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Honda Pilot 2003 through 2005

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Comments

  • kb2psmkb2psm Member Posts: 7
    dh = dear husband!
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Unless you have a real use for a 4WD truck, I would definatly go with the Odyssey.
  • allison5allison5 Member Posts: 130
    Sounds like you are in my predicament though you have 1 more kid than I have. I have 3 under age of almost 11 with one in a booster seat. I am sure people are sick of seeing my posts but.....Anyway I have a 04 Yukon (nothing but problems) and getting rid of it though it will hurt financially. I have been hemming and hawing for months on what to get but now because of some financial issues with our family I have to do something in the next few weeks. Am in the process of Pilot, Odyessy and MDX. I really do not want a minivan again, I really like SUV's but don'tk know if MDX or Pilot are big enough and then we have a 80 lb lab that travels with us sometimes to MTNS. Can't afford another big SUV with payments and gas. In our town in Calif there are moms that drive minivans still but a lot are going to SUV's. It the stigma of a minivan thing here though I still would buy one for convience I just have had one (before Yukon) for 8 years and was DONE...

    Did you notice whether MDX had more room than Pilot? SOmeone told me that Pilot acatually had a little more room. Also I heard the Pilot 06 style was going to be radically different, I find that hard to believe already!!! Tell us what you get?
  • elliebellyelliebelly Member Posts: 2
    hi alison--

    the mdx has just slightly less room--not significant enough that you notice it. and interestingly, i drove a ford expedition this afternoon and although it's obviously bigger and has more leg room, it has no additional rear storage area. isn't that odd?

    anyhow, i wnated to say one thing to you and i apologize for being pushy, but you mention you've got three under 11 and one in a booster seat. admittedly, i'm a carseat [non-permissible content removed], but i just wanted to tell you why i'm buying a new car. i was bringing my 45 # 6 year old daughter home from school, and was stopped at a red light at the bottom of the freeway exit. a guy on dope hurtled around the corner, never touched his breaks, hit me doing approximately 55 and pushed me into the two cars stopped in front of me. i had a concussion and some sprains. my car, while not totalled, needed to be replaced.

    my daughter walked out of the accident without even a bruise and was not sore the next morning. she was in a 5 point fully harnessed britax husky carseat. the husky goes up to 80 pounds. (the new boulevard has better side impact protection and goes up to either 45 or 60, i can't remember right now). the emt's who responded to the collision were absolutely amazed she was unharmed as was my pediatrician. so those $250 carseats my husband really thought were a waste turned out to be the best investment we ever made. we went out the next morning and replaced all of them. just food for thought -- not trying to preach.
  • dadoftaydadoftay Member Posts: 136
    If your concern is losing any safety going to an SUV, your only difference would be handling. Ability to take an impact is going to be even. I'm surprised you were hurt as bad as you were(you did have a seat belt on, right?) The top-heavy SUV is going to handle different from your van. If you're concerned with winning another car fight, get a Suburban. As far as being functional- the van can't be beat. As far as being cool- (allison- will you go get a dang Pilot, already lol) hard to beat the SUV. Remember, you can add accessories to make you van cool, but you can't add space to your SUV to make it more functional. I just threw that last one in to make allison mad.
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    My wife drives a Pilot and I have an Odyssey Touring. I couldn't imagine trying to haul 4 kids around in a Pilot. The van drives better, has more room (both cargo and passenger), has far easier access to the third seat, and gets better mileage.

    Your dear husband is right.
  • jgriffjgriff Member Posts: 362
    OK, I can somewhat understand men dissing the minivan look, but why in the world are so many women/moms so hung up on NOT being seen in a minivan?? I just don't get it, that somehow by driving an SUV you have a more outdoorsy rugged kind of mother image and you are no longer a soccer mom?

    I only wished that today’s Honda Odyssey would have been around 10-15 years ago, that might have kept me from having to buy a boxy, gas guzzling, full size conversion van.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    i've gotta get a car this weekend.

