Used 2005 Honda Pilot Consumer Reviews
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Hard to beat the Pilot
My fifth Honda: one Civic, two Accords and an MDX. Our Pilot is one week old today. Looked at the Pilot for my wife because I love my 01 MDX. The build of this vehicle is amazing. It feels, sounds and rides like my MDX. I dont know how people get mileage down in the low teens I get 16-17 around the city and 21-23 on the highway in my MDX and the first tank in my Pilot was 16.5/ city driving. Those drivers must have a lead foot. FYI: Your TMV is too high. Pilot's can be had at invoice at a number of Baltimore/Washington area dealers. I am sure the dealers hate hearing me say that.
Air Noise
The only thing I see wrong with the Pilot is there is no option for a sun roof, and when you have windows down there seems to be a air pocket noise at a certain speed that makes you roll the windows up.
- EX 4dr SUV w/LeatherMSRP: $3,5007 mi away
- EX 4dr SUV w/Leather and Entertainment SystemMSRP: $2,995101 mi away
- EX 4dr SUV w/LeatherMSRP: $3,990176 mi away
Best SUV On The Market for the Price
No other suv on the market touches the Honda Pilot for the price. With advanced features, build quality and Honda reliability, Honda offers an incredible vehicle for the price. It drives like a dream, gets incredible gas mileage for its size, and the assembly is perfect in every way. Don't pass this one up!
Pilot
Very comfortable ride and interior. Good visibility and tons of storage space. Good for short and tall people. Great offroad.
Jerky ride
Just purchased my Honda and the one problem that is major for me besides not getting the gas mileage it shows on its sticker, is how jerky it is when the motor/engine shifts gears up & down. Feels like you are driving it incorrectly. Was told all SUVs shift like that but I had owned one from another make prior to the Pilot and it was not that way.
Best SUV I have ever had.
We bought this 2005 EX-L to replace a 2003 Pilot. After 57,00 miles, this has been the best driving SUV I have ever owned. The power was surprisingly peppy. It is easy to maneuver and drives more like a car than a truck. I am having a difficult time justifying paying up for a 2009 Pilot that weighs 177 pounds more, 3ft pounds more torque, but 5 less horsepower (250 vs 255). I added the tow package on myself and tow my motorcycles, Waverunner, and loaded utility trailer weighing 2000#+ with ease through Wisconsin hills. I bought an aftermarket Garmin GPS and don't really miss any of the other new gadgets. We have had a few minor problems that were covered by the warranty. Great in snow/ice.
Awesome Family Car
I love my honda Pilot. We shopped every SUV on the market and can be particular. The Pilot fit all our needs--good car for the $, reliable, good size, and stylish. Prior to the Pilot, I had a Nissan Pathfinder SUV, then a Toyota Camry, then a mini-van. I have now found my dream car! It is great for young children. The 3rd row is small, however, no smaller than the mini-van's 3rd row. Its awesome that the all rows fold flat--unlike the van. It is a very powerful car, hugs the road well,and great in the snow. I feel safe in this car and it feels good to know I am investing in a car that has a great safety rating, is realiable, and roomy enough for a young and growing family. Way to go Honda
Great SUV but questionable gas mileage
When i picked up vechicle from dealer, the middle arm rest in the backseat had a big scratch in the leather. Same day purchased, i had to set an appt. to bring it back to have it removed/replaced at no charge (just a pain). Went to Reno, NV over the weekend...the roads had chain requirements but the Pilot performed flawlessly. Felt very secure in driving in poor, snowy conditions. Subwoofer and sound system is excellent!
Pilot won out over MDX and RX330
Got a 2005 Pilot EX-L with every available option which will be installed in the next week including chrome side step runners, fog lights, mud guards, rear view camera, navigation, anti-theft upgrade, etc. All I can say is WOW! My wife and I have done two weeks of research and test drove the Lexus RX330 and Acura MDX and never imagined we would be buying a Pilot. Fully loaded was less out the door then either RX/MDX. This SUV gets up and goes fast and rides smooth! For all the safety features, accessories, incredibly smart interior layout and USABLE third row, why pay more for less? Pilot is a no brainer after driving and comparing to Rx/MDX (actually more comfortable). We are elated.
Pilot Review
Great Car, fun to drive. The interior was really well thought out. The Pilot feels solid and handles very well. I looked at several mid size SUV's and this one was the most spacious and family friendly.
