let me answer my own question on why the pilot driver seat does not feel right.i asked my dad to drive my pilot.i told him the seat just does not feel right what does he think. after about 30 seconds he says to me Brian your seat is not long enough thats why it feels unconfortable. guess what pop in his old wisdom hit the nail right on the head. thanks pop. I hope down the road i could get used to the seating.. i wonder if the mdx leather seating is LONGER.
I would get one at hiddenhitch.com if you are only going to put bikes on there. $125-$150 and can be bolted on in 1/2 hour max.
If you want the towing package...I would buy it at hondacuraworld.com and either do it myself or have a local shop that will only charge you labor do it. You can save a lot that way. I am contemplating the same thing for my MDX.
Either way I wouldn't pay the dealer if you aren't going to tow with it.
I know I could find a good one that would work fine for bikes. I'm just worried that if something should go wrong in the engine of the car it would be my word against theirs....."I didn't tow anything"...."You could have towed a boat." Has anyone called Honda about this? Some dealers say no problems....just get a hitch. Others say you don't need the engine parts for anything except keeping the warranty. Does anyone know Honda's definative position? Can anyone direct me to anything Honda has in print that says just a hitch is okay?
I'm ready to buy the car, and if I have to get the whole tow package, I want to get it at the time of purchase so it is covered by the 3 year manufacturer's warranty.
I've noticed that the 3rd row seats have a vinyl covering and not leather as the rest of the seats (doesn't feel like leather and the perforations are different). Has anyone else noticed this?
Yes, the third row is vinyl. This is pretty much standard among SUVs with 3rd rows in the moderate price category.
Just curious, which SUV's have the vinyl third row seats besides the MDX?
Two of the vehicles with third rows, that are most often compared to the MDX (ML and XC90) have available third rows that are made of leather. The MDX is usually considered to be in the same general price class as them (though obviously at the lower end of that scale).
Not that I'm complaining. The third row is really for kids and I don't think it's a high priority to give them leather.
What fuel grade does Honda recommond for the Pilot. I currently own a Contour. When I purchased the Contour I was instructed by the dealer not to use anything but 87 octane fuel. The dealer claimed higher grade fuel would damage the engine and claimed he had one customer who used the higher grade fuel who was experiencing trouble. He said something about the car being tuned to run on 87 octane.
As a minimum, there are vinyl 3rd rows in the Explorer/Mountaineer and the Rendezvous. In my mind, those are in the same class as the Pilot. I agree with your assessment as my 3rd row has only been up about 2 times.
After 5000 miles my only complaint is the drivers seat. Wife's car so I don't drive it much but I am getting use to it when I do. I agree that it is too short and also feel it is too hard. Just got a Toyota Tundra with the captains chairs and they are really comfortable. My wife is smaller and is very comfortable in the Pilot. I am 6' 200 pounds, maybe they were designed for smaller people?
I like Honda's vinyl better than their leather anyway. The leather is only so-so quality, but the vinyl is a pretty good imitation. It's held up very well on my TL.
brews i cant stand this seat i will be replacing them with something more comfortable... if i could find something out there... i will let you know... i think honda did a terrible job on the front seats.. honda's got my first F.. i cant remember the last time any car seat bothered me this much.. i'm surprised i did not pick it up on the test drive or walk thru. i sat in a pilot with cloth seats when i was looking.. the leather seat is to contoured to small..
I have found that to get The seat in the right position to provide thigh support I had to tilt the seat upward until I felt adequate support. I too initially felt the seat was short and didn't support my legs.
I think the seat is long if anything - and I've read this opinion elsewhere. IN any case I'm 5' 10" and the seat give full thigh support so I don't really understand this run of complaints about the short seat.
Now the seat in my 200 Odyssey - those WERE short!
Thanks Pete...I had made the decision to purchase a Pilot. I was hoping I didn't have to use premium gas. I kinda like the 1.50 gas versus the 2.00 gas. Since I don't plan to do any towing I won't worry about it.
FWIW, I'm 6'2" and 240 lbs. and I'm perfectly comfortable in the driver's seat of my EX-L. Great support, great comfort - I don't get uncomfortable even on long trips.
The driver's seat is really my only complaint. I sat in an LX before we bought the Pilot and was very comfortable and figured the EX could only be better but I was wrong. Back support is fine but IMO the cushion is too short and the right side of the seat itself is too hard. Feels almost like I am sitting on a spring or something. But, like I said, its the wife's car and she loves it.