    I've known a couple of people who were in bad wrecks (they were ok but their cars were totaled) who went out and immediately replaced their cars.

    Judging by what they got, I think they were in a bit of shock from the wreck.

    If you think you are settling or being rushed, just go rent something for a week and think about it.

    Glad everyone was ok!

    Steve, Host
  • durability05durability05 Member Posts: 142
    I think since April, 04 they had some modification done to the Pilot automatic transmission, I recalled back then that they were doing recall inspections on early 04 Pilots ( 1st quarter) and lots of modifications on 03 Pilots. And if your 03 Pilot had lots of miles like 20K, They would even replace the tranny. I heard that the 05 MDX has a different tranny?? If so , why not the 05 Pilot. Also why put a new tranny on the 05 MDX when it is going to be redesigned in 06?? Nobody has an answer that could be confirmed.
  • rsharprsharp Member Posts: 103
    Buy a minivan. An SUV makes no sense unless you drive in tons of snow or live out on bad gravel roads. I see so many women driving huge SUVs for no reason other than they didn't want to drive a minivan. But putting 4 kids in a Pilot or MDX everyday...NO WAY. After a couple of months you will be hating it. The 3rd row in all of these SUVs is hard to get to, they just are not designed to work like a minivan for ease of entry. So suck it up for the next 8-10 years until you get those kids grown and out of your car everyday and then get something else. And In all honesty, I think the Pilot's styling is rather bland, the Ody actually looks more stylish.
  • durability05durability05 Member Posts: 142
    This morning my sister drove down from South Lake Tahoe to Los Angeles for the holidays, there is no Honda dealer up there, so she had her 7 month old Pilot EX with 14,000 miles for servicing. The service advisor tried to have her have a Transmission service, but decided not to, after learning that her Pilot was not a urban area vehicle from here in Los Angeles. Interesting, why all the interest in servicing the transmission that early for supposed heavy used Pilots. I should keep that in mind, I think I would have my lightly used 1 year old Pilot with 8,000 miles service at that 15K interval, maybe it would result in transmission longevity.
    Maybe Honda is too embarassed to recommend that schedule , so they just ask the dealer service advisers to recommend it?
  • allison5allison5 Member Posts: 130
    You didn't get me mad there is no reason to be. I am frustrated though at the fact when people say just go and get this or that. That is fine to put your 2 cents in but come on buying a car to me is a pretty big deal. I grant you nothing compared to when we bought our house, but after buying this yukon and realizing it was a big mistake and now I am going pay through the nose IT HURTS... and I am terrified of making another mistake. I also have 2 degenerative disks in my lower back that I feel I have to have a car that is supportive and comfy.

    I went to test drive a Odyessy and Pilot last night for a nice long drive. The Odyessy is definatly roomier even than my older one but whatever that is in the drivers seat that pushes out at you while sitting ( I have heard people complaining about this on the Odyessy forum) is very annoying. What in the heck is that? My back was really aching and whatever coming out at it from the beginning. That reason alone I would not buy the Odyessy and spend 30K+. The Pilot was a complete different ride, more upright and muich more comfy seats. I do agree though that with 3 kids and sometimes labrador with us it could and would be squishy. My son who is almost 11 sat in 3rd seat just to see how that would be he said it wasn't bad for short drives but it wasen't just 123 in getting his long legs down and did look like a tight fit.

    have no idea what to get, I really do not want to buy American car, will keep looking.
  • beer4799beer4799 Member Posts: 23
    Where do I find build date info?

