CTC Review: 2009 Honda Pilot Touring

[CD_Editor]

Day 1:

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I was warned to not approach this vehicle from the front; it seems like some find the front of my tester this week a little unappealing.  That tester would be the 2009 Honda Pilot Touring that is sitting in my driveway this week, and just in case, I backed it in so I could avoid frontal eye contact. Actually, I backed it in to test out the nifty rear back-up camera but it does provide that added bonus of allowing me to only approach from the side or rear.  More...

[RPM]

I thought the front was horrendously ugly at first, but now it doesn't look bad. I guess I have been desensitized.

[Francois]

To be honest, I liked the new Pilot from the start and its the front that I particularly like.
If it wasn't for the price (and gas prices), I'd get one right away.

[airbalancer]

To be honest, I liked the new Pilot from the start and its the front that I particularly like.
If it wasn't for the price (and gas prices), I'd get one right away.

Gas is under 77 /l, how is that stopping you

[spidey]

We've been wanting to get out of our 2000 Montana minivan the last year and the Pilot is the one we decided on. Unfortuantly it wont be the 2009 with the price, but are settling on something used 05-06 with our budget. 

We test drove an 08 and really liked it. They may be a bit bland compared to some SUV's, but they defintly make it up on the inside. 

[ktm525]

Wow. In white it really does look like Shamu. At this price you are getting close to a nearly new Lexus GX470 or gasp! Land Rover LR3 V8 SE.

[Blueprint]

This thing is bombing in QC.  I have only seen one so far, and I'm in GTM, but to be fair the entire SUV / medium-large crossover is pretty down.  GM's Lambda triplets-now-quadruplets are doing pretty well, as is the Murano. The new Highlander is also a flop locally.

Then again, there's no reason to get a Pilot instead of an Odyssey, unless you really need awd, that extra 1000 lbs towing capacity, and have cash to burn.

[carcrazed]

ktm525, the GX470 and LR3 doesn't have all the goodies that the Pilot's Touring trim has.
Add those on and you're at almost 8 to 10 grand difference.

[ktm525]

ktm525, the GX470 and LR3 doesn't have all the goodies that the Pilot's Touring trim has.
Add those on and you're at almost 8 to 10 grand difference.

You are right. The $58k GX doesn't have Nav. The LR3 has all the goodies, including things like skid plates, HIDs, locking diffs, full size spare and LEGENDARY LAND ROVER QUALITY.

The Volvo dealer had a XC90 V8 with Nav and fully loaded (BLIS, Dynaudio) for $73k. With cash back and rebates this quickly became sub $60k. Still a big step from the Honda but not that far either.

[JamesP]

But the problem with the Volvo, Range Rover, and Lexus is you don't get the easily scratched hard plastic found all over the Pilots cabin.

My friend had a rental Pilot while his Flex was being repaired and he found the pilot to be a huge downgrade, I would never have guessed that it was that expensive of a vehicle, and more money then his Flex

[wing]

Similarly equipped Flex is the exact same price ....
http://www.canadiandriver.com/ctc/blog/trucks-suvs/2009-ford-flex.htm

[Francois]

airbalancer,
do you really think that gas is gonna stay bellow 80 cents for many years. I usually keep my vehicles for 10 years. I can only imagine the price of gas in 5 years.

[Jaeger]

Honda needs to steal some Mazda designers right quick.  Seems like they can only manage bland or ugly.  The front end of this thing looks like it has already run into a brick wall.  The rest of it looks like the shipping crate it arrived in.  Then you get the now-signature Honda button-itis for the interior.  Sad.

Jaeger

[ktm525]

Honda needs to steal some Mazda designers right quick.  Seems like they can only manage bland or ugly.  The front end of this thing looks like it has already run into a brick wall.  The rest of it looks like the shipping crate it arrived in.  Then you get the now-signature Honda button-itis for the interior.  Sad.

Jaeger

Front end looks like a pug.

[gpws2k]

Looks like the designers took the front off an X-Trail and the tail off an old Cherokee, got rid of any remaining curves then threw the whole thing onto the photocopier and hit 110%.  Truly inspiring.  Honda's gone nuts with this whole oversized-plastic-grille-cover business.  It's even made its way onto the facelifted CSX.  If they go anywhere near the next S2000 or NSX with this design language, so help me, I'm booking a flight to Japan to kick some ass.

[STi]

Wouldn't wanna see that schnoz in my rear view mirror...

Only 13 buttons on the steering wheel? I'm sure they missed something there...

[Simple]

Is that a 3rd support for the hatch?

[tpl]

Wouldn't wanna see that schnoz in my rear view mirror...

Only 13 buttons on the steering wheel? I'm sure they missed something there...

Some of them are for the armament option of guns and missiles. Not available in Canada. 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Is that a 3rd support for the hatch?

That's the linkage for the power tailgate.

[xc90rave]

This this is fugly  . I test drove the 2008 model and was not impressed with the driving dynamics. The base feels cheap. You'd have to go to the EX to look decent but that puts it at $43K. Overpriced for sure. I thought Honda was make a turn around with its design with the Civic and then comes the Accord and now this pig nose grill. They need to learn big time from Nissan and Mazda...