Honda Pilot 2006

mike_belknap

"Anybody out there know if variable cylinder management will be offered on the 06, pilots."

Honda has confirmed that VCM will be available on at least some trims of the 2006 Pilot:

"In the area of environmental leadership, Mr. Fukui announced plans to further advance and expand the use of Honda fuel-efficient technologies including its hybrid technology and Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system. VCM will be applied to the 2006 Honda Pilot sport-utility vehicle scheduled to debut this fall. VCM deactivates three of the engine's six cylinders during cruising, deceleration and other low engine load conditions to reduce fuel consumption. This technology was first introduced in the U.S. in 2004 on the all-new 2005 Odyssey minivan and 2005 Accord Hybrid."
[Source.]

Mike

gearjammer62

Agree. I also am reminded how, almost daily, I'm sitting behind someone who doesn't realize the light has turned green for at least 10 seconds after it has, in fact, turned green (usually because they are on their cell phone). Now, I can imagine I'll also have to wait for them to go "Gee, the light's green" and THEN start their car!. The extra gas consumed by the 15 people behind this person starting their car 10 seconds after the light has changed more than compensates for the miniscule savings achieved by turning off a single engine!!

vrm

In you post above #150 you indicated that you save gas by turning off your ignition coming to red lights. That may be your homegrown VCM feature, but consider that when you turn off your ignition you lose your power steering and you lose proper control of your steering and vehicle. This could be dangerous

Fred:
I am sorry I dont see how this is "dangerous".

If I am standing at a red light (with a car in the front and behind), where can I go??
Since there is no room to move, does it matter if I have power steering?

An accident can happen anytime, anywhere. There is no corelation between standing at a redlight (with or without power steering) and the accident rate.

jmc1975

All you need is a carjacker to break your window and hit you on the head with a crowbar during those few vulnerable minutes..then he'll take off and go joyriding in your car with the gas you bought and were trying to save so badly.....real smart!

onlysurfer

That can still happen even if you have engine running.

My thoughts are that there is not enough saving as restarting engine showers pistons with excess gas to get them going so any gas you saved got wasted and if anything, there will be more wear and tear on the engine. Unless (1) engine is turned off for more then two minutes or (2) car is designed to shut off engine on each stop, such as Prius)

Would appreciate comments from subject area experts.

qbrozen

yes, i agree, and stated such in my message. Starting an engine takes excess gas ... its simple physics really. It takes less energy due to inertia to keep something going than to start from a dead stop.

VRM - 20 minutes of idling is NOT $2.50 in gas. First off, as stated above, its not a simple matter of saving 20 minutes of idling because you are expending some (if not all or more) saved gas by restarting.

OK, let's say 20 minutes of idling ... well, at 3K rpms on the highway at 75 mph, my sportscar gets 25 mpg ... in simple math ... that's about 1 gallon per 20 minutes ... at idle, i'm running around 800 rpms ... so I'm going to assume I'm using about .27 gallons idling for 20 minutes (its probably much less since there is no wind resistance and rolling resistance at play when sitting still - but this simple math will work in favor of your theory, so I'll leave it alone). At $2.40/gallon, that's all of 60 cents.

NOW, I contend that restarting easily uses up that saved gas, if not more. BUT, I'll be a gent and meet you halfway and say you are saving HALF of that gas wasted idling. That's 30 cents. 30 cents per week over the course of 1 year is a whopping $15. I can pretty much guarantee you are adding at LEAST $15 wear and tear to that car.

crvdoghauler

Honda, are you listening? Is a hybrid Pilot in the works? Why not drop the Accord hybrid engine in a Pilot? I'm sure a hybrid Odyssey is being considered, so a Pilot version shouldn't be a stretch. Any you can't let Toyota hog the spotlight with its smaller Highlander Hybrid.

vrm

All you need is a carjacker to break your window and hit you on the head with a crowbar during those few vulnerable minutes..then he'll take off and go joyriding in your car with the gas you bought and were trying to save so badly.....real smart!

I do not live in downtown Detroit, so I dont have to worry about this.

snowtech

News:
Model News
Pilot will be freshened for 2006. The changes won't be major, but Honda says they will include the mileage-boosting cylinder-deactivation feature already offered on the Odyssey minivan, which uses the same basic V6. In addition, all '06 Pilots are likely to add no-cost curtain side airbags and perhaps the antiskid system now restricted to top-line versions. This would be in line with Honda's new policy of making such features standard for most all Honda/Acura models by 2007.