I would be interested in hearing opinions fro anyone who compared the Odyssey vs. the Pilot, regardless of which they ended up buying. Our family consists of 3 kids (2 in car seats), and I think the Ody is more functional. Wife likes the Pilot better.
I've looked at the specs, so what I'm looking for is opinions of people who have driven both and really had a good look inside both vehicles.
We also have 3 kids, 2 of them in car seats. We gave the Ody much consideration, but in the end got the Pilot. We found that if we need to put the rear bench down to carry anything there would only be seating for 4---and that's not enough. Also I don't know what it was but I did not like the way the Ody felt, mostly the steering and road feedback. You may want to wait and see what changes take place when the 2004 Ody's come out.
If there was an option for VTM-4 with the Ody, we would have looked at it more closely. If you have no need for a AWD or 4WD vehicle, than it comes down to what you would rather drive (looks, handling, etc). Both vehicles have the same engine with the Ody getting slightly better gas mileage.
brews... i'm in full agreement with you about the terrible pilot seatsize, and its hard as a rock on the sides.. my little toyota seats are wider and more comfortable. my problem is i will be driven the pilot more than the mrs. i will keep you posted on replacement seating if your interested.
Both my wife and I do see the significant value of the Pilot versus these other two options.
The ONE thing keeping us from just acting on the Pilot is the interior materials used in the EX L!
First we are not crazy about the perforated leather. There seems to be WAY too many different textures and colors in use. The center console has smooth plastic of one color, carbon fiber looking plastic in another color, the seats are one color but the door armrests are another color, the A pillars are one color but the headlinet another etc!
IMO the MDX and XC90 have very attractive dash/interior, as does the new Accord Coupe. The Pilot may take some getting used to, or is a compromise....
It even makes my '96 Trooper interior look elegant, or at least consistent color-wise.
Am I in hostile territory bringing this up here? Or is there others who share the blues over how Honda treated the interior?
I have both a MDX and Trooper. I agree with the MDX interior assessment, however my trooper, while I personally like the style, elegant isn't how I would describe it.
Indestructable, utilitarian, plastic...it is a great truck interior, one that my kids can climb all over and not break anything.
I checked out the Pilot (post MDX purchase) and didn't like the feel of its interior. While all plastic (like the trooper) the center console didn't feel that durable. It seemed like a child climbing over it would break it.
Sorry that this is slightly off topic for the Pilot forum, but I have a 96 Isuzu Trooper and am considering a Pilot or MDX (or possibly springing for an E320 4-matic Wagon).
How would you compare the MDX/Pilot to the Trooper. A few things about the Trooper I don't like: top heavy handling, about 13 mpg (with a 5-speed, no less), no third row seat. Things I like: it's a real SUV, no quasi-car tires and low ground clearance. We managed to get through all snow this winter that had Grand Cherokees choking. If I'm going to get SUV gas milage, I at least want to get SUV performance.
I really like my trooper. It is a 1999, so it has good power. Off the line acceleration performance is similar, since the 1999 has good low end torque available early, so from that perspective the mdx and trooper are similar.
First 2 row space/comfort is very close too. Both have wide roomy cabins. The mdx has a little more usable space with the seats down.
Beyond that there isn't much else. The MDX zooms over 60 MPH, and handles much like a car. I wouldn't even think about take it offroad to the places I take the trooper (I go pretty far offroad), however it has a very good AWD system and is probably much more competent than I give it credit, it is just that it probably cannot take a boulder bash on the underside and survive.
The Pilot may be tippy in corners like the trooper, because it supposedly has a softer suspension than the MDX.
Forget about mileage, I get 13-17 in the trooper, 17-25 (town/highway) in the MDX, which makes road trips much nicer with less stops. The MDX also has a much quiter cabin for highway travel.
Kind of ironic that sort of ended up with 2 Acura's...since the Trooper really was the SLX for a few years.
If you don't have real offroad requirements, and do have family concerns, I would get one of the Honda's, they will take you through a foot of snow (I know I went out is 12+ in the MDX and it did well), very reliable and very nice. I think there is no bad choice picking either honda.
I like having both a truck and car based SUVs, both are fun to drive and have their own personality...I cannot put down either, it really depends on what your requirements are?
does anyone have any idea approximately when the 2004 pilot will be released? when does honda usually release the next model year? early fall? summer? early 2004? thanks in advance.
