SEDONA, Ariz. — Honda’s fourth-generation Pilot is right here in all of its squared-off, rugged glory. Packing an up to date powertrain with new drive modes and an upgraded TrailSport mannequin for the outdoorsy sorts, the overhauled three-row wades right into a phase the place each new entry appears to push the boundaries of jack-of-all-trades utility and light-duty adventuring.
For a extra complete overview of the brand new options within the 2023 Honda Pilot, take a look at our First Look from November.
Honda picked Sedona as a result of it was one in every of many locations throughout the nation the place its engineers hung out testing the capabilities of its new TrailSport fashions, Pilot included. Residence turf, if you’ll. What the corporate didn’t depend on was a freak January snowstorm that paralyzed the small city’s major arteries for a number of hours on the morning of our check drive. Neither the Elite nor the TrailSport fashions Honda introduced alongside for analysis had been outfitted with snow tires, so we had been cautioned about following distances and slick hills earlier than being launched into the snow-covered desert.
We began our drive in a TrailSport. The distinctive circumstances supplied a chance to check one of many fourth-gen Pilot’s new additions: selectable drive modes. Certain sufficient, “Snow” is one in every of them, and paired with the Continental all-terrains, it dealt with the slop with aplomb. A full-ABS braking check discovered cheap grip from the knobby A/Ts even on icy hills, giving us confidence that we’d be capable of get by on a few of the space’s steeper inclines.
A set of knobby tires may immediate issues amongst these of you who know Honda’s historical past of delivering fashions that endure a bit greater than common from wind and street noise intrusion, however the Contis had been admirably quiet even on tough desert asphalt. After buying and selling within the TrailSport for an Elite, we really discovered the latter’s all-seasons to be a bit extra talkative on messy pavement, however the climate circumstances and somewhat beneficiant utility of what seemed to be cinder remedy on the roads made for a difficult testing setting.
Each fashions are powered by the Pilot’s new customary 3.5-liter V6. Sure, which will sound like a carryover, however is in truth a brand new, DOHC design. Energy was bumped ever so barely to 285 horsepower and 262 pound-feet (up from 280 hp and 262 lb-ft) and the 10-speed computerized (with paddle shifters!) returns. Normal on the TrailSport and Elite, and non-compulsory on the opposite trims, is the second-generation of Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system. It contains a stronger rear diff that may deal with 40% extra torque whereas responding 30% faster. As a lot as 70% of the engine’s energy may be despatched to the rear axle, with 100% of that transferred to 1 wheel.
Sedona sits greater than 4,000 toes above sea stage. These altitudes are borderline hostile to naturally aspirated engines, to the tune of a roughly 40-horsepower deficit. That made Honda’s alternative of testing venues a daring one. A turbocharged unit would lose lots much less of its wind out right here, however the V6 held its personal regardless of the Pilot’s heft. The usual 2WD mannequin checks in at an affordable 4,030 kilos. The AWD fashions we sampled are a very good bit heavier — 4,685 for the TrailSport and 4,660 for the loaded-up Elite. Heavy although these figures could sound, they’re consistent with the Highlander Platinum (4,453 kilos) and Pathfinder Rock Creek (4,605 kilos). And for context, all of them weigh lower than even a two-row Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland (4,721 kilos).
Talking of the competitors, Honda is trying to one-up the Nissan’s sliding second-row and helpful detachable console. The Pilot can now be optioned with a detachable middle seat within the second row, permitting you to transform your 8-passenger mannequin to 7-passenger obligation with much better entry to the third row. Even higher, the seat may be stowed within the under-floor cargo space behind the third row in case it’s good to convey it with you (or have trigger to take away it in the course of an outing). It weighs about 45 kilos and it’s a bit unwieldy, nevertheless it comes out in seconds and removing requires no instruments. Honda provides a sturdy tie-down strap to safe it within the rear cubby when you drive. Sadly, this knocks it out of competition as a TrailSport possibility, because the full-sized spare intrudes too far into the rear cargo space.
That’s not the one inside improve. Honda chucked the Pilot’s previous cabin out the window totally in favor of a brand new, a lot sleeker and extra upscale look. Honda says the Pilot’s entrance seats had been redesigned for higher assist and decreased fatigue. The updates seem to have paid dividends, as we had zero complaints about their form or adjustability. Supplies, match and end all present enhancements over the earlier technology. There’s no under-console storage, however there may be ample house inside together with room for doodads within the recessed portion of the sprint.
Whether or not you go for the usual 7-inch infotainment system or the 9-inch improve, the physical-button-to-touchscreen-control ratio is favorable. USB-A and USB-C plugs can be found on the middle console for smartphones, as is a typical 12-volt DC outlet. USB-A charging can be customary within the second row; third-row ports grow to be customary at EX-L and above. A wi-fi charger sits beneath them (on fashions so outfitted) for straightforward entry.
The Bose system on the Elite is the primary branded audio supplied in Pilot’s historical past; our testing setting wasn’t the very best for audio analysis; that’ll have to attend for a future street check. Wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are customary (wi-fi is customary on EX-L or higher). We had been in a position to pair and use Android Auto with just about zero effort. Honda’s new infotainment isn’t excellent, nevertheless it’s actually a lot better than what we had been used to seeing from them simply a few mannequin years in the past.
