Used 2017 Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A) Consumer Reviews
Used Pilot for sale
Honda HAS to fix the cabin fume issue!
Sandi, Forest City, IA, 03/09/2018
Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
12 of 14 people found this review helpful
Great motor, looks nice, drives well...but there are issues. 1. It’s all over the road in even the slightest wind 2. Headlights are bright but I am constantly getting brights flashed at me because people assume my brights are on when they’re not 3. Third row heating/cooling is very poor 4. In very cold weather the touchscreen doesn’t work 5. The outside temperature gauge only works when the car is moving 6. The inside of the vehicle often smells overwhelmingly like gasoline...combined with burning oil. It’s awful. Honda said they remedied this in 2016. Nope. A friend got in it yesterday and almost had an asthma attack. Called the dealer and they said they’ve never heard of it before. Ya, ok. I read all about the gas tank recall in 2016. It was clearly not the only issue. Ugh. I want to like this SUV, but at $50,000? I’ll continue documenting times the cabin fills with fumes. Hoping when I take it in they’ll be honest and know how to fix it.
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Update -> Joy to own
Guy Slade, Raleigh, NC, 09/14/2017
updated 03/21/2019
Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
This Pilot is a joy to drive...quiet, comfortable, and will get up and go when asked. The active safety features such as lane assist and active cruise control take some getting use to and can be a little intrusive but works relatively well. I spent some time negotiating an out of the door all inclusive price via email so I did not have to deal with the usual sales process and it worked out well. No regrets so far. Update March 2018 Owned the Pilot for over 6 months now. Absolutely zero regrets. It's my wife's car and I look for excuses to take it out when ever I can. Continues to be smooth and quiet. I have got used to much of the electronics and controls. I am really digging the adaptive cruise control, the auto headlights and wipers. It all 'just works'. It was for us an expensive car but neither my wife or I regret it. Had one oil change so car and other than that it has not yet gone to the shop. Update September 2018 Almost a year in. Had two oil changes and on the second I had to get the rear diff oil changed ..... which was unexpected and at about 12K on the clock seemed like low milage. However, I've never owned AWD and perhaps the first diff change needs to be done at this time. Other than that we are still loving the vehicle. Still quiet and silky smooth. All the bells and whistles are still working. I've turned the lane departure warning off as it gets too annoying driving around town most of the time...... you end up spending a lot of time fighting a juddery steering wheel.... so off it went. I am about to update the maps of the onboard nav system. I appreciate the fact this is free. Still no regrets buying it.... lovely car to drive Update March 2019 A year and a half in and I still have nothing negative to say about the Honda Pilot. Nothing has gone wrong in it and it is still a joy to drive. I now have approximately 22K miles on the clock of normal condition driving. Word of warning.. if you have a toll road easy pass transponder sticker do not place it directly below the rear view mirror. It will most likely interfere with the auto light beam function as light will reflect off the sticker into the camera. I ended up placing the sticker off to the left of the rear view mirror and all was fine.