Honda usually starts the model year in the fall of the preceding year. The first year's run was only to have 80,000 pilots, and people are already reporting VINs over 76,000. So 2004 should definitely be seen before the end of this year.
To those with kids, I need your help. We were about two weeks away from choosing either the MDX or the Pilot.....we have 2 kids......then came the shock.......we're having twins in Sept.!!! So, all decisions are now on hold.
Question is: Does the Pilot or MDX have enough seat width for 2 baby car seats on the 60 side of the 60/40 second row bench? We would need to leave the 40 part open so older kids can access the back??
Question 2: Are we nuts? Should I just suck it up and look at the Odyssey? I dislike vans and like the AWD/clearance features of Pilot/MDX as we go camping in the summer....
You can fit two seats side by side on either side. Depends on the seat by how much the 40 part will move to access the rear. One problem is if you us an infant seat (which it sound like you will need 2) the front seat movement is limited by the handle...this may prevent you from putting it behind the driver.
The seat handle is supposed to be down when driving...we have to put our rear facing infant seat behind the passenger because it effects my driving position too much...so we cannot actually use the 40 part of the seat. We use the latch system for the rear facing infant seat, they are only available on either side, not the center.
However...you should be able to fit three across the 2nd row seat. Access to the 3rd row is much easier it you just leave 1/2 the seat down and climb through the liftgate...sort of like a 5th door. So 3 in the second row and 1 in the 3rd might work?
Tough call...It sounds like you need the odyssey. Good luck with everything.
I have a mini van, I'm getting a Pilot tomorrow and I have twins plus other children. This is my opinion. I'd look at a van. I am giving mine up in favor of the Pilot, but my twins are now a little older. The MAJOR holdup for me agreeing to make the change from van to suv was the ease with which children can get in and out of the van. With infant twins plus other children, they aren't going to be able to get in and out of the Pilot as easily. I had gotten rid of an SUV in favor of the van for the ease of loading children in and out. With 2 in carseats, it really does take up up a major portion of the day! If the older 2 are in school, you are probably facing pick up and drop off lines for schools.....You really would have to have the car seats in the back to facilitate the older ones getting in and out quickly. I don't think the Pilot access for the back seat is all that easy to manipulate. I am still worried about my older children being able to slide the seat forward and return it to the locked upright position for continuing on to the next pick up spot. I know I'm going to love my Pilot, but I loved my other SUV too. It just didn't work with multiple car seats and school day dropoffs. I would really consider the van. Also, the double strollers are HUGE until they are a little older and can do the double umbrella stroller. I know mine would not have fit in the back of the Pilot along with groceries without folding down part of the back seat.....then where do the other children go??
Afraid you may be better off with an Odyssey. You can mount two child seats side-by-side in the 60% portion but whether or not they touch a lot is highly dependent on the car seat. Some ones with wide handles will cause problems.
If you want AWD, look to the new Toyota Sienna. It's pricey compared to the Odyssey but actually has more room and the magic seat is split, so you can still get good cargo room if you only need to use part of the third row.
This may seem like a minor deal, but it is a major one to my wife, since she has memory seats on her Jeep.... Does anyone know if the Pilot (and for that matter the base model MDX) has memory seats? Where the driver can get in the car, hit a button and the seats go to the preference of the driver (usually two options). Believe it or not, this is one of our final questions regarding our car choice between the Pilot, MDX and Pacifica.... Thanks....
The Pilot does not have memory seats, unfortunately. The driver's side is powered, the passenger is not in the EXL model(??EX). But no memory. Not heated either with the leather.
Appreciated your input on the car seat dilema for the Pilot. Went and tested the Pilot yesterday and it is a no go. Might work when kids are a little older but looks like a van is in the horizon.
I heard from Honda dealership that there is a good possibility that new '04 ODY will be AWD to compete with the Sienna, but not a sure thing. Won't know more until Summer.
I had another thought for you. If you really don't want a mini van and the Pilot seating isn't right for your family, you could look at something like a Tahoe or Suburban. They have the center aisle like you need if you order it with captain's chairs. They were way too big for me, but thought the seating was more mini van like than the Pilot. Good luck shopping.
