Honda Pilot 2003 through 2005

nofeer

Remember my post about typical stages in these forums for discussion, quess we're still in ---

STAGE I: focus on styling etc.

styling--as long as it's reasonable, people buy the whole package, quality, features, reliablity, "family position". It has to look reasonable, honda accord, not a stellar "looker" but massive success. We will just play these games till we get to STAGE II --first drives and mag reviews to give us more to think about.

STAGE 1: New intro, very few have seen it. Discussion on styling, look alikes, speculative
nature.

STAGE 2: Car mags drive it...rave reviews...people can't wait till they can "see" one.
Discussion boards move to mag articles and pictures.

STAGE 3: Car at dealers, people can see, drive, compare....it's all ready a huge success
with long lists. Discussion boards, any discounts,how do i get on the list 250 miles from
home, talk of dealers messing with the customer, add ons to increase price or just add $$$$
to list. Discussion turns to price features comparo

STAGE 4: Some get it and extol the virtues, people share where when how and why they
by, personal driving experience now shared on forum.

STAGE 5: More people have it, more want it. Discussion of minor flaws and "what should
have been done" slight improvements, accolades.

STAGE 6: Mature forum, tidbits, posts/per day fall off to typical.

If june delivery and april production, then first drive will come in May mags, we will have to endure another 500 forum posts till then. Back off the styling and scour the net for more information. Any dealers have colors, options etc.?

carstuff3

Thanks for providing the link of the Pilot in white. I will not make any more comments on the styling other than to say I still like it.
I keep thinking about the expected MSRP for an LX in the $25-26K, the fact initially (1-3 yrs) price will be MSRP, and the fact that it will be worth it. I anticipate that this will be another exceptional vehicle from Honda. I can't wait to get behind the wheel of one. My preference will be white or silver with a charcoal interior. Will have to wait and see what color combos are for a few months. Anyone been to the Canada show? What does that panel by the turntable reveal? Any stats etc..

diploid

at the auto shows. I am just dying to know about that 3rd seat. Will take pictures when it arrives in NY.

will4271

Thanks opus5 for the link. That picture is a lot better view that just one side view of the red pic.

The car doesn't seem to have "flood lights" since the bumper doesn't have the indentations like the MDX.

I wondering if Edmunds.com will go and snap some info on this?

grachor

My wife bought and are quite happy with a 2000EX Nav. We were interested in something like an MDX for a second car but knew that Honda was planning a honda badged version of it now called the Pilot.

Our only disappointment is that it looks like in order to get the NAV you going to have to get leather. I'm afraid that lets us out as neither of us can tolerate leather in a car. In all fairness we understand the Odyssey is only this way as well....

Too bad....

George Rachor

diploid

I didn't even notice that the white Pilot didn't have foglights.

Here's an interesting article:

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=4623&sid=174&n=156

Scroll down a bit and read about Ford's CrossTrainer. Looks like Ford doesn't want the Explorer to be Pilot's competitor.

mark189

The local dealers here are pretty clueless and claim that's Honda's usual approach.

However, the MDX has pretty much followed the Odyssey in colors (I saw a white MDX this weekend)and I'd expect the Pilot to follow the MDX.

The Odyssey is introducing a Havasu Blue, which looks good in the brochure. Granite Green is the current best seller, also selling well are the silver (which is a very light color), black, and gold.

will4271

I heard from the MDX dealer that the Granite will no longer be offered this year but will come back next year.

They did not say why. Maybe because it costs more to make and paint that color but the demand is there.

That Havasu Blue looks great in the book but it's difficult to visualize on a SUV.

anonymous02

#802 Looks good in white by diploid

"At least the "skidplates" don't look so out of place on the white as it does on that red prototype."

I didn't see any skidplates. Is there a way to look at the underside? This is the white one in the carpoint site, right?

diploid

Notice that I put the word skidplates in parantheses. I was referring to that gray underlip on the front and back bumpers.

diploid

Pfft...parantheses...I meant quotation marks.

nofeer

When anyone gets a chance to "see" one, take a tape rule and measure, measure measure, for example, measure the3rd row across so we can compare, see how tall it is then we can compare to the mdx, any info helps.

anonymous02

I don't see your point.

I was looking for skidplates. Do you mean the plastic molding around the bumper areas? THAT is not going to stop any damage, and in fact will probably be on the receiving end of sustaining some damage.

anonymous02

Has anyone seen/heard what the heights and departure angles are?

robertsmx

Ground Clearance: 8 inches
Approach/Departure/Breakover Angles: 28/21/21 degrees

redlenses

diploid

Just sit in a MDX as I did and you will know what the Pilot 3rd row seating will be like. SMALL! Judging from the available pictures they have widened the right side seat hip room by 1 inch from 48.5 to ~49.5 inches.

