We have recommendations for which trim level to buy if you want to get the most bang for your buck when buying a Honda Pilot three-row mid-size crossover SUV.
The aging Honda Pilot may lack the luster of its newer competitors, but the Japanese automaker's mid-size three-row crossover SUV still has plenty of perks. With its far-from-state-of-the-art tech and old-school V-6, the Pilot is an appealing option among Luddites who want a reasonably comfortable and easy-to-operate people mover with a relatively simple powertrain that forgoes any newfangled high-voltage electric bits.
Parsing through the model's seven available trims, however, may leave Pilot shoppers feeling a bit crosseyed. Some will decide they want all the bells and whistles, no matter the price, while others will find that their budget limits their reach to only the least expensive iteration of the model.
View Price on AmazonOur research reveals that the Pilot EX-L offers the best balance of feature content for the price. At $46,190, the front-drive Pilot EX-L costs $2300 more than the entry-level Pilot Sport. This difference nets buyers niceties such as leather-trimmed seats, a memory system for the power driver's seat, a second-row middle seat that stows away (unlike the fixed one in the Sport), a wireless phone charger, and parking sensors.
The EX-L also swaps the Sport's 20-inch wheels and tires for a set of 18s, which, depending on your priorities, is either a net gain or a net loss. We're in the former camp, as the minuscule aesthetic hit the Pilot takes is more than offset by the thicker sidewalls of the 18-inch rubber, which help the tires better absorb pits and pockmarks in the road.
For better or worse, Honda offers few options within its trim lines. This leaves Pilot EX-L with only two additional financial decisions to make: color and drivetrain. Of the seven colors available, four are no-cost options, while the other three add $455 to the bottom line.
Moving up the trim ladder does bring some additional niceties to the Pilot, though just how valuable they are depends on your personal preferences. Opt for the more off-road-oriented and all-wheel-drive-only $52,090 Pilot TrailSport, and Honda throws in the likes of all-terrain tires, bespoke suspension tuning, additional underbody protection, an integrated trailer hitch, a panoramic sunroof, and a surround-view camera system.
The higher-spec Touring, Touring Blackout, Elite, and Black Edition all include the feature, though. These trims also come standard with all-wheel drive. The $52,790 Touring builds upon the more tarmac-oriented EX-L but includes the TrailSport's big sunroof and surround-view camera system. To this, it adds a Bose sound system, a hands-free power-operated liftgate, and 20-inch wheels and tires.
Going the $55,190 Pilot Elite route, meanwhile, brings a head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, perforated leather seats, and more. However, the Pilot's maximum towing capacity varies depending on the drivetrain. Front-wheel drive models are rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds, while all-wheel drive models can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Source: caranddriver.com
