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Comments
Thanks.
I found the data for 2008:
Weights: gross vehicle weight rating (lbs) 5,950, curb weight (lbs) 4,341
Just imagine that the 2009 model has higher curb weight 4550lb (AWD). Therefore, the GVWR will definitely be > 6,000lb.
Make sense?
Someone who have bought a 2009 Pilot should be able to find such data in the manual.
though the curb weights between trims are little different, but there're only GVWRs seperated by FWD vs AWD
FWD : 5952
AWD : 6096
Info source : carsdirect
Is it the same thing everywhere else? Is it common for certain colors to roll out first?
With white / outside, you can choose blue or grey / inside.
2009 Pilot 4WD Touring Automatic Transmission (Standard Features)
Base MSRP*: $38,395
Destination & Handling: $670
MSRP including selected accessories: $39,065
In CA may require Partial Zero Emmission Control, that may make price different.
Actually white and black are the top two colors so those should be out there in force.
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=colors
I'm just back from viewing and driving a 2009 AWD Pilot Touring with RES. I currently drive a 2008 Pilot EXL AWD.
Wow. They have improved the Pilot in every way. The gauges are more readable and there is more information. The shifter (while some may say it's not in an ideal location - but I won't say that) is in a much better location. The rear seat head rests are incorporated into the seats so they fold flat. The power driver's seat has 2 memory settings. On and on. They have done a masterful job. It's a beautiful car.
Would I buy one now? No. Although it's a better car in many small ways, the beauty of the last generation was that it was so good. For example, the location of the cruise control buttons on the 2009 steering wheel are not as good as on the old model. I am a huge user of cruise control and you have to actually move your hand and reach your thumb now. In the prior generation you could have your right hand at the 4:00 driving position and barely move your thumb to work the buttons.
With only 25,000 miles on my 2006, I will not be in the market for a new vehicle for several years. Then, the new Pilot will be first on my list to drive. It's just not worth buying one before the current one wears out.
A special note to Canadian customers: According to Honda's website, a 2009 Touring AWD MSRP is US$38,395. In Canada, that exact model is $51,460. A huge rip off. I imported my 2006 from the US for just that reason - a price differential that no one can justify. I will import again unless the price is very close. There is paperwork involved and a couple small fees, but otherwise, to import a 2009 Pilot into Canada is not that much trouble. So, wait 6 months until dealers in the US are willing come off the MSRP and then import.
Thanks for listening. Drive safely
Thanks
anyway to each its own...
Besides, the 3rd row of the new Highlander is so cheaply made.
CR-V and Rav4 are smaller alternatives. The former can get 24mpg (according to my co-worker in mixed mode driving). The latter depends on which engine is on it.
3rd row is available on Rav4, but it is a very tight space for small kids only.
Just thinking ...
like the Honda Stream (3-rows of seats, it's smaller than our Odyssey but larger than Mazda 5).
Honda should think about importing it to
US. Some people might really need the 3rd row (like me) but most can
sacrifice a bit of space and horsepower for MPG.
Large SUVs are doing very poorly in auction. People who own large SUV (even Pilots) will find themselves crying when trading in their vehicles a few years later. Unless, of course, you predict gas price is going back to below $3 very soon, which I refuse to believe.
I really feel it is BAD TIMING on Honda introducing a new SUV in the market where more and more people now are downsizing their vehicles.
Honda will only do hybrid for small vehicles, on which hybrid systems are most effective. For larger vehicles, Honda's plan is "diesel".
Look at the sales numbers for recent months. Honda is one of the few companies that still show growth (Toyota, Lexus both went down). Honda, being a true green company, is being rewarded by its long-term obsession, and they desire it.
I just feel that it is bad timing on Honda introducing a newly redesigned Pilot in these lean times. The new Pilot is only slightly better than the old Pilot on fuel economy. Most people now I'm hearing are actually downsizing to smaller more fuel efficient cars such as the Prius, Civic, Focus, etc...
I do like the 09 Honda Pilot but this would not be my first choice if I was in the market for a new one.
Okay, I get the picture, you are filthy rich and price of gas does not concern you. Not everyone is as lucky as you.
The point I am trying to make is that these are all SUVs, which are different looking , are basically gas consuming vehicles unless you go for the hybrid models if available.
C) "Although many people are downsizing car size, not everyone can do so when you consider families and lifestyles. Making less makes sense, but completely ignoring the segment does not."
Hey you also mentioned " this will be my second vehicle driven primary by my wife who does not work but does need to lug around the kids."
Isn't these two statements by you contradictory?
Anyway, god bless you Mr. "Donald Trump"!
-I agree I do not see a Hybrid Pilot coming, BUT I completely disagree that a Hybrid would be ineffective...ever heard of the Toyota Highlander?..yeah 27/25...combined 26...you are telling me that a Hybrid Pilot would not have better mileage then a regular gas Pilot. An easy comparison for simplicity sake the standard Highlander does 17/23 combined 19....so lets say a 7 mpg difference...that is no laughing matter a nearly 30% better economy.
