Kinnman - The guy is 6'1" and 205 lbs. He's a bit longer in the torso than the legs. His real identity is top secret. He calls himself Super Spy Journalist and you can read all about how he snuck into Silko Honda and snapped those pics. Go to HondaSUV.com and click on the pic of the Pilot.
Nofeer: If you overlook the funky knob placement (and the split display), the sound system shown in the closeup on the Pilot page resembles the one in my husband's 5-spd '01 Accord (EX) , which is a 6-CD in-dash system. So I'm betting the Pilot's is too (at least the EX). But then, I would have put high odds on having a moonroof and simple stuff like compass/temp display too, so my track record is not good! I plunked down my $500 deposit back in January, and my husband has teased me ever since (but I'm 1st on the list!). The last laugh will be on him though when my black EX arrives and he wants to drive it! Now, if only it came with an optional 5-spd.....
I just rcvd my June issue of Car and Driver, in which there is a full road test of a Pilot EX. They give it pretty good marks, although they aren't thrilled with the styling or the fun to drive factor. Cheers Pat
I would think the fun to drive factor would be pretty good. It has almost identical suspension stats as the MDX, and I can tell you that it is fun to drive. I wonder if the shocks or spring rates are different between the two?
I just saw a very positive review of the Pilot in our local paper and the reviewer said that leather seats and a power sunroof would be offered as options. In the picture, the Pilot had what I assume is (small) fog lights down next to the gray part of the front bumper. They also said a second sport ute, called the Element, would be out by the end of the year... anyone heard anything about that?
Someone said here that an article said the Pilot had a softer ride than the MDX. _If_ this is true, that might affect handling somewhat. But I'll bet it'll still be good.
The MDX is pretty fun to drive. Has some body roll, but not really bad. Steering is good, turning circle is tight, and the power is terrific.
Someone expressed some doubt or curiosity I forget which) about leather in the Pilot, The Honda Pilot site http://pilot.honda.com/home.asp will answer a great many of these questions.
What will be the most popular color for the Pilot? I can't decide from the photographs which color will give the Pilot the most "appeal". I am leaning towards silver, but red or white looks pretty good in the photographs too.
I need to decide on a color so I can secure my place on the list with a color that I am fairly confident will look good in reality.
Hey Varmint, Don't you have some more photographs of the Pilot from the dealership up northeast? I think your holding out on us.
Jdlynch - Most of them were used by Super Spy in that article. I can post larger versions if there is a specific one that you want to see. The pics at Hondanews.com are pretty good. If only because they don't have plastic all over the interior.
Check out this site, they have info on the Element, including pics. Not sure, but I think Honda is trying to compete with the Pontiac Aztec....better have a few beers before you check it out.
I made a comment about the likely quality of the leather in the Pilot, based on what I have in the MDX.
The MDX's leather is of average quality but is not anything special. Leather is used on seating surfaces (the stuff that touches you) and only a few other places. Elsewhere it's vinyl that matches the leather. Some is relatively trivial, e.g. the third row seat is not leather but I think that's fine given the general target audience of that seat.
My main concern about the leather quality is that it seems relatively thin, and is only surface dyed. Many MDX owners have reported significant amounts of wrinkles and creasing at stress points (e.g. the part of the seat below your thigh near the knee). In the worse cases, one or two have reported actual cracking. In those cases, it probably wasn't as much cracks as it was the edges of the wrinkles getting the color rubbed off through abrasion (e.g. jeans).
I've been carefully using Lexol to try to extend the lifetime of the leather, and I hope that helps.
Some of the MDX's competitors have clearly thicker leather, and leather that is fully dyed, not just surface dyed.
The MDX leather is perforated while the Pilot is not. I don't think there's any loss there. Some MDX owners have reported a brief time when little "hairs" from the fabric underneath the seat popping through the perforation holes, until they get worn off (picture an owner trying to shave them off ...). This is known as the "hairy seat" feature. ;-)
Since I expect the Pilot's leather to be of a similar quality to the MDX's, I think it's something to look out for. Be sure to clean and condition the leather carefully!