Typical honda ... which is good
Bought this car in November 2004, almost 8k later still enjoying it and the mileage is improving to about 18mpg.
Great SUV
Love this car. Just had an accident that totaled it and I'm going to buy another one. Reliable, comfortable, quiet, fits 8 passengers (as longs as some are kids).
Fun and Safe to Drive!!!!!!
Amazed at the power and smooth ride. First time a vehicle surpassed my expectations.I've always purchased hondas,but never an suv. i would recomend this vehicle to anyone interested in a suv.
Fun to Drive
I went from a van to the Honda Pilot and is is so much more comfortable and fun to drive. It is very spacious in the interior and has many cup holders and outlets for cell phones and other electronics. Love it!
Almost Pleased
I've always been a Ford person with excellent dealer service. The Honda Pilot was to be an interim car while I waited for Ford to put more towing capacity in the Freestyle. I've have grown to like the Pilot, but the dealers don't have a clue about many things as compared to the Ford experience I've had. They don't know how to fix things like rattles, poor gas gage calibration or back-up sensors. Also, they don't know if Honda put in brake-in oil. Want to change oil earlier than book. Had to give service people information taken off internet and Edmunds.
New Pilot as of April 2005
OK, so I just have 300 miles on my new Honda Pilot EX-L, but I took a 200+ mile trip in it the day after I bought it. It handles well on curvy two lane roads, on four lane highways, or bumpy city streets. All in all, it is a fun vehicle to drive and has lots of little places to tuck away all kinds of things...
coach
I have no complaints about this car - it has just about anything one could ask for - rides & handles nicely - excellent pickup & the engine is not overly noisey - - outside noise is minimal - seats are very comfortable - wife has a back problem ,but thes seats have helped a lot - no extra cushion needed -
Great SUV
I just bought the Pilot 2 days ago. We replaced a 98 Ford Explorer that was rolled in an ice storm. We looked at the Pathfinder and 4-Runner, but the Pilot had more for the money. It rides more solid and does not have so much of that SUV tilt in the curves. It has a very smooth ride and we love all the features.
Honda SUV is fun to drive
Lots of fun to drive. Good response, easy to park. A little tight for a big guy to get into and our of the driver seat. Cruise on off switch is out of the way and I had to take my eyes off the road to find it. Driver's seat could use better lumbar support. I would like more hidden storage.
Dream Mobile
Our Pilot has been a dream machine. It drives more like a car than SUV, corners beautifully and drives smoothly. It is incredible in slush, rain and snow, firmly gripping the road. It's very roomy inside and because the floor is flat, the dog no longer insists on lying on the seats, and stays comfortably on the floor, affording us even more space. The only drawback is the gearshift midway back on the steering column. Nothing's perfect, but this comes close!
Excellent SUV
Excellent vehicle to get out of town for a long weekend. Great on the highway, with plenty of window view.
great car
i have it for 5 months and already im very satisfied......i love honda its very reliable and suits my needs in every way......you have my vote
Passing the test
Made a 4000 mile trip to Nova Scotia this summer pulling a camper with no problems at all. Didn't even feel much drag going up the hills. Love the car and the room for kids. Don't have the DVD but a lap-top works just as well in the back seat. Gas mileage wasn't bad considering the load and supplies. Cheaper tow package would sure be nice (about $1000.-ouch!). Dealer said transmission, etc. may not be covered if it wasn't a Honda installed item. Car handles great. Just a few minor complaints that I can live with.
its the little details
I love my Pilot but there are a few improvements that could be made. The extra tripometer is a waste because it zeros out at 1000. There is not a compass on the model w/the entertainment center. I need this feature! The radio controls on the steering wheel are very nice and habit forming, but, the choices should be for a chanel and for scan or next station. You don't need it to change from feature to feature and when you get in the urban areas 6 choices of stations aren't enough. I'd rather be able to go to the next station and hit it multiple times to find one that sounds right. Over all, drive and comfort is wonderful. The thermostat controlled heat is fantastic. I love my Honda!
The Best mid-size SUV so far
This SUV is the Best Mid-Size SUV so far. The ride is one of the very best the interior is roomy. The Pilot is not the best in everything it is just above the average in all around in evaluation
Almost a Jeep
Bought the Pilot used to replace a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4. Slid the Pilot on ice into a fence (minimal damage - breakaways and scratches only!), and rented my old favorite (Jeep) while being repaired -- found out I missed the Pilot so much! Solid vehicle, so far very reliable! Gas mileage depends upon my foot - have gotten 19.5mpg around town and 24mpg highway when driving carefully, but the 255hp is too tempting! So I average 18/22 instead! Am VERY happy for around town, long trips, family adventures - fits everything we do!