It was unfortunate that my new pilot now has a shattered window. A rock hit it at a weak spot and now the back, third row seat passenger side window is broken. I was wondering if anyone knows a cheap place to buy a new window and replace it. The window is the (third/last window). I've looked everywhere and the only place i can think of is paying the price at the dealer or autobody shop and have them ordered a window for me. Is there any other option that I can save a few dollars on? I am in desperate need of information, and thank all thatcan offer some help.
Try the internet and the yellow pages. The best way is to call around and see who can replace it. You should at least get some competitive prices. You can also call more than 1 honda dealership to see if one is cheaper than another?
Due to how new the Pilot is, it might be hard to find replacement glass. There is no magic pill on this one, other than to call around and compare prices to the relative intelligence level you find on the other end of the phone. Dealers or autobody shops are probably your only choice.
My wife loves the Pilot, but cannot get over how funny the wheels look. She says it looks like they put Accord wheels on a Pilot, which makes it look very funny. Is there an option for wheels proportionate to the car? Anyone else notice this?
agreed the rims are not the brightest spot for the pilot.. i'm sure you could find a more elegant rim for the pilot. if you want to change.. i'm not sure if the mdx rims are the same size but they would be an improvement.. let me know if you locate a better looking 16 inch rim.. i think somewhere down the road i will be changing mine.. i just dont have the time right now...
IS it possible/ can it be done. i was thinking of putting 17 inch tires on my pilot.. would i have to change the sway bars and parts underneath to accomadate the larger tire. does this change the ride?
Got the Pilot EX_L w/ RES. Kids tool around in back watching LIlo and Stitch, all is well in the world..but NONE of the burned CD's i made for them work in the DVD/CD player for RES....anyone else have this problem? Sounds minor, but the RES is a godsend for us, and I'm not interested in having N'Sync blaring through the cabin!!!
I agree, the rims are puny. I was thinking about upgrading as well. I see the MDX has standard 17" wheels but don't know if any mods are required for the Pilot to accept that size.
There is little issue with changing the diameter of the rim if the width and diameter of the whole tire does not change (much). Stock size is 235/70R16 meaning that the tire radius is about (16*2.54+2*23.5*0.70) 73.5 cm. The MDX rides on P235/65R17 or the diameter of 73.7 cm. See if you find some MDX take-offs... You might go to 255/60R17 but that might rub...
alex... please put your last post in english for me.. my thoughts are if i change to a bigger tire i would need to replace the pilots rims with something else.. [ bigger rim] are you telling me i might be able to put a bigger tire and keep my honda accord looking rim... lol
You should check out tirerack.com and learn about calculating tire size/rims. 15, 16 and 17" rims can all be put on the pilot and by altering the aspect ratio of the tire, not effect power delivery. You can also put larger tires on your same rims, this might alter the amount of power delivered to the road, but not too much.
For example, My isuzu had 245/70R16 tires. I swtiched to 265/70R16. This increased the overall ground clearance about 3/4 of an inch and tire ride height about 1 1/8 (tires are flatter on the bottom). This effects my odometer by a ratio of 1.077%, MPH slightly and changes the final drive ratio from 4.3 to 4.1.
You should read tire rack to see what each of the numbers mean and how to interpret such information. There are a lot of options by changing tires and rims.
Comments
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
If you want the towing package...I would buy it at hondacuraworld.com and either do it myself or have a local shop that will only charge you labor do it. You can save a lot that way. I am contemplating the same thing for my MDX.
Either way I wouldn't pay the dealer if you aren't going to tow with it.
I'm ready to buy the car, and if I have to get the whole tow package, I want to get it at the time of purchase so it is covered by the 3 year manufacturer's warranty.
Brent
Just curious, which SUV's have the vinyl third row seats besides the MDX?
Two of the vehicles with third rows, that are most often compared to the MDX (ML and XC90) have available third rows that are made of leather. The MDX is usually considered to be in the same general price class as them (though obviously at the lower end of that scale).
Not that I'm complaining. The third row is really for kids and I don't think it's a high priority to give them leather.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
The book says 86 or higher and premium is recommended when towing in certain conditions.
-Pete
Now the seat in my 200 Odyssey - those WERE short!
I've looked at the specs, so what I'm looking for is opinions of people who have driven both and really had a good look inside both vehicles.
Thanks in advance for any help.
You may want to wait and see what changes take place when the 2004 Ody's come out.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
Both my wife and I do see the significant value of the Pilot versus these other two options.
The ONE thing keeping us from just acting on the Pilot is the interior materials used in the EX L!