Way off the MDX/Pilot topic, but if you ever get a chance to sit in a new (2001+) Mitsubishi Montero Limited, you will be amazed at the quality of materials. The leather is thick, soft, and without blemish. The content for the money is also incredible. There is that roll-over thing, under powered engine, and poor resale value, but, good seats, hey, you can't have everything! ;->
I ordered the Black which I thought looked the best in the pictures. Of course I'm not the best guy at keeping my cars washed so I might regret the color decision... I've owned several different vehicles that were gray/silver variations including our current Odyssey. I just couldn't pull the trigger on another silver vehicle.
The Wieck public relations site has many of the brochure pictures up and it looks pretty good in the silver. Go to this site and type "pilot" in the top search block, they have 14 or so pages of sharp slides.
First time poster longer time lurker. Can someone explain to me why the Honda insists upon having gray be the primary color? It seems to me that tan goes with more that gray.
Here is an idea I'm toying with regarding leather. I had my Passat's cloth seats re-upholstered with leather from http://www.katzkin.com . I'm very happy with the results. I've had it for almost a year now. The leather is thick and great quality and the job was well done too. You can't tell they are not factory leather. I paid $999 installed.
I was thinking of getting the EX with cloth. Let the kids (7 & 3) do their spills and stuff on the cloth for about 1.5 - 2 years and then do the leather upgrade through katzkin (this should be enough time for them to come up with the Pilot kit).
I figure the difference between EX and EX-L is about $1500 for the Odyssey so it should be an almost break-even deal.
The Honda salesman's solicitation post that you are referring to has been deleted. Begging for customers on Town Hall is a no-no :-) Steve Host SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
93fsu1 - I dunno about that. I just took a quick (very quick) glance at the competition and, even at TMV pricing, they are more expensive than the Pilot at MSRP. A Pilot EX is expected to be $28K (est.), but that's less than the comparable vehicles in the same class.
Durango SLT = $29,764 Explorer XLT = $28,577 Highlander LTD = $29,462 Pathfinder LE = $29,513
I like 'em. I even prefer some of the newer styles, where the turn signal is inside a clear lens that's positioned within the red lights (you know what I mean, sorta like the redesigned taillights on the Accord). But I'm definitely still against the whole clear lights that Lexus (IS300) and Nissan (Altima) are starting to use.
Diploid - Couldn't agree more. For the most part, the Altima is a nicely styled car. It has a nice balance of curves and lines. Then they stick those oversized hey-look-at-me lenses on the bak of the vehicle. It makes it look like a boy racer, IMHO.
There are some vehicles where the designer pulls it off (RX300 and S2000 come to mind). Those tend to be the understated designs.
I agree. I think the "jeweled" light thing is being overdone. In most cases (headlights), I like it; however, there is not one "jeweled" taillight that I care for. Yep—too boy-racerish for my tastes.
Thanks for the heads up. They addressed the side airbag issue. It is supposed to be taken care of . They (katzkin) have all the information in their web site, including a video.
When my husband went to our dealer to let them know our color/trim pref. (& leave our deposit), the sales manager actually suggested that we get leather installed if an ex we wanted came in w/o it. he also commented that the quality would be better if we did it aftermarket & recommended someone in our area to do it. i get the feeling he knows that there won't be a white or silver ex with leather coming in their first shipment (we're #2 on the list). ot - he also promised to sell us our pilot at msrp (b/c he has a business relationship w/ my father-in-law); in general they plan on selling for $5k over. we'll see...
I suggest you check with katzkin or with the person they recommended to see when the leather kit for the Pilot will be available. These are kits that fit the factory seats like a glove. I assume they have to somehow work with the car manufacturer and the Pilot being a brand new car...
My wife got a call yesterday from our Honda salesguy. He went on a Pilot test drive. One thing he said bugged me. He wasn't given any price information but thought the EX would be 29K and some change.
I don't know his source, but 29+ for the EX without leather or other stuff, puts the price perilously close to the MDX (34.7K which includes leather, sunroof, ... and a track record.
He may have been speculating, or trying to guess high so when it came in lower, we'd be happy. But it would be irritating.