A fully redesigned Pilot is apparently on tap for 2008, with a new 3.8-liter V6 likely. Other components and even some body/chassis structure could come from Honda's new 2006 Ridgeline pickup.

http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/honda_pilot_ex5spdat_2005/16183/style_review_article.html?s- ource=cg

erik_h

According to Ody news, all 2006 hondas get 5/60K powertrain coverage instead of 3/36.

jchan2

Hey! That sounds good...

ublink

Any information on 2WD Pilots for '06? According to the Future Vehicles preview, "For the first time, Honda will be offering two-wheel-drive versions of the Pilot, and satellite radio will be offered on some 2006 Pilot models as well." Since mine would never go off road and we don't get much snow in Texas I have little interest in AWD. Should save a few bucks up front and help the mileage as well.

snowtech

2 questions:

1. Does anybody out there know when dealers will be taking delivery of the 2006 pilots for sale to the general public.

2. Does the Navigation system work if you cross the CDN border, a friend of mine tells me her screen starts to go blank when she crosses the border. It then comes back on when she crosses it again into the USA.

Thanks,

onlysurfer

Honda pilot is going through mid model refresh and there are barely one post a day....where is everybody...may be surfing Hyundai boards? This explains (the fading) enthusiasm for Honda Pilot.

tagman

Snowtech, you asked about production. It's been reported that production of the 2006 Pilot will begin on August 29 at the Alabama assembly plant, alongside the Ridgeline and Odyssey. Also, regarding the navigation, it is my understanding that the standard navigation is equipped with a disk that covers the United States. Typically, additional disks for extended areas are available for purchase for travelers to other areas, such as Canada. Upon crossing the border, a disk change would then be appropriate.

surffishjimmy

I am wondering if the Honda Pilot would be ok to take on the beach if I had it in VTM-4 lock mode. Has anyone seen or heard of anyone using the Pilot as a "4wd" vehicle? I am a huge surf-fishing fan and am looking for a truck to take on the beach. I want the Pilot (2006 model because of the cylinder deactivation system) but I am not sure if I will be able to take it off road on the beach. Any help?

qbrozen

with the right tires and air pressure, I don't see why it would be a problem.

tawneycat

I like the pilot's overall execution...
I have an Odyssey in 05 form but like the thought of a manly van such as Pilot.
2WD and VCM are good combo for my guess a 26 mpg hiway rating that no one will ever get but should increase a real 2 mpg --less weight and less frictional loss.
On VCM, I am not at all convinced it is seamless and when applied the engine gets new ratios for higher RPM just like Odysey. The non VCM engine runs at lower RPM in all speeds. It does give better performance due to higher RPM with theory that the VCM more than offsets any losses due to higher rpm as 2100 rpm in 3 banger mode . In my Odyssey, at 2100 rpm and coasting we feel every bit if it. The noise cancellation via speakers and electronic engine mounts worked OK at first. Over time since last OCT it is getting irriatating. Not a tire problem but directly the result of VCM. I have not heard complaints on the Accord Hybrids VCM.
Time will tell.

exalteddragon1

Can anyone tell me about this SUV, it seemed alot like a minivan. Are there any cars that compete agaionst it?

I was wondering because my brother was interested in buying a new car, and at first he liked the SRX, then he re-evaluated and started to like the Pilot. I was wondering does it really get stellar gas milage compared to the GMC Envoy? How is it ont he inside, and is the quality there?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated, thanks guys.

tagman

exalteddragon1, you can go to the Honda website for very detailed information about the "05 Pilot, and soon enough about the"06. The "06 is a mid-model change, so expect some of the improvements mentioned in the news and in this forum. Also, use your search engine to search out reviews of the Honda Pilot. You will find them to be very encouraging. Overall, the vehicle stacks up extremely well against all other suv's in it's class, and many others as well. If your brother was looking at the srx, he might be a bit into the luxury segment, so he might want load up the pilot with all the options. If that's not enough for him, have him check out the Acura MDX, which is basically the same platform in an upscale version. There's no perfect suv, but the pilot does a whole lot very well for one vehicle. Check it out.

snowtech

tawneycat,

If I understand you correctly, are you saying you have VCM in your Odyssey and over time it has stopped working correctly. You can now feel vibrations during the cutover to 3cyl from 6 cyl. My understanding was that this cutover was suppose to seamless from 6 to 3 and then back to 6. When you drive the van how often does the 3cyl indicator light come on during city vs hwy driving.

Also would you buy a pilot with VCM given your experience with the Odyssey VCM ?

