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Honda Pilot Owners Meet the Members

Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
Please take a moment to introduce yourself and share some details about your Pilot!

My name is KarenS and I am the host of the Edmunds.com Owners Clubs. Please let me know what discussions you would like to see in your Club folder. I will create them ASAP. You may want to take a look through the other clubs to get ideas for discussions.

Looking forward to meeting everyone!

KarenS
Host
Owners Clubs
«13

Comments

  • chiefpilotchiefpilot Member Posts: 4
    I'm not often the one to be FIRST at anything new, but it looks like I'm the first member of the Pilot Owner's Club here at Edmunds!

    My name is 'chiefpilot' (actually, it's really John) and I live and work in sunny (!!) south Florida. My wife and I purchased our Evergreen Pearl EX-L on June 4th and just recently passed the 1100 mile point.

    Thus far, we really LOVE the Pilot and are very glad that we didn't replace our six-year-old Ford Explorer with another one. I hope that all of you enjoy your Pilot as much as we do.
  • leokadia1leokadia1 Member Posts: 94
    My Pilot is still in the many part bins in the Honda Factory in Canada. The build date is August 18-22. I joining the club today because August 7th is my birthday.
  • moonkatmoonkat Member Posts: 265
    Hello KarenS & fellow Piloteers,

    Want to thank KarenS for her gracious hosting (I remember when in the Ody forums...last I visited it was XXVIII....) and look forward to more of the same..;-)

    Recently got an EGP EX for Dr. Mom. She loves it. Worst feature of the vehicle is that her lunch crowd has more seat time in it than me!

    moonkat aka "Pilot-kat"
  • rms41rms41 Member Posts: 80
    and it now has 2700 miles on it. No problems so far. My previous vehicle was a '99 Honda Accord LX-V6 coupe. The Pilot seems so much bigger and yet it's nearly identical in length. Of course the Pilot is 7 inches wider so I had to do a little tidying up in the garage before I brought it home. I have already used about every imaginable seat configuration for one reason or another and really like the flexibility.
  • tallcarguytallcarguy Member Posts: 3
    My wife and I recently drove home in our Evergreen Pearl EX. We opted for the full woodgrain interior. (Yeah I know it's plastic!) but we think it really sets off the interior. Got the foglights, too. Nice & bright! I sell Hondas' too and everyone's razzing me about my "demo" but I paid money like everyone else, and no they did not give me one cent of a discount either. Too bad my wife gets to drive it everyday and I get to drive only on Sundays. God, I wish I could afford two of those things!
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    How ya been? Great to see your type face again. :-)

    Welcome to all! Let me know if you have any suggestions to improve Pilot Owners board.
  • lxusruleslxusrules Member Posts: 33
    I have Black LX that now has 2K miles on it. Live in SoCal. I've installed Mud Guard, roof rack myself, and have towing package on order which I will install myself.
    I love it, we took it camping and me and my little girl slept in the car with both seat down and it was reasonably comfortable, beats sleeping on the ground.
  • spiderwaspiderwa Member Posts: 3
    I'm thinking about pursching a Pilot. I was looking through the hand out and didn't see any reference to an ambient temperature indicator. Can someone please tell me if one is installed.
  • chiefpilotchiefpilot Member Posts: 4
    Yes... the Pilot has an outside temperature readout in the instrument cluster, integrated with the odometer / multiple trip meters.
  • sandralapazsandralapaz Member Posts: 1
    I just got my Pilot three weeks ago. It's a beautiful thing!! My two girls (11 and 3) love the RES/DVD so much they don't want to leave the vehicle. The Pilot drives great; I often forget I'm driving an SUV. It feels like a car. So, to anyone who's thinking about getting one, just do it!
  • bkatbkat Member Posts: 2
    I will be a Pilot owner in a few weeks. I put down my deposit on July 10 and had to wait til the dealer could place his order at the end of the month. Hope to have it built the week of August 23-28 and get delivery between September 3-10 according to the dealer.

    He is supposed to hook me up to owner link via email to get updates. I have not received any yet. I will update to edmunds if I start getting any.

    I ordered several dio to add to my EX cloth model. I plan to get after market Classic Trim leather added after the the cloth one arrives. I compared the factory leather and the after market on an another color (silver) the end of June and like the feel of the Classic Trim. BTW you can also order the CT leather in two tone if you want and several shades to pick from.

    I can't wait to get it here. Maybe Honda will send it early!!!!
  • leokadia1leokadia1 Member Posts: 94
    My Pilot is now in transit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I ordered my on June 26, 2002. I keep calling the dealer. He said the Build Date was 8/18-8/22. Now he saying no Vin# and a mid September delivery. I called another dealer, he had a Silver EX-L with a vin#. I am going to wait to cancel on the one I ordered in June. Maybe the dealer will have it in by Christmas.

