Used 2006 Honda Pilot SUV Consumer Reviews
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Great family vehicle!!!
It's a luxury vehicle while being a family hauler. The navigation is awesome, and I love the drive experience. The seat adjustments are excellent, even if the interior is a little less dashing than would be desirable. It's a smooth riding comfort SUV for a large family such as ours, all for a very reasonable price given all the features. Also very safe.
Great SUV for the family
This SUV is an awsome car. We've been driving in the snow a lot lately and it's been perfect. You can't go wrong with this Honda.
- LX 4dr SUVMSRP: $6,9958 mi away
- EX-L 4dr SUVMSRP: $3,99995 mi away
- EX-L 4dr SUV w/NavigationMSRP: $5,99995 mi away
Has all I need
Very nice vehicle, extremely comfortable and has great amount of room in 2nd row seat, enough room for my giant Britax Marathon rear facing child seat, smooth, plenty of bells and whistles.
Excellent Family SUV Alternative
After owning 2 Ford Expeditions, Vans, etc., our family is truly impressed with our 2006 Honda Pilot w/Navi. Eight passenger capability is great for carrying our son's and daughter's high school friends safely. We have had no problems to date. The car drives and rides extremely well. Very quiet inside with no problems described in other posts. Great safety ratings for front, side, and rear collisions really make this vehicle a comfort to own. I trust my wife and children are safe in this vehicle. We looked at the Acura MDX, Toyota 4 Runner, Highlander, Explorer, Subaru B9 Tribeca, the Durango, and the Trailblazer. Dollar for Dollar considering our needs, none of these cars compared.
Love my Pilot!
I have previously owned a Civic and a CRV, and traded in a 2003 xterra for my Pilot because I missed having a Honda. It is very comfortable to drive, and I love how big the back is when you put down the 3rd row seats, since I have to fit a stroller back there. My husband wasn't sure I needed a car this big, but now he loves it too!
Outstanding SUV
I test drove a number of SUVs before settling on the Pilot. It's an outstanding value. It provides plenty of space for the kids and their friends, has great safety features and ratings, and gets decent gas mileage for its size. I have been very pleased so far.
Great family vehicle
We had an 03 Pilot 4wd with 50,000. Totally truouble free, but so many more features on the 06 with no extra cost! Especially like the new safety features, the voice navigation (with great voice calendar option) the sliding third row so taller kids can now be comfortable in back, etc... We are not yet getting comparable mileage - used to get 17.5, now at 16, but only have 1500 miles on it so far.
Typical Honda quality
I had to add a trailer hitch by the dealer (I needed it to tow my 2005 Goldwing) and I had to buy a real spare tire (I will buy a better quality of tire when I replace these Goodyears) and rear mud flaps. With that said, it is an outstanding running car. Most of the time it is in the eco mode (3 cyclinders). The visibility is outstanding (it is my wife's car). The GPS is great and so is the XM stations. I miss the automatic seat adjustments that my Acura has. Honda could add a few little items that would make their customers happier without stepping on their Acura brand
What you'd expect from Honda
I went from a 2 row 4Runner to an EX Pilot, cloth interior. Very spacious and well laid out interior. Build quality, materials, and overall feel of the car is superb. Third row seat is surprisingly roomy. I love the maneuverability of the 2nd row seat to accomodate either seating in the 2nd row (recline feature) or 3rd row passengers (moving 2nd row forward). Big plusses are fuel economy with VCM (24mpg highway) and safety features. Pilot is 5 star all around in safety. Road manners are smooth and predictable. Engine is quiet, powerful, and refined, although a bit lacking in torque when compared to the 4.0L from Toyota. I recommend going with EX over LX, if possible.
Love it !!!!!!!!!!!
I just wanted everyone to know how great this suv is. I can't believe the room inside and I just got back from a trip to pa from sa texas and got an average of 27.2 Miles per gal. Thats loaded with 2 adults and 3 kids plus luggage.
Getting out more !
Me and my wife are both over 70 and we took ownership of our PILOT a little over 3 months ago. We just love it , can't say enough good things about it. The best thing for me is how the seats are, I have a bad back and was usually only able to sit in a vehicle for little over an hour before I had to stretch. I have driven for over 3 hours in our new pilot with very little discomfort. We are always travling and we are headed to LAS VEGAS in about 3 weeks.
Great SUV!
I bought this Pilot EX two weeks ago and love it. It has plenty of power when needed and has a comfortable ride. The stability control works great on snow and ice, which we have 8 months of the year in Alaska. I was going around an icy corner and the traction/stability control kicked in and there was no problem. The car behind me wasn't so lucky and spun around in the middle of the street. There is lots of room for passengers and your cargo when the seats are folded down. The headroom is best in its class and there's plenty of legroom too. I tested several other makes before deciding on this one. Being 6' 3" I need room to spare and the Pilot has it.
A Fun SUV to drive
I really love to drive this SUV fast, It felt like flying a airplane, while most other SUV would felt dangerous.
Good all-around SUV
A solid, reasonably comfortable, responsive SUV. Does what it is supposed to due and reasonably economical. 17-21 mpg. Changed out the factory tires (Goodyear Integrity) to Bridgestone REVOs and it made all the difference in the world in the snow and wet conditions. The Integritys were down right dangerous in the sleet and snow. Only problem is that now the Tire Pressure Monitoring System does not work. Dealer scratches head over this but will continue to try to solve problem. The heated seats take forever to warm up also. Lots of room and a comfortable and predictable vehicle in all weather conditons (with replacement tires). Column shifter is stiff.
On the Road Again
This vehicle is very smooth at the campsite, in the city or on the freeway. Excellent vision front and rear with no blind spots. Interior is very well done with ample storage space. We took five people and all the gear up to Savory Island with no problems,however next time we will purchase a Thule to put on top.
We love our Pilot!
As a tall family of four, the pilot is roomy and comfortable with plenty of seating for friends. Drives great, looks better in '06, we love it.
2006 Honda Pilot
This is my wife's commuter vehicle. She is a speech language pathologist and must shift a large amount of equipment from site to site. The seats configure easily to allow her to fit anything she needs. At the end of the day she picks up 3 teenage boys and voila, the vehicle configures in less than one minute. Great vehicle!!!!
Great Choice
The Pilot came with many more standard features that would have added several thousands to other makes. For a family SUV, the Pilot could not be beat for value. Dollar for dollar you get a lot more car with the Pilot.
Funny what the editors pick as best
Funny how the editors pick the Ford as "Best SUV" when they rate it lower than the Pilot, it's smaller, gets worse fuel economy, is less safe, MUCH less reliable, and it's "true cost to own" by their own rating over 5 years is over $10,000 more. Gee, that's a no brainer to me. I'll keep my Pilot any day.
Solid Value
Great resale and reliability=solid value.Very low cost to lease,if you are retired and drive minimal miles.Easy to enter and exit for those with disabilities. Amazingly good mileage for such a heavy all purpose vehicle and powerful drivetrain, probably due to its dead accurate 5 -speed automatic and smooth, unnoticed variable displacement engine. It even has a touch of luxury...
Pilot (Rock Solid)
I test drove the RAV4, Highlander, CR- V and Pilot. The Pilot won hands down. The EXL comes standard with everything you need in the package, including XM radio and heated seats. The Pilot drives and handles great. Don't let the "Cons" scare you aware from a test drive. The only time it feels 'big behind the wheel' is when you're trying to park it in a very cramped parking lot. And come on, how many people do you know care about 'towing capacity'? I live in the Midwest and have never towed a thing in my life.
Great SUV!
Overall, this is a great car. The ride and acceleration are very smooth and it is particularly good on gas mileage for something this size. You really forget you are in an SUV. Good, useful features and alot of practicality in this vehicle. This is my first Honda and I see what I have been missing.
Pilot Is Great
Love the Pilot. Researched like crazy and this one just came coming up. Do not regret it for one minute. The Nav system is great - definitely recommend it. The voice recognition can be eccentric and take some getting used to. It took me over a week to figure it how to delete items in the address book. Go to the Nav system Web help by way of the Honda page. The Accord NAV system has trip info - a standard in what is a higher end car. Honda should include it here as well. The Gear shift column is in a cumbersome area. Every once in a while I turn the wipers on. I had read this in reviews so no surprise. Gas mileage is about 15-16 mostly city; expected 17-18 with the 2WD model.
Should be your first choice
So far the vehicle is fantastic. I bought it to replace an 04 F-150. The F- 150 has a lot of head room and space in the front row seats. I looked at Highlanders, 4-Runners, Explorers, PAthfinders, Muranos, and Outbacks. None have teh head room of the Pilot. The ride is very quiet and very smooth. The V-6 is peppier then I thought and the transmission tied to it is very smooth as well. The ownership, so far (2 weeks), has been great. I drove the vehicle to downtown the first day I had it and it handled the downtown driving with great ease. If you are looking for a practical, fun-to-drive SUV, with a lot of standard features and a comfortably smooth ride...look no further
Honda rocks
Nice machine, very smooth ride
Honda Pilot EX 2WD
Very quiet, strong for a V6, some times it take a delay changing speeds from higher to lower, not so good on fuel economy, but after all my wife and I are Happy with it a lot better than our 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee
It's a HONDA. What more needs to be said
The Pilot is all that I had hoped it would be in quality and ride. I was a bit concerned about some reviews re road noise but it is quiet in my view. It is too new to judge long term but given that it is in the third year production, I am confident I will be even more happy. The ride feels more like a luxury car than an SUV.
