2009 Honda Pilot Review and Prices
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Price: $28,405 - $40,805
MPG: 17 / 23 / 19
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2009 Honda Pilot Buying Advice
The redesigned 2009 Honda Pilot puts on a clinic, demonstrating most everything a midsize sport-utility ought to be and tossing in a couple of things you might not expect.
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One surprise might be that Pilot buyers gravitate to the upper end of the model range. Honda says the most-popular models in the Pilot lineup have been -- and will continue to be -- EX-L versions with standard leather upholstery and base prices in the $33,000-$37,000 range. That’s one reason Honda was encouraged to stretch the 2009 Pilot roster with introduction of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink Touring model that’ll sticker for around $40,000.
All 2009 Honda Pilots share the same strong engine, wide array of standard safety features, and roomy eight-passenger seating. We would not hesitate to recommend the very nice cloth-upholstered EX model, which should start around $31,500 in all-wheel drive form and comes with tri-zone automatic climate control, heated mirrors, eight-way power drivers seat, and steering-wheel audio controls.
But if you’ve got the earnings and the feel a yearning for such extras as leather upholstery, power moonroof, and heated front seats, join the crowd and step up the EX-L (around $34,000 with AWD) or EX-L RES with rear-seat DVD entertainment (around $35,500 with AWD).
These prices are competitive with similarly equipped rivals. If you don’t consider Pilot’s blocky styling a turn-off, you’re likely to find none of those rivals quite matches the 2009 Honda Pilot’s compendium of virtues.
The 2009 Honda Pilot lifts the curtain on the second-generation of this critically and commercially successful midsize SUV. Like the first-generation, on sale model years 2003-2008, the 2009 Honda Pilot is a so-called crossover SUV. Crossovers eschew rugged truck-like body-on-frame engineering for a lighter, car-like “unibody” design. Below the sheetmetal, the 2009 Pilot shares its basic structure with the MDX premium midsize-SUV from Honda’s upscale Acura brand.
The 2009 Honda Pilot continues with a 3.5-liter V-6 as the sole engine, though it has more power and better fuel economy than the previous version. It comes in four trim levels, each offering a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The Pilot is built at Honda’s plant in Alabama.
2009 Honda Pilot Changes back to top
The 2009 Honda Pilot is slightly longer, wider, taller, and heavier than its predecessor, but its exterior dimensions remain among the tidiest in the midsize-SUV category. Interior volume grows, too, and no competitive SUV uses its cabin space more efficiently.
Styling is an evolution of the previous look, still upright and square, but more self-consciously macho. Fender flares are exaggerated, roof pillars are thicker, and the nose looks like the snout of some sort of robot bulldog. Honda says Pilot’s stylists were inspired by “the beveled lines of an ultra-rugged laptop computer.”
New-for-2009 features include a tailgate with separate-opening glass, anchoring locations for four child seats (up from two and the most in the class), a steering column that telescopes as well as tilts, and front windows that automatically power up as well as down. Standard wheel and tire diameter is 17 inches, up from 16, and now standard is Hill Start Assist, which keeps the Pilot from rolling backward during the driver’s transition from brake to accelerator.
Under the hood, the 3.5-liter V-6 has 250 horsepower and 253 pounds-feet of torque, up from 244 and 240. More significantly, it utilizes the newest iteration of Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management, which automatically transitions between six, four, and three cylinders to balance power needs and fuel economy. This V-6 is also found in Honda’s Accord car and its Odyssey minivan. A cylinder-deactivation system was used in previous Pilots, but didn’t have the interim four-cylinder mode and was unavailable on AWD models. A five-speed automatic remains the sole transmission but the shift lever is relocated from the steering column to the base of the dashboard.
2009 Honda Pilot Test Drive back to top
Driving the 2009 Honda Pilot
On paper, there’s nothing extraordinary about the 2009 Honda Pilot’s horsepower figures, and it’s among the few in its competitive set with a transmission that hasn’t yet graduated to six speeds. But this SUV steps off the line with authority and employs the latest in engine technology to deliver ready response for passing and merging.
Cylinder-deactivation is transparent save for the slightest powertrain shudder during some transitions and illumination of an “Eco” for “economy” mode symbol on the instrument panel. Honda employs active noise control, using the audio system assisted by the subwoofer, to emit frequencies that mask unpleasant exhaust-system resonances triggered by the cylinder-deactivation system. Pilot can tow trailers up to 4,500 pounds.
