Used 2003 Honda Pilot SUV Consumer Reviews
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Disappointed in my 5th Honda
This is my 5th honda and it will likelybe my last! The quality has steadily declined. The leather seats sag and Honda is unconcerned! The interior plastic the use is so easily dented that the seat belt retractor has dented the door post repeatedly. There are numerous raddles and ticking noises. The gas mileage is around 16MPG which is below expectations. I think the changes the name on the old Honda quality to Acura and they don't care about their original brand!
Just picked mine up
I just picked up my 2004 Honda Pilot EX with cloth interior. What a quality SUV the cloth seat are the best I've seen yet from Honda and I've owned two others. Very comfortable double stiched seams with a great gray color. Overall I'm impressed with the entire package lots of nice features you can tell honda did there homework before releasing this SUV.
- EX 4dr SUV w/ Leather and Entertainment SystemMSRP: $2,99942 mi away
- LX 4dr SUVMSRP: $3,500119 mi away
- EX 4dr SUV w/ LeatherMSRP: $4,500136 mi away
My Family Loves Our Pilot
Very roomy and smooth to drive. Tough and solid! Feels somewhat luxurious yet so reasonably priced.
After 6 weeks of Ownership
This is the first vehicle I have owned that my teenager wants to go for a ride in. The DVD/CD Rear Entertainment System is great. The kids can listen to their own music or watch a movie using the wireless headphones/DVD screen and not be complaining about the length of the trip. I have had the opportunity to drive in snow/ice and it handled great. The big difference between this and truck like SUV's is the smooth ride. While it does not handle like the sports sedan it replaced, it is a very smooth, quite and capable vehicle.
A year of enjoyment!
My wife and I have had our Pilot for a year and are extremely pleased with it. We just returned from a 3000 mile road trip to Seattle and back through Yellowstone NP. The Pilot never hesitated climbing the steep mountain grades. We passed many Toyotas and Fords as they bogged down on the ascents. The Pilot never flinched as the cruise control kept its setting. We find the Pilot to be very comfortable on long trips.
The Pilot
I was considering purchasing a Toyota Highlander but a friend begged me to check out the Pilot. I was shocked by how big it was on the inside while looking rather compact on the inside. The fit and finish is fantastic, while offering lots of extras for the money. This is a much better buy than the Highlander. I'm VERY pleased with my Pilot.
My Pilot by BAD
There isn't a negative thing to say about the Pilot. I think it's the Best in it's class on the market. No one can beat or even match Honda's Reputation for quality and realiabilty. Would highly recommend the Pilot! Drive it, you'll love it!
Happy with Honda!
I had a Honda and was looking for an SUV that would be reliable, have good fuel economy, and was roomy enough for pets and kids. I honestly did not consider Honda as my first choice until I discovered the Pilot. I knew this was the one when I took a test drive and have not looked back since.
pilot
The ride is extremely comfortable and the turn radius is amazing. Visability is wonderful. A real enjoyable car to drive.
BEST OF THE BEST
BEING IN THE HONDA BIZ FOR OVER A DECADE I CAN HONESTLY SAY THIS IS THE BEST HONDA PRODUCT MADE. IT SURPASSES THE ODYSSEY AND CRV BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS IN TERMS OF QUALITY AND FIT & FINISH. THE PILOT LOOKS A LITTLE PLAIN BUT MAKES UP FOR IT IN COMFORT AND POWER. MY WIFE AND I ARE COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH OUR NEW PILOT AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO NEGATIVE COMMENTS TO MAKE...A STRONG RECOMMENDATION FROM VERY FUSSY CONSUMERS!!
so so
overall, has a pleasant and comfortable feel in driving aswell as riding the pilot. easy to manuver but somtimes I hear clicking sound under the vehicle even when the windows are closed.
Love it.
Waited since June for SageBrush Pearl- worth the wait. Wanted Honda reliability but couldn't take driving another minivan. Will keep this one for a long time (our Accord is still going strong 11 years and 175,000 miles later). Bought over Internet for 2000 under MSPR- threw in some free accessories too.
Honda Pilot 2003
A well put together car. Plenty of pep. Very good utility. I like to drive it. The Navigation System is useful though somewhat pricy.
