2026 Honda Pilot

Name: 2026 Honda Pilot Review
Brand: Honda

Release Date: Fall 2025

Estimated Price: Starting around $42,000

The 2026 Honda Pilot is comfortable and space-efficient, especially in its first two rows. It's also distinctly versatile, with a large underfloor storage area that can swallow the Pilot's removable second-row middle seat. The Pilot has some drawbacks, but overall we think it's a solid pick for a three-row SUV.Read full review

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2026 Honda Pilot Review

Pros

Roomy first- and second-row seating
Lots of cargo space and interior storage spots
Easy-to-use controls

Cons

Standard touchscreen interface is too small
Third-row seating is cramped for adults
Lackluster acceleration and braking performance

What's new

We don't expect major changes for the 2026 Honda Pilot
Part of the fourth Pilot generation introduced for 2023

Overview

Written by automotive expert James Riswick

5/29/2025

The Honda Pilot is the automaker's venerable three-row SUV. Its familiar boxy proportions and spacious cabin have made it a favorite family hauler for the last two decades. The brand has stuck with a familiar formula too. Power continues to come from a V6, and all-wheel drive has always been an option. The 2026 Pilot is more of the same — and that's no bad thing — with its easy-to-use tech interface, plenty of capability, and ample room for most passengers. The third row is a touch cramped, and the Pilot could use more zing from under the hood. That said, those drawbacks are minor, and the Pilot is always worth considering for families and Honda fans alike.

Edmunds spotlight: We're hoping for a bigger screen

The current generation Pilot has been around since 2023. That isn't very long when it comes to the lifespans of these three-row SUVs, but there's something it lacks that many rivals have embraced: a big, fancy touchscreen. The Pilot's infotainment display measures a measly 9 inches, and in the enormous Pilot, it looks dinky and out of place. A bigger display is a quick fix, and Honda already has a 12.3-incher that it uses in the Accord and new 2026 Passport. We think this screen is far more fitting for something Pilot-sized. Hopefully, Honda delivers on this ask because it would quickly remedy one of our biggest gripes with the Pilot.

Competitors to consider

If you're interested in the 2026 Honda Pilot, you should know the three-row SUV segment is packed to the gills with competition. The Kia Telluride offers more advanced tech and a wider array of trims, while the Hyundai Palisade is a more luxurious experience with a hushed cabin and expensive-feeling materials. You should also check out the Toyota Grand Highlander. Its available hybrid version gets significantly better mpg than the Pilot.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

Driven, tested, rated by automotive expert Will Kaufman

Good

7.9

out of 10

We drove the 2026 Honda Pilot on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7.5/10

How does the Pilot drive? Driving the Pilot is a mixed bag. The V6 sounds snarly when you step on the gas, but actual acceleration is only average. At the Edmunds test track, our Pilot TrailSport test vehicle managed the 0-60 mph run in 7.8 seconds. The transmission is overly busy, especially around town. That can also make the Pilot feel overly eager and sensitive to gas pedal inputs when accelerating from a stop. Braking is smooth, but the pedal is soft and numb, and we found the Pilot's emergency stopping distances to be longer than average.

For adventurous families, the Pilot TrailSport is one of the more capable three-row crossovers for light off-road duty thanks to its extra ground clearance. The all-wheel-drive system is another upside. In addition to the expected boost in traction for icy or snowy roads, it can also redistribute the V6's power to make the Pilot considerably more nimble around turns. However, the steering is light and lacks feel, and it provides no real sense of what's going on with the road.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the Pilot? The front seats and optional second-row captain's chairs are pleasantly soft without giving up support. The front seats lack the level of adjustability some competitors offer, so not everybody will get the most comfort out of them. The Pilot's suspension smooths out most bumps with ease, but certain types of uneven pavement can feel sharp and a bit loud in the cabin.

On the whole, wind, road and engine noise is low, but the cabin isn't quite as quiet as the interiors of top-rated competitors like the Kia Telluride. The climate system is simple to adjust and powerful enough for the large cabin. All three rows get vents, but vent placement for the second and third rows isn't optimal. Third-row vents in particular are placed by the armrests, so adults will get airflow to their hands.

Interior

8.5/10

How’s the interior? The Pilot's interior is roomy and practical for the first two rows, with lots of storage space and slightly above-average visibility for a vehicle of this class. The latest Pilot's dashboard keeps buttons to a minimum, but we like how Honda managed to make the most commonly used controls accessible rather than burying them in a touchscreen menu, which can be the case in other SUVs.

Getting in and out is easy, with buttons to release the second-row seats that even children can activate. There's enough seat travel that third-row access won't be a squeeze for most adults. Front passengers are spoiled for space in the Pilot, and the second row is wide and accommodating with lots of legroom. Competitors like the Kia Telluride and Volkswagen Atlas, however, have better third rows. Adults will start to feel cramped because the high floor and almost nonexistent toe room under the second-row seats will push their knees up.