Cheers

diploid

Skidplates in quotation mark = they're not really skidplates, hence the use of quotation marks.

Yes, I do know what real skidplates are, and where they're supposed to be.

canadiancl

It may look better in the flesh, but that white one is not going to get anyone's heart rate up. IMO, its got a pre '02 CR-V grill, a bit of '02 CR-V headlights, a stretched pre '02 CR-V in silhouette, a bit of Pathfinder in the rear (especially around the tail lights), and a bit of VUE in the sense that the silhouette of the hood rises above the top of the doors.

will4271

I wonder if some can really find out the same in the 3rd row too. The 3rd row on the MDX is for the kids only.

btw, Frontline on PBS is doing a part on SUV rollovers. Check it out on your local listing this Thursday night.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rollover/

anonymous02

Oh, THAT should be reasonable!

NOT!

guyf

Another preview, this one from Canadian Driver:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/previews/03pilot.htm

Please try not to drool on your keyboard.....

ducttape

My dealer reported the following color codes for the Pilor:

BE = Beige
BK = Black
BL = Blue
GN = Dk. Green
GY = Grey
R? = Red (not the same Met. Red as the Autoshow car)
SI = Silver
WH = White

Everyone should choose GN so I have many SI to choose from.

anonymous02

2 things saying the Pilot is not a real (offroading) 4x4 suv.

1) the engine is going the wrong way

2) they don't even mention tire size or type in the chassis/suspension specs

diploid

Why do the Canadians get it first? And why are there no newer pictures...the ones from that article are from the wieck site.

zorglub

I understand that each bulletin board has its share of trolls, but anonymous has been on this one for a while. We are all entitled to our opinion. It's just that An. has been bashing this car for a while. It's one thing to complain about a car drawbacks/defaults/design flaws, but it's something else when you start complaining about the fact is not a hard core off roader when it's not even supposed to be one.

Every time that a modern SUV comes out, there is somebody complaining that it can't do the Rubicon trail/boulder climbing stuff. I guess I should feel bad for these guys, because 10 years from now, there won't be anymore SUVs based on 1920-30 technology (read spring leaf, live axle). What will they buy?

spartanman2

I would bet there are at least a few people who regularly post messages in Town Hall with direct or indirect ties to the competition....

troyy2k

My lease is going to be up on my current car, and I was wondering if I could wait for the release of the PILOT: Has Honda released an official launch date for the Pilot? Please let me know. Thanks.

anonymous02

I used to have a Honda Civic. I liked the quality, reliability, dependability.

I sold it.

I bought a Jeep.

I like the quality, reliability, dependability, and offroad capabilities.

I like Honda and Honda vehicles. I was checking out the Pilot to see what it might be like. So far, it is mostly speculation. There is nothing wrong with keeping current.

I wish some day that Honda would come up with an answer to the Tundra/LandCruiser.

My Jeep has 4 coil springs and 2 live axles, the way it should be. I don't forsee that changing for a long time. The IFS/IRS vehicles just don't seem to cut it. The Liberty was a real jump for Jeep, and put off many Jeep owners.

The alternative=?

ducttape

Confirmed Model Line Up

YF1813EW - Pilot LX
YF1843EW - Pilot EX
YF1853ENW - Pilot EX-L
YF1863ENW - Pilot EX-L RES
YF1873ENW - Pilot EX-L NAVI

Confirmed Color Codes

BE/SA - Mesa Beige w/ Saddle Interior
BK/GR - Nighthawk Black w/ Gray Interior
BL/GR - Eternal Blue w/ Gray Interior
GN/SA - Clover Green w/ Saddle Interior
GY/FN - ? Grey w/ Fern Interior
RE/GR - Redrock Pearl w/ Gray Interior
SI/GR - Satin Silver Metallic w/ Gray Interior
WH/FN - Taffeta White w/ Fern Interior

carguy62

I'm not as up on the Ody as other Honda products but it appears they carried over a lot of the same color combos for the Pilot. But a few different ones as well. Wonder if the Saddle is the same as in my CR-V? I wish I had the choice of Mesa Beige.