So realistically a Pilot Hybrid should be able to get about a 25-30% better economy then its gas counterpart. Sure a diesel sounds good, but not only is the price of diesel less then ideal but it is less clean...if they did a diesel Hybrid then that might be the panacea.
IMO every car should have a hybrid alternative...why not?...I never understand why people say a certain car should not have a hybrid option, 10, 20, 30, 40% better economy is better then nothing.
The pilot makes sense for a lot of people, especially familes (like me)...what kills me is that our demographic does not have enough alternative economy minded vehicles...I mean come on now the Highlander is the only 3rd row Hybrid...seriously, there should be minivans and several more crossovers with this option.
Now I just gotta wait for the Hybrid Saturn Outlook :-)
B.
Let's play make believe. Let's pretend you are the project manager for the new Pilot and over the past 3-4 years you've spent HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars in development, design, plant improvements for the new Pilot. Now the economy isn't doing great. Are you going to go to management and tell them not to launch? The answer is NO because you'll be out on your keister in minutes. The money is spent, the current model is aging and falling behind the competition and management isn't going to tell the shareholders "Sorry, not a good time".
You will revise sales forecasts, look at different marketing and devise new strategies to recoup the investment and make a profit.
My question is with the current economy the way it is and gas prices increasing daily, why would anyone spend MSRP (35K to 40K) on a SUV that offers nothing new?
It may not offer anything new and earth shattering but in the auto industry, you can't continue to peddle an old design and stay profitable. There are plenty of people who buy nothing but Hondas and in reality, the Pilots and Highlanders of the world will still do fine. There are plenty of folks who can and will accept 16-20 mpg for a 7 passenger vehicle.
Most people now I'm hearing are actually downsizing to smaller more fuel efficient cars such as the Prius, Civic, Focus, etc...
Unless they actually need a new vehicle, most of those people are stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. Buying a new vehicle and dealing with the increased costs of depreciation, insurance, interest, sales tax, et al to save $50 a month in fuel is IMHO a poor financial decision.
But shareholders do understand the concept of cutting your losses.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
nikbert
Yes they do - if the number is in the single or perhaps low 10's of millions. Dumping hundreds of millions of dollars of product development costs would be difficult to characterize as "cutting our losses".
It's all relative. If the losses are considered huge then it may just be time to put another management team in place.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Looks like its that terrible system that honda used to offer. No text display. The Touring is the way to go if you want full integration. Someone could try to retrofit the Tourings USB port to an EX/EX-L.
By "ineffective", people (like me) didn't mean that it does not work at all. We meant that the return on investment is bad. For $5000 more, you get 5mpg better. At $5/gallon, it saves you $750 (if you drive 15K/year). That would take you 7 years to recoup the $$$. Not counting the interests from $5000 upfront, and the $3000 cost for battery replacement at about 10year. Yes, I know very much about it since I own a 2005 Prius and am very active in PriusChat.com. In the case of Prius, it only takes you 3-4 years to recoup the extra cost because it gives you at least 10mpg advantage over a comparable Corolla (and Prius is actually more roomy).
Besides, Honda's IMA is a mild hybrid than Toyota's full hybrid. It is not as effective, though it costs slightly less than Toyota's HSD to manufacture.
The sales numbers also show that large vehicles even with hybrid systems are not selling well. People are feeling the pinch of high gas price. The fact that Honda Civic becomes the #1 selling vehicle beating F-150, Camry and Accord says it all.
Anyway, some people do need large vehicles. I have 3 kids, and occasional visits of my parents. We need a vehicle that can handle at least 7. That is why my other vehicles is a Prius. I used it to commute. It gives me 45mpg consistently in mixed driving.
What dealer in NJ gave you that price. We are looking to replace our 2003 pilot with the same model your looking at. That price sounds good and is a far cry from the near MSRP we paid in the summer of 2002 for our current pilot.
Thanks for the tip and let us know if you end up buying it.
Thanks!!
It is not always about the money it is about what is better for the environment as well as your pocketbook, but you know that obviously. But I thought I would take what I think is a very realistic look at the cost benefits just for kicks, so basing it solely on cost savings.
Take the 7mpg difference not 5mpg, I am basing it on 2 similiar cars with the different drivetrain...just as the Highlander hybrid and gas variants.
Take the fact that $5/gal every year..not realistic...lets say you keep the car for the next 5 years, lets say the price/gal avg $7/gal over the course of those 5 years...geeze I do not even think this will be the case, but anyhoo.
Lets say gas Pilot AWD=18mpg combined at 15,000 miles/year @ $7/gal (avg over 5 years)
Lets say hybrid Pilot AWD=25 combined at 15,000 miles/year @ $7/gal (avg over 5 years)
Savings=over $1600/yr (avg over 5 years)..so obviously at $4 (over $900 savings, and each year will go up with maybe year 5 being at $10/gal saving even more)
So the Hybrid not only saves more the the cost difference of over the 5 year span but it is a hell of a lot better for the planet.
