Honda Pilot

Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination

2006 Honda Pilot

The Honda Pilot is Honda's second SUV fully built and designed by Honda. The Honda Pilot is built in Alliston, Ontario, Canada and Lincoln, Alabama. Honda's initial SUV offering for many years was the Honda Passport, which was a rebadged Isuzu Rodeo. Where the Passport was truck-based, the Pilot shares underpinnings and the powertrain with the Acura MDX, which has a lineage which can be traced to the Honda Odyssey minivan (itself based on the global light truck chassis). The Pilot’s unibody construction, however, is fortified with integrated perimeter frame rails, which helps it withstand light off-road use.

The Pilot was designed to fill a large American demand for SUVs. Prior to the introduction of the Pilot, Honda only had the smaller CR-V based on the Civic platform, and the aforementioned Passport. However, the CR-V lacked in features many American consumers looked for in an SUV, which are overall size, passenger space, and towing capacity. The Pilot is at most designed to withstand light duty off roading. The Pilot has been a best-seller for Honda, with Honda selling over 100,000 Pilots in 2004, an increase of almost 20% over 2003. The Pilot is exclusively sold in North America, while Japan and Australia get its relative, the Honda MDX instead.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Honda Pilot Review.

Recent Changes

For 2006, the Honda Pilot got new front and rear fascias, a redesigned interior, and various standard safety features.

Like the MDX, the Pilot is propelled by an aluminum alloy 3.5 L SOHC, 24-valve VTEC V6 engine. The engine is rated at 240 hp and 242 ft·lbf of torque, and mated to a five-speed automatic, which, as tested by Sunny Kar, results in a 0-60 mph time of 7.2 seconds and 1/4 mile sprint of 14.6 seconds. For the 2005 model, the power was increased to 255 hp, 250 ft·lbf of torque and includes a Drive by Wire (DBW) Throttle System. The Pilot weighs in at a little over 4,400 lb. Also, like the MDX, the Pilot rides on struts up front with a coil-spring, multilink arrangement at the rear designed to allow a flat load floor. It also has the MDX’s wide track — 66.3 in at the front and 66.5 in at the rear. The Pilot has a 4,500 lb boat/3,500 lb trailer towing capability.

Styles and Major Options

The Pilot is available in both two wheel drive and four wheel drive in the LX trima nd the EX trim.

Pricing

Trim
2WD LX	4WD LX	2WD EX	4WD EX	2WD EX-L	4WD EX-L	2WD EX-L with Navigation	4WD EX-L with Navigation
Price
MSRP
$26,995	$28,195	$29,545	$30,745	$31,845	$33,045	$34,045	$35,245
Invoice
$24,303	$25,381	$26,595	$27,673	$28,662	$29,740	$30,638	$31,717

Previous Generations

(Fill in as many as appropriate. Add more if necessary)