Technology

7.5/10

How’s the tech? The Pilot offers plenty of usable tech features, but on the whole it's a half-step behind the curve. The infotainment, with wireless phone connectivity, works quickly and is easy to navigate, but both the standard 7-inch screen and the upgraded 9-inch screen look dwarfed by the large cabin. It's unfortunate the Accord's 12.3-inch screen isn't available here. There are plenty of places to charge, including a wireless charging pad. There's only one USB-C port available, however. The rest are the less powerful USB-A type, which limits options for phones, tablets and laptops that support fast charging.

Honda does equip the Pilot with plenty of standard driver assist features. Lane keeping assistance keeps the car centered nicely even at very low speeds. But while the adaptive cruise control follows smoothly at freeway speeds, it's less confidence-inspiring in heavier traffic. In our testing, we found it too slow to react to suddenly braking traffic, prompting the driver to intervene. It also requires prompting via a steering wheel button or accelerator pedal to restart after even the briefest stop, so it doesn't save you much effort.

Storage

8.5/10

How’s the storage? Competitors like the Buick Enclave, Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade offer more cargo space, but the Pilot has enough flexible cargo features and small-item storage to make it a helpful family hauler. The 50/50-split third-row seats are easy to release (which is good because there's no power-folding third row available), and they open up a large, if not class-leading, space. Loading and unloading is easy with the floor in its highest position so bulky items can slide in and out.

When it comes to small-item storage, the Pilot is one of the best. Front passengers get an extra-large center console tray and box, along with a few extra cubbies for smaller items. Both the front and rear doors offer a bunch of trays, pockets and even cupholders for every seat that will fit a 40-ounce water bottle.

Our test Pilot TrailSport had the second-row bench seat that comes with a removable center seat that can be stored under the cargo floor in the trunk. It's a neat feature that makes it easy to reconfigure the seating based on your day's needs. Notably, the Pilot is one of the few SUVs to have LATCH anchors for all three second-row seats.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

Fuel Economy

7/10

How’s the fuel economy? Depending on its equipment, the Pilot has an EPA estimate of anywhere from 20 mpg combined (18 city/23 highway) for the all-wheel-drive TrailSport to 22 mpg combined for a front-wheel-drive model. On Edmunds' real-world test route, our Pilot TrailSport test vehicle averaged 22 mpg, which means drivers should be able to match EPA estimates. This result is on par with top V6 competitors but well off the segment's efficiency leader, the turbo four-cylinder Toyota Highlander — and without offering any quicker acceleration.

Value

7/10

Is the Pilot a good value? The Pilot provides plenty of utility and comfort, and its interior is sturdily built with hefty, solid plastics all around. Competitors spread more soft-touch materials around, especially in higher trims, but the Pilot feels built to endure family life. It's an ideal interior for cleaning up with whatever wipes you have on hand.

But in terms of bang for your buck, most competitors offer more features per dollar. You'll spend more than some top competitors to get a top-trim level, and even then you'll have fewer features than on competitors like the Telluride. Kia and Hyundai also offer significantly longer warranties.

Wildcard

8/10

The Pilot is pretty easy to live with, and the TrailSport's added off-road ability broadens its appeal. That said, it comes across to us as the victim of an identity crisis. Honda has tried to make it a sporty, tough-and-rugged and family-friendly SUV, all in one. But this jack-of-all-trades approach means it's a master of none. The Pilot is ultimately good on average but with few standout traits to recommend it.

Which Pilot does Edmunds recommend?

Honda hasn't released official information on the 2026 Pilot as of this writing. We'll update our recommendation if anything changes, but based on last year's Pilot, we recommend the EX-L for most buyers. For about $3,000 more than the base Sport, you get many desirable upgrades we think are worth it, including wireless smartphone integration, wireless phone charging, a bigger touchscreen and a power liftgate.

2026 Honda Pilot video

Kia Telluride vs. Toyota Grand Highlander vs. Honda Pilot vs. VW Atlas | 3-Row SUV Comparison Test

NOTE: This video is about the 2024 Honda Pilot, but since the 2026 Honda Pilot is part of the same generation, our earlier analysis still applies.

The Kia Telluride has been the gold standard when it comes to three-row midsize SUVs for a few years now, but the competition has been working hard to catch up. In addition to the all-new Honda Pilot and updated Volkswagen Atlas, the Telluride now faces perhaps its fiercest competitor yet: the all-new Toyota Grand Highlander. Will the Telluride hold onto its crown against…

2026 Honda Pilot

2026 Honda Pilot Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Edmunds spotlight: We're hoping for a bigger screen

Competitors to consider

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Pilot does Edmunds recommend?

2026 Honda Pilot video

Kia Telluride vs. Toyota Grand Highlander vs. Honda Pilot vs. VW Atlas | 3-Row SUV Comparison Test

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