With the sales of full size SUVs decreasing, Honda's completely redesigned 2009 eight-passenger Pilot seemed to be entering the market at the wrong time -- that is until I drove it.
With the ride of a passenger
car, the passenger room of a van and the fuel economy of a compact
car, the Pilot quickly became our ride of choice.
The Pilot was first introduced as a 2003 model and featured a unit body construction. The 2009 Pilot continues this construction in a slightly longer, taller and wider body that has been made stronger with the use of high-strength steel in 52 per cent of the body.
This strong structure shows up in the quiet smooth ride. Dual door seals, added insulation and sound deadening material and Honda's Active Noise Control (ANC) system help with the quiet ride. The ANC system utilizes the audio system to cancel out unwanted engine noise when the V6 engine is operating in Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) mode.
The 3.5-litre V6 engine standard in all Pilot models includes this new VCM mode. The engine can operate on either three, four or all six cylinders dependent on load. The engine computer deactivates the valves and the fuel injectors on the cylinders not being used. Even when I tried to detect the engine switching between three-, four- or six-cylinder operation, I couldn't feel any change. Engine operation was smooth and vibration free.
Power is up slightly this year from this 3.5-litre V6 to 250 horsepower. The numbers seem low for an eight-passenger SUV with a 2,045 kilogram towing capacity and I expect you would have to utilize the gears in the five speed automatic if the Pilot was fully loaded with passengers and a trailer, but with just four passengers it pulled well, passing other vehicles on the highway with no problem.
What really amazed me about this
vehicle is the fuel economy I achieved on the highway. The all-wheel-drive model is rated at 9.1 L/100 km and on one trip with the cruise set at 110 km/h and a very slight tail wind, I achieved 7 L/100 km! Combined city and highway driving averaged 11 litres/100 km, which is excellent for a
vehicle with this passenger capacity.
The Pilot is available with 2WD or 4WD in the LX model and with 4WD in the EX, EX-L and Touring models. The Touring model is a new addition for 2009 and comes fully equipped with a rear view camera, front and rear parking sensors, heated front and outboard second row seats, power tailgate, 115-volt power outlet, memory driver's seat, Navigation system with voice recognition operation, rear seat DVD entertainment system with surround sound and wireless headphones, a 512-watt 10-speaker audio system and Bluetooth cell phone wireless link. Tilt/telescopic steering, an opening rear hatch window, hill start assist, integrated trailer hitch, trip computer, ABS, traction control and stability control are standard equipment on all Pilot models.
Inside, there is excellent room in the front and second row seats. Access to the third row is quite good and I could climb in and out gracefully. Adjust the second row seats ahead a little and there was adequate knee room for an adult in the third row. These rear seats are comfortable even for longer drives. There is room for a couple large suitcases behind the back seats and both the third and second row seats fold flat for carrying larger loads.
Visibility is excellent in all directions from any seat and parking the Pilot seemed simple even without the help of the front and rear parking sensors and the rear view camera. The
vehicle seems much smaller than it is, both from the outside and from the driver's seat.
The most commonly used controls are close at hand, although I did have to reach for some of the dash audio and Navigation controls. These could have been operated with voice commands if desired.
The only complaint I have is with the numerous controls and buttons on the centre instrument panel.
There are so many buttons that it took time to find the correct ones. I would imagine this would improve with more time in the
vehicle, but it still seems overly complex.
Honda has done an excellent job with the new Pilot. More power, more room, more features and all with less fuel consumption, too.
Source;
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/driving/story.html?id=0f6fa407-3b94-4204-b714-a5eea7d88cba
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