Used 2016 Honda Pilot Consumer Reviews
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Third Pilot
Michael Funk, 09/24/2016
updated 03/27/2017
2016 Honda Pilot Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
This is our third Pilot. One of each body style. This is by far the most comfortable with more driver and passenger leg room. The rear passenger space is much more comfortable also. The rear cargo space isn't quite as wide or as tall as my 2009 Pilot but it seems adequate. My wife misses the lower shelf storage area the 09 Pilot had but overall she is very happy. The one feature I dislike the most is the Auto idle Stop feature. I wish they had it default to off instead of on. Every time I start the car I have to disable it because I don't like the slight hesitation there is when you start from a stop sign or signal. Maddening quite frankly. One problem we have with the car is the plastic face of the navigation screen. It scratched easily. We have always used the supplied microfiber cloth to wipe away fingerprints. Recently we used it and it scratched the face of the unit. The face isn't replaceable and you would have to buy a entire new unit at great expense. Honda should have used a glass face or have a replacement screen available. I have since used several scratch removers that have partially removed the scratches. I then purchased a screen protector that cuts some of the glare and hence the scratches aren't as visible.
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From Tahoe to Pilot
John Hauser, 04/01/2016
updated 04/16/2025
2016 Honda Pilot EX-L 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
After seven months of driving I am very pleased with our decision to purchase a 2016 Pilot. After two Tahoes' I found the price point excessive and so began to shop. Initially the redesign of the Pilot appealed to us so we signed up for a test ride, and we were sold. This vehicle is economical to operate, comfortable and offers a very well designed cabin that is more than adequate for two seniors who like to travel and have many grand kids. We have the EX-L model which is responsive on acceleration, and braking, easy on gas and a comfortable ride. My one disappointment is the lack of a CD player, although I managed to import my music on to a thumb drive. It's not the same but works for me. A lot of thought has been given to the interior layout , which is positive and rear passengers remark how comfortable the back seats are vs. our previous Tahoe's which were not. We own a Toyota Solara, Subaru Outback and the Pilot. You really can't go wrong with any of these cars but so far the Toyota and the Honda Pilot are the most economical to maintain. Yes, I would recommend a Pilot for a young family, older folks like us who desire some elbow room and a great travel vehicle. We haul Kayaks on top. Folks seem to complain about the more expensive Pilot models and their transmissions, we have no complaints at 7K miles. UPDATE: I still enjoy this vehicle after 21000 miles, excessive dealer maintenance costs have motivated me to find a qualified Honda mechanic who is not employed/commissioned by the dealer. Update: I'm now up to 45K miles and still very satisfied with our Pilot. The vehicle is comfortable, runs well, is gas efficient and just a dependable and reliable SUV. I stay away from the service at the dealer, they like to drive up the bill. I use a local service provider and I'm very satisfied. Update: At 50K miles the vehicle still delivers a high degree of satisfaction. One thing I've experienced is that after fuel fill-ups, not always, the dash indicator indicates an emission system failure while the vehicles runs fine. This typically goes away after about 50 miles. Other than that I'm still very pleased with this vehicle. Update at 65,000 miles. This Pilot still delivers very good gas mileage, given its size, and is still a pleasure to drive. I maintain the vehicle locally < not at a dealer> and really have no complaints. I did replace the ignition button switch myself, you-tube is your friend, other than that it still runs well. I'm a bit disappointed HONDA is pushing the CVT transmission, my mechanic tells me they are a problem. My Pilot is the EX-L model and has a gear shift while the more expensive models do not ,with the CVT. This may make me switch to Toyota for the next vehicle. I still enjoy the PILOT! At 70,000 miles the Pilot is still going strong, albeit travel has been restricted due to COVID. Regular oil land consistent maintenance ( not performed by HONDA Dealers) performed by a local reputable mechanic seem to make this a well performing SUV. I've replaced tires and still have the original brakes. Gas mileage is very good and I find that using premium gas increased miles per gallon by 5 to 10 percent. This vehicle , in terms of gas mileage, is very good. We are still pleased with the PILOT. Update: October, 2022, At 75.000 miles this Pilot keeps on going with normal maintenance. I would buy another PILOT, except that HONDA has now included the CVT transmission, which my mechanic tells me to stay away from, on their mid to high end models. I discontinued any dealings with my local Honda dealer a long time ago simply because I have an aversion to getting ripped off, they are a den of thieves! Fortunately there are honest mechanics out there who can service this vehicle. This Pilot is a very reliable SUV and gets good gas mileage, if you are gentle on the accelerator. UPDATE: April 2024 - The PILOT now has 88,000 miles and really has been trouble free! Beyond normal maintenance, I have only have to replace the Ignition On/Off switch previously mentioned and have a heat shield welded to stop it from being loose. I finally replaced the original brakes at 86000 . So I have no complaints. Based on this we recently purchased our second PILOT EXL and it has a lot more electronic wizardry to become familiar with. One additional attractive feature of the PILOT is the 6 cylinder engine as opposed to a 4 that is supercharged, which other manufacturers seem to gravitate to. Update: October 2024. Still below 90,000 miles since this is now our secondary vehicle, replaced by a 2024 PILOT. The 2016 Pilot remains a solid performer, good gas mileage and economic to run. No repairs only routine oil changes. Next maintenance at 90K, major one.