Pilot’s relatively compact exterior dimensions and its admirably tight turning radius are liberating in confined space. On the road, the list of confidence-inspiring traits is a long one: impressive balance in turns, accurate and linear steering, great straight-line stability, admirable resistance to body lean in fast corners, and minimal noseplow and tire squeal even in sudden changes of direction.
Credit part of Pilot’s surefootedness to Honda’s Variable Torque Management all-wheel-drive technology. It enhances dry-road behavior by distributing power to all four wheels with any throttle application, not just during tire slip. Pilot’s not designed for serious off-roading so it lacks low-ranging gearing, but a dashboard button can lock-in a front-rear torque split for maximum low-speed traction. Braking feels strong and pedal modulation is satisfying.
Riding in the 2009 Honda Pilot
To achieve its high levels of composure, Pilot has a firm suspension that turns the ride thumpy over tar strips and sharp ridges. The cabin is never an unpleasant place to be, however. It’s airy, and roomy, with supportive seats in all three rows. Deserving special mention is Pilot’s minivan-like level of third-row space and comfort, accommodations that reveal smart packaging and shame some larger SUVs. With 8 inches of ground clearance, step-in height is average for the class, but unlike some sleeker-bodied rivals, Pilot’s tall roof won’t demand you stoop when climbing aboard. Astutely placed grab handles and smooth-sliding second-row seats make third-row entry-exit easier than the norm, too.
Pilot’s admirably isolated from disagreeable wind, road, and mechanical noises. Cargo versatility is most agreeable. Second and third rows split 60/40 and fold without removing headrests to create a level load floor wide enough to lay flat a 4-foot-wide panel. It’s a stretch to reach in and raise the third-row seatbacks, however. Carrying space behind the third row is surprisingly good thanks to a “well” in the floor and a clever net arrangement that creates “second-story” storage. Small-item containment is family friendly thanks to a plethora of pouches, hooks, cubbies, cupholders, and bins; each door has two storage pockets.
2009 Honda Pilot dashboard and controls
Trouble in paradise. The central section of Pilot’s dashboard is a riot of buttons that aren’t differentiated enough by size, markings, or even groupings to make using them easy on the driver. Even over time, we suspect most owners will find themselves hunting and pecking rather than reaching instinctively for the right one. Honda’s navigation system is no harder to program than any other, though its voice-recognition software requires precisely annunciated commands to work as it should.
Gauges are large and unobstructed. Placing the gear lever at the driver’s knee makes it effortless to reach, solves a previous-generation Pilot problem in which the column-mounted lever blocked access to some controls, and opens purse-welcoming space between the front seats.
Pilot’s interior design mimics its chunky, beveled exterior styling. Sectioned shapes don’t necessarily flow organically into one another, and the feel of the materials is a clear step below, say, those in an Acura. But a nice blend of grained and padded panels and careful assembly gives the cabin a feeling of quality befitting the elevated but realistic expectations of Honda’s audience.
2009 Honda Pilot Prices back to top
The 2009 Honda Pilot comes in four main levels of trim. Because Honda doesn’t offer optional factory equipment per se, it slots in sub-models that package features other automakers sell individually. Overall, Honda says 65 percent of 2009 Pilots will be ordered with AWD.
The entry-level 2009 Honda Pilot LX starts at $27,595 with front-wheel drive and $29,195 with AWD. Among the LX’s standard equipment is front and rear air conditioning, an audio system with a subwoofer and auxiliary input jack, manual driver’s seat-height adjustment, split fold-down second- and third-row seats, and integrated trailer hitch. Honda pegs the LX at about 10 percent of 2009 Pilot sales.
The EX version adds as standard upgraded cloth upholstery, alloy wheels, power driver’s seat, CD changer, steering wheel audio controls, fog lights, exterior temperature gauge, heated side mirrors, and body-color exterior side trim. The base price for the 2009 Pilot EX is $30,395 ($31,995 with AWD).
For about $2,500 more, the EX-L adds leather upholstery, power moonroof, heated front seats, and a power front passenger seat. It also gets an interior rearview mirror with an integrated rearview-camera screen that displays a small video image of what’s behind when the Pilot is shifted into reverse. Add another $1,600 to get the EX-L RES version. RES stands for “rear entertainment system” and brings a rear DVD player with a 9-inch-diamter screen. Honda says the EX range in all its forms will account for about 60 percent of 2009 Pilot sales.
