2023 Honda Pilot Review

With its exceptional levels of road and seat comfort, upscale cabin design, and useful storage areas, the third-generation Honda Pilot immediately became our favorite three-row crossover SUV when it debuted in 2016. But the years hence have seen the Kia Telluride (and its mechanical twin, the Hyundai Palisade) usurped the Honda to claim the crown as their own. So what's a deposed ruler to do? Rally the troops and get better, and that's what we see in the fully redesigned 2023 Honda Pilot.

Many of the Pilot's updates occur to attributes that we thought the old Pilot needed to make improvements to. Honda stretched out the wheelbase (the space between the front and rear wheels) and overall length to open up more passenger room, particularly in the second and third rows to make them more accommodating for adults and bulky child safety seats. New styling inside and out helps to modernize the Pilot and make it feel more rugged and less curvy. And in an effort to inject some excitement into what was a very competent (but also slightly boring lineup), there's a new Pilot TrailSport that dials in some real off-road upgrades.

Overall, we think the 2023 Pilot is a worthwhile choice for a three-row crossover SUV. But it also has some drawbacks that might make the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Mazda CX-90 or Volkswagen Atlas a better choice. Check out our test team's Expert Rating below to learn more.

The 2023 Honda Pilot is a three-row SUV that seats up to eight passengers. It's available in six trim levels: LX, Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring and Elite. All are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine (285 horsepower, 262 lb-ft) mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional — except on the TrailSport and Elite trims, which get all-wheel drive as standard. Highlighted features include: