and losers. The market determines the needs , and the manufactures try to satisfy them, if you want true 4wd then go to another forum. I'm satisfied with AWD, carlike ride, quiet comfort, safty and quality.
  • guy44guy44 Member Posts: 67
    I believe one tenth of one percent of SUV owners actually need to negotiate boulders. So Sowr you can have your Jeep and Trooper and all the wonderful offroad capabilities along with their awful reliability track records.

    Of course to nofeer who tells Sowr to go post somewhere else to another 4wd forum I say let him post here. What else are these boards for? Good healthy discussion never hurt anyone. In fact I enjoy it. Who cares if it's been brought up before. It's a heck of a lot more interesting then the 100 plus posts talking about exterior colors isn't it?

    By the way, my order is Black w/Gray Leather :)
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    you SUV people (and I am looking at the SUV market right now, for some safety in a collision, and sitting up higher for some safety)...is driving off the road onto my driveway, and an unpaved parking lot is the closest I will ever get to handling boulders with my SUV...so, in that case, there is nothing wrong with a CRV, Pilot or MDX, or a Camry-based SUV, or any of those other petty little critiques that some seem to have...I believe the real bottom line is simple, and that is that the SUV-styled vehicles are just the station wagons of yesteryear, but they look a lot more practical than the wagons could ever hope to be, and designed for the user, quite possibly Mom and her 3 kids, better than wagons ever were...
  • pilotownerpilotowner Member Posts: 51
    Very well put. Plus add the capability to get out of the driveway on a snowy morning. Our driveway has a serious incline. We're interested in AWD just to reduce the hassle of getting on the road. That's about all of the off-roading that we intend to do. Before any of you comment, yes we did try four Blizzaks on our current vehicle...helped some but not a great deal.
  • subzero206subzero206 Member Posts: 111
    those wheels look like aftermarket Enkies. i think the black underpart will make it to production considering all the plastic cladding on the CRV. i dont see any openings for fog lights (disappointed) but it still looks nice.
  • pilotownerpilotowner Member Posts: 51
    The next sighting of a Pilot is likely to be at the New York Auto Show which starts on 3/29/02. I plan to go to the show and will ask about moonroofs, fog lights, dimensions and anything else that people would like to know. Post your questions...I will try to get some answers from the Honda reps next weekend. Forget price...I am sure they are not ready to announce that yet.
  • dielectric7bbdielectric7bb Member Posts: 324
    'So Sowr you can have your Jeep and Trooper and all the wonderful offroad capabilities along with their awful reliability track records.'

    Any evidence to your statement about the Trooper’s reliability? Not very many on the Trooper board would agree with your statement, and it does appear that a lot of people are now questioning Honda's (as well as Toyota's) "great" reliability.
  • davisdogdavisdog Member Posts: 99
    Pilot owner...I'm very interested to hear about the moonroof and dimensions also ...being that I already have its younger/cheaper little brother (2002 CRV), and it comes with a Moonroof in the EX version...I'd be disappointed if the big boy didnt.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    I wouldn't heap the Trooper in the same reliability class as a Jeep (I assume you mean the JGC).

    I think the Pilot will do OK off-road, in sand and fire road terrain. Good for camping or a day at the beach. The trick isn't being able to traverse those "easy" trails, but inspire confidence while doing it. I think if you upgrade the road biased tires, the pilot will handle itself pretty well. Obviously it isn't designed to go over boulders. Then again...as it has been said many times, the Pilots customer base primarily wants a minivan that can go through 6-12 inches of snow without a problem, and that is the extent of off-roading it will see.
  • johnnyb84johnnyb84 Member Posts: 8
    I heard somewhere (not sure where) that the pilot exterior would be slightly smaller than the MDX, but that the interior would somehow be roomier. I'd be interested if the third seat is as cramped and if you're knees are as high as in the MDX.

    Don't know if you'll be able to answer these questions, because if the other shows are any indication, you'll be looking at it on a rotating platform with a rope around it.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "I think the Pilot will do OK off-road, in sand and fire road terrain."

    But then again, that is not off-road, is it (fire ROAD)?

    That is not a knock, just an observation. I think if I wanted an SUV for general purpose use, that the Pilot might be OK. I'd be interested in seeing the warranty as pertains to off-road use.

    While I don't currently nor have future plans to go over many boulders, I do hit some big ruts and occasional rocks and logs. I'd hate to have something so delicate that it breaks on these. That is why I sold my Civic and got a Wrangler (also because I got a boat, and needed something to tow it).

    I pretty much maxed out the Civic for off-road use at the Cape, and in some woods, and ran out of undercarriage clearance. Perhaps a bigger (taller) Honda would have made it fine, but then, it may have just moved the point I got stuck at farther away from civilisation.

    I'd imagine some taller (31X10.5X15 to start) would help, but you need the hardware to back that up. This is where the Trooper or others come in.

    We can keep an eye on the Pilot and see how it develops and handles, and adjust accordingly. For what it's worth, I know a guy who makes limited slip diffs for Civics and other cars, and could see a HUGE potential market for these applications.
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