Starting at $36,795 is the Touring Navi model with a voice-activated navigation system that includes a rearview camera and hands-free Bluetooth phone link, plus front and rear parking sensors, a power tailgate, memory seats and mirrors, a USB port, second-row window sunshades, mirror-mounted turn indicators, and chrome body side trim. Top-of-the-line at $38,395 is the Touring R/N, which adds the DVD system to the Touring Navi model.
Honda estimates these new-for-2009 Touring models will snare 30 percent of Pilot sales. It says Touring buyers will come from households with annual incomes over $110,000 and be people who want all the luxury amenities but don’t’ want to pay a premium for a luxury brand.
2009 Honda Pilot Fuel Economy back to top
EPA fuel economy estimates for the 2009 Honda Pilot were not released in time for this report. Honda estimates the 2009 Pilot at 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway for front-wheel-drive models and 16/22 for AWD versions. EPA ratings for the 2008 Honda Pilot were 16/22 with front drive, 15/20 for AWD. Honda says the V-6 engine’s cylinder deactivation system reduces Pilot’s overall fuel consumption by about five percent. Pilot uses regular-octane gas.
2009 Honda Pilot Safety and Reliability back to top
Standard safety equipment for the 2009 Honda Pilot includes four-wheel disc brakes with antilock control, which is designed to prevent locking up the wheels during emergency stops. An antiskid system teams with traction control to enhance the tires’ grip in turns and when accelerating. Front seat-mounted side airbags offer torso protection in side collisions. Curtain side airbags for all three seating rows provide head protection in side collisions and are designed to deploy when sensors detect an imminent rollover (rollovers are a leading cause of fatalities in SUV accidents).
The government’s crash-test results for the 2009 Honda Pilot were not released in time for this report, but Honda said its internal testing made it confident the SUV would score the highest possible ratings in any third-party evaluation. That would continue the excellent record of the previous-generation Pilot, which scored the highest possible government ratings for passenger protection in frontal- and side-collision testing, and was among the best SUVs for rollover resistance.
Owners rate Honda vehicles tops among mid-priced brands for reliability and overall satisfaction, but rate Honda dealer sales and service only average in surveys by J.D. Power and Associates, the leading consumer-satisfaction ratings firm.
The 2009 Honda Pilot hasn’t been out long enough for its owners to be surveyed, but the 2008 Pilot scored average, better than average, and among the best in every category of initial quality measured by J.D. Power. It also rated better than average for dependability.
2009 Honda Pilot Release Date back to top
The 2009 Honda Pilot release date is May 22, 2008.
What's next for the 2009 Honda Pilot back to top
Look for the basic design of the 2009 Honda Pilot to remain unchanged through model-year 2013 or 2014. Some reports suggest Honda will offer the Pilot with a diesel engine after the 2009 model year. And expect some minor styling alterations around model-year 2012.
2009 Honda Pilot Competition back to top
The GMC Acadia, Mazda CX-9, and Toyota Highlander are top rivals for the 2009 Honda Pilot. All are crossover SUVs with a V-6 engine and front- or all-wheel drive. Only the Highlander is available with a gas-electric hybrid engine.
The GMC Acadia has 275-horsepower, EPA-rated fuel economy of 16 mpg city/22 highway with AWD, and a base-price range of about $29,800-$36,500. Acadia seats eight and is built from a General Motors design also used for the Saturn Outlook, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse. These are among GM’s best products, refined and roomy, but with significantly larger exterior dimensions than the Pilot so they’re less easy to maneuver in tight spaces.
The Mazda CX-9 is based on the Ford Edge SUV, but seats seven on three rows rather than five on two. It has 273 horsepower, EPA-rated at 15/21 mpg with AWD, and has a base-price range of about $29,700-$34,800. The CX-9 is perhaps the most stylish of this bunch, but trails the others by a nose in mechanical refinement. It, too, is larger than the 2009 Pilot, but has little more usable interior space.
The Toyota Highlander is the closest match for the 2009 Pilot in exterior size and quality feel, but it has a sleeker body. Being a Toyota, it also is the nearest match for Honda’s top-grade resale values and reliability reputation. Highlander seats seven and has a base-price range of about $27,500-$41,000. Its gasoline model has 270 horsepower and is EPA-rated at 18/24 mpg with AWD. The gas-electric Highlander Hybrid also has 270 horsepower, is EPA-rated at 31/27 mpg, and comes only with AWD.