Honda sharpens 2009 Pilot's driving skills

January 9, 3:05 PMNY Autos ExaminerNick Yost

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2009 Honda Pilot Touring

When the Honda Pilot was introduced back in 2002, people were calling it a minivan for people who didn’t want to be seen in one.

There was some truth in that, too, since the 2003 Pilot was adapted from the second-generation Odyssey minivan and featured unit-body construction, independent suspension and the same clever packaging. It also sprang from the same roots as its corporate cousin, the more expensive and luxurious Acura MDX.

But Honda got the last laugh. The Pilot hit the market as buyers were beginning to rethink their need for rugged, truck-based vehicles. They still wanted SUV utility and an aggressive design, but they also wanted a comfortable vehicle more than they wanted one that could excel at rock hopping and canyon crawling. That car-based vehicle is what we now know as the crossover.

The Pilot was a big hit. Its owners loved the comfort, reasonable price, adequate power, better-than-average (for a heavy utility vehicle) fuel mileage, flexible seating, foul-weather drivability and spacious cargo area.
To help determine what they would do for an encore, the folks at Honda went to the people they thought would know best – the Pilot owners. The owners were clear: They wanted more room, but not more weight. The wanted better fuel mileage, but not less power. They wanted a more muscular appearance.

To make more room, Honda added 2.9 inches to the wheelbase, and that made it possible to increase interior volume and add 1.9 inches of legroom to the third-row seats. The designers also adjusted the sliding second-row seats to move 2 inches farther forward and they built rear doors that open wider. In the process, the Pilot gained less than 100 pounds.

All of that makes access to the third row easier, and seat time more comfortable. But let’s not confuse easier with easy, or more comfortable with comfortable. The kids may be able to hop in and out, but parents will not enjoy the experience. Nor will they be happy confined to the third row for a lengthy period. Relegated to the third row, grandpa will become grump-pa.

Honda advertises the Pilot as an eight-passenger vehicle. Yes, mom can cart seven kids around, and it’s theoretically possible to squeeze an equal number of adults into the same three rows. But it won’t be an everyday occurrence.

Unless you’re talking about parents and small children, the Pilot remains at its best with a maximum of five passengers, two up front and three in the second row. Those up front will definitely appreciate the new, more comfortable bucket seats and second-row passengers will be able to stretch out. Fold the third row seats into the floor, except for special situations, and you wind up with a genuinely comfortable vehicle with nearly 48 cubic feet of cargo space.

Honda addressed the more power/better fuel mileage request with a revamped 3.5-liter V6 engine that generates 250 horsepower (versus 244) and 253 (versus 240) pound-feet of torque. It’s now possible for four-wheel-drive models to tow up to 4,500 pounds, an increase of 1,000.

To improve fuel mileage, Honda incorporated the same variable cylinder-management system used on the V-6 Accord. Depending on load, the engine will automatically run on four or even three cylinders. Thanks to noise-canceling equipment, the switching back and forth is seamless. The result is EPA city/highway estimates of 17/23 mpg for front-wheel-drive Pilots and 16/22 for four-wheel-drive models.

That adds up to a gain of about one mile per gallon of regular fuel across the board over a 2008 Pilot. In the stop-and-go environs of northern New Jersey, however, buyers should figure their fuel- mileage averages will come in below the EPA average.

To answer complaints the Pilot “lacked SUV character,” Honda has incorporated a Tonka-tough grille and squared off the rear quarters. Inside, the gearshift lever has been moved from the steering column to the center stack of the revised dashboard. The Pilot has gone from meek to macho. Whether that’s an improvement is in the eye of the beholder. I’m guessing that the male side of the family will think it is

.

The things that most set the new Pilot apart from its predecessor, however, are the things the Pilot’s pilot will notice. The steering is markedly more connected to the road, with no tendency to wander, plus there is a more immediate and precise response to turning commands, and a commendably short turning radius. There is no mushiness in the brake pedal and the antilock disc brakes are improved. In short, the Pilot drives more like a car.

As before, the engine is mated to a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission and the optional four-wheel-drive system delivers torque to all four wheels during acceleration on dry roads as well as when conditions are slippery.
For the passengers, the independent suspension improves ride quality and reduces the top-heavy feel inherent in vehicles with a lot of ground clearance. The new Pilot seems more connected to the road.

All Pilots come with a comprehensive list of safety features. For the 2009 model, the front end has been re-engineered to further direct frontal crash impacts away from the passengers and to reduce bumper override or underride.

In addition to its usual models, Honda has added a Touring edition at the top of the Pilot lineup. From its comfortable leather seats to its navigation system with rear-view backup camera and rear-seat DVD player, the Touring Edition is as comprehensively equipped as most of the luxury utility vehicles available. Prices start at about $28,000 for a base model and climb to about $40,000 for the Touring Edition.

With skyrocketing gasoline prices, the Pilot certainly won’t let the owners off easy at the pump. But it will give them a better break than many of its competitors, and it comes in a package that is the right size and right price for most families.