Many of the Pilot’s updates occur to attributes that we thought the old Pilot needed to make improvements to. Honda stretched out the wheelbase (the space between the front and rear wheels) and overall length to open up more passenger room, particularly in the second and third rows to make them more accommodating for adults and bulky child safety seats.
New styling inside and out helps to modernize the Pilot and make it feel more rugged and less curvy. And to inject some excitement into what was a very competent (but also slightly boring lineup), there’s a new Pilot TrailSport that dials in some real off-road upgrades.
Overall, we think the 2023 Pilot is a worthwhile choice for a three-row crossover SUV. But it also has some drawbacks that might make the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Mazda CX-90, or Volkswagen Atlas a better choice. Check out our test team’s Expert Rating below to learn more. Details below,
2024 Honda Pilot Early Review
Mid-size three-row SUVs like the 2024 Honda Pilot are popular with families, due in no small part to their roomy cabins, which provide equal space for both people are cargo. Right now, buyers are spoiled for choice, and it’s hard for an SUV to stand out from the crowd. The Pilot’s boxy look doesn’t—nor do its features or capabilities.
Under its hood is a 285-hp V-6 engine and a 10-speed automatic; all-wheel drive is optional but the Pilot’s standard setup drives the front wheels. For those who plan to venture off-road, there’s a hunkier-looking TrailSport model that gets more ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and underbody protection skid plates.
Most buyers will end up with one of the Pilot’s mid-range trims though, and they’ll find it’s a pleasant SUV in which to run errands or tackle road trips. The Pilot’s refined road manners, smooth-running V-6 engine, and modern tech make it a good choice among mid-size crossovers, but rivals such as the Kia Telluride, the Hyundai Palisade, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee L all offer similar—and in some cases, more upscale—packages.
For its second year on the market, the fourth-generation Pilot receives no notable updates. For 2024, it’s offered in the same range of trims and with the same gas-engine powertrain as the 2023 model. You have,
- Fully redesigned for 2023
- More cargo space and rear passenger room
- New TrailSport model adds off-road capability
- The 2023 model kicks off the fourth Pilot generation
2024 Honda Pilot: Interior
Being a family-friendly SUV, the 2024 Pilot’s cabin is designed with that use case in mind. All models are capable of sitting up to eight in the three rows but the EX-L trim can be had with optional second-row captain’s chairs that reduce passenger capacity to seven; captain’s chairs are standard on the TrailSport.
The Touring and Elite models come with a second-row seat design where the middle seat portion can be removed and stored under the floor in the cargo area when not needed. Honda boasts that eight of the Pilot’s cupholders can hold big 32-ounce water bottles and that its cargo area is more voluminous than ever before.
There’s reasonable cargo space with all three rows of seats up; we fit six carry-on sized boxes behind the third row, two more than we could stuff into a Kia Telluride.
2024 Honda Pilot: Engine & Performance
The Pilot is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 engine that makes 285 horsepower and is mated to a 10-speed automatic. Although the SUV is primarily a front-wheel-drive model, all-wheel drive is available as an option.
While the V-6 engine doesn’t make the Pilot particularly quick, its throttle response is linear, and the 10-speed automatic’s shifts are smooth. On the road, the Pilot feels refined and offers confidence-inspiring steering and braking.
The most rugged TrailSport model proved itself capable of the moderately-difficult terrain we encountered on real-world off-road trails near Breckenridge, Colorado, and again in Sedona, Arizona. But Honda hasn’t created a rock-crawling super-machine that’s intended to tackle Moab alongside Broncos, Wranglers, and 4Runners.
The Pilot Trailsport has a special suspension with a 1.0-inch lift, steel skid plates, all-terrain tires, a hill-descent control system, and a specially tuned all-wheel drive system with a Trail driving mode.
2024 Honda Pilot: Fuel Economy
The EPA estimates that the Pilot is good for up to 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. We’ve tested a 2023 Pilot TrailSport, with its beefier all-terrain tires and added off-road armor on our 75-mph highway fuel economy route, and it returned 22 mpg.
That’s just shy of other V-6-powered three-row SUVs such as the Kia Telluride that returned 24 mpg. The Pilot Elite we tested, which rolls on less aggressive tires, delivered 27 mpg in the same test. For more information about the Pilot’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
For those about to tow, the Honda Pilot pulls off a maximum towing capacity of 5000 pounds for all-wheel-drive models. Front-wheel drive Pilots manage 3500 pounds of towing. This matches its closest competitors’ strength, such as the Kia Telluride, and Toyota Grand Highlander, but can’t hold a candle to the Dodge Durango’s 8700-pound might.
2024 Honda Pilot: Connectivity & Safety
A 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and an accompanying 7.0-inch digital gauge cluster are standard on the Pilot. Honda’s latest infotainment interface is easy to use and features both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
TrailSport, Touring, and Elite models get a larger 9.0-inch infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability; the Elite also comes with a 10.2-inch gauge cluster. Honda hasn’t said what the standard stereo will be in the Pilot, but the Touring and Elite models come with a 12-speaker setup from Bose.
Honda equips all Pilot models with a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance features it calls Honda Sensing. The bundle includes automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlamps, and more.
For more information about the Pilot’s crash test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Read more here.
The 2023 Honda Pilot comes standard with the Honda Sensing group of safety technologies. Honda’s suite has always been easy to use, and the new-generation Pilot is no exception.
Adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist are easy to engage, and the Honda didn’t have any issues following the car in front of us while maintaining a safe distance. Once cruise control and lane keep assist are active, the lane markings on the digital instrument cluster turn green, and little boxes pop up to show the vehicles around you. It’s a neat attempt at doing what Tesla does, but this is in a $53,000 family crossover.
2024 Honda Pilot: Warranty
Honda’s warranty is entirely average for its class. Hyundai, for example, offers one that’s significantly longer. All Pilot models come with a complimentary maintenance plan that covers regular oil changes and basic services for two years or 24,000 miles. Read more about Honda Warranty coverage.
2024 Honda Pilot Pros & Cons
Take a look at the benefits of Honda’s Pros and Cons. Let’s start with the benefits first.
Honda Pilot Pros
- Roomy first- and second-row seating
- Lots of cargo space and interior storage spots
- Easy-to-use controls
Honda Pilot Cons
- The standard touchscreen interface is too small
- Third-row seating is cramped for adults
- Lackluster acceleration and braking performance
Conclusion
To be clear, although the TrailSport has some legitimate off-road chops, it comes at the expense of its on-road manners. The good news, though, is that despite the ride quality issues it remains a Pilot at its core—a first-rate carrier of people and stuff.
We won’t judge your preference! You can either love FWD or AWD, it’s up to you. But we believe that the improved towing capacity is worth the money.
The comfort level is highly guaranteed. Additionally, comes the upscale cabin design, ideal storage cargo. The 3rd generation Honda Pilot is, undeniably our favorite three-row crossover SUV since 2016!
We deserve to know your opinion. Let us know in the comments. Stay tuned with us, we will soon write another useful article on Honda.
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