As for the cost of the batteries, not going to look this up but the average time a person keeps a vehicle is less then 10 years, ...but lets just say it is 10 years...then you more then made up for it as you just saved way more money in gas.
I required an 8 passenger vehicle with AWD...thus we bought a Saturn Outlook as I was not thrilled by the Honda Pilot I waited 2 years for. We love it but if this was available in Hybrid or the Toyota Highlander Hybrid design teams were not complete idiots and at least had a split folding 3rd row seat like EVERY other competitor then probably could of gotten away with 1 less seat and absolutely no width behind the 3rd row would of been a no brainer...and after looking at pricing the difference really was not that great.
Just my 2 pennies,
B.
I did cross shopped Mazda CX-9, Toyota Highlander, Saturn Outlook, Hyundai Veracruz....I did not test drive the 2009 Pilot but did check it out, have driven and almost bought the previous generation years ago....so take my judgement with a grain of salt. My biggest issue with the 2009 Honda Pilot was styling I just hated it, and the improvements (not commenting on driving) were marginal to overthrow my opinion on the styling.
I rejected the Highlander Hybrid since it had NO room behind the 3rd row or EVEN split folding 3rd row, one of the easiest things to have on a 3rd row to up the utility and especially in this car since it really needs it, guess using the 3rd row would only happen if you were driving out to dinner, but certainly not on a trip to the beach or a familes house or heck even shopping, as you could really only fit a folded stroller back there sideways (you can see great review at: http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4220226.html?page=1 that shows cargo capacity between all these vehicles...too bad they did not have the new Pilot...but it does show the clear differences with the easy cooler test)
Love the Mazda CX-9, very sporty, fits me nicely after driving my TSX but lower utility quotient then Outlook and wife preferred Outlook
Veracruz just do not trust Hyundai, seemed nice but thought it just was not as nice as the other vehicles.
Saturn Outlook my wife loved, lots of utility, very nice looking in/out, great features, dual sunroof is Awesome, Onstar (used onstar within 4 days of getting car to unlock doors, Sweet) and integrated hands free own vehicle phone number all very nice touches, my kids loved it the most and had great room in 3rd row seat and behind 3rd row, along with excellent flexibility, decent gas mileage for such a big car...does not drive that big, never imagined buying a GM but it was a solid job by their engineers meeting my familes needs. The only gripe is the transmission does not appear to have grade logic, but it is very minor and really used as an everything family car, not a racer.
As for the Pilot I am sure it is a great car, I just think they did a horrible job on the design, and even am shocked there is dual sunroof as the original leaked sketch suggested..and I love Honda's.
Good luck to you.
B.
-"Anyone who bought/rejected (or has decided to/not-to buy) a 2009 pilot - would you please let me(us) know what vehicles you cross shopped with and why did you finally decide (or not) on the pilot?"
nikbert
4WD Touring DVD/NAV 37,069 (which included dest. fee). I also got Premium Running boards and cross bars at dealer cost.
I scoured at least a half dozen dealerships in North and Central Jersey (Hudson Honda, Paramus Honda, VIP Honda, D&C Honda and one or 2 others) (via phone and internet) and this was the best price. Even when other dealers called back to follow up (as late as this AM) and no one else would touch that price. Either they thought I was full of sh*t and was bluffing or they figure someone else will buy at MSRP (or at elast closer) than the price I got.
1. Shopped Enclave. Six Speed transmission is a mess. Couldn't make up its mind what gear to stay in at medium speeds up hills etc. Gorgeous car, but not the look of an SUV which I crave. They're all copying the look of my wife's 2001 Rav-4.
2. Shopped MDX. Almost bought it. Not as roomy. A little too plush to have two terriers run around in it. I am concerned that the plastics in the Pilot will scratch....so far so good.
3. Shopped new Tahoe and Yukon with variable cylinders. Just thought I'd pass them up and try to contribute a little to fighting the gas guzzling problem.
4. Shopped Odyssey Van. Just couldn't pry my fingers off a SUV.
The new pilot will be the answer to allot of us five time SUV owners who don't want a"jellybean" car.
This is just my 2 cents, but I love my 2009 Pilot. We researched (test drove too) all SUVs in the market that have a 3rd row and the 2009 Pilot was the one with more space between seats and in the "trunk" when the 3rd row is up. Plus not so bad on mileage (yes, they can always do better and I wished they had a hybrid option too). Also, I like that it doesn't have huge blind spots when backing up like, for example, CRX-9 does. We feel that considering this is a new year vehicle (not a 2008 that are been rolled out) the price was right. We could have gotten the 2008 Pilot or Highlander (the ones that made our short list) for less, 30K and 34K respectively, but didn't mind (and could afford) to get this one, fully loaded (and I mean has everything we were looking for and more!) for what we think is a good price at this point in time. We know that it might be cheaper 3 months down the road but we really needed to update our car ASAP. We do plan to have it for 10 years (like we did our previous one)
Good luck to all of you on your car buying experience...I hope you get great deals or at least feel like you did when you drive the car out