    I just bought a Canadian assembled '05 Pilot. Love it so far, seems extremely well put together.
  • dadoftaydadoftay Member Posts: 136
    Don't get me wrong, I wasn't pushing, just making a joke. I went through the same thing trying to replace my GMC van. I told myself I was buying a Honda or a Toyota truck and I would be happy. But the more I looked into those vehicles, the more I realized they weren't what I needed. You should do several test drives in several models of cars. Perfect example when we bought my wife's car. We looked at Tahoes, Pilots, Sequoias....notice anything missing...no minivans. My wife drove a Pathfinder, gets back from the test drive, gets out next to a Murano and that's what we ended up buying.
    I don't know what problems you had with your Yukkie, but for comfort and room, that's a hard card to beat. I was like you, about not buying a domestic brand, but I'm looking at two cars now, both GMs. Good luck!!
  • 1846618466 Member Posts: 46
    Last year we started towing a 3900lb boat with our 03 pilot with the dealer installed towing package. It had about 20000 miles on it when we got the boat it now has 41000 miles on it. The transmission has had the recall done but has recently started to make a loud clunk when going into drive or reverse. Had the fluid changed at 23000 and at 40000, but at 40k the fluid was very dark and almost burnt. We live in a very hilly section of Pennsylvania and am wondering if we are killing our Pilot with this boat and maybe need a bigger tow vehicle. Honda rated the Pilot at 4500 lbs for towing a boat but I will be very upset if this isn't the case.

    Any experiences, knowlege or information about towing with a Pilot would be greatly appreciated. Other than this issue it has been a great vehicle.
  • xiolaxiola Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know if the finance rates go low before the new models come out? I am interested in buying a pilot, but I want to wait until the end of the summer/ early fall.

    Thanks!!!!!
  • abccabcc Member Posts: 10
    Rate is already low for some selected states, expiring today COB.

    Check with your local dealer and finish it Off if possible. I am also going to close the deal today.

    Wondering...is there any particular reason for you to wait for late summer or early fall ??
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    I was under the impression that the Pilot was rated to tow only 3500 pounds.
  • 1846618466 Member Posts: 46
    We were told by the dealer that for a boat 4500lbs, reg trailer 3500 lbs. Guess it has something to do with less drag pulling a boat, but never the less, I think this rating is way overrated for towing in hilly areas. We have some roads that require us to pull the boat up a 15 degree slope on a weekly basis. Thinking about getting a larger tow vehicle but don't want to spend the money until I hear from others on this subject. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
  • labloverlablover Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 2002 used Acura. The 2002, 2001 Acuras and 2003 2004 Pilots had same wear problem with transmission. Acura replaced my transmission when I complained that it ran funny when they did the modification during a recall. (The modification involved something about delivering more trans fluid while running to ease shifting and cause less wear.) I am thinking of buying a Pilot and the service rep (not car salesman) assured me the 2005 models have the redesigned transmissions like I got put into my Acura. The 2003 and later Acura and 2005 Hondas have the better transmissions is what I understand.

    I am so pleased with my Acura that I am considering the Pilot to replace my 10 year-old Ford minivan (too big). I love the navigation system in the Acura and want one in my new car. I do think the Pilot is rather bland which is why I haven't taken the final purchase step yet. Is there going to be a redesign for 2006? Also, how much room is there in the Pilot? I have to haul a dog cage and dog in the cargo area.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    We say the Maximum Towing Capacity is 4500 lbs. on the Specs Pages.

    But we also say in the Vehicle Overview that "Equipped with the optional dealer-installed tow package, the Pilot's trailer towing rating is 3,500 pounds. (link)

    Check out the Towing tips for SUVs discussion too.

    Steve, Host
  • alex9700alex9700 Member Posts: 4
    I would like to hear comments from people on a Pilot assembled in canada (VIN first digit is a 2)versus assembled in Alabama (VIN first digit is a 5).

    As i understand it, currently Pilots are being assembled at both facilities, but soon will be built only in Alabama.

    Has anyone compared two of them and noticed a quality control difference ? Any other opinions ?
  • rational buyerrational buyer Member Posts: 4
    This may be sacrilidge on a Honda forum but if you've a seriously bad back and need space and not an American car, you should be looking at a Volvo V70 or XC90. Plus it will be safe.
  • allison5allison5 Member Posts: 130
    Believe me if I thought the XC90 would be enough room for my family I would of bought that a long time ago. My neighbor has that SUV, it is so comfy, safe, but just not enough room for 3 kids (and friends sometimes) dog, etc. I never, ever would of thought buying a car of all things would of been such a hard decision. Especially since I tend to lease cars and in 3-4 years I would probably change out.