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2017 Honda Pilot for sale near you
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- EX-L 4dr SUVMSRP: $16,75097 mi away
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Elite - 2017 AWD
Elitist, Clayton, GA, 05/31/2017
updated 01/27/2025
Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
I found the Pilot brochure confusing. The included options list implies that the Elite has everything the other models have plus more stuff. Not quite true. It does not tell you what is left out, so it's not completely clear what you are getting. Lane Watch is included in lesser models and I expected it should also be on the Elite. It isn't. Some reviews dislike Lane Watch because it takes your eyes away from the road. It does have BSW, but there are times I wish I had that side camera as well. The Owner's Guide is inadequate. Photos are too small. Honda should include a full size Owner's Manual. Sure, you can go to their website and download the 679 pages and print it yourself but for a $50,000 Elite, you'd think they would give you one. Honda did finally send me a free Owner's Manual after I requested it. The Guide shows some options that the Elite should have but doesn't. Like Folding Mirrors. This option would help to protect your mirrors from damage by folding them inwards. Even though the Guide covers it, I did not see it listed as a feature on any of the models. I have yet to use the shifting paddles. I have not found any information yet on how to use them. I'll keep looking. Though not stylish, the Elite is very comfortable and has a lot of cargo space. I frankly see no reason for these shift paddles. Why would you want shifting paddles in a large automatic SUV? It's not a raising sports car. I would have preferred their std. automatic transmission instead of their nine gear transmission. I bought Auto Butler, but for the almost $900 cost, it's not worth it. You can get your car detailed for half of that at most detailing shops. After owning my Honda Pilot Elite for a year, I have come to appreciate it much more. It also helped to have received a FREE Owner's Manual from Honda. Also, I can now appreciate not having Lane Watch for changing lanes. The Elite has a much better system BSI, the blind spot information system that warns you with a warning beep and light when you are starting to change lanes and there is a car in either blinds spot, left or right. As soon as you put your signal on or begin to move into the lane it lights a warning and sounds a beep. No need to take your eyes off the road. The Pilot Elite is classy and comfortable. It has a peppy engine at 280 hp. I have to admit that I have not tried the shifting paddles. Not sure I care about them. It does fine on Drive and shifts smoothly. (I'm a former sports car driver and in my mind, it's heresy to replace the shift knob with paddles.) I like being able to open windows and moonroof remotely on a hot day and even start the engine that way. I love the ability to cool or heat the front leather seats. Also nice for my passengers in the middle captain's chairs to be able to heat their seats in winter. I added the option of rubber mats with tall sides and the folding cargo tray and recommend those. The Elite comes loaded so there is very little you'd want to add. I actually paid about $4,000 under MSRP but financing some of the cost plus various options raised my total outlay to $52,000, but even then, it is well worth that compared to the competition. I'm still very happy with this SUV. Our Honda Dealer has not been able to fix a noise/vibration on my Pilot when the engine RPM is around 2,000. They have tried several times, starting when the car was still under warranty and afterwards. Other Patriot owners have also reported the same vibration/noise.
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2017 elite pilot
Elizabeth, Niagara Falls, NY, 04/23/2017
updated 11/21/2018
Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
Acceleration takes some time getting used to, as it feels different with the 9 speed transmission. Safety features are great, but sensitivity of lane keep assist and auto braking can be overly sensitive. It sometimes goes off when no other cars are in sight. I've had to have both systems reset multiple times. I have also had 3 major water leaks as a result of factory deficiencies which resulted in the pilot being in for repairs for 4+ days each time, and it took multiple trips to diagnose the issue. The interior rugs had to be changed due to the potential for mold related to the leaks. The windshield continues to fog up on the inside which freezes and turns to tiny ice particles when it gets cold outside. Honda insists this is due to the vehicle being very tight and is considered “normal” for the vehicle. I have noticed other pilots in the dealership lot do have the same issue. Comfort and convenience remain great . Overall I love this vehicle but Honda needs to work on these issues.
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Avoid the ZF 9-speed models
Pilot owner from NKY, Cincinnati, OH, 09/10/2019
updated 09/28/2021
Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Pros: - Large mid-size - Rear entertainment - MPG - Okay appearance - 2nd row captain seats - 3rd row legroom - Good amount of technology and safety features Cons: - Loud acceleration from stop - ZF 9-speed transmission - 2K RPM acceleration hang - Hard shifting - Poor downshifting (foot on gas completely to floor still doesn't downshift to lowest gear possible; have to use paddle shifter) - Slowest reverse ever - Expensive transmission service - Loud direct injectors (DI failed once already and replaced at around 60k) - Boat on wheels - stop-start system (wish this can be completely disabled) - Garmin Navigation (use it if you want to get lost) - soft brake pedal even after replacing the pads and rotors, and flushing/bleeding brakes.
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