I think all of us would be interested in finding out you experience with this technology and the possible gas savings given gas is at $3 a gallon.

Thanks

qbrozen

Real-World mileage on the Pilot is somewhere around 19-21 mpg.

Real-World mileage (I don't have first-hand experience on this, so i'm basing this on comments I've heard) on the envoy/trailblazer is 15-17.

gearjammer62

According to vrm, real-world mileage on the Santa Fe will be 75 mpg.

In the city.

bajapilot

Ok here is my take on Hyundai, Kia and Suzuki for that matter. I look at them as knock off colognes, womens handbags or phoney rolexes. You've all seen them at swap meets, $1 stores, flee markets, people selling them in the parking lots etc...
They cost less, even tempting the most uppity buyer, you get more for your money, they smell like the real thing, sometimes simulate the real thing and they get the job done. However they just dont last as long, not made with the best quality materials and usually dont fool too many people. Then you end up throwing them out after the newness wears off or they break down. It is like they are disposable vehicles. Just check out resale values after 1, 2 or 3 years. Then check out any Honda and compare. Honda is not the only one with very good resale just saying since this is a Honda thread. Hyundai wont fool me with their new and improved Santa Fe. Kia got me enough to go look at the Sorento until I drove it and really checked out the quality...yuck! Anyone else notice how it resembles the both the Acura MDX and the Lexus RX 300?? Its a fake! Just my opinion.

wbwynn

Amen...well said & the truth

gearjammer62

Actually, although I'm a long-time Honda fan, I have noticed that magazines like Motor Trend and Car & Driver (who are especially frank when they don't like something) have had a lot of praise for Hyundai lately. They have noted big improvements in materials, performance, handling in the '06 Sonata - coming close to saying it's now as good as the Accord or Camry.

Now, I haven't driven one myself, but I'm willing to acknolwedge that car stereotypes are just that -stereotypes. Car companies can and do often build better models over time. Hyundai may be doing just that. And that's a good thing, because it will keep Honda and Toyota from growing complacent - which Honda has certainly done with the Civic (until next month). .

But I certainly agree, as an investment, Hyundai sucks. Resale values are 25% or more below Honda and Toyota. But that, too, may change over the next few years. Only time will tell. While the '06 Pilot doesn't sound like it will be breaking any new ground, I'll bet the next major makeover will put Hyundai back another 3-5 years.

Kirstie_H

if you have a problem with another member's off-topic posts, please alert a host by e-mail. Posting such messages in the topic-oriented discussions further derails the conversation, and means I have to delete YOUR posts as well as the offending member's. Thanks.

bogiejim

I have never owned an suv and have looked at the Pilot recently. The recent price of gasoline is making me think twice. With information trickling out about the system dropping to 3 cylinders, what type of city mileage might I expect, as most of my driving is short distance through the city.

qbrozen

if you are doing city driving, don't expect much (if any) better than the current Pilot's. In your case, probably in the 18-19 mpg range.

repose

The Pilot does okay on the beach, not great. The biggest issue is it's low clearance. There's another Hondapilot enthusiast site that has a bunch of threads on this topic, with pics of the Pilot on the beach. Recommend you go there to hear people with actual experience on the sand in their Pilots.

repose

Agreed; current Ody owners are not reporting much, if any, gas savings with the VCM. Some owners worry that since the same 3 cylinders get shut down every time, there's going to be uneven wear and tear, but I don't know enough about VCM to say whether those fears are legitimate or not.

03lxv6

Turns out Japan cars tend to have bloated horse power and torque numbers.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0508/17/A01-283759.htm

Man, I was not that off when I trashed Acura RL's 300HP a while ago.

Ody 06 already lists 244HP/240LB, compared with listed number 255HP/250LB in Ody 05. Pilot 06 most likely will go down too.

Toyota is again No.1, only this time on inflated horse power.

qbrozen

i can't believe people care. yes, power is important to many buyers, but shouldn't it be important because of how it translates to acceleration and passing power? Since those things aren't changing, what is the big deal?

tagman

Acceleration is an important factor, as is braking distance and other measures of a vehicle's capabilities. And there are measurements for those. The point is that we should all be comparing apples to apples. As an example, if there were different measuring methods for MPG instead of the one (also inaccurate, however) EPA method, then there would be no basis for comparison. Car makers could claim inflated mileage figures. So, at least using a set standard for measuring the Ponies of an engine allows a more legitimate specification, regardless of how valuable it might or might not be to those that evaluate a vehicle.