The EX Trim should come standard with leather trim & sunroof. The Accord EX for example, comes standard with leather & moonroof. I would think the same with Accord EX.
According to the sheets I read at the local Honda dealer and what they've been told by Honda, there is a leather trim level in the EX, but there is no sunroof in any of them, something different for Honda.
None of the other stuff, either: heated seats, outside thermometer, compass, heated mirrors, etc. At the NY Auto Show I was told by a Honda rep that this MIGHT have been part of a deal with Acura about selling something too much like the MDX. Makes sense.
Well, there's no "deal" between Honda and Acura. They're all really the same manufacturer, so some people in marketing got together with production folks and came up with how they would artificially differentiate the vehicles. They had to pull stuff out of the MDX to keep the Pilot cost down, and also to force some sort of differentiation beyond the additional Acura dealership experience benefits (cough, cough).
(Actually, my local Acura dealership does provide a lot more than my local Honda dealerships, like loaners and wash/vacuum with any service, but that hasn't been the case for a number of owners, so it's a your-mileage-may-vary situation.)
Only in the NA market is there a differentiation between Honda and Acura. Outside the US Honda sells them all under one roof as one brand, the US Hondas being the "lower/non luxo" models and the Acuras being the up-scale products. Kinda funny how a lot of US buyers don't realize the combinations:
It is amazing how many people won't know this vehicle exists for a long time. Most people in my neighborhood never heard of an Acura MDX, and still ask me what it is. I tried mentioning the fact that I was unsure about getting it vs waiting because honda was coming out with a version...Pilot...and got a lot of Huh's? Anyway, if Honda/Acura even tried to advertise, imagine how good their sales would be. You don't see TV ads for these trucks. Simple ads like class leading safety, high mileage, ULEV, etc. Think how long the lines would be.
Look at this description for the 6 disk cd changer I found on the collegehill site.
Suggested Retail Price $498. This changer kit comes with the required attachment and mounts under the passenger seat. - Six disc capacity. - Direct access and scan functions. - Direct disc selection. - Repeat function. - Skip and search functions. - Three-beam laser pickup with die-cast zinc chassis. - 8X oversampling and 16-bit linear system. NOTE: LX models come standard with a CD Tuner. EX models have a standard 6 Disc In-Dash Changer.
It says the EX models have a standard 6 Disc In-Dash Changer.
Sbcooke - I don't think Honda/Acura sales can get any better until they are capable of increasing production. Advertizing won't do any good if you don't have enough product to sell. It would be a waste of money.
I am going to be pulling a 19ft boat with my pilot and I was wondering if anyone who has a MDX or knowledge of using the VTM-4 lock. Will it help to lock the VTM-4 when pulling the boat out of the water. I am thinking it will have good power and the system will not have to activate after there is wheel spin because it will be already in. And with the diff locked the power will be at all the wheels.
I believe that the EX WILL come with an in dash 6 cd changer, probably similiar to the on found in the 2002 CRV EX. It is a great system as far as not having to go into your trunk to change the cd's when you are sick of one of the ones in the changer.
How heavy is the boat? Depending on your towing distanaces/terrain/conditions the Pilot may or may-not be the vehicle to do it in. The VTM should work fine for towing it out on the launch ramp though.
That is what I am hoping because we will be traveling a lot with the Pilot and having 6 discs up front makes a nice trip. If that is true then the only options I will be getting will be the trailer hitch package, the cross bars and the front air deflector. Thanks for the info.
They rate the boat at 2500 lbs. So that should not be a problem with the weight I am more worried about the vtm switching back on forth while I am pulling it up the ramp. I now have a s-10 blazer and it pulls it up the ramp fine in 4 wheel low. So if I lock it then I will not have to worry about spinning on the ramp. I also might be pulling it to upstate NY from VA and that is all highway. Has anyone pulled a boat with a MDX?
It's hard to say, could you pull it up the ramp with the S10 blazer in 4wd hi? Don't forget the MDX/Pilot doesn't have low-range gears which can effectively double or triple the torque you have available. If the S10 can pull it out in 4wd hi, then you shouldn't have a problem. I have a 2500lb 17ft boat and usually pull it out in 2wd with my trooper, sometimes I use 4wd hi even on a wet ramp.