    I went and drove a Sienna again on Tues, I really love the way that minivan handles, however once again I started to get tingleyness in my leg. As I have said I have had back problems for years with sciatic nerve issues though I have never sat in a car where it has bothered me in that way. Unfortunatly this salesperson I dealt with was a real jerk as far as letting me drive it for a longer distance so I am going to go back again tomorrow for longer. I also drove the Sequoia, that is a very nice SUV, it does drive more stiffly than my GMC but it was comfy.

    So if the Sienna doesn't work out than it will be between the Sequoia, or Pilot, I guess. I have had an Odyessy and I would rather not go to that van but would if I had to. What do people think of Acura MDX? The Pilot I heard was very similiar but several thousands less.

    I think now I am at the point where I should just get a car that would best fit my needs whether it was comfy or not and deal with it with cushions or whatever.
  • spyderredspyderred Member Posts: 138
    The MDX is very similar to the Pilot. I helped my in-laws buy one about a year ago and I drive it at least once/twice a week. IMO, they are the same car with minor differences. The MDX has the touring package which includes a few nicer amenities; memory seats, Bose sound system, (XM radio, and bluetooth for 2005), compass, rear seat is split 50/50, 17" wheels and Michelin tires, sits a little higher than a Pilot, little nicer leather, seats seem to have thicker cushion, little more aggressive look, and a longer standard warranty 4 yrs/50,000 miles. The Pilot seats 8 and the MDX seats 7.

    I really considered the MDX before I bought the Pilot. However, to me the $8,000 price difference between the MDX with Touring and DVD, and the Pilot with DVD didn't make financial sense. Another thing is that you can get the MDX with DVD AND Navigation. The Pilot, as you are well aware of, comes with either DVD OR Navigation. May be the Pilot 2006 Model Year (MY) will offer the combo DVD/NAV package like the MDX.

    Also when driving, the MDX feels a bit more heavy/bulky. The Pilot feels more like a sedan. Again just my opinion. This is the opinon of a guy that drives a BMW 5 series with sports package on daily basis.

    You can buy a Pilot EXL RES for below $30,000 including destination. A Touring MDX with RES goes for $38,000. These are the prices in Southern California. Only you can decide if the $8,000 price difference is worth it. To me it wasn't.

    Spyderred.
  • nowakj66nowakj66 Member Posts: 709
    No one knows or can answer but I wonder out loud anyway . . . .

    What are the chances of some interior changes on the Pilot for 2006? Is a telescoping wheel too much to hope for on a mid model refresh?
  • 1846618466 Member Posts: 46
    After doing some research on towing with the Pilot or other vehicles I determined from other boards that you should never tow more that 75% of the rated limit. Manufacturers and dealers never give you this info. Will be looking for another tow vehicle due to the weight restrictions.

    Wondering how many people tow with their Pilots?
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I would think if anything the car manufactures would UNDERSTATE the weight limits knowing how some people like to push the limits?

    I know I wouldn't want ANY used vehicle that had been used for heavy towing very often!
  • deerlake7deerlake7 Member Posts: 176
    Allison5, for what it's worth, I too have sciatic nerve related problems and go through a lot of vehicles. Of all those vehicles we've owned, only two have caused sciatic/back problems, a 1998 Toyota Avalon and a 2001 Toyota Highlander. I've had zero problems with our 2003 Pilot, or our 2005 Accord. Therefore, personally, I am reluctant to purchase a Toyota product.
  • 1846618466 Member Posts: 46
    Look at some of the forums on people who frequently tow boats or campers. They have a lot of towing experience and they recommend never exceeding 75% of the towing limit of any tow vehicle (a week ago I didn't know this either). Due to safety and what type of terrain you are pulling in. The rating to pull on the flat is not what it would be in mountainous terrain. I think the Pilot is a great vehicle, it is just is not up to towing a 3900 lb boat on a weekly basis.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    A suggestion if you have back problems and cannot find a comfortable ride. For under $1000 you could probably get a new seat put in that is specifically designed for you. I say if you have special needs don't just buy what fits off the rack, but get it tailored. It is not a lot of extra $$ to get a sound vehicle.