    Maybe some day Honda will show Ford how to make SUVs with Quality and Ford could teach Honda how to make Quantity. So people like us wouldn't have to go this hard to get the Honda we wanted @ Less than MSRP!!
  • rshinnrshinn Member Posts: 5
    We picked up our Silver EX-L (RES) July 7th. We
    waited for our dealers first silver one. We were
    #1 on his list and paid MSRP. We've got 2600
    miles and couldn't be happier. Our previous SUV
    was a 94 Toyota 4Runner and we also own a 00
    Odyssey Mini-Van. Both the Pilot and Ody are
    great vehicles.
  • matkins2matkins2 Member Posts: 11
    My name is Bob Matkins and I live on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. My Honda LX is 10364 and it was delivered on July 13th. Paid Msrp and had a tape player, towing package, running boards and roof rack installed!! We have 1250 miles on it and have towed a 2000 Lb. boat up over Donner Pass (7200') and was pleased with the power. It is a Taffeta White/Fern fabric interior. So far we have few complaints!!
  • zzanonzzzzanonzz Member Posts: 6
    Some of us were evidently successful in getting NHTSA & Honda to recall a safety defect in the 2003 Pilot (timing belt tensioner pulley misaligned, which may lead to a crash). You should be getting a letter in the mail soon.


    Now we owners of the Pilot need to email NHTSA the following message, or a version thereof. Email the message below to: webmaster@nhtsa.dot.gov (alternatively, use the web form on NHTSA safety hotline site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/email.cfm).


    Message that needs to be conveyed to NHTSA by as many Pilot owners as possible goes as follows: "The 2003 Pilot headlights are very weak and do not sufficiently illuminate the road ahead. This creates a very serious driving hazard on the freeway especially at speeds as high as 70 mph. The Pilot's headlights fail to illuminate the curves in the freeway, and consequently, Pilots can veer off the highway and get into crashes. Apparently, the Honda company is aware of this problem but has chosen not to take any action. We appeal to NHTSA to urge Honda to recall and replace the defective headlights".


    Feel free to modify the message above. Thank you.

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Coming up in the Pine Barrens of NJ. Check out http://isuzu-suvs.com/events/pb-09-21-02/index.html for details. It's a very tame/beginner trailride. All are welcome to come on down and join the fun and get your SUVs dirty!


    -mike

  • romad01romad01 Member Posts: 1
    I BOUGHT MY LX AT ALBANY HONDA IN GA. I WAS VERY PLEASE WITH THE SELL I PAID 31,000 OUT THE DOOR. I BOUGHT IT JULY 5 02 AND NOW HAVE ABOUT 5,000 MILES. I AM HEARING A TAPPING NOISE WHEN IM ACCELERATING AND THE TACH HITS B/W 2000-3000 RPM. IM TAKING IT TO HONDA NEXT WEEK. ALSO HOPE THIS SITE HELPS YOU OUT IT'S CALL PARTSCHEAP.COM AND THEY HAVE ORIGINAL HONDA PARTS AT FRACTION OF THE COSTS, SO BEFORE YOU GO TO YOUR DEALERS PLEASE SAVE YOURSELF SOME MONEY AND CHECK IT OUT..AND IF YOU DONT SEE WHAT YOU WANT IF IT IS A HONDA PRODUCT THEY CAN GET IT. IVE PURCHASED ITEMS FROM THEM AND THEY ARE REPUTABLE...LATER ROMAD01
  • bpacurabpacura Member Posts: 2
    I ordered my Pilot at the end of July and it was promptly delivered last Friday (13 Sept). Six days earlier than expected. I purchased the vehicle from Mack Honda in Toms River, New Jersey. The whole process was overall pretty good. The dealer is selling at MSRP and not 2500 over like most of the Honda dealers in New Jersey. The Pilot is wonderful. I sold my 2001 Acura TL to get this vehicle. The kids and wife absolutely love it. The rear entertainment system is a GOD send. The kids watch there movies, listen to their CDs and play their Playstation while my wife and I listen to our radio station or talk in peace.
    Haven't had any mechanical problems as of yet, then again I don't sit there and listen for every little noise. I enjoy my vehicle and its under warrranty.
  • wgrahamwgraham Member Posts: 1
    Picked up my wifes pilot last night. love it so far. My full conversion van wont fit in the garage with it, so it has to sit in the cold.
  • mphdadmphdad Member Posts: 2
    Ordered my Sagebrush Pearl EX-L, with DVD September 6. My dealer expects to have it in by the end of November. The whole family is very excited. I had an '88 Accord up until a year ago, and it was a great car. We can't wait for it to arrive! Steve
  • biologistbiologist Member Posts: 5
    Have to say I like the Pilot... I will be taking it on a long road trip next week to Utah.. Specificaly Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Wil test it out on teh dirt roads for it 4x4 capabilities.
  • loyalgmcguyloyalgmcguy Member Posts: 64
    We purchased our Pilot in early September. We're in Montana and considered an Odessy, an Envoy XL, or a MDX to replace our 102,000 95 Pontiac Transport. We wanted seating for 7 so the Highlander was out. The MDX was a strong contender but the additional $4,000 cost plus no dealer within 400 miles changed our minds. The Envoy rode rough and the 3rd seat did not fold flat (limits room for hockey and fishing gear).