Top of the mid-size SUVs
Having owned my Pilot for about one month, no long term comments but so far I love it. My neighbors have BMWs and Lexus SUVs and the Pilot, at less cost, is (in my opinion) the better all around vehicle. The cabin is spacious and comfortable, controls are all appropriately placed, and ride & performance is commendable.
2006 EX-L (save $$$ on MDX)
Well re-designed. Like the taillights and the front a lot better than the previous Pilots. The interior is "hugely" improved and conveniently layed out. Nice design overall and a fun/stable ride.
First time buyer of a Honda
Excellent vehicle; very smooth, roomy, loaded with features. Plenty of power on the highway, and mileage seems to be reasonable for a large SUV. Had an 04 Jeep Grand Cherokee previously, and the Pilot rides like a Mercedes compared to it.
Honda Pilot, another winner
I am very impressed with the fuel economy of this vehicle. I drive to work and back 50 miles per day and get an average of between 18.5 and 20 miles per gallon (combination city/highway). It is also very comfortable and has loads of space inside. I love it
Great SUV!!!
Upgraded from a Land Rover Freelander. Huge improvement! Lots of room and good amount of power. Don't believe the stated MPG. Expect 14-15 around town w/ air conditioning. You can get 19-21 on the highway. Not bad but I wish they'd be more accurate in their stated MPG estimates.
Vehicle of my dreams!
I did a log of comparisons on vehicles and went out to buy a Toyota Highlander. There was no comparison in the features, ride and price of the Honda compared to the Honda. A trip recently was the most comfortable trip by vehicle I have ever had. Honda has made me a buyer for life!
Great SUV
I shopped and shopped for weeks. Being a Nissan fan I drove a Murano, Pathfinder, and then the Pilot. The others had some very good points and did their own thing very well. But the best overall SUV for a family is the Pilot. Pathfinder felt small inside and the Murano looks great but only holds 5 people. the Pilot drives like a dream. It's smooth and pretty quiet, you get some road noise but no wind or engine. I even can sit pretty comfortable in the 3rd row. You can not say that about most of the midsize SUV class. The price was less than the other two and they did not have leather. Great SUV and a great value!! I highly recommend it!
Honda, no doubt!
Just bought this baby for one week. My wife and I have tested many kinds of SUVs such as Tribute, Freestyle, Torrent, Rav4. I was thinking to get a midsize US made SUV but when we saw this Pilot EX, it impressed us, the interior material quality is on the top of them. Very smooth, quiet drive. We have already drove 700 miles in the first week. This is the best midsize SUV for sure!
2006 Honda Pilot
Great AWD system for folks who love to ski. Overall handling quite nimble for an SUV of its size. Lots of comfort in head and shoulder room. I'm 6'5" and couldn't fit in a Toyota 4Runner which I was considering.
Great Car
Easily the best SUV I have driven. It is quiet, comfortable, and reliable. 2006 improvements really added to the luxury feel of the cabin and I enjoyed driving this car much more than many "higher end" SUVs on the market. Remarkably, with the 2WD's VCM system, I get extremely good gas mileage approaching 18-19 mpg. For an SUV that's incredible.
BEST MID SIZE/LARGE SUV!
We have had our 06 Pilot LX for almost 2 months and we absolutely love it! My wife and I spend a considerable amount of time driving an 05 Cadillac Sedan Deville, and we honestly think that our Pilot is every bit as nice, minus a few of Cadillac's luxury features- if those luxury features are a must, buy an Acura MDX which is basically the same as a Pilot. I have driven several different SUV's and they usually feel like trucks, but not the Pilot! It's almost like driving a large sedan. Honda has discovered SUV perfection, and it's the Pilot! If you read reviews on as many web sites as possible, you will find that most experts would agree!
Decent suv
I purchased a pilot recently and like the car. I think this is the best value of any midsize suv on the market. It is reasonably roomy with 8 people and drives verry smooth. If you are a person seeking a roomy suv, with comfort, fuel economy, size, and logic, this is the way to go.