2005 Honda Pilot
If you have ever owned a Honda, you will recognize the feel and the performance in this vehicle. It has three rows of seats and it comfortable in every one. You have great visibility and plenty of power to get you anywhere you want to go. It just "fits" perfectly. I even towed a large trailer and I couldn't even feel any difference in the performance of my Pilot.
highly recomended
We really like this vehicle. It really does hold 8 people! Excellant ride, fun to drive. Best milage so far is 20mpg, but that is driving 75mph. If you have a pavement surface that tends to be noisy, you hear the difference from an Acura or Lexas, but it's a LOT cheaper than them. It's just so loaded with everything you could want, and it's Honda quality. We could have gotten a few extras(fog lights, tow package, GPS Navigation, or back seat DVD player(the last two are either or, can't have both)but didn't want them.) The V6 engine is certainly lively enough and cruising at relatively high speed is comfortable. We replaced a GMC Yukon and can only say "good riddance.
Best suv ever!!!!!!!!!
The honda pilot is the best suv ever! A very smooth drive, reliable, tough, excellent quality in engineering. There are no words to explain the quality of this suv, just test drive it and you'll understand!
Great Ride
This is a great vehicle. It's reliable, comfortable and fun to drive. I'm always confident in bad weather. Best of all it drives like a car but does the work of a truck, accommodating large loads, and lots of kids.
Solid Vehicle
I bought the Pilot for my wife after exhaustive research. In the running were the Highlander, Explorer and the new Subaru SUV. The Highlander was too bland and had one less seat. The Subaru was just too small and odd. And the Explorer was a non-starter with costly and complex features pricing and marginal reliability. What sealed the deal on the Pilot was driving it. Not only was it safe and reliable, it was very, very comfortable to drive. I have an 01 Accord, and the Pilot rides much better on all surfaces. It has gotten ok gas milage to this point - averaging around 18 in mixed driving.
Best of all worlds but the wind noise!
Having had nothing but constant mechanical troubles with a 2000 Suburban but being spoiled by all the cargo capacity, we weren't sure what we would buy. We were surprised by how much we could manipulate the storage with the 60/40 split folds. First road trip was comfortable and we love the car. Did get the sunroof and we are experiencing terrible wind noise though. Not sure what that's about but it's not deterring from the great drive and handling of this car. Since it's a Honda I have no worries about dependability. No more GM for us.
2 Pilots for me!
I have just purchases my second Pilot in two years. Last year I purchased an 04 EX with cloth seats. While I was very pleased with it overall, I was a little dissapointed to find that they offered a sunroof on the 05 models. I purchased the 05 with a sunroof and rear entertainment system. I am thrilled with it. The upgrades are well worth it. There is no other SUV with the number of options anywhere near the price. We are anxious to see the changes for the 06.
Love our Pilot!
We took our new Pilot for a weekend trip, and it was so nice to have. The ride is smooth and there was plenty of seating and storage. Passengers can easily get in and out of the Pilot, and it sat 7 adults comfortably. The middle console easily held our portable DVD player since we didn't purchase the Entertainment package, and it has plenty of outlets. This is the nicest vehicle we have ever owned.
A+ for the Honda Pilot
The Pilot is a great SUV - fun to drive, pretty good gas mileage for a car this size, and features that are very easy to use. Also very comfortable to drive. You also make friends instantly - other people driving Pilots tend to wave at you.
Highly recommed
Honda has a winner with the "Pilot"! Extremely good handling, hugs the road, good acceleration. Wonderful for travel. Fuel efficient, however as with any other vehicle, could be better. Interior is comfortable and very versatile. Both rear seats are 60/40 seats and completely fold down, cup holders, outlet plugs(for all the kids gizmos)and reading lights through out the vehicle. And last but certainly not least the great safety features! I highly recommend this vehicle!