    I know of people that didn't get a vehicle because there wasn't enough legroom in front, but in actuality the car/suv had extra seat bolts that for under $300 or for a DIY'er could have made the car work. It is an option that most people don't even think about, but adjusting/replacing a seat is not much for a body shop.
  • allison5allison5 Member Posts: 130
    Thank you for your information, that is very interesting to hear. Today I went and drove a Toyota Sequoia and the Sequoia was more comfortable but because I notice that the Sequoia and Toyota Tundra truck seats are closer to the ground than any other car I have driven I did not like that either. Does anyone else notice this, my husband has a 2004 Tundra and it is so noticable. Yeah you can raise the seat some but the way your feet go out to the acclerator, brake you feel the ground higher up than other vehicles. Anyway that put pressure on my back so I think Toyotas are out.. As I mentioned in a previous post I have heard from 2 people who know about back issues well said they have dealt with a lot of people who have complained about Toyota vehicle seat issues. I had an Odyessy before my yukon and it was not too terribly bad unless I was on a long trip (that probably will happen with any car). So now I have narrowed it down to Pilot or Odyessy, more likely Odyessy with my family. Another positive thing about Pilot is I heard the leasing deals are really good right now and I do not know if that is the same with Odyessy
  • allison5allison5 Member Posts: 130
    Thank you for your information, that is very interesting to hear. Today I went and drove a Toyota Sequoia and the Sequoia was more comfortable but because I notice that the Sequoia and Toyota Tundra truck seats are closer to the ground than any other car I have driven I did not like that either. Does anyone else notice this, my husband has a 2004 Tundra and it is so noticable. Yeah you can raise the seat some but the way your feet go out to the acclerator, brake you feel the ground higher up than other vehicles. Anyway that put pressure on my back so I think Toyotas are out.. As I mentioned in a previous post I have heard from 2 people who know about back issues well said they have dealt with a lot of people who have complained about Toyota vehicle seat issues. I had an Odyessy before my yukon and it was not too terribly bad unless I was on a long trip (that probably will happen with any car). So now I have narrowed it down to Pilot or Odyessy, more likely Odyessy with my family. I am bummed that the Odyessy does not have AWD like the Sienna but can't have everything..
  • durability05durability05 Member Posts: 142
    Our 04 Pilot, did not need any recall work, it was built with some sort of fix in it, which is on Pilots Built after I think March 04. If you fold the convenient 3rd seat, except you have to remove the 3 headrest, you can put two dog cages easily. And If I had the extra budget, I would prefer the Acura MDX, except I have not checked its rear cargo capacity
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    I don't know that your information is correct. I don't think Honda would suggest towing limits that would damage the car.

    Still, if I'm looking at two used cars and one has a Class 3 hitch on the back and the other one has no hitch, I know which one I would be looking at!
  • jay_24jay_24 Member Posts: 536
    I've heard the 75% rule many time. Here is an explaination of why from a twoing/camping site:

    popup times - towing rules

    I think Honda and others put the limits as high as possible partially for bragging rights. The Pilot is the only SUV/truck that has a seperate number just for boats. Why? this is just a guess but maybe so they can claim a higher towing rating than all the minivans out there?

    Also what percenage of owners tow? how about tow near the limit in mountains? with high winds? and tow nearly all the time? Have a well balanced trailer? Know what they are dowing? Probably less than 1% of owners.

    Just a thought....