That stated, the ten.2-inch digital cluster unique to the Elite is cool to have a look at, however doesn’t convey a lot performance to the desk. We additionally must dock Honda a number of factors for sticking to these corny digital temperature readouts on the HVAC controls. That’s not the model of nostalgia we’re itching for. And the one 3.0-amp USB-C port up entrance is an efficient begin, however we’d prefer to see extra of these within the rear cabin space.
With Pilot, Honda is coming into the second part of its TrailSport rollout. Whereas the 2022 Pilot and Passport TrailSport conveyed the overall path Honda intends for the sub-brand, the 2023 Pilot is the primary ground-up execution of the idea, constructing on the slight suspension elevate and wheel/tire package deal that was supplied for 2022. For 2023, that elevate grows to an inch, for a good however not 4×4-rivaling 8.3 complete inches of floor clearance. You additionally get metal skid plates for the oil pan, transmission and gasoline tank; a full-size spare tire; smaller stabilizer bars for improved off-road articulation and a trim-exclusive “Path” mode for Honda’s new drive mode system.
Our time in Sedona strengthened our experiences with the prototype TrailSport we briefly sampled final yr. Now not a sleepy woo-woo backwater, the little Arizona city is now chock-full of premium crossovers and SUVs. As we shortly discovered, nonetheless, their ubiquity ends the place the pavement does.
Honda led us up Damaged Arrow Path (rated “Reasonable”) in a small convoy, taking time to elucidate every of the obstacles we’d encounter however providing little or no in the best way of concrete steerage other than “comply with the chief” or “be careful for this one sharp rock.” Missing the beefy truck underpinnings of a real full-size SUV, you’d count on the Pilot to be a whole fish out of water in these slick, snow-dusted environment, however as a substitute it felt proper at dwelling. The “Path” mode steering calibration is just about excellent, and the wheel communicates traction loss admirably for a closely digitized setup.
Competent although it might be, the Pilot is massive, and dimension is the enemy of agility, particularly whenever you’re speaking a few unibody, FWD-based crossover like this one. We discovered ourselves leaning closely on its “TrailWatch” digital camera setup in tighter spots. It pairs an overhead fisheye view with a nostril digital camera that reveals obstacles instantly in entrance of the automobile. The cameras come on mechanically whenever you put the automobile in “Path” mode and stay on as much as 15 mph; you may as well toggle them on or off within the infotainment system.
Honda’s torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system can put as much as 75% of accessible torque via anybody given wheel in “Path” mode, with the opposite 25% saved in reserve in case a second wheel will get grip. That got here in helpful on slick rock climbs, however (and this additionally goes for the Pilot’s hill descent management function) you’ll be able to’t beat locking differentials and a low-range gearbox — two issues absent right here — for low-speed crawling.
After we arrived at Hen Level, we discovered ourselves surrounded by wine-drunk vacationers who informed us they’d paid $180 a head to trip up the identical path in an open-top Jeep (in 30-degree Fahrenheit climate, thoughts you). At these charges, we left $900 on the desk. Taking in that view surrounded solely by skilled tour drivers and a small handful of do-it-yourselfers in 4Runners, Land Cruisers and Jeeps actually drove dwelling the purpose that even “soft-roaders” are much more succesful that we give them credit score for.
At $37,295 to start out, the Pilot slots in nearly completely with the Nissan Pathfinder and the usual Toyota Highlander. However that’s a decent-sized bump for the LX mannequin, which was on hiatus for 2022. MSRP for that again in 2021 was simply $33,370 with vacation spot; simply bear in mind, that spec wasn’t topic to the inflation-related worth hikes we noticed industry-wide in 2022.
Evaluating like-for-like, the Sport mannequin’s worth elevated by $1,070, which isn’t too painful contemplating the robustness of its upgrades. The EX-L begins at $43,295, Touring at $47,795 and Elite at $53,375.
After which there’s TrailSport. It’s the sharpest wanting and arguably the very best to drive, each on-road and off, nevertheless it slots in just under the top-trim Elite at a wholesome $49,695. Even this new-and-improved model shouldn’t be a game-changer, nor was it meant to be. It’s merely an assurance from Honda that the Pilot’s ruggedized appears to be like aren’t merely for present. It’s no substitute for a correct 4×4, however we’d wager {dollars} to donuts that almost all homeowners would run out of braveness lengthy earlier than the TrailSport runs out of functionality.
And that’s just about the purpose of the 2023 Pilot. It’s nonetheless comfy, roomy and versatile, however now it presents somewhat one thing additional for individuals who have the gumption to enterprise off the overwhelmed path sometimes. Its lowlights are few. Along with the tech shortcomings we already touched on above, we’re left a bit chilly by the Pilot’s one-size-fits-all powertrain. To be truthful, it’s not that uncommon for the category, and none of Honda’s rivals is setting the world on fireplace both, however some extra hybrid and turbocharged choices will surely shake issues up a bit.
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