Talked to a local dealer in MN and this is the scoop up here:
- One dealer refused to take preorders or deposit - preferring to tell their potential customers that they will get 8 vehicles in June and 12 in July - with no chance to pre-order specifics. Wow - it felt like they were afraid to take my money!
- I then called another dealer who checked his inventory and found that he had three vehicles available from the May allottment and offered to let me order to my specs for the next available production run if needed. Both have stated that they will not sell for more than MSRP (however, they wouldn't sell for less, either). The second has had a lot of inquiries to date, but only a few consumers have been willing to put down a $500 deposit. Might be some hesitation because of the low level of exposure on the Pilot. He also stated that the leather will be the same leather as the Accord and Odyssey. Any experience with either type?
I have heard conjecture about heated seats and CD changer with the EX - however neither is shown on the Honda web site under the specifications section. I think we are setting ourselves up for a letdown on these items.
Also, the reason for no sunroof lies in the fact that the entertainment system will be in the same location. Since the DVD model (EX) would most certainly be expected to have the sunroof option, the design-around could not be completed before rollout. Oh well, maybe next year...
I track this post often - thanks for the enlightening discussion!
After scouting out most of the colour selections at my local Honda and Acura dealerships, black looks like the best choice for me. The dealer where I am planning to buy the Pilot has ordered Black for his first June demonstrator. He likes the look of the MDX in that colour and figured that the Pilot would look great in black.
I can pull the boat up the ramp in both 2wd high and 4wd high on the s-10. I like using 4wd low because if the nice low end power. Well it will be interesting the first time I pull the boat out. Thanks for all the input.
Comments
By the way, Chloe is a darling!
Any idea about the shape of the space behind the third row? I'm looking for enough space to fit a double stroller.
Cheers
Pat
The MDX is pretty fun to drive. Has some body roll, but not really bad. Steering is good, turning circle is tight, and the power is terrific.
Cheers
Pat
I need to decide on a color so I can secure my place on the list with a color that I am fairly confident will look good in reality.
Hey Varmint, Don't you have some more photographs of the Pilot from the dealership up northeast? I think your holding out on us.
What colors are everyone else here planning on?
http://www.collegehillshonda.com
The MDX's leather is of average quality but is not anything special. Leather is used on seating surfaces (the stuff that touches you) and only a few other places. Elsewhere it's vinyl that matches the leather. Some is relatively trivial, e.g. the third row seat is not leather but I think that's fine given the general target audience of that seat.
My main concern about the leather quality is that it seems relatively thin, and is only surface dyed. Many MDX owners have reported significant amounts of wrinkles and creasing at stress points (e.g. the part of the seat below your thigh near the knee). In the worse cases, one or two have reported actual cracking. In those cases, it probably wasn't as much cracks as it was the edges of the wrinkles getting the color rubbed off through abrasion (e.g. jeans).
I've been carefully using Lexol to try to extend the lifetime of the leather, and I hope that helps.
Some of the MDX's competitors have clearly thicker leather, and leather that is fully dyed, not just surface dyed.
The MDX leather is perforated while the Pilot is not. I don't think there's any loss there. Some MDX owners have reported a brief time when little "hairs" from the fabric underneath the seat popping through the perforation holes, until they get worn off (picture an owner trying to shave them off ...). This is known as the "hairy seat" feature. ;-)
Since I expect the Pilot's leather to be of a similar quality to the MDX's, I think it's something to look out for. Be sure to clean and condition the leather carefully!
http://www.wieck.com/public/index.html
I was thinking of getting the EX with cloth. Let the kids (7 & 3) do their spills and stuff on the cloth for about 1.5 - 2 years and then do the leather upgrade through katzkin (this should be enough time for them to come up with the Pilot kit).
I figure the difference between EX and EX-L is about $1500 for the Odyssey so it should be an almost break-even deal.
What do you guys think?
tidester
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Durango SLT = $29,764
Explorer XLT = $28,577
Highlander LTD = $29,462
Pathfinder LE = $29,513
There are some vehicles where the designer pulls it off (RX300 and S2000 come to mind). Those tend to be the understated designs.