    We paid $500 over MSRP and were upset. I fear Honda may be rumoring low production to help their dealers squeeze out more profit.

    Overall it's a great vehicle. It has 2500 miles and delivers 19.5 to 21.5 mixed town/highway driving. My biggest complaint is that I can't locate 5-20 weight oil out here in the boonies.
  • txpilot02txpilot02 Member Posts: 2
    Purchased mine 10/8 with some add-ons, including trailer hitch package, fog lights, running boards, wood grain everywhere, crossbars... talked to dealer into throwing add-ons at cost, or close to it... I like it so far... replaced a '99 Plymouth Van that had about 2K worth of repairs pending.
  • mtaylo00mtaylo00 Member Posts: 7
    I am not yet a Honda owner, but will be soon if the price is right. I have been offered $l,000 off of MSRP for an EX 2003 Honda. Is this a fair deal? Thanks
  • roooddyroooddy Member Posts: 4
    We got delivery Oct 21 (ordered July 8)and we had fog lights and the chrome bumper garnish installed. Those two accessories cost $1022 but we feel they add plenty to the looks of the Pilot. We traded in our 2000 Odyssey and we notice the ride is more choppy in the Pilot. Aside from that we are enjoying the Pilot more........Jay
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
  • moonpie1moonpie1 Member Posts: 3
    I purchased my Sagebrush Pearl Pilot EXL on 1/22/03 from Ed Voyles Honda in Marietta, GA. In order to beat a competitors sale price, I received $1,000 off the MSRP, plus I added towing hitch, day/night mirror and cargo tray - all at dealer cost. The carpet mats, mud flaps and cross bars for the luggage rack were already on the car, and I was not charged for them. I was very pleased with the deal. I passed my 7 yr. old Explorer on to my son, and of course he wants to drive the Pilot, but No Way. I am enjoying driving it, and the engine runs so quiet. This is my second Honda purchase. I drove a 1986 Accord for 9 years and my son drove it another 5 years until he had an accident. The person who bought it from us, fixed it up and is still driving it. That's a Honda for you.
  • vjpalmvjpalm Member Posts: 1
    I haven't yet purchased the Pilot. I need to tow a camper (3800 #s) around the Rockies. Wondering about towing capapcity? thanks, vic
  • jay_24jay_24 Member Posts: 536
    I wouldn't do it. Most manufactures don't consider people and cargo in the towing capacity. So assuming Honda is the same: 4 people = 720 pounds + 300 pounds of stuff = roughly 1000lbs off the towing capacity.

    Towing capacity of a Pilot = 3500 lbs.
    3500 - 1000 = 2500. your way over.

    Now the towing capacity can be 4500 if its a boat, but how does the Pilot know your towing a boat? I've been told it deals with frontal area. Boats have less? A 3000lb boat has lots of frontal area! So why doesn't Honda just say that?

    I don't own a Pilot, but am in the market for something to tow a camper (2200lbs) and haul a family of 5.

    --jay
  • pittpalpittpal Member Posts: 2
    Looks like membership is lagging. Bought mine 10 days ago at end of month...Was told it was hard to negotiate but I disagree...All dealers in Orlando had stock and desire to sell.

    I traded a Passport because I wanted better ride...Also with 2 grandchildren it is perfect.

    Do not love the gas mileage but love the car...We are going to handa-accessories.com to outfit it with extras...Need the cargo cover when rear seats are folded down.

    I am retired USAF and work at Univrsity of Central Florida (call us UCF)...Football fans recognize Daunte Culpepper...He was our first STAR.

    We are an unknown LARGE school...we will have 40,000 students in FALL.
  • babybbabyb Member Posts: 18
    Even though it is more vehicle than what I need, I fell in love with the EX (even though it would be nice to have the DVD-no children though). My build date is 6/14-6/18 and I can't wait!!!

    Congrats pittpal on your new Pilot! I am from the land that now has Duante, and I am very familiar with the Knights (I think that is what UCF is..)
  • pop940pop940 Member Posts: 2
    Just picked up our new EX on Thursday (DFW area)! We are first time Honda owners, downsizing from a 2000 Ford Expedition. Might have ended up with a new Explorer, except I walked out of the Ford Store not even CLOSE to a deal, and my wife suggested we take another look at the Pilot. Was treated extremely courteously and look forward to becoming a Honda-for-Life devotee!
  • babybbabyb Member Posts: 18
    Congrats on the new EX Pilot.