htuttle

We are thinking about purchasing a 2006 Honda Pilot EX-L NAV before the end of the year. I'd rather save money and avoid most of dealer accessories, however the inside night/day auto dimming mirror is a very nice feature on our Subaru Outback. Does anyone know if this was a common add-on for the 2005 Pilot? - Or is usually coupled by dealers into a "multi feature package" (most of which we won't want)? Any idea what the mirrors are realistically going for (including installation)? The Honda site claims $249 MSRP + installation which seems a bit high. I realize its kind of a trivial question, but I like to be armed with the knowledge before dealing with a salesperson (and exposing my ignorance). Thanks.

ops1

collegehillshonda.com lists the mirror for 187.50. I don't know how much installation will run you.

durability05

I think I am the typical short distance city driver for a Pilot, my 15 month old Pilot only has 7500 miles including about 2,000 miles in vacation trips. Anyway short trip city driving is only 15 mpg, normal average driving gets me 17 mpg, and highway trips gets over 20 mpg. Expect VCM to gain you 1 mpg city and maybe 2 mpg highway. However the Pilot gets much better real world mpg numbers than the Ford products I also own.

serranot

Actually, the testing standards are changing. Most ratings for current engines will go down some with the new testing method, regardless of what some Detroit hack newspaper prints.

Regards,
Tom

tagman

Anyone heard whether or not there will be a "touring" version of the Pilot, like Honda offers for the '06 Odyssey? And whether or not they will finally offer the combination of BOTH nav and dvd video. Seems like there hasn't been much new info in the past week or two.

fotboat

I don't suppose any one knows if Honda made the rear window tilt up separatly from the the rear door on the 2006 Pilot? I can't believe they don't have it on the present Pilot like they have on the CRV. It is a feature that I find so useful that it will make or break a purchase of car.

wbwynn

But the CRV rear door opens to the side instead of straight up; this is not a good feature IMO. It would be nice to have the glass tilt up on the Pilot.

bajapilot

I had a 2003 CR-V and I honestly never once used the glass opening except to show off how the alarm remote could open it if needed. It is not as convenient as one would think. The opening sits kind of high and to put anything through it would be difficult, guess you could just drop it in. I could see it being beneficial if you had something long that you had to haul like a 2x4 then you could stick it out the window. I have a truck so that was never an issue. My point is that the pilot not having a flip up rear glass makes no difference to me and would not make or break the deal.

gearjammer62

The majority of the Pilot's competition ( i.e. Toyota Highlander/4Runner, Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee) do not have tilt-up rear glass either. Must not be much demand for it. Maybe the GM products do, but I never look at them! Whoever needs this feature in this size/class of SUV will have very few choices.

durangodave

Looking to find out if anyone has gotten any MSRP pricing on the 2006 Pilot EXL. Am getting ready to buy and want to see whether it pays to wait for the '06 or not. Also, any of you pilot owners having any issues with either the tranny or front suspension? Thank you in advance for your reply.
DurangoDave

durangodave

having had a tilt up glass hatch on a 91 chevy s-10 4 door blazer, I have found that as the truck ages, it begins to rattle. As per the previous posting, most SUV's no longer have the feature & all spy shots on th 2006 show that the rear remains the same. The front end looks like the new crv. BTW, what is the story with the horsepower follies ? I thought that lying about the horsepower was reserved for hyundai!!!!!!!!!!!

tagman

I have owned suv's with and without the rear window that can open. Occasionally, things placed in the very back would shift around while driving and then would fall out when lifting the rear hatch. The window allowed me to reach in and access those shifted items before they could fall. The solution I finally used for the solid rear hatch doors was to use the cargo net when things might be shifting around too much. That way when I opened the solid rear hatch, thanks to the cargo net, things were not about to fall out. Having experienced both versions, I think it is preferable to have the feature than not have it, but not nearly important enough that it would stop me from buying a great vehicle like the Pilot.

bratee

It sounds like a clicking noise from the trunk. I am wondering if I am hearing the Navigation DVD player? Not sure. Need help. Any ideas?
:surprise:

surffishjimmy

Do you know which Honda enthusiast site that has a bunch of threads on this topic (taking a Pilot on the Beach)? Can you give me the link......
Thanks,

Kirstie_H

Sorry, we don't allow links to or promotion of other automotive forums.

bobob20032000

I hope Honda would add a power rear window like Toyota. The 4Runner, Sequoia, and Landcruiser has had it for years. Not many SUVs offer that feature yet. Most are fixed or flip open.