    --Jay
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    What's funny is that many cars sold in North America are also rebadged in other countries, supposedly with the same specs. People are always commenting that such and such a car tows x,xxx pounds in Australia but the lawyers here force the automakers to lower the towing number.

    Judging by a cursory look at the the state of the equipment out there (dragging safety chains, missing chains, non-working lights, etc.), I give anyone towing anything a wide berth.

    Did we mention Towing tips for SUVs lately?

    Steve, Host
  • sportymonksportymonk Member Posts: 258
    If you check the Ody section in Edmunds you will see that the lumbar support of the front seats is a problem to some but not to others. I sat in one and personally did not like the seats of the Ody but I may have been biased by my reading here. I suggest that if you are serio0us about the Ody, first go take a llloonngg test drive. Many took short ones and everything was ok but when they went on longer trips (almost anything is longer than a test drive usually!) some had compalints.
  • jdonnellyjdonnelly Member Posts: 1
    We are at almost 30k on our '03 Pilot and the dealer told us we needed to turn both the front and rear rotors and replace front and rear pads (though if we really needed to, we could keep the front pads a little while longer). Not too happy about this $600 turn of events.
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    $600 seems high for this service. Frankly, in the absence of strong evidence to the contrary (i.e., a notable shudder when braking), I would opt to simply replace the pads.
  • shodanusmcshodanusmc Member Posts: 14
    I have 29,400 miles on my 03 EXL. I had my brakes checked at the 30K service. I am 52% from, 60% rear. I went through 2 recalls, the Pully and the Trans, and had the rear brakes shimed per the TSP to eliminate the clunk. THe car runs terrific, and all I have done is the scheduled service. My deal in IL charges $200 per axel, and that includes cutting the rotors.
  • torreyspapatorreyspapa Member Posts: 1
    Where can I find info about getting more power out of my Pilot? I read an article that indicates Comptech is coming out w/ a supercharger for the V6 engines but it did not state when it will come out. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    I would be very careful about adding much more power to this vehicle--especially a supercharger. The transmission is suspect at the best of times and the addition of a supercharger would probably put too much strain on the components.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    I'm late to this discussion, but I have been doing some investigation myself, since we have a 2005 MDX and are considering getting a boat at or near the 4,500 towing limit.

    As best I can tell, the Pilot and MDX are NOT good for towing at 3,500+ lbs, let alone 4,500 lbs. If you are towing in hilly terrarin, take that number down SUBSTANTIALLY further - like 2,000 lbs. The higher rating for a boat is due to the presumed better aerodynamics. However, up a hill, you are lifting dead weight and aerodynamics is of little meaning.

    My hometown Acura dealership is on Lake Erie where about 120% of the people who can afford an MDX can afford a boat. In this area (flat terrain) a 3,500 lb boat hauled for short distances to and from the lake would be "O.K." according to my dealer. Anything greater in distance, weight or hills and you are wearing your engine and transmission at a much higher rate than normal. This is direct from the Acura dealer in a boat oriented market.

    The 3.5 liter Vtech 6 cylinder is a great engine. We got 23.5 mpg over 700+ miles of highway driving over the Memorial Day weekend. But it sacrifices brute strength for efficiency. Since 97%+ of our driving is going to be the later, I will get a cheap used pick-up truck if I want to buy a 3,500+ lb boat. Or just dock it permanently. Our other choice would be to trade the MDX for a LR3 and get 7,000 lb+ towing capacity, but about 17-18 mpg on the highway and Land Rover reliability issues.

    P.S. Note that the 2.0 liter 240 hp S2000 has a total capacity - people and cargo - of only 400 lbs. So I have always been suspicious of the Pilot's and MDX's claim that they can tow 4,500 lbs. Towing is what they make V8's and diesel engines for, not high output, low torque "V-tech" V-6's. And the brakes on our MDX are very weak compared to our TL (Brembo). I suspect that they would be fried quickly trying to hold an extra 3,500 lbs on a downgrade.
  • nowakj66nowakj66 Member Posts: 709
    Some rumored changes in the 2006 Pilot are VCM and 2WD.