First we are not crazy about the perforated leather. There seems to be WAY too many different textures and colors in use. The center console has smooth plastic of one color, carbon fiber looking plastic in another color, the seats are one color but the door armrests are another color, the A pillars are one color but the headlinet another etc!
IMO the MDX and XC90 have very attractive dash/interior, as does the new Accord Coupe. The Pilot may take some getting used to, or is a compromise....
It even makes my '96 Trooper interior look elegant, or at least consistent color-wise.
Am I in hostile territory bringing this up here? Or is there others who share the blues over how Honda treated the interior?
Indestructable, utilitarian, plastic...it is a great truck interior, one that my kids can climb all over and not break anything.
I checked out the Pilot (post MDX purchase) and didn't like the feel of its interior. While all plastic (like the trooper) the center console didn't feel that durable. It seemed like a child climbing over it would break it.
How would you compare the MDX/Pilot to the Trooper. A few things about the Trooper I don't like: top heavy handling, about 13 mpg (with a 5-speed, no less), no third row seat. Things I like: it's a real SUV, no quasi-car tires and low ground clearance. We managed to get through all snow this winter that had Grand Cherokees choking. If I'm going to get SUV gas milage, I at least want to get SUV performance.
Give me your thoughts please. Thanks.
First 2 row space/comfort is very close too. Both have wide roomy cabins. The mdx has a little more usable space with the seats down.
Beyond that there isn't much else. The MDX zooms over 60 MPH, and handles much like a car. I wouldn't even think about take it offroad to the places I take the trooper (I go pretty far offroad), however it has a very good AWD system and is probably much more competent than I give it credit, it is just that it probably cannot take a boulder bash on the underside and survive.
The Pilot may be tippy in corners like the trooper, because it supposedly has a softer suspension than the MDX.
Forget about mileage, I get 13-17 in the trooper, 17-25 (town/highway) in the MDX, which makes road trips much nicer with less stops. The MDX also has a much quiter cabin for highway travel.
Kind of ironic that sort of ended up with 2 Acura's...since the Trooper really was the SLX for a few years.
If you don't have real offroad requirements, and do have family concerns, I would get one of the Honda's, they will take you through a foot of snow (I know I went out is 12+ in the MDX and it did well), very reliable and very nice. I think there is no bad choice picking either honda.
I like having both a truck and car based SUVs, both are fun to drive and have their own personality...I cannot put down either, it really depends on what your requirements are?
thanks in advance.
Question is: Does the Pilot or MDX have enough seat width for 2 baby car seats on the 60 side of the 60/40 second row bench? We would need to leave the 40 part open so older kids can access the back??
Question 2: Are we nuts? Should I just suck it up and look at the Odyssey? I dislike vans and like the AWD/clearance features of Pilot/MDX as we go camping in the summer....
Any thoughts?
The seat handle is supposed to be down when driving...we have to put our rear facing infant seat behind the passenger because it effects my driving position too much...so we cannot actually use the 40 part of the seat. We use the latch system for the rear facing infant seat, they are only available on either side, not the center.
However...you should be able to fit three across the 2nd row seat. Access to the 3rd row is much easier it you just leave 1/2 the seat down and climb through the liftgate...sort of like a 5th door. So 3 in the second row and 1 in the 3rd might work?
Tough call...It sounds like you need the odyssey. Good luck with everything.
If you want AWD, look to the new Toyota Sienna. It's pricey compared to the Odyssey but actually has more room and the magic seat is split, so you can still get good cargo room if you only need to use part of the third row.
I heard from Honda dealership that there is a good possibility that new '04 ODY will be AWD to compete with the Sienna, but not a sure thing. Won't know more until Summer.
Due to how new the Pilot is, it might be hard to find replacement glass. There is no magic pill on this one, other than to call around and compare prices to the relative intelligence level you find on the other end of the phone. Dealers or autobody shops are probably your only choice.
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
23 Telluride SX-P X-Line, 23 Camry XSE
For example, My isuzu had 245/70R16 tires. I swtiched to 265/70R16. This increased the overall ground clearance about 3/4 of an inch and tire ride height about 1 1/8 (tires are flatter on the bottom). This effects my odometer by a ratio of 1.077%, MPH slightly and changes the final drive ratio from 4.3 to 4.1.
You should read tire rack to see what each of the numbers mean and how to interpret such information. There are a lot of options by changing tires and rims.