2006 honda Pilot 4wd leather interior
This was a replacement car for 1998 Honda Odyssey. We bought this car because of the reliabilty of a Honda. The Pilot we purchased had great off the road features and does well on snow roads as well as rain. My family of 6 enjoy very much riding in this vehicle as this vehicle sits 7 adults comfortably. We had looked at toyota Highlander seating and the drive was not as good the highlander offer limited space the drive was bumppy. The honda offer more space with a comfortable ride. For a six cylander this does get great gas milage. The safety features are great on this car. I think it is best buy for ones money. I know from experience in owning a honda previosly customer service is great.
Most wonderful vehicle I've ever owned!
We did a ton of research, over three months worth, before buying our Pilot. I loved it from the start for the well-designed interior, eight passenger seating (seven comfortably!) and the fact that it's not huge like the other three-row SUVs. The middle console is wonderful with lots of storage, the seats are easy to position (excellent feature on moving the middle row for more leg room in the back). Lots of head & leg room too. And it's a blast to drive. Our two girls love it! It's definitely more fun for all of us than the caravan we traded in. This is also my first Honda, and I'm looking forward to many wonderful years together with the reliability ratings.
best suv for 8 seats
For an 8 seater, leather seats, sun roof, awsome sound system, step boards, very nice floor carpets, cup holders, second row seat tilt back, leg room in third row( unlike Jeep Commander)xm radio, great handling, eco into 4 cylinders, cruise, radio control in thge stearing, heated front seats, second and third row fold down different ways, excellent horse power, great driving visabilty, nice car.
great new car
We traded our surburban for a black/grey leather pilot w/ nav. The fit and finish of the car is excellent. The seats are very comfortable. The controls are well placed but I would have liked to see the turn signal lever 1 or 2 inches lower. The nav system is excellent. Better then in my plane. The voice activation works well and with a little practice the key phrases will become intuitive. The stereo is excellent, and far superior to the surburban. The ride is very comfortable and there is not much wind noise from the sunroof. We ordered the crossbars and running boards which are black and go well with the exterior. The dealer was A+ and delivered the car in impeccable condition.
Best SUV
Excellent and smooth drive. Very good fuel efficiency on highway with the Variable cylinder management system. Smooth turns with Vehicle Stability Assist. I feel safe when driving with 8 air bags and ABS brakes. Low maintenance cost with maintenance minder system so you will only do maintenance when it ask for it. Lot of cargo space with all the seats fold down.
Pile in the Pilot!
We love our Pilot! We have an 11 year old son who plays every sport known to man and a 3 year old daughter who still requires a car seat and a weekly McDonalds trip. Our family can easily pile in our Pilot for a trip to the city or just to the baseball field in our home town. We can even take our two labs if we want! I traded my Honda Odyssey for it and I no longer feel like the un-hip mom in the van. It's fun to drive the Pilot! It looks hip/cool and my kids love it too!
The SUV of all SUVs
My Pilot is so comfortable, fun to drive, air conditioning system is well more than I expected. I can see all angles, no blind spots. I feel safe driving this car because of all air bags around. Excellent!!!
Great SUV, Mini Van Replacement
Drove first 1K, so far not disappointed at all. Runs solid, fun to drive, does not feel very big vehicle but roomy inside.
Overall great car
We bought this car because of the published gas mileage and were a little disappointed when it didn't live up to it. Otherwise, this car has been a fun and reliable car. Lots of room and storage space. Great car for hauling around kids.
GAS SIPPING 2 WDR
After careful research I opted for the Pilot. It seemed to offer the most versatility and best fuel economy (2wdr) in its class. I went with the EX model that in my opinion is worth the xtra 2500. Not only do you get roof rails, but pwr driver seat and a capable audio system with steering mounted controls. The interior cloth fabric is upscale vs.the LX. The ride is very quiet and subtle, there is lots of power reserves for passing or mountainous driving. The transmission shift precise yet refined. The VCM works great, shift between 6-3cyl is virtually undetectable. Due to precise steering + very good pwr assist. brakes and a fairly stiff suspension the 4300 lbs SUV has a distinct car feel.
Great choice
When my wife and I found out that she was pregnant we started to look into a bigger vehicle. We decided on the Pilot for the room, safety features, and great lease deal. She loves it so much, that she won't let me drive it. The Pilot is very comfy and gets good gas mileage with the VCM. That is when the engine goes from 6 cylinders to 3 during light cruising. I have seen reviews about a vibration. I also have encountered this but not randomly like others have said. I find the vibration comes when there is some weight in the back and both the front and back A/C are running. I would highly recommend the Pilot to anyone who needs room and good mpg