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How Does It Handle Six Friends and 1,000 Miles? - 2016 Honda Pilot Long-Term Road Test


Our long-term 2016 Honda Pilot hasn't been in our fleet very long, but it was immediately signed out for its first road trip -- an excellent way to test usability and comfort.
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My understanding is, these CUV's are good for a family of 4-5, meaning, there is place for the occasional in-laws etc. If you have 4 kids and family who visits often and/or need to be able to seat 7-8 AND carry a lot of luggage, a mini-van or van is the way to go. The mini-van has ingress advantages, but at the same time lacks the ground clearance and in most cases a good AWD that people like. Of course, buyers hate their look - but some of these CUV's now look just like a minivan without sliding doors anyway.
The average driver does not need massive 3rd rows in a minivan. Most people in Europe do with hatchbacks and wagons. For most families, a mid-size CUV is good enough (Ex: Mazda CX5). I realize I'm bucking the trend of commentators here to whom the minivan is now counter cultural and cool to defend unlike the 'mainstream' CUV.
But you lose the sliders.
About a month ago I hauled myself and 6 other guys (not small guys) up to Tahoe for a guys trip in ours. We all had overnight bags and we got it all in. stacking some stuff in between the 2 sitting in the 3rd row. It worked decent for a short trip.
I'll say though that your mileage seems great for an AWD. We get 17-18 around town and 21 mpg on a trip is huge for us. That's pretty good if you hit 24 on a best tank without trying and with 5 people and gear I'd say.
On a different perspective, sure the 3rd row of a mid-size CUV including the 2016 Pilot can be quite cramped depending on the passenger seating on it. But to make everyone inside decently comfortable, the front and 2nd rows should also be kind enough to sacrifice some of their space too. Their seats can be moved fore-and-aft, right? It's just a matter of "sharing the load" and it applies to any people-mover out there.