My favorite vehicle
I recently took my new Pilot on a 1000 mile road trip. It had good gas milage, was very comfortable,and provided a peaceful ride (I have the entertaiment package, my daughter enjoyed movies, listen to her own cds or chose her our radio station!). The third row seat is a bonus, but not made for adults. PS (I enjoyed the attention the vehicle received the first few weeks I had it, people would stop me in a store parking lot asking me about it!)
Honda Pilot Review
Basically a good SUV. Have a few ideas to make it a better one. I like it's roominess. Wish there was more room behind the 3rd row of seats; wish the vehicle was a little longer to accomodate this.
Great SUV, but seats suck
Design, room, ingress, egress, ergonomics, ride, noise, handeling, transmission, engine, power, torque, brakes, steering, off road performance, fit and finish, & DVD surround system, are all perfect. This car has a very simple and logical design.
Smooth flying with my Pilot!
We ABSOLUTELY LOVE our Honda Pilot. We replaced a 2000 Chrysler T & C and I couldn't be happier with the decision. The Pilot has a very solid, comfortable ride that is very carlike and it handles very smoothly. It feels very safe and solid. We have 3 kids under the age of 5 and the DVD system is a godsend. We haven't had any problems whatsoever in the first year of ownership. It seems to have superior reliability. There are a few improvements I would like to see in future models, but overall, the Pilot is tops. And the gas mileage is surprisingly good for an SUV and the engine has great power. Thank you Honda for such a great family vehicle.
my review
I absolutely love it! It was worth waiting almost 30 yrs for Honda to build their own V6 SUV........ Im glad I only had to pay MSRP for It. I hear many dealers are charging 2-3% over sticker.
Pilot
We were initially apprehensive about buying a new model but figured, hey, it's a Honda. We have been surprised with the comfort, tightness, and agility of this model. The navigation system is great! No more looking at maps while trying to drive, just plug in the destination address and let do the thinking. No reason to spend over 40k on an SUV- the Honda has it all.
Only one complaint
I have now owned the Pilot for a month and put 1,000 miles on it. It is the most enjoyable car for town or long distance driving. I tested every 4 wheel drive over a one year period and found this to be the best all round. It was the only vehicle my dog did not puke in, which tells you something about the stable ride. It averages 18.3 miles per gallon overall.
I LOVE MY HONDA PILOT
I LIKE THE WAY IT HANDLES IN SNOW AND RAIN, AND THE ANTILOCK BRAKES ARE A TERRIFIC QUALITY. I LKIKE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RAPIDNESS.
mpg
nice car, but i did not get 17mpg, more like 14-15 mpg
Honda Pilot
We love this SUV. It's a great "Mom's Taxi." A perfect alternative to a mini van. When we firt got the Pilot, I was on I-4 going 75 mph and a truck going faster than me ran me off the road. I swerved out of it's way, keeing in mind I was in an SUV. I felt in control the entire time. I was not in fear of it tipping at all. I feel safe in this vehicle with my 3 boys.
Insane family SUV!
Wow. We couldn't be happier with our new Pilot. We gladly traded our 1999 Dodge Durango for our new Honda and it has already eclipsed the ol' Dodge in every department. The Pilot is like a condo on wheels. Room for me (6'3" 250), spouse, to kids and all our gear. We even have room for Grandma now when she comes to visit. The choice between the Pilot and MDX came down to value. We chose to save the extra $9,500.00 and pay for private school. If you are wishy washing around about this vehicle, get off your duff and buy one.
Honda Pilot Excellent!
We switched from a Ford Explorer to the Honda Pilot. Performance, quality and handling is smooth and reliable. Comfort on long drives for a family of four. We took the Pilot from Florida to Canada and back through NY to Florida. Incredible on gas on long trips. I drove through heavy rain storms and it handled the road extremely well. Recommend to all.
breaking in a new vehicle
I waited 1 year for this SUV and i think it was well worth it. It drive's like a "mom's car"; soft, quiet, etc and has all the utility features of a minivan. i'm not sure about reliability because, right off the lot, rear heating didn't work and one of the front vent broke off. other than than, i get the feeling that the car is well built all around, typical of honda. my thumb is up and we(my relatives) are getting 3 more of these suvs.