Bob
ot - he also promised to sell us our pilot at msrp (b/c he has a business relationship w/ my father-in-law); in general they plan on selling for $5k over. we'll see...
I suggest you check with katzkin or with the person they recommended to see when the
leather kit for the Pilot will be available. These are kits that fit the factory seats like a glove.
I assume they have to somehow work with the car manufacturer and the Pilot being a brand
new car...
I don't know his source, but 29+ for the EX without leather or other stuff, puts the price perilously close to the MDX (34.7K which includes leather, sunroof, ... and a track record.
He may have been speculating, or trying to guess high so when it came in lower, we'd be happy. But it would be irritating.
Looks like coming soon. Early ones go to autotesters but with 366 out there should see one soon.
INKY
None of the other stuff, either: heated seats, outside thermometer, compass, heated mirrors, etc. At the NY Auto Show I was told by a Honda rep that this MIGHT have been part of a deal with Acura about selling something too much like the MDX. Makes sense.
(Actually, my local Acura dealership does provide a lot more than my local Honda dealerships, like loaners and wash/vacuum with any service, but that hasn't been the case for a number of owners, so it's a your-mileage-may-vary situation.)
Honda/Acura
Toyota/Lexus
Nissan/Infinity
-mike
Suggested Retail Price $498. This changer kit comes with the required attachment and mounts under the passenger seat. - Six disc capacity. - Direct access and scan functions. - Direct disc selection. - Repeat function. - Skip and search functions. - Three-beam laser pickup with die-cast zinc chassis. - 8X oversampling and 16-bit linear system. NOTE: LX models come standard with a CD Tuner. EX models have a standard 6 Disc In-Dash Changer.
It says the EX models have a standard 6 Disc In-Dash Changer.
Does anyone know if this is true?
I believe that the EX WILL come with an in dash 6 cd changer, probably similiar to the on found in the 2002 CRV EX. It is a great system as far as not having to go into your trunk to change the cd's when you are sick of one of the ones in the changer.
-mike
That is what I am hoping because we will be traveling a lot with the Pilot and having 6 discs up front makes a nice trip. If that is true then the only options I will be getting will be the trailer hitch package, the cross bars and the front air deflector. Thanks for the info.
Joe
2500lbs should be fine on the highway.
As for the torque to pull it up a wet ramp...
It's hard to say, could you pull it up the ramp with the S10 blazer in 4wd hi? Don't forget the MDX/Pilot doesn't have low-range gears which can effectively double or triple the torque you have available. If the S10 can pull it out in 4wd hi, then you shouldn't have a problem. I have a 2500lb 17ft boat and usually pull it out in 2wd with my trooper, sometimes I use 4wd hi even on a wet ramp.
-mike
- One dealer refused to take preorders or deposit - preferring to tell their potential customers that they will get 8 vehicles in June and 12 in July - with no chance to pre-order specifics. Wow - it felt like they were afraid to take my money!
- I then called another dealer who checked his inventory and found that he had three vehicles available from the May allottment and offered to let me order to my specs for the next available production run if needed. Both have stated that they will not sell for more than MSRP (however, they wouldn't sell for less, either). The second has had a lot of inquiries to date, but only a few consumers have been willing to put down a $500 deposit. Might be some hesitation because of the low level of exposure on the Pilot. He also stated that the leather will be the same leather as the Accord and Odyssey. Any experience with either type?
I have heard conjecture about heated seats and CD changer with the EX - however neither is shown on the Honda web site under the specifications section. I think we are setting ourselves up for a letdown on these items.
Also, the reason for no sunroof lies in the fact that the entertainment system will be in the same location. Since the DVD model (EX) would most certainly be expected to have the sunroof option, the design-around could not be completed before rollout. Oh well, maybe next year...
I track this post often - thanks for the enlightening discussion!
I can pull the boat up the ramp in both 2wd high and 4wd high on the s-10. I like using 4wd low because if the nice low end power. Well it will be interesting the first time I pull the boat out. Thanks for all the input.
Joe