Performance-Tested Tank - 2016 Honda Pilot Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Performance-Tested Tank - 2016 Honda Pilot Long-Term Road Test

We take our long-term 2016 Honda Pilot to the track for a day of performance testing.

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banhugh

Damn, I still can't go over the $47k price tag for this Pilot vs the $50k for a similarly equipped MDX

kirkhilles1

I agree on the high cost, however, are you certain that you can get an equally equipped MDX for $50k? I haven't spent the time, but I DO see how quickly you can get into the $60k range with the MDX. Still... I wouldn't pay for than mid-$30s for a Pilot.

legacygt

Braking distance used to be a shortcoming for the Pilot. Seems like they've improved that. Acceleration is pretty good for the class. With those numbers, I wonder if fuel economy will be as good as they promise.

prndlol

Remember in the early 90's when many of the Pontiac Bonneville SSEIs were all the same exact green?

5vzfe

Totally off topic but I love the color you guys picked for this machine. Or maybe you weren't given a choice. Either way, I think there should be more green cars rolling around instead of the 30,000 shades of grey, black and white I see everyday.

nate001

5vzfe said:

Totally off topic but I love the color you guys picked for this machine. Or maybe you weren't given a choice. Either way, I think there should be more green cars rolling around instead of the 30,000 shades of grey, black and white I see everyday.

I'm not a fan of this car/color combo and I am not sure what I don't like about it, I think on a different car this color would work better, maybe the Acura TLX?
Looking at the other colors for this car I like the Obsidian Blue Pearl better.

ebeaudoin

banhugh said:

Damn, I still can't go over the $47k price tag for this Pilot vs the $50k for a similarly equipped MDX

A smiliarly-equipped MDX with AWD stickers for $53,430 (MDX SH-AWD with Technology, Entertainment and AcuraWatch Plus Packages). Not quite the same as $47,300. Yes, you can get a MDX AWD for $45,805, but it's not going to have the ACC, LKAS, Rear Entertainment, Heated 2nd row Captains chairs, Navigation system, etc that the Pilot Elite does. While you're getting the badge and SOME Acura upgrades, you're still going from a fully-loaded Honda to an entry-level Acura.

allthingshonda

It costs almost as much as an MDX because it is an MDX but with a Honda badge. Same platform, engine, transmission, equipment etc. The AWD system is Acura SH-AWD but has the SH part turned off in the software. The hardware with the rear differential and power distributing clutch packs is all the same. One of the reasons it performs so well in acceleration is that the Pilot, like the MDX, AWD system always accelerates from a stop with 50/50 distribution of power regardless of road surface conditions. Most CUV's only transfer power after slip is detected.

schen72

allthingshonda said:

It costs almost as much as an MDX because it is an MDX but with a Honda badge. Same platform, engine, transmission, equipment etc. The AWD system is Acura SH-AWD but has the SH part turned off in the software. The hardware with the rear differential and power distributing clutch packs is all the same. One of the reasons it performs so well in acceleration is that the Pilot, like the MDX, AWD system always accelerates from a stop with 50/50 distribution of power regardless of road surface conditions. Most CUV's only transfer power after slip is detected.

Exactly right. I would say that the MDX is "nicer" in that the materials are probably nicer and overall looks more "premium." But I do like the trend that Honda is going with providing an option for a luxury trim but without the price-premium of the luxury badge. In fact, many brands follow this strategy.

ctpaul

We had a 2005 Pilot that was unstoppable and had amazing resale value. Big ugly box, but pretty much unbeatable. This one does everything much better and looks a lot better too. The $47K is pretty steep. If we were in the market for an overly large SUV like we used to like, this would probably be it, in a less expensive trim (although the forthcoming CX9 would be worth a look). Luckily in our family we are getting passed this stage and can hopefully go back to just owning cars.

ek900

Can we just stop for a second and talk about how stupidly fast this thing is for a 2+ ton SUV. 14.8 second quarter mile. That's kind of nuts. Especially considering most owners won't accelerate any faster than a 1981 Mercedes diesel.