2009 Honda Pilot Road Test Ratings

Excellent utility and features from this family hauler. Some will find its handling, acceleration and braking characteristics areas needing improvement.

Even with 250 hp the engine feels labored under moderate load and delivers slow acceleration. During normal driving, the pedal is soft with reasonable stopping power. During instrumented testing it displayed significant fade after just three full-ABS stops. Unimpressive. The steering has decent on-center feel, but little effort buildup and a slow-feeling ratio. Slow yaw response, some body roll and limited grip are to be expected when its handling limits are challenged. Although it has a trucky feel, its road-biased available AWD system is probably best used for light off-road duty. It's not fun to drive: it's a utility vehicle with little sport.

Relatively flat ride in most circumstances. But sometimes floaty and bouncy over large amplitude bumps. There is noticeable wind noise rushing over the front pillars and outside mirror area. It has comfortable front seats, but not much lateral support. The interior is very roomy and comfortable with many available amenities. Good access to the third row as the second row slides forward and folds. Third row has decent legroom, cupholders and a small storage area. Good driving position with power seat adjustment and memory, tilt-telescope steering wheel, and an easy-to-use mirror adjustment.

Reflector halogen headlamps cast a decent pattern. There is good visibility for a big midsize SUV; a low beltline contributes to this. Rear visibility is good. The fuel and engine temp gauges are huge, easy to read and feature a very innovative clear lens meter face for speedo and tach. The HVAC is straightforward and easy to use with tri-zone control, but as with the main radio controls there are many small switches crammed into a small area. Variable sized storage boxes fill the cabin. Easy-to-access levers fold down second- and third-row seats. The cargo area is large and flat with the second- and third-rows down. There's also an easily accessed under-floor storage compartment. There are only two cupholders in front and they have a cheap, rubber flower petal retention/expansion ring; six cupholders in the second row and four in the third row.

The exterior styling is boxy and capped with a Texas-size belt buckle in the grille. The interior design is mixed: some stylish -- like the gauges, but most of it is plain Jane. Good interior materials for this segment, but a utilitarian, non-luxury feeling throughout. Generally good switch feeling, but some center stack small switches could have improved feeling. No sqeaks or rattles observed, but subjectively doesn't feel "tight." Regardless, predicatably solid Honda build quality sees to all panels are properly aligned.