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Made the right decision
Mike, 06/15/2016
2016 Honda Pilot Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
We considered the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Subaru Outback, the later being considered largely because of it's mileage. I think we would have been happy with any of the three but we LOVE the Pilot. I read all the reviews on here and elsewhere panning the touch screen entertainment system and complaining about the 9 speed transmission and while I think I understand the reasons I don't agree. We have found the touchscreen to be responsive and easy to use, after you get used to it. It's not extremely intuitive but unless you're just renting the car for a day or two, read the manual. Once you become familiar with it, it's responsive and easy to use. It does have a glossy screen and fingerprints can readily be seen which is a little annoying to my wife. I would say we chose the Pilot over the Highlander for 3 reasons; the AWD system is superior, there's more space in the 3rd row seats and it gets better gas mileage. Mileage was part of the reason we only considered the 9 speed but I really stressed over going with that transmission given all the negative comments. I will say this, it does hunt for gears but it seems that should be expected, I mean it has 9 speeds, all of which are probably passed through before you get to 60 mph. I don't mean its particularly noticeable accelerating to highway speed, quite the contrary, it's smooth as silk accelerating. When it's somewhat noticeable is when it is shifting down at lower speeds, more so going down hill. I don't consider it to be a big issue and I'm satisfied with our choice of the 9 speed. As for my hoped for mileage advantage, so far we are satisfied there. We recently went through the better part of a tank of gas on two trips, mostly highway miles. Over 369.3 miles we averaged 27.02 mpg and no, I'm not relying on the trip computer, said computer claimed 25.5 mpg. Honestly I expected something more like 24 mpg. As for the two trips measured; the first was 120 miles from an altitude of 3,500 ft to around 1,200 ft (trip computer listed 29.5 mpg for that leg) and the second was a round trip for the remainder of the miles. While our average speed for most of the trips was in the 70-75 mph range a good 10 miles was in stop and go traffic (one hour). We kept the vehicle in ECON mode for most of these miles and I do think that makes a significant difference. I don't expect this kind of mileage on all our trips but I do think the 26 mpg hwy rating is fair. I'll let you know what I find in city and combined driving sometime later. Things I'm not crazy about are the Collision Mitigation system which as others have said is a little touchy, especially if you are a somewhat aggressive driver. For my wife it's probably perfect but for me it's too sensitive, especially if I'm in heavy traffic. On the other hand it does have an on/off switch. Same with the lane keep assist system which at times misreads heavy tar lines as road paint (not frequently but sometimes). Also, if you forget you have the system on and go to switch lanes without signaling the system will fight you a little.....as I said, it has an on/off switch too. Overall I like both systems but they can be improved. Finally, the auto-engine-stop system works fine but if you're somewhat aggressive pulling into traffic from a stop you need turn it off or be aware it's on because there is a slight lag if you're quick off the brake to the gas. This system had an on/off switch but unlike the other systems mentioned it must be turned off each time you start the car. Again, this will never be a problem for a cautious driver and it's not very intrusive when it's working but for me, I have to be very aware. All in all, this is a VERY fine piece of machinery that has really impressed us. So far, my wife and I are extremely happy with our choice. We love the car and would recommend it to anyone considering a suv/cross-over AWD.
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HondaPilot stopped then Surges runs red lights
John Barns, 03/11/2016
updated 11/20/2023
2016 Honda Pilot EX-L 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
29 of 34 people found this review helpful
I would NOT recommend it because of unintended acceleration sending you into intersections. This can result in serious injury or death. Dealer keeps saying he does not have authorization from Honda to correct issue. Not enough fatalities to issue a recall! When you go to four way stop with foot off gas on on break it will take you into the intersection. The RPMs goes from 1000 to 2500. This has happened too many times. Possibly a computer chip issue. When this occurs and it does more times that I like you must shift quickly into neutral and coast to a stop and pray no one runs into you. The dealer checked out three times. The touch screen radio also locks up. Tech said radio, breaks and gas to engine are all controlled by computer. Never corrected by dealer. I sent email several times to Honda lawyer in California and she knew of wrecks caused by problem in many states. It is NOT a reliable or save auto. I would NOT recommend it to anyone. I called American Honda customer sevice and they said checking into it. I hope some day that Honda can get their act together. Computer issues is major concern. Honda refuses to correct the issue. Beware of this problem.
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This car is DANGEROUS! Worst software ever!
NoLongerAFan, 06/12/2016
2016 Honda Pilot Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
28 of 33 people found this review helpful
1) Left my wife stranded -- Put the car in reverse, foot on brake, not moving, then pressed the stop button. Car locked her out and wouldn't start. Had to mess with locks and start button for 30 minutes before the car 'reset' itself. 2) Transmission is UNSAFE! -- 9 speed can't find the right gear, car stutters, will LAUNCH you downhill. Low speed driving is terrible, can't maintain a constant speed. Seems like really bad software making gear decisions. 3) Lane assist is DANGEROUS! -- Can't help you at all, will not hold the lane. Hey Honda, either you steer or I steer, but whoever is steering better be really good at it. Steering is NOT a cooperative activity! Don't "assist" me with steering unless it can be trusted. 4) So many little software problems. Remembers the seat position incorrectly. 5) Worst entertainment center ever. Seems designed in 1998. Can't use the nav while moving, seriously? I can mess with the radio all day, using the most confusing and distracting software ever devised, but I can't use the nav? 6) The car 'Dings' at uss constantly and randomly. It's trying to tell us something, I have no idea what it is saying. DING .. wait a few minutes -- DING! Who wrote the software for this car, my kids could have done a better job!
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