Got it for a bargain...
I have only had my EXL for a day but I must say I love it already. Don't get discouraged by some of the reviewer's reports of paying at or even above MSRP...Now there are plenty of Pilots around and you can find a great deal. I got mine at $ 75 over invoice, which is about a $3000 discount. This is what you do: Go to Honda.com and get a listing of all the dealers in your state, then go to their web pages and request "special internet pricing". I got about 20 quotes ranging from $1000 - $ 3000 under MSRP. I then took the lowest one to my local dealer and they matched it! I also locked in 3.84% financing for 60 months...What a deal! Good luck.
Glad we waited
We looked at all the midsize and some of the big SUV's and came very close to purchasing the Toyota Sequoia last Spring but saw a review on the Pilot and decided to drive it once just to see. We were blown away by just about everything about the Pilot. Essentially an MDX with a much better price. Eventhough we had to wait 4 months to get it after ordering, it has been everything we could have wanted in an SUV and is such a huge step up from the Dogde Grand Caravan we had for 6 years. Mileage has been decent and the comfort and roominess inside are terrific. My wife loves this SUV!
great
i love it i bought it
IRONic
Drives smooth like a car and can feel those 240 horses working. Pretty fast for a truck like this. Entertains my kids to the max by just putting in the DVD. My kids love the truck very much and they prefer that I bring it everytime we go to the mall or visit friends.
HAPPY CUSTOMER
We love our Pilot.
Truly the #1
I bought this vehicle without even test driving it. The recommendations from Consumer Reports and Edmunds were enough for me. And I was not disappointed. I picked it from the dealer and drove 60 miles to my home on a stormy day. It was rock steady against 50 mph winds on the freeway. I had a tough time finding this vehicle and the color that I wanted at MSRP.
Not what I expected
My wife and I just finished reviewing / test driving just about everything that you would look at when comparing mid- sized SUVs before deciding on either the Pilot or the Highlander. The Highlander outhandled the Pilot by a slight margin, but where the Highlander failed miserably (driver visibility, ergonomics, seating comfort, styling (God-awefull cheap looking fake wood in the Limitted model)), the Pilot excelled. And with performance margins virtually unnoticable between the two, it's an easy choice to go with the Pilots great interior vs. the Highlanders cheap Vitara-esque interior and comfort.
Best in class
I've owned several Hondas and an Acura. The first was a 1975 Honda Civic. The Pilot is a worthy successor. It's more comfortable than my top-of-the-line Acura, and it is the first Honda that allows me to sit up straight without my head touching the ceiling. The DVD player is well intergrated with the stereo and the 5 Star crash rating for an SUV makes this vehicle hard to beat.
Excellent SUV
We bought this vehicle last November and we absolutely love it. We drove north to Mont Tremblant in Canada from MA in February (pulling along our snowmobiles) and the ride was great. My brother had recently bought a Yukon and was sorry that he hadn't tried the Pilot first. We have had absolutely no issues with this vehicle to date (15k miles). The ride is just as smooth as the other Hondas I have owned. Our Pilot was imported from Canada so it has heated seats which is a big plus. Definitely worth the money (I only paid a few hundred dollars over invoice).
The Big 3 Don't Compare
We shopped around for months. We looked at GMC, Chev, Dodge, Ford...all of them. We had owned a Honda Accord back in 1991 so luckily for us the Honda Pilot caught our eye. After a test drive, we were hooked. Everything we read, all of the research we did really didn't do this vehicle justice. The Fisher Price interiors of the Trailblazer, Envoy, Durango, Explorer have a lot of catching up to do...not to mention trying to match the Pilot's performance!
Honda's Rule
The honda pilot is the ultimate real world SUV. The VTM-4 allows 4WD on ice and snow or lowering a boat into the water, in conditions that you would drive less than 20 mph. Not for the rugged off road use or full time 4WD. Safety features rule: 4 total airbags, 5 star crash rated, 4 star rollover rating. Engine runs on regular gas and still will get 22 mpg. Interior rocks but exterior could maybe be made more aesthetically pleasing. Hondas are known for quality and reliability, not really for style though. Third row seat lays down flush and is not even noticed until you need it. Stereo is really nice, EX comes with subwoofer that sounds great.