    Any guess as to what these changes would mean independently and comboned to Pilot MPG?

    Right now it is 17 city and 22 hwy for AWD and no VCM.
  • phamjphamj Member Posts: 13
    Hello everyone,

    I just want to provide you with some of my experience with my 05 Pilot EXL after 2000 miles.
    This is the first Honda I ever own. My other vehicles are Ford Explorer and BMW 325i.
    I have always thought of Honda and perhaps Toyota as quality automobiles based upon reputations.

    I like the roominess of the Pilot eventhough I have yet to utilize the third row seats. The ride is quite nice with more than enough power. I 'm not very impress with the mileage,
    I 've been averaging 18 miles/gal.
    There are some annoying issues with the Pilot:
    _ Slossing noise from fuel tank, if the tank is more than half full and you are driving in heavy traffic with lots of stop and go and not having the radio on.
    _ Rattling noise from driver side door, the noise sound like wire harness inside the door are not well secured.
    _ Loud flapping noise cause by the cargo cover, if the third row seat are down and the cargo cover is installed from behind the second row seat.

    There are also other functions and features that I think Honda engineering team overlooked:
    _ Doors not automatically locked when car in motion
    _Buttons on steering wheel are not lighted, try using them when driving at night
    _The volume button on the steering wheel goes up and down, but the channel button only goes up.
    _ Glove box also not lighted
    _Sun roof control buttons not in good location, obstructed by steering wheel

    I do travel on business quite a bit and thus drive lots of American made cars as rental.
    I 've seen my share of bad dashboard layout, now I see that Honda is not much different.

    phamj
  • amcpaamcpa Member Posts: 10
    I too was wondering what changes were expected in the 2006 Pilot? And what impact it may have on MPG and vehicle cost. I am considering buying a 2005 or 2006 and am unsure whether to wait nor buy now.

    Any suggestions are welcomed.

    Thanks.
  • nowakj66nowakj66 Member Posts: 709
    Well a few well known rumor sites state that the 2006 Pilot will have a mid model refresh that makes it look a bit more like the Ridgeline and includes VCM and some 2wd models. I like the ridgeline headlights and grill so that could be a nice change. I also like the more open dash of the ridgeline but that may be too radical a change for a mid model refresh.

    If VCM is included you can make some inferences from the VCM and non-VCM Odysseys. VCM seems to add 1 mpg city and 2 hwy.

    If waiting is possible I would but it may be November before you see anything.

    So perhaps 18 city and 23 hwy are possible?
  • 1846618466 Member Posts: 46
    I have to agree with you. We are towing a 3900 lb boat with our Pilot in central Pa (Appalachain country) and have just noticed that it is killing the transmission, (burnt fluid and now it clunks loudly going into and out of gear).

    We are looking into getting a heavier tow vehicle such as a superduty pickup. We average only 12 mpg towing the boat with the Pilot and do it on a weekly basis in the summer. We could buy an F250 Superduty crew cab and be able to tow in excess of 10,000 lbs and still beat this mpg while towing with more safety and reliability, also would help out greatly plowing 250 foot driveway in the winter.

    The Pilot is an excellent AWD vehicle but it is not on my list of vehicles to tow with. We bought it thinking it was the best of both worlds. Great mpg and room and would be able to tow, well you can't have everything.
  • shodanusmcshodanusmc Member Posts: 14
    I bought my 03 Pilot for my 115 pound Cane Corso dog. He likes it, and he does not care about the mileage or towing. For the record, I only get 16 MPG around town, and have never got more than 20 MPH including a 1700 mile trip to AZ from IL. Overall though, I am satisfied with the vehicle. I do not tow, but if I did, I would get a V-8 . I still wish Honda would offer an 8. I like the thought of more torque and HP. Next year I am going to check out the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 with the large Hemi and 425 HP. Perhaps it will remind me of my old 69 Ply Roadrunner with the 440 six pack.
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