Perfect To Drive
After driving my Pilot I will never go back to my Explorer. PERFECT for travel and ease of driving. More leg room and great for the tall person or the average person.
best of all suv
i love my pilot ,its great suv fun to drive , i never had one problem from day one its a honda so its good and it hold very good value nicely build the most room for the money i had 8 people going to fl from nyc it was fun nobody said that it wasn't roomy. its a great truck overall and i'm going to buy another when time comes thank you honda
love it, should have bought one before
love this suv. have not found a single thing to dislike. it's got plenty of cargo space ( roomier than the mdx), which is great since we have a 2 yr old daughter and do a lot of traveling. you could not ask for better performance in a suv and the quality of materials and fit is superb. highly recommend it
Excellent Family SUV
I never thought I would buy an Van much less an SUV but Honda proved me wrong. Their vans and suv's in mho are the best on the market. Thanks for making an SUV that seats 8. Having 5 in our family gives us the ability to go on long trips and have room for everyone and our stuff. Now you have a truck and my husband is actually considering buying it. He never wanted a truck before.
Outstanding SUV
Excellent handling, great performance, large interior, very functional, exceptional in snow.
2005 Honda Pilot
The Pilot is a very solid feeling vehicle. It is roomy and the interior fit and finish is impecable. It is suprisingly agile and is fun to drive. It is extremely quiet around town, but there is some road noise at highway speeds. Honda's reliability has always been exceptional and the Pilot should be no different. I would recommend this SUV to anyone.
The Accord of SUV's
Went in looking at the Highlander, 4Runner, and Pilot. Pilot being most expensive. Highlander was too station wagon, the 4Runner was too small. The Pilot was just right. It's not an 'exciting' vehicle, but it does everything very well. I'm not a fan of their dashboard design either. It's functional, but too vanilla.
Pleasure vehicle
We've had this vehicle 2 weeks (EXL) and it is a pleasure to drive. We traded our 2003CRVEX which was a great car,but the Pilot is so much roomier, comfortable and luxurious.I looked and compared suv's and the Pilot was the best value, and suv. No need to purhcase manufacturers packages and options,everything was standard. In 35 years of driving this is the best we've had.
My Pilot
Traded a Ford Expedition for the Pilot. Ride is better, comfort about the same.Gas mileage has averaged about 18.5 in combined city and hiway.
Quintessential Honda Engineering
The powerful 3.5-liter, V6 engine gives the Pilot as much pickup as any Mid-size SUV out there without hurting fuel economy. A spacious cockpit gives the Pilot's pilot roomy comfort whether they are 5'4" or 6'8". Functionality lets you flip seats up our down in seconds to meet whatever your demands are. But perhaps best of all, the Pilot rides smooth and is one of the more reliable models from a typically very reliable company. All in all, from its beautiful, edgy body to its fast and reliable engine, the Pilot will give you fun and let you keep it with few snags along the way. Maintain this vehicle religiously and the routine maintenance will be the only shop time it sees!
Honda Pilot Experience
I have owned the vehicle for 5 months and have driven 3300 miles. The vehicle is very well designed, particularly the interior, which can haul much cargo or many people. The third seat can handle two adults, but three would be quite uncomfortable. The ride is excellent, with a good mix between cushy and firm. My biggest complaint is that the vehicle only gets 15 MPG around town and barely 20 on the Interstate, not the 17 and 23 advertised. At least it does run well on regular fuel, which saves 10% of cost. The vehicle does have some strange clunking sounds on occasions, and the dashboard creaks and rattles at times. Overall, I would rate it 8.5 on a scale of 10.
Roof rack Disappointing
This is an SUV and still drives like one. The suspension seems a bit soft in corners with too much sway. We ordered our Pilot with the cross bars, ski rack and privacy cover for a total of about $500 extra. Big mistake. The assembly is poorly designed and time consuming to install and remove. Both the ski rack ( which only fits two sets of downhill skis instead of the four advertised) and the cross bars create annoying whistling sounds above 45 miles per hour. Instead check out Yakima or Thule for a far better system at less cost. The privacy cover is a pain and will never leave the garage until the car is sold.
Great SUV
I had a CR-V for the past 5 years and loved it. When it was time for a new SUV I was ready for another CR-V but test drove the pilot and bought it the same day. I have had it for 5 weeks and no problems. I can tow my 2 kayak traler with no problems. I have also taken it on the beach and it handles well. My only complaint are the tires. They could have been more agressive.
Good SUV
Needed a big vehicle to transport son and hockey equipment. Rides well, comfortable, roomy. Not great mileage, but consider it weighs 4300 lb empty. Gearshift positions D, 3, 2, 1; needs a 4 so you can shift down from 5 to 4. Great antilocks; saved my bacon when someone abandoned a stolen car right in front of me on the highway. Good in snow, though we didn't get much the first winter I had it. Would like a stick shift, but that will never happen.