Firs Honda Is Great Experience
After 2 Subaru Foresters, which we loved, we outgrew this fine car. Shopping for something bigger, we drove the Toyota Highlander and the Pilot. No comparison--Honda won hands down on features and value. Very pleased to date and highly recommend.
The nightmare is over
We just purchased the new 2003 Honda Pilot .After several grueling days and nights of going back and forth with other car dealers, we "stumbled" across the honda pilot. We test drove the car and knew instantly that this was the vehicle for us. Of course, my 7 year was already sold with the DVD and headphones. HIs other favorite feature is the place to store his happy meals and a place for the dip. I had previously owned a 525 BMW and now needed to increase the size of my car due to car pooling and a puppy on the way.
honda pilot
this is one of the best suv's ever in the snow. i feel very safe when i am driving it. it is the most comfortable ride and features are good.
Great SUV..
This is the first suv that i have ever owned. My pilot drive like a car, but with the plus of an suv. The interior has lots of space, unlike a car.
Fine SUV
Overall the Honda Pilot sure beats the 2000 Toyata SR% I traded in for it. Seating is excellant for tall drivers and the visibility is outstanding. Fast, smooth and handles great at Interstate speeds with pleanty of reserve for passing. Miliage is consistantly 20 aroound town and 23-25 on the Interstates. Very stable in high winds. Outstanding for the price.
What a SUV
What a SUV. Without a doubt it is the smoothest driving SUV on the market. I have had SUV's in the past that would never pass a gas station, this one will! It has all the room any family may need, and with the Honda quality it is the best. If your in the market in Virginia contact the people at Pohanka of Fredericksburg, I have never had a better purchase experience.
Highly favorable review of Pilot
The Pilot rides well for a medium sized SUV. It has good pickup when entering a freeway, and feels more like an Accord than a truck. However, the vehicle requires more stopping distance than an Accord (the laws of physics rule).
Honda does it again
This is a great vehicle. I test drove the Acura MDX(which was a good ride) but the Pilot feels more smoother and car-like than its luxury counter-part. Exceleration is great, gas mileage is good, and there's plenty of space for family trips. Great truck! I'm waiting for upgrades, or a full size Honda to compete with the Toyota Sequoia and Nissan (Pathfinder) Armada.
We like our Pilot
My family of four took delivery of our new Pilot on June 10 and we've put about 600 miles on it since. We had looked seriously at the Acura MDX and decided for the price of a used MDX we could get a new Pilot. The Pilot feels very similar to the MDX. I recently had to do some serious and quick steering to avoid a sports car that was trying to share the lane with me and I was very pleased with the Pilot's response. Fit and finish is quite good. There is plenty of room in the front for my 6.4 foot friend. Middle seats roomy as well. It's nimble around town. This is great alternative to minivans and huge SUVs.
1st time SUV Owner
The Honda Pilot is my very first SUV, but my 3rd Honda vehicle. I traded in my perfectly fine 2000 Accord because there is finally an affordable SUV on the market that rides like a car. A week after I purchased this vehicle, my wife and I drove over 2000 miles roundtrip and into the mountains for vacation. Would drive 5+ hours before stopping - very comfortable and loved the storage space. On this same trip we became the chaufeur of choice at a family reunion - not a problem - tons of room for passengers. I would highly recommend this SUV.
nice car. happy owner.
like the car a lot. have owned about 6 hondas now and they have all proven to be reliable and solid. like the interior styling a lot but still getting used to gear shift and backing this big thing up. 8^) being used to a 2000 accord, great outdoor vehicle. rode nicely over field and bumps. liked my salesman, didn't care for the "sales manager". agreed to the deal then said they couldn't do it but then changed their mind again as my wife and i were 2 feet from the exit. typical stupid and insulting sales tactics. no fault of Honda though.
I can't believe this oversight!
Definately a quality vehicle! Good buy compared to luxury SUVs. Comfortable, spacious, good ride, etc. THERE ARE BUGS!! SEE BELOW!
Great Car
Rides great, suffiect power, lots of cargo room. Handles well for minor offroad challanges