    I picked up my Nighthawk Black EX on Wednesday. Third new Honda and I couldn't be happier. My mother, father, brother and sister-in-law are jealous and ready to get their own!

    Again, congrats and welcome to the Honda family. (Glad to hear that you had a good sales experience).
  • aj1964aj1964 Member Posts: 5
    Just got my Pilot last saturday. It's a black EX-L. I got lucky, I looked at the only one the dealer had, but it was sold. So I looked it over, drove it around the dealers lot. Was going to have the dealer do a search for one for me. As I was sitting at the sales guys desk, he came up and said the loan was not approved for the poor guy that bought the Pilot I looked at. I took it home that afternoon. Love it so far....
  • sekiesatosekiesato Member Posts: 1
    does anybody have any idea when will i have my first oil change? just got my pilot two weeks ago. thanks
  • tocatoca Member Posts: 147
    The factory recommended interval is 7,500 which I think we all would agree is too long. My dealer recommended 5,000 for the first. I had it changed at 4K.
  • 01r101r1 Member Posts: 280
    I would read your owner's manual and see which maintenance category you fit into, the standard or severe. Even if you do not meet the severe profile, you might consider making that first oil change at 3750 miles since Honda uses a special break-in oil.

    -Pete
  • glennjoglennjo Member Posts: 2
    How much does the towing package cost, including installation?

    On the question of towing capacity, Honda says that this 3500/4500 figure is calculated to include up to four passengers and their cargo.
  • rcpulkrcpulk Member Posts: 4
    I picked up my silver EX one week ago tomorrow. It is going back in the shop tomorrow because the dealer dinged up the door while pulling it out of the showroom. I love it so far (550 miles).
  • jnj91jnj91 Member Posts: 55
    We've just returned from Dallas picking up our '04 EX-L/RES Redrock Pearl Pilot and attending the Texas State Fair while we were there.

    It's a great vehicle! We added the woodgrain trim and bought the 7yr/100k warranty for it. We traded an'03 Toyota Highlander for it, and definitly feel this is a much better vehicle for our family. So many things we love about it! If you are thinking of buying a Pilot, we'd highly recommend doing it. You won't be sorry.

    JnJ
    NW AR
  • joludeanjoludean Member Posts: 1
    I have been comparing the Pilot to its closest competitors Toyota, Mitsubishi, etc. I feel dollar for dollar the Pilot is the best deal. Since I already own "92" Accord with no problems I favor Honda more then any other vehicle.

    I have been shopping around and I found out that I could get a Pilot EX with a Costco membership for $2000 over invoice. Is there any other way to get it cheaper? I live in Southern California.
  • csmith11csmith11 Member Posts: 1
    Thanks to all contributors on this and other auto internet sites, I purchased my 2004 Sandstone EX 10/16/03. I researched this purchase extensively and after a few days getting acquainted with the Pilot am very favorably impressed and satisfied.

    I purchased locally to keep the money in the community -- $1600 off MSRP and 3.5% Honda financing for 60 mos.

    We look forward to many miles of safer driving the Colorado mountains during ski season.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    enjoy

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • progerproger Member Posts: 44
    What strip goes well for a nighthawk black. Any recommendation? Thanks.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    it really depends where you live. Are Pilots rare or abundant on the dealer lots? Did you at least get a couple of quotes before agreeing to the price? If your answers are no and yes, respectively, than you probably did fine. The most important thing is that you are comfortable and happy with the deal.

    Not sure what is meant by your second post. What strips are you referring to?

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • progerproger Member Posts: 44
    qbrozen, i mean stripes that goes on the side of the car for looks. anyway i have change my mind and would go for sage brush pearl w/ NAV instead.
    i'm purchasing this in VB, VA. i'd take your advise by going to 2 dealer quotes. thanks.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    good color choice. my second favorite behind the blue. but really close race. :)

    let us know how you make out.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • progerproger Member Posts: 44
    I called another dealer and offered only MSRP, other dealer is checking for that particular model. no price quote yet.
  • thamptonroadsthamptonroads Member Posts: 13
    I live in Richmond, VA, and bought a 04 Pilot 2 weeks ago. Email me at thuy_nguyen@hamptonroads.com and I'll give you the details.
  • edpedronedpedron Member Posts: 3
    We recently bought our '04 Sandstone EX-L with
    leather/DVD due to kids. We love it until
    we took it back to the dealer to add the
    options to the vehicle.

    See post #375 in Honda Pilot: Problems & Solutions
    board.

    Any input is appreciated!

    Thanks in advance
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