And for the person who wants the Silver, that is usually the most popular color and the one they usually supply more of (at least that's my theory). When I bought my CR-V I did not want Silver, but that was the color everyone had. Looking at their allocation sheets it was something like seven Silvers for every two White.

estevef1

"H/FN - Taffeta White w/ Fern Interior"

Fern? - if it's like the old Fern on the AcuraTL, then expect a deep/dark green that looks like a dark grey. Well, better grey than they ugly "Saddle" that gets dirty WAY to fast!

beatfarmer

Honda would have to start building a truck platform first (body on frame construction) before they could build a vehicle like that.

You roll your jeep yet? If not, you're not trying hard enough!

carguy62

So what is your experience with the "ugly "Saddle" interior that gets dirty WAY to (sic) fast"?

Your profile doesn't say what vehicle you own. And I believe it is first being used on the CR-V (Ody and Accord use an Ivory, probably similar, Civic uses a beige, again similar).

I have the Saddle and I love it. I had Grey (actually Quartz) in an Accord and I much prefer this. But that of course is my own personal preference. I would just like to know what leads you to your conclusion or is it speculation? Thanks.

varmint

I believe "saddle" is one of the interior colors for the Acura line. My wife's TL is emerald green with a saddle interior. We haven't had any trouble with it getting any dirtier than our other cars.

anonymous02

But I almost flipped backwards up a steep hill!

:-)

zorglub

I really doubt that Honda will build an SUV for the hardcore offroading crowd anytime soon. They have no incentive to do so since the offroaders are a very small percentage of the population. On the other end, the rest of us are clamoring for crossover SUVs, so that's where they'll go. Even Ford is doing it now with its SUVs.

Actually, I remember reading about Chrysler's plans for its SUVs years ago (7-8) and supposedly they were planning on progressively upgrade their suspensions until they would be using independent susp. all around on their trucks. Somehow, they did not do it, and now they're stuck in a quandary: if they change to a modern scheme (IFS, IRS), they'll put off their existing customers, but if they don't, they'll lose more sales to the modern SUVs.

carguy62

The current TL ('02) calls it Parchment. Obviously all the light colors (Saddle, Beige, Parchment, Ivory) are similar. My house is all beige in terms of carpet and I don't find it shows dirt any worse than anything else. I just must be a neutral person (I was told once that my house exemplifies the early 90's when neutral was in, well it should, I had it built in '91).

My old, old Accord had a Maroon interior (the brochure called it something funny, I remember I didn't even want to look at it because of the name). Not too bad, a little dark, but not as bad as black, IMO.

will4271

What's that model listed as:

YF1863ENW - Pilot EX-L RES

What's RES???

will4271

Looks like the last row of seats on the Pilot are very simailar to the MDX ones but they split it into three seats.

I don't see much improve room unless the Pilot is has a wider interior.

It also see that the MDX uses higher quality plastics than the Pilot.

Did anyone notice this at the auto shows?

h1vc

I think Rear Entertainment System.

Anyone know how the MDX's third row legroom compares to the Explorers?

varmint

Ah, you are correct. The TL is parchment, not saddle. I recognise it now that I see it. Thanks.

ducttape

YF1863ENW - Pilot EX-L RES

= Pilot EX with Leather and Rear Entertainment System

stlgasman

The legroom in the Explorer/Mountaineer is superior to the MDX. The MDX is for a child 12 or under. The Ford seats adults.

nofeer

My wife wants the red like the pictures, but she would like to know which is close in the honda line so she can see "the color in person". what is a comparable color "red" , is it the civic red? milano red?,

h1vc

About how much difference? 3 inches, more?

diploid

The red on the last generation CR-V looks similar to the one on the Pilot, and a shinier/darker red of that can be seen on the Accord. But as shellymeister has already pointed out, that specific red on the Pilot prototype is a special red for the shows only, it most likely will not see production.

I sat in the Explorer at last year's auto show - yes, the 3rd row is more accomadating than the MDX's, but is it suitable for adults? I have to say no; superiority in leg room was hardly noticeable.

stlgasman

I imagine the Odyssey and MDX colors will be the same as the Pilot. I beg to differ on leg room. The Explorer was far superior to the MDX.

jdlynch2

Just curious; From where do receive your information on the Pilot, especially the model and paint codes? It seems you have some inside connection.

h1vc

I also think the Explorer has good rear seat leg room. I'm over 5'11" and I felt comfortable. Can you guys take a guess at how much more room is in the Ford?

diploid

I thought we were comparing the leg room in the MDX's 3rd row vs. the Explorer's 3rd row?

The Explorer has a longer wheelbase than the MDX, so I'm guessing it would have better